Tag: Yosh Nijman

3 underrated offensive free agent options for Chiefs

Our @goldmctNFL takes a look at some underrated free agent options for the #Chiefs on the offensive side of the ball.

The Kansas City Chiefs will make some additions on the offensive side of the ball during the upcoming free agency period.

Last year, the team invested heavily in the wide receiver position after trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. This time around, they might take a well-rounded approach to build up their depth at key offensive positions where they’re expected to lose some pieces. Offensive tackle is where they’re expected to make some moves, but we could see a few other position groups reinforced as well.

With the legal tampering period coming on Monday and free agency soon to follow, we’re taking a look at three underrated pending free agents on the offensive side of the ball who fit with the Chiefs.

Packers lose RT Yosh Nijman to shoulder injury vs. Dolphins

Starting right tackle Yosh Nijman exited the Packers’ showdown with the Dolphins due to a shoulder injury. Royce Newman is now in the game.

An injury is forcing the Green Bay Packers to make an in-game adjustment along the offensive line on Sunday in Miami.

Starting right tackle Yosh Nijman exited the contest with a shoulder injury and is questionable to return. The Packers used second-year offensive lineman Royce Newman to replace Nijman at right tackle.

Newman, a fourth-round pick in 2021, played three snaps on his first drive before the Packers executed a fake punt on fourth down.

Nijman, now in his third season, has started 11 games for the Packers this season, including the last nine at right tackle.

Newman started 16 games at right guard last season as a rookie.

The Packers are already without starting left tackle David Bakhtiari, who is out while recovering from his emergency appendectomy earlier this month. Rookie Zach Tom is at left tackle.

From left to right for the Packers offensive line currently: Tom, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan Jr. and Newman.

The Packers are also without defensive lineman Dean Lowry, who is questionable to return with a calf injury.

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In London, Packers opt for left tackle rotation with David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman

The long flight to London and the turf at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium factored into the Packers using a rotation with David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman at left tackle vs. the Giants.

Despite David Bakhtiari playing 70 of 73 snaps at left tackle in Week 4 against the New England Patriots, Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers opted for a full-on rotation with Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman at left tackle during Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants in London.

Bakhtiari ended up playing 25 of the 63 offensive snaps. Nijman got the other 38.

The circumstances of the trip overseas and the playing surface at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium all played into the team’s decision to rotate Bakhtiari and Nijman every other series.

“I think it was just, we were very mindful, that was a long flight over there. Playing on turf,” LaFleur said Monday. “So, just taking everything into consideration, we thought that was the right thing to do for him to make sure that he stays with us for the duration of the season. He’s still working his way back into this thing, too. Let’s not forget that. It’s pretty early. He’s only played a couple of games. Don’t get me wrong, he’s done a really nice job for us, and we’re really happy he’s back, we want to make sure we’re smart about it, because we’ve said all along, it’s a marathon.”

Bakhtiari only ended up playing 25 snaps because he was on the field for the three-and-out in the second half while Nijman got drives lasting 13 plays in the first half and 14 plays in the second half.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bakhtiari gave up one pressure and graded out poorly in the run game, while also committing a false start penalty before the game’s final play. Nijman didn’t allow a pressure over 25 pass-blocking snaps.

Asked if Bakhtiari wasn’t happy with the rotation in London, LaFleur said he didn’t think so.

“Not to my knowledge,” LaFleur said.

Bakhtiari has now played in 130 total snaps in three games since returning to the field. He played 35 snaps (56 percent) in Week 3 vs. the Buccaneers, 70 snaps (96 percent) in Week 4 vs. the Patriots and now 25 snaps (40 percent) in Week 5 vs. the Giants.

The Packers return home to Green Bay to play at Lambeau Field this week, possibly giving Bakhtiari a better chance of playing a higher percentage of the snaps at left tackle. The team clearly wants to be cautious with his playing time on artificial surfaces, which makes sense given the history of his knee and the additional stress of playing on non-grass playing fields. The Packers play only two more games on artificial fields over the rest of the 2022 season.

