Tag: Yannick Ngakoue

Here are the Jags’ 22 pending free agents for 2020

The Jacksonville Jaguars have over 20 players who will be free agents, but Yannick Ngakoue is obviously the top name.

With Tom Coughlin now gone and a new power structure in place, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell and the organization’s front office will now only have to answer to Shad Khan, which is how they did things early in Caldwell’s tenure. While that may make things less complicated, Caldwell still has his work cut out for him with the upcoming free agency period for 2020 as the Jags are projected to be over the cap by $972,783. That’s a total that would put them at 30th in the league.

The Jags are scheduled to have 22 free agents hit the market this spring, but luckily, there is only one pending restricted free agent and starter who the Jags can’t lose — and that’s edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue. However, to do that, they will need to decide on some players with high cap figures like Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, Marcell Dareus, Marqise Lee, Jake Ryan, and Geoff Swaim just to name a few.

[lawrence-related id=28261]

There are also some reserves who will be pending free agents that the Jags may want to consider keeping, too. Tight ends Seth DeValve and Nick O’Leary could be solid backup tight ends. Keelan Cole, who will be a restricted free agent, should be likely to come back as the argument could be made that he played better than Dede Westbrook in 2019.

On defense, the Jags have a few depth pieces at linebacker who should be under consideration to return. Donald Payne (restricted), Najee Goode and Austin Calitro all received a lot of snaps with Myles Jack and Quincy Williams going on injured reserve, and their experience gained in 2019 could make them perfect for spot duties if the Jags need players who could temporarily start a game or two.

Here’s the list of all 22 of the Jags’ pending free agents with expiring contracts, per Over the Cap:

Note: Players are listed by snap count. Also, Alfred Blue was cut by the Jags earlier in October of 2019.

 

GM Dave Caldwell calls getting Yannick Ngakoue re-signed Jags’ No. 1 priority

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that both general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone would be returning to their roles in 2020 after owner Shad Khan met with both Tuesday and throughout the previous week. After the news broke, both got …

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that both general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone would be returning to their roles in 2020 after owner Shad Khan met with both Tuesday and throughout the previous week. After the news broke, both got back to work and had a presser for the media, which provided some details on where the team will go from here.

There was a lot to unpack from the presser but the most important nugget to take from it was that Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell want pending free-agent edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue back on a long-term deal.

″I think you guys all know in this room how both Doug and I feel about Yannick through our conversations over the years,″ Caldwell said Tuesday. ″He is a tremendous player and even a better person. How he handled his business this year was tremendous. But I would say that’s priority No. 1 to make sure he comes back to Jacksonville and that he’s a Jacksonville Jaguar. Hopefully, we can get that done where he’s here for a long period of time.″

Ngakoue has been the topic of the last two postseason’s being that he’s one of the Jags’ best young players who they would be wise to keep being that they have a strong young nucleus of talent. In the postseason of 2018, there was what fans felt was a lackadaisical attempt to sign Ngakoue with Tom Coughlin leading the way. However, with a new power structure and Caldwell now answering only to Shad Khan, it appears the veteran general manager will look to do whatever he can to retain what looks to be his best remaining draft pick.

Ngakoue has been nothing short of phenomenal for the Jags since being drafted in the third-round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In totality, he’s managed to accumulate 122 career tackles, 37.5 career sacks (good for the second-highest total in franchise history) and has been a turnover machine with 14 career forced fumbles. Simply put, he’s been a model player for the locker room and Caldwell likely knows what has to be done to start moving away from Coughlin’s culture which felt like it was more about punishing players than rewarding them.

The first order of business will be for Caldwell to get the Jags’ cap situation right, which will involve parting ways with some key veterans and restructuring some pricey contracts. Once that’s done, the Jags should likely lay low in free-agency and focus on taking care of Ngakoue instead of burning a lot of cash on players from other teams as they’ve done in the past.

As for the contract he could be looking for, he may be looking to top Demarcus Lawrence’s five-year contract worth $105 million with $65 million guaranteed after having one of his better all-around seasons as a pass-rusher and run defender. Sure, it won’t be an easy deal to iron out, but maybe with some cap gymnastics, the Jags can finally pay a player who has earned his money accordingly.

6 objectives Colts must accomplish this offseason

What do the Colts need to do this offseason?

The offseason is officially here for the Indianapolis Colts and while the majority of the moves to be made won’t happen for a few months, there is still a lot to be done before the 2020 season arrives.

