Kentavius Street

Falcons Re-Sign DL Kentavius Street

The Falcons have made their first defensive transaction of the offseason. The team announced that they’ve re-signed defensive lineman Kentavius Street.

The former journeyman seemed to settle in with the Falcons down the stretch of the 2023 campaign. After getting traded to Atlanta in October, Street proceeded to start all five of his appearances for his new squad. He compiled 14 tackles, four tackles for loss, and one sack before getting shut down early with a pectoral injury. Pro Football Focus only ranked Street 82nd among 130 qualifying interior defenders, although his grade was partly brought down by a dreadful coverage grade.

The former fourth-round pick played out his rookie contract in San Francisco but only got into 35 games across those four seasons. He had a career year off the bench for the Saints in 2022, finishing with 29 tackles and 3.5 sacks. That performance earned him a contract with the Eagles last offseason, but Philly shipped him to Atlanta in a swap for late-round picks.

The Falcons have made headlines this offseason with their offensive moves, but the front office has been quiet on the defensive side of the ball, with Street representing their first signing. The 27-year-old probably won’t step back into the starting lineup in 2024 since Grady Jarrett should be back to full health, but he could still see an important role as a rotational piece for the Falcons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/23

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday elevations for the Sunday slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson returned to practice this week, and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Sunday given today’s activation. The addition of a starter up front will be welcomed by the Cardinals by giving them stability at the left guard spot in particular and by providing an upgrade in protection ahead of a matchup against the stout 49ers defensive front in general. The Cardinals now have four IR activations remaining.

Street was acquired from the Eagles at the trade deadline after he failed to find playing time this season. The 27-year-old has started all five of his appearances in Atlanta, however, racking up 14 tackles (including four for a loss) and one sack. Those numbers will help his free agent market this offseason, but a pectoral injury will sideline him for at least four weeks. If the Falcons fall short of the postseason, therefore, Street will not return in 2023.

McCain was a full-time starter with the Commanders over the past two seasons, but his release led to a one-year Giants agreement. The former fifth-rounder has 87 starts to his name, but he has been unable to carve out a role in New York’s secondary, playing only 19 defensive snaps. McCain has logged a 50% snap share on special teams, however, so his absence in the third phase will be notable if he is claimed off waivers or signed as a free agent by an interested team.

Eagles Trade DT Kentavius Street To Falcons

In the wake of losing Grady Jarrett for the year, the Falcons have moved quickly in adding depth along the defensive interior. Kentavius Street has been dealt from Philadelphia to Atlanta, the Eagles announced on Monday.

The Eagles will send Street and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Falcons in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2024. That falls in line with the terms of many recent trades made around the league. It will create a slight uptick in cap space for Philadelphia, while giving Atlanta another option along the defensive front with Jarrett having been lost for the season due to a torn ACL.

Street spent his first three seasons with the 49ers, serving in a rotational capacity. He then played with the Saints in 2022, where he continued to show flashes as a pass rusher. The 27-year-old reached a new career high with 3.5 sacks (after recording 3.0 the previous year). Now, after a brief stint in Philadelphia, Street will reunite with Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielson after the pair worked together in New Orleans.

Atlanta’s defensive re-tooling efforts saw the additions of David Onyemata and Kaden Elliss during the offseason, and those ex-Saints will provide Street with familiar faces upon arrival in Atlanta. The latter played just 87 defensive snaps with the Eagles this year, an illustration of the NFC champions’ depth along the defensive front. Street will no doubt see a larger workload in Atlanta.

The NC State alum has eclipsed the 40% snap threshold twice in his career, and Jarrett’s absence will clear a path for Street taking on a rotational role with the Falcons. Signed to a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, he will represent a low-cost addition for the 4-4 Falcons as they look to maintain their lead in the NFC South. Part of their success in 2023 has been a strong pass defense, but the team has put up middling numbers against the run so far. Ahead of another trip to free agency, Street will have the opportunity to boost his stock over the stretch run.

Eagles Sign DL Kentavius Street

As the Saints make changes to their defensive tackle group, another contributor will depart. The Eagles agreed to terms with veteran Kentavius Street on Thursday, per the team. It is a one-year deal.

Street, 26, has settled into a backup role in recent years, but the North Carolina State alum has made interesting contributions in New Orleans and San Francisco in that span. The Eagles will see what the experienced pass rusher can do in Sean Desai‘s defense.

Injuries, most notably the ACL tear suffered during a pre-draft workout five years ago, limited Street early in his career. But the former fourth-round pick has played 17 games in each of the past two seasons. After a three-sack finale in San Francisco, Street totaled 3.5 as a New Orleans backup last season. The 287-pound defender tallied a career-high eight QB hits with the Saints and has combined to total 11 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Street played a career-most 518 defensive snaps last season.

Playing on a Wolfpack defensive line that housed Bradley Chubb, B.J. Hill and Justin Jones, Street was viewed as a Day 2 draft prospect before the March 2018 ACL tear. His college years offered a preview of NFL versatility; Street played full seasons as both a defensive tackle and defensive end. After beginning his NFL career as a 49ers D-end, Street primarily played inside with the Saints, who have lost he and David Onyemata this offseason. New Orleans, however, has added Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders in free agency.