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Packers considering playing Yosh Nijman at right tackle

The team’s confidence in Nijman and some recent struggles from Elgton Jenkins at right tackle could mean a lineup swap for the Packers offensive line at some point in the future.

In an effort to get the five best starting offensive linemen on the field together, the Green Bay Packers are considering starting backup left tackle Yosh Nijman at right tackle moving forward.

“Potentially, that’s something we’ve definitely talked about,” coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “We’ll continue to do the best job we can in terms of repping these guys at practice. That is definitely something we’ve talked about, but haven’t made any decision about that yet.”

Having Nijman start at right tackle would give Elgton Jenkins a chance to move back inside to guard, where he was a Pro Bowler in 2020.

Nijman started eight games last season and then the first two games of this season at left tackle, but the return of David Bakhtiari – a five-time All-Pro – has provided the Packers with some flexibility in terms of moving Nijman around.

LaFleur confirmed the team has given reps to Nijman at right tackle. He played the position in college at Virginia Tech.

Bakhtiari played 70 of 73 snaps and all but one series during the Packers’ win over the New England Patriots. Nijman played three snaps but was questionable going into the game with an illness.

LaFleur said the plan was to play Bakhtiari two series and then one series off – with Nijman rotating in – on Sunday, but that changed after two quarters.

“We got into halftime and Dave said, ‘I’m going,'” LaFleur said.

Jenkins has allowed two sacks and nine total pressures over his first three games as a starter at right tackle since coming back from a torn ACL. On Sunday, Matthew Judon beat him for a third-down sack and later ended the team’s first drive in overtime with an immediate pressure on third down.

It’s possible the Packers could go with Bakhtiari, Jon Runyan Jr., Josh Myers, Jenkins and Nijman as the starting five at some point this season. In this scenario, Royce Newman – the current starter at right guard – would get moved out of the lineup.

Nijman has allowed five pressures over 95 pass-blocking snaps this season.

“We have a lot of confidence in Yosh and his ability to go out there and perform at a high level,” LaFleur said.

The Packers are still considering Nijman as a rotational player with Bakhtiari at left tackle – LaFleur called it a “fluid, week to week type deal” – so there could be limitations to moving Nijman to right tackle full time.

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Packers add OT Yosh Nijman to Week 4 injury report with illness

The Packers added offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (illness) to the team’s Week 4 injury report. He is now questionable to play vs. the Patriots.

The Green Bay Packers added offensive tackle Yosh Nijman to the Week 4 injury report on Saturday due to an illness. He is now considered to be questionable to play against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Nijman started the team’s first two games at left tackle and then split snaps with David Bakhtiari at the position during last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bakhtiari does not have an injury designation and was removed from the injury report this week. It’s possible he’ll need to play the full game at left tackle if Nijman can’t go or is limited by the illness.

Over 156 snaps played this season, Nijman has allowed four pressures and committed one penalty. He was on the field for 27 snaps against the Bucs.

Some type of illness is working its way through the Packers locker room. Receiver Randall Cobb and kicker Mason Crosby both missed practice time last week, and offensive tackle Caleb Jones was added to the non-football illness list on Saturday after missing the entire week of practice.

Nijman and cornerback Jaire Alexander (groin) are the two players listed as questionable for the Packers on Sunday. Inactives will be announced 90 minutes before kickoff, or roughly 2:00 p.m. CT.

Packers LT Yosh Nijman has done ‘damn good job’ through 2 games

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he doesn’t have to game plan differently because LT Yosh Nijman has played so well to start 2022.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that he doesn’t know if David Bakhtiari will play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he’s not changing his game-planning procedure in large part because backup Yosh Nijman has played so well at left tackle through two games in 2022.

“I think Yosh has done a damn good job in his time starting for us,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur said the Packers haven’t had to change much in terms of game-planning because of the way Nijman has played to start 2022.

“We’re not going to game plan any different,” LaFleur said.