As the Colts try to get back to being a perennial playoff team, there are several objectives they must accomplish beginning this offseason. From adding players in free agency to potentially drafting a new quarterback, general manager Chris Ballard should be a busy man this offseason.

Here are six objectives the Colts must accomplish this offseason:

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Re-sign LT Anthony Castonzo

This is becoming the top priority quickly. It was already high on the list but with the news that Castonzo might be considering retirement, there is a certain level of panic that the Colts could lose one of their most valuable players on the offensive side of the ball.

Castonzo is coming off of the best season of his career holding down the blindside. At 31 years old, his career is certainly passed its prime. However, he proved to be a borderline elite left tackle during the 2019 season. Finding a way to convince Castonzo to stay for one or two more years is vital.

That would give Ballard enough time to find a potential replacement while also keeping a highly talented option on the offensive line. The Colts will respect Castonzo’s wishes—whatever they may be—but if there’s any way to keep him playing, they must do so.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Yannick Ngakoue remains unsure about his future with Jags

The Jacksonville Jaguars concluded their 2019 season with a 38-20 loss over the Indianapolis Colts, ending what was a lackluster season on a high note. The media was able to catch up with several players after the victory including pass-rusher …

The Jacksonville Jaguars concluded their 2019 season with a 38-20 loss over the Indianapolis Colts, ending what was a lackluster season on a high note. The media was able to catch up with several players after the victory including pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who is one of the Jags’ biggest question marks heading into the 2020 season.

Of course, with his rookie contract now up, Ngakoue was asked about his future as a Jag and he made three things clear: business is business, he’s learned a lot about the organization, and he’s not sure what the future holds.

Ngakoue, who is now a pending free-agent, has long displayed his desire for a new extension, however, the Jags have failed to lock him up despite being one of their best players. In Sunday’s game against the Colts, he put an exclamation point on his 2019 campaign by causing a strip-sack on quarterback Jacoby Brissett, marking his fourth forced fumble of the season.

After the play, he headed to the sidelines to reiterate his message from the summer just in case ownership forgot.

After Sunday’s game, several of Ngakoue’s teammates vouched for him, including team captain Calais Campbell, who praised his teammate’s passion for the game. Rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II also had kind words for Ngakoue, stating that he’d like to see the star pass-rusher return, too.

Up until this point, the Jags have severely mismanaged Ngakoue’s situation and it would be wise of them to not follow that trend this year as they are in no predicament to let a marquee pass-rusher and leader like him go with a rebuild coming up. With Tom Coughlin gone, maybe things could go more fluidly this offseason and a deal can be ironed out in the spring of 2020 at the earliest.

The good, the bad, and the ugly from the Jaguars’ 38-20 win vs. Colts

The Jags ended the season with a victory, but it feels like one that came much too late.

The Jacksonville Jaguars ended their season with a huge victory over the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 38-20 Sunday.

The Jaguars avenged an earlier loss from the Colts back in Week 12 where they were embarrassed by a score of 33-13. Sunday would provide a different story as the Jaguars would go on to set a season-high in points in their win against their division rivals.

Just as the season did, the Jags’ Week 17 game against the Colts had its share of ups and downs. Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Jaguars’ season finale against the Indianapolis Colts:

The good: Ending the season on a high note

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Jaguars may not have had the season that everyone had hoped for, but at least they gave the fans something to be happy about Sunday — even if only for a week.

The Jags played nearly flawless football on both ends. On the offensive side, Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II played well as he finished the game 27-of-39 with 295 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Although Jaguars wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. had a modest game, he finished with his first 1,000 yard campaign of his career ending the season with 72 receptions and 1,008 receiving yards to go along with eight receiving touchdowns.

The Jaguars secondary played one of their better games of the season, limiting Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a 48% completion percentage (12-of-25) for 162 yards and a 6.0 (out of 100) QBR. It was a complete improvement from their Week 12 matchup where Brissett finished with 15-of-24 passing yards with 148 yards and a touchdown.

The Jaguars played almost perfect ball on the defensive side except:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Watch: Highlights from Jaguars’ 38-20 victory over Colts

Revisit the highlights from the Jaguars’ final game of the decade as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 38-20.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading into the offseason on a high note with a decisive 38-20 win over their AFC South rivals: the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars had a disappointing season in 2019, but Gardner Minshew and company decided to make one last statement as the team rallied in the second half to upset the 7-8 Colts.