The Eagles, who lost Javon Hargrave to a monster 49ers deal, will likely view Street as a second-stringer capable of likes of Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis. But the team still has Milton Williams and Marlon Tuipulotu at D-tackle. Street’s ability to play inside and outside stands to serve him well in an attempt to crack Philly’s two-deep. Robert Quinn is out of the picture at present, after the Eagles redid his contract post-trade. That transaction removed 2024 from the edge rusher’s deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/22

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

49ers Place DL Kentavius Street On IR

Kentavius Street is headed back to a familiar place, injured reserve. The 49ers announced they were shutting down the defensive lineman, in order to make room on the active roster for linebacker Kwon Alexander

Street was a highly regarded prospect coming out of N.C. State in 2018. Unfortunately, he tore an ACL during a private workout for the Giants, and tumbled in the draft as a result. San Francisco scooped him up in the fourth round, and he took his rookie season as a redshirt year. Knee issues plagued him again this offseason, and he was placed on IR back in August. It was looking like he was going to miss each of his first two seasons, but the 49ers activated him a few weeks ago for the stretch run.

He made his NFL debut in Week 15, and played a real role on defense over the final three weeks. In their pivotal Week 16 game against the Rams, he played 27 percent of the defensive snaps. He’ll now head into his third season as a pro with just three career appearances under his belt. He won’t necessarily be a lock for next year’s 53-man roster.

49ers To Activate DE Kentavius Street

Suddenly riddled with injuries throughout their starting lineup, the 49ers will return a player from their injured list. Kyle Shanahan said defensive end Kentavius Street will return from IR to take D.J. Jones‘ roster spot, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets.

Street has yet to play an NFL down. The 2018 fourth-round pick missed all of his rookie season and has spent this one on IR. The 49ers have been patient with the North Carolina State alum but are set to finally see him in action.

An ankle injury ended Jones’ season. He joins Ronald Blair on San Francisco’s IR list. Street’s activation will help a 49ers team that also saw Dee Ford aggravate his hamstring injury. Ford has dealt with maladies throughout his 49ers tenure, and it’s not certain the former Pro Bowler will be back before the playoffs begin.

One of Bradley Chubb‘s sidekicks with the Wolfpack, Street fell to the fourth round because of an ACL tear he suffered before the draft. Street registered eight sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in his final two college seasons. Although he showed flashes in the 49ers’ preseason slate this year, he was forced to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery in September. The surgery went well, and the team recently designated Street as a candidate to return from IR.

49ers’ D.J. Jones Out For Season

The hits keep coming for the 49ers. On Thursday, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that defensive tackle D.J. Jones will miss the rest of the season thanks to a serious ankle injury. The Niners placed Jones on IR and they’re expected to fill his spot on the roster on Friday.

This news comes at an inopportune time for San Francisco, as the team is likely to be without Richard Sherman and Dee Ford for multiple games, and Weston Richburg and Marquise Goodwin were recently placed on IR. Jones, while not a household name like Sherman and Ford, has started all eleven games in which he’s appeared this year, and he has served as a solid run-stuffer in the Niners’ excellent defense.

The 49ers selected Jones in the sixth round of the 2017 draft, and he cracked the starting lineup for the first time in 2018, starting four out of the 10 games in which he saw action. This year, he became a fixture along the interior of the D-line and also recorded the first two sacks of his career.

The good news is that the injury to Jones could open the door for Kentavius Street to make his long-awaited debut, according to Shanahan. Street, a fourth-round selection in the 2018 draft, only fell to the fourth round because of an ACL tear he suffered before the draft, and although he showed flashes in the 49ers’ preseason slate this year, he was forced to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery in September. The surgery went well, and the team recently designated Street as a candidate to return from IR.

49ers Designate Kentavius Street To Return

The 49ers will designate defensive tackle Kentavius Street for return, according to Matt Barrows of TheAthletic.com (on Twitter). Street will take the practice field this week and may practice for up to three weeks before the Niners decide on bringing him back. 

Street missed the first three months of the season after undergoing knee surgery in early September. Between that and a torn ACL suffered before the draft, the 2018 fourth-round pick has yet to play in a regular season game. If not for the injury, Street would have been a much earlier selection.

The 49ers won’t have to cut anyone to make way for Street – the Tuesday release of kicker Chase McLaughlin left them with 52 men on the roster.

At 10-2, the Niners have all but cemented their playoff spot. They’ll face the Saints on Sunday in a monster NFC matchup, followed by games against the Falcons, Rams, and Seahawks.

NFC West Notes: Kendricks, Williams, 49ers

Mychal Kendricks‘ sentencing date keeps getting postponed, and the Seahawks keep reaping the rewards. Per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, Kendricks is now due to be sentenced for insider trading — which he pleaded guilty to in September 2018 — in February 2020 (Twitter link). The date has been pushed back five times now, and instead of losing Kendricks on November 21 (the most recent date), Seattle will have their starting weakside ‘backer for its playoff run.

Now for more from the NFC West:

  • The Cardinals signed tight end Maxx Williams to a modest one-year, $805K pact this offseason, but they have been impressed enough with his performance — especially as a pass blocker — to sign him to an extension several days ago. And he will get a sizable raise, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the two-year pact, which keeps Williams in the desert through 2021, is worth $7MM (Twitter link).
  • 49ers CB Jason Verrett and DL Kentavius Street are both getting healthier and are candidates to come off of IR at some point this season, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (citing head coach Kyle Shanahan) tweets. Both players have had difficult injury luck in their careers, so this is encouraging news, and San Francisco would surely love to have Verrett and Street as depth for the stretch run.
  • The news is not as good for 49ers rookie WR Jalen Hurd, as Shanahan says it’s unlikely Hurd will be ready to come off of IR this year (Twitter link via Maiocco).
  • The 49ers are also planning on being without DE Dee Ford for a couple of weeks, per Maiocco (via Twitter). Injuries have limited Ford during his first year in San Francisco, though he has managed to post 6.5 sacks. Ford is currently dealing with a hamstring injury.