Nijman has played 129 snaps at left tackle over two games. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed only three pressures over 71 pass-blocking snaps – although he did allow a sack to Robert Quinn in Week 2 – and has the third-best pass-blocking grades among NFL offensive tackles with at least 20 pass-blocking snaps in 2022.

Nijman is in Year 4 with the Packers. He started eight games at left tackle in 2021 and now appears to be making another jump in performance in 2022.

The challenges never stop as a left tackle in the NFL. Next up is the Buccaneers, who start Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka at edge rusher. Barrett is one of the best rushers in football, and Tryon-Shoyinka was a first-round pick in 2021.

It’s certainly possible Nijman and Elgton Jenkins will be the tackle duo attempting to keep them away from Aaron Rodgers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

LaFleur said he didn’t know if Bakhtiari – who has played one game since the start of the 2021 season – will be available on Sunday.

“We’re going to take it one day at a time, and we’ll see where we’re at on Sunday. I don’t even let my mind go there at this point,” LaFleur said.

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Matt LaFleur explains why Packers started Yosh Nijman at left tackle vs. 49ers

Two factors went into Yosh Nijman starting at left tackle against the 49ers: The week of practice, and his work during the preseason.

Two factors went into Yosh Nijman making his first NFL start at left tackle for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers.

First, the configuration of the offensive line during the week of practice and not knowing if Elgton Jenkins could play through an ankle injury. And second, the impressive work Nijman did during the preseason.

Coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers used Nijman at left tackle and had the four other starters – including right tackle Billy Turner – remain at their primary positions throughout the week of prep for the 49ers. The idea was to keep everyone settled in place in case Jenkins could recover enough to play.

And Nijman proved he was ready to play.

“I think Yosh earned it. Shoot, he had a really good preseason. And he did it against good competition. He was going against other team’s ones in Buffalo and the Jets. So I think he earned it,” LaFleur said Monday.

When Jenkins was ruled out on Saturday, the Packers entrusted Nijman with protecting the blindside of Aaron Rodgers against one of the best pass-rushers in football.

An extended look over three preseason games helped inform the team’s decision.

Nijman was one of the Packers’ best players during the preseason. He played 138 snaps at left tackle and gave up only two pressures despite playing starters from both the Jets and Bills.

On Sunday night in San Francisco, Nijman didn’t give up a pressure but was penalized twice over 63 snaps. The Packers gave him plenty of help against Nick Bosa but Nijman survived the night without a major blocking incident. Chips from Aaron Jones and Robert Tonyan played a big part in the protection plan on the left side.

“Once he settled in, I thought he did a really nice job,” LaFleur said.

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Packers third-string LT Yosh Nijman allowed zero pressures against 49ers

The Packers got an inspiring performance from third-string LT Yosh Nijman against Nick Bosa and the 49ers.

Yosh Nijman’s impressive 2021 preseason led to an opportunity for his first career start for the Green Bay Packers during their Week 3 meeting against the San Francisco 49ers. Nijman was called on to replace Elgton Jenkins at left tackle after Jenkins was ruled out on Saturday with an ankle injury.

Nijman allowed just one sack in 88 snaps as a pass blocker during the preseason. However, nothing could prepare him for a menacing 49ers pass rush on short notice. Somehow, in an impressive yet improbable debut performance, Nijman did not allow even a single pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

The game didn’t start great for Nijman, who earned a costly penalty on the opening drive. The Packers were driving down the field before stalling in the red zone after Nijman grabbed the face penalty of Nick Bosa. The penalty backed Green Bay’s offense up 15 yards and later forced Mason Crosby to kick a 54-yarder which he made.

After that, though, the Packers gave him help and Nijman was able to settle in.

“I think I just needed the first drive to get the jitterbugs out,” Nijman said after the game, per Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. “I think later on in the game, I kind of settled down a little bit, got in the flow of it and everything. With that mindset, I was trying to stay cool, calm, and collected.”

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers operated from a clean pocket for most of the night. The team used double teams, chip blocks, and quick passes to help Nijman stave off Bosa. After making a sack in each of his first two games in 2021, Bosa failed to do so against Green Bay.