Lets revisit the highlights for the final game of the decade:

The game started out in favor of the Colts as they quickly struck first with a field goal, but Jaguars’ kicker Josh Lambo quickly answered with one of his own. After a Colts touchdown and a second Jaguars field goal from Lambo, the Jaguars found the end zone on a 14-yard pitch and catch from Gardner Minshew to Keelan Cole.

The Colts quickly rallied to score 10 more points, retaking the lead 20-13. However, after that point, it was all Duval. Jacksonville fired back with a bomb of a kick from Lambo, nailing a 56-yard field goal to end the half, still trailing 20-16. We all need a hero, and for Jacksonville, no player has answered that call more so than Lambo.

In the second half, Jacksonville started right where they left off and never let off the gas pedal. With Fournette out with the flu, back-up halfback Ryquell Armstead stepped up and filled the void admirably. In the third quarter, Armstead helped Jacksonville retake the lead catching a 3-yard touchdown from Minshew.

After taking a 24-20 lead, the Jaguars pinned Indianapolis deep in their own territory, and as Ngakoue often does, the premier pass-rusher forced a fumble that cemented the Jaguars’ victory.

The fun didn’t end there as Dede Westbrook made the final statement, reeling in a 18-yard beauty from Minshew before the game ended.

Sunday’s win was fun due to the fact that the Jags’ franchise is in an awkward place in time. The team has developing young stars in place like D.J. Chark Jr., Tre Herndon, and Josh Allen to build around. With the right men at the helm, this franchise has all it needs to return to glory.

5 Jaguars to watch vs. Colts

The Jags and Colts will duke it out on last time in 2019, and as underdogs, the Jags will need DJ Chark and several other players to step up.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have almost arrived to the most important offseason in franchise history, but before they get there, they must take care of business in their 2019 season finale against the Indianapolis Colts. As the underdogs for Sunday’s game, they will need several players to step up and here are the five we think could play a big role in Week 17’s AFC South battle:

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

RB Ryquell Armstead

Saturday afternoon, running back Leonard Fournette announced that he wouldn’t be playing against the Colts after he was downgraded to doubtful on the final injury report with the flu. With that being the case, rookie tailback Ryquell Armstead will get his first career start.

With or without Fournette, the key for the Jags will be to control the clock, which means offensive coordinator John DeFilippo should make him the biggest part of the game plan. In the limited time Armstead has seen on the field, he’s also been a solid receiver, so that may be an asset in which DeFilippo may want to consider using as the Colts’ passing defense (No. 22) is significantly worse than their rush defense (No. 8).

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Report: Tom Coughlin, Jags front office ended contract talks prematurely with Yannick Ngakoue

Albert Breer shares some insight on how Yannick Ngakoue’s contract extension went this summer.

Since his firing on Wednesday (and even earlier in the week), a lot has surfaced about the way Tom Coughlin ran things in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ front office and fans have been rightfully sounding off. Unfortunately, some of the standout players that he’s angered the most are no longer with the team, which is exactly why fans should be glad that defensive end Yannick Ngakoue lasted through Coughlin’s tenure.

One of the biggest topics of the season was Yannick Ngakoue’s contract situation. In July, there was a report that surfaced stating the Jags shot him a short-term offer worth $19 million per year. However, thanks to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, we now have some info on how the negotiation process went down.

In a nutshell, it wasn’t pretty.

Just before training camp last summer, Coughlin declared that the Jags had made their final and best offer to pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue. The problem? It was late July, and negotiations were still in the early stages, having only started earlier that month. And the comments sufficiently angered Ngakoue, who was planning on reporting to training camp, to the point where he launched a training camp holdout instead. And this was a player that the team wanted to sign.

Back in May, Ngakoue told the media he wouldn’t holdout for organized team activities or any offseason events afterward, but ended up doing so anyway. We now know he had a more than valid reason to do so based on Breer’s report.

As most are aware, it takes a little time to iron out a deal like the one Ngakoue has/had earned at the time. That said, there feels like there was a lack of effort on the Jags’ end when reading these statements. Meanwhile, it seems as though they had no problems putting together long-term deals for players brought in from other organizations like quarterback Nick Foles and guard Andrew Norwell. That’s not a good look by any means.

It also makes sense that the details behind the short-term deal in which was shot Ngakoue’s way would “leak.” With Coughlin out of the picture, however, fans should feel a little more comfortable about Ngakoue’s chances to stay.

5 mistakes that hurt Jags during Tom Coughlin’s tenure as EVP of Football Operations

Tom Coughlin made a lot of costly mistakes with the Jags and not bringing back Allen Robinson was one of them.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were the talk of the NFL Wednesday after they decided to relieve Tom Coughlin of his duties as the team’s front office leader. He had been with the team since 2017 and was brought in to help get the franchise on the right track. He was able to do that during his first year, however, his formula proved not to be a sustainable way to win.

Along the way, there were also crucial mistakes made that ultimately prevented success for the franchise. Here are the five most significant ones that Coughlin had his hand in:

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

5. Not keeping WR Allen Robinson

One of the unfortunate trends fans witnessed during Coughlin’s run was him letting good players go. The first of those players was receiver Allen Robinson, who is still finding a way to be successful despite the struggles of Mitch Trubisky over with the Chicago Bears.

In an interview from February with ESPN 690AM, Robinson revealed that he and the Jags were“decently close” to a contract extension before the 2017 season, and in looking back at things in hindsight, life could’ve been better for Coughlin if the Jags would’ve just sweetened the pot. Sure, they presently have a stud in D.J. Chark, but most fans tend to agree the Jags need a No. 2 beside him as Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley haven’t wowed anyone this year.

Now, the Jags will enter the offseason with the need for an explosive playmaker next to Chark when the fact of the matter is that it’s possible he could’ve been paired with Robinson for years to come.

Could you guys imagine that duo? I certainly could.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Winners and Losers from Jaguars vs. Raiders

The Jaguars finally seemed to have found themselves against the Raiders, ending a five game drought. Here are some winners and losers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally seemed to have found themselves against the Oakland Raiders, ending a five-game drought. The team played with energy and had a fire in their eye that fans had not seen since the New York Jets game, way back in Week 8.

Here are some of the winners and losers from the Jags’ Week 15, 20-16 victory over the Raiders:

Winners

Yannick Ngakoue

Pay Yan! Yannick Ngakoue put up his best performance of the season against the Raiders, terrorizing the Oakland offense on his way to two sacks, five tackles and four tackles for loss. With a possible extension looming over his head, Ngakoue certainly gave the Jaguars front office a game to watch.

Ngakoue was dominant and looked like a man on a mission. He was hindered by a hamstring injury early in the season but has been getting better as the season has gone on. With just two games remaining, let’s hope he can keep it up and get that well-deserved extension that Ngakoue and fans have been dreaming about.

Gardner Minshew

Minshew Mania is BACK! Gardner Minshew started off the second half slow, scoring just three points in the first half. Fans were thinking “here we go again,” however, the young signal-caller had his own idea. Minshew was electric in the second half and he and Chris Conley connected for some critical, game winning plays to close out a comeback victory.

It seems as though the Nick Foles experiment was over before it ever really started. Minshew gives this team the best shot to win games and has earned the right to have a shot at being this franchise’s long-term answer at the quarterback position. Time will only tell if he’s the answer though.

Chris Conley

The Jaguars were missing arguably their best offensive playmaker and Minshew’s favorite target, DJ Chark Jr., to an ankle injury, and needed a player to step up. Chris Conley did that and more as the young receiver hauled in four balls for 49 yards. Two of those balls ended up being the catches that gave the team the win, as Minshew and Conley led the team back from a 13 point deficit.

If Chark continues to be out with his ankle injury, expect Conley to be the one to continue to step up and make plays for this offense.

Losers

The players behind the Jags’ 8 penalties

In a game where the Jags just ended a long and tough losing streak, it’s hard to envision many losers. However, in Jaguars fashion, penalties once again plagued the team. The Jaguars are the most penalized team in the NFL with 123 penalties worth over 1,100 yards in damage. For a team struggling to get things going, this certainly is no way to help their cause.

Once again against the Raiders, the penalties haunted the team as the Jags committed eight penalties for 87 yards. This is an area that has been a problem for a while and has yet to be minimized in any way as the Jaguars currently have three of the top-11 penalty offenders in the NFL.

Redzone offense

The Jacksonville red zone offense was once again dismal as the team was forced to again go to kicker Josh Lambo for six points. The team has had a problem with this all season long and still struggle to find the end zone. Running back, Leonard Fournette, a bruising goal-line type back, has just three touchdowns on the season, a telling tale.

In terms of yards per game, the Jaguars fare pretty well, ranking 16th in the league with just over 351 yards per game. However, the team is scoring just 17.7 points a game, so what gives? The team has been awful in the red zone. The Jaguars offense is scoring touchdowns on just 38% on their red zone attempts, a scary stat. That is good for 29th in the league. It’s been a season long difficulty and was no better against Oakland.