When it became known that Jenkins’ status may be in jeopardy, Rodgers was surprised when offensive line coach Adam Stenavich told him Nijman would be the one protecting his blindside.

Stenavich is entering his third season as the Packers offensive line coach. Time and time again, he’s shown to be one of the best in the business at getting guys ready to play. On Sunday night, Green Bay started four offensive linemen with less than three years of experience. However, it didn’t matter as Rodgers took just one sack and the offense scored 30 points and racked up over 350 yards of total offense.

On a magical night that saw the Packers secure a late comeback win, Nijman proved he is more than capable of filling in during a pinch. When you help neutralize a talent like Bosa, you definitely deserve a ton of praise.

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Packers expected to start Yosh Nijman at left tackle vs. Nick Bosa, 49ers

The Packers are expected to give Yosh Nijman his first NFL start on Sunday night against the 49ers, per NFL Network.

The first start of Yosh Nijman’s NFL career will come on the road in a hostile environment against an unbeaten NFC contender featuring one of the best young edge rushers in football.

The Green Bay Packers are expected to start Nijman at left tackle on Sunday night against Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Nijman was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2019. He has spent the last three seasons in Green Bay, learning under offensive line coach Adam Stenavich and preparing for a moment just like this one.

This summer, Nijman cemented himself as a preferred backup at offensive tackle with a terrific three-game performance at left tackle during the preseason. In fact, he was one of a few stars for the Packers during the preseason slate.

According to Pro Football Focus, Nijman played 138 snaps at left tackle over the three preseason games and allowed just two total pressures. He also received excellent grades as a run-blocker.

Sunday night will be a totally different test.

The 49ers primarily use Bosa, the 2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, on the right side against left tackles, with a sprinkling of Samson Ebukam in a rotational role. This means Nijman will be facing Bosa on 80 percent of more of the Packers’ offensive snaps on Sunday night. And he’ll be doing it in front of a frenzied 49ers fanbase in the team’s home opener at Levi’s Stadium.

If Nijman starts at left tackle, and Jon Runyan, Josh Myers and Royce Newman also start, the Packers will go into Sunday night with four starting offensive linemen without a true road start in the NFL. Myers and Newman both started in Jacksonville against the Saints in front of a half-empty crowd featuring at least half Packers fans.

Expect the Packers to give Nijman plenty of help against Bosa, even if it means putting others – including right tackle Billy Turner – in one-on-one situations most of the night. Veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis and chips from running backs and the other tight ends could all be part of the protection plan for the Packers on the left side.

The Packers will also need to use pre-snap motion and the run game to keep Bosa out of full-on attack mode.

Sunday night is a huge test for Nijman, Stenavich and Matt LaFleur. The three need to work together to survive the battle with Bosa and give Aaron Rodgers and the Packers a chance to win the game.

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Packers promote OT Yosh Nijman from practice squad to fill roster

Rookie offensive tackle Yosh Nijman will fill the roster spot vacated by Cole Madison.

The Green Bay Packers filled the open roster spot left by Cole Madison’s placement on injured reserve with the promotion of rookie offensive tackle Yosh Nijman from the practice squad, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Packers’ offensive line, once injury-free, now needs the help.

Madison suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice last Thursday, and starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga left Sunday night’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers with a knee injury that could keep him out several weeks.

Nijman, at 6-7, has tremendous measurables but entered the NFL as a raw offensive tackle prospect. He was with the Packers during training camp and has spent the entire season on the practice squad. He’ll provide the Packers with an emergency option should more injuries strike the position.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur kept the door open for moving starting right guard Billy Turner out to right tackle, a backup plan they’ve practiced dating back to training camp. In that scenario, backup interior offensive lineman Lucas Patrick would be the front runner to taking over Turner’s spot at right guard and leave Alex Light – who played in place of Bulaga on Sunday night – as the backup tackle on both sides.

Nijman, a converted defensive end, started 22 games at left tackle and 11 at right tackle at Virginia Tech.

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