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Anthony Walker

Dolphins, LB Anthony Walker Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 4:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after moving on from Jerome Baker, Miami is set to have a new linebacker in place. Anthony Walker has agreed to a one-year Dolphins deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Walker spent the past three seasons with the Browns, where he started 27 of his 28 appearances. He was limited to only three games in 2022 thanks to a torn quad, but he bounced back and got into 12 games in 2023. He finished this past season with 44 tackles, with Pro Football Focus grading him 31st among 82 qualifying linebackers.

The former fifth-round pick made a name for himself with the Colts, where he transformed into a dependable starter for the organization. After emerging as a full-time player in 2018, he topped 100 tackles in two of his final three seasons for the organization.

Browns Place LB Anthony Walker On IR

January 5th, 2024 at 1:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

After going week to week with Anthony Walker, the Browns will give his roster spot to someone else. Out for the past three games following arthroscopic knee surgery, Walker is now on IR.

Barring the Browns making their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, the veteran linebacker is done for the season. Although Walker has missed time already, his IR clock — mandating a four-game absence — begins in Week 18. The Browns signed defensive end Sam Kamara from their practice squad to fill Walker’s roster spot.

Knee scopes have offered players the chance to return after short- or medium-term hiatuses for a while, but the team evidently deemed Walker’s return timetable as lengthy enough a playoff comeback was not guaranteed. Walker started all 12 games he played for the Browns this season, his third with the team.

Walker joins Grant Delpit, Rodney McLeod and Maurice Hurst Jr. as Browns defensive regulars on IR. Offensively, Cleveland has dealt with far more obstacles. Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson, Jack Conklin, Jedrick Wills and Dawand Jones are on the Browns’ injured list. Delpit has a chance to return in the playoffs, but the rest of this lot will not come suit up again before September.

This is familiar territory for Walker, who ended last season on IR as well. The former Colts draftee suffered a torn quad tendon in September 2022. As part of a decent linebacker-retention effort, the Browns re-signed Walker on a one-year, $1.23MM deal. Cleveland also brought back Sione Takitaki, who has seen more playing time alongside Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah since Walker’s latest injury. Walker posted 113 tackles for the Browns in 2021; he heads to IR with 44 stops, four passes defensed and two fumble recoveries this season. Pro Football Focus rates Walker 31st among linebacker regulars.

On a more positive note, Kevin Stefanski said Ogbo Okoronkwo could return to action despite suffering what was initially believed to be a season-ending pectoral injury. The rotational edge rusher has missed the past three games, but after additional testing, the Browns did not place the free agency pickup on IR. Okoronkwo has tallied 4.5 sacks and a career-high 12 tackles for loss during his first season in Cleveland.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Browning, Steelers

December 27th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

In between the Browns going public with Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury and the team signing Joe Flacco, GM Andrew Berry gave his top two front office lieutenants an assignment. Berry asked assistant GMs Glenn Cook and Catherine Raiche to independently rank the veteran QB options, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, while doing the same himself. Although this process produced different second- and third-place finishers, Flacco ranked first across the board. Kevin Stefanski reaching out to ex-Vikings coworker Gary Kubiak on Flacco also helped the veteran’s cause, Breer adds. Flacco’s OC with the Ravens in 2014, Kubiak spoke highly of the former Super Bowl MVP. One of Flacco’s best seasons came under Kubiak in 2014, helping the latter become the Broncos’ HC.

After years as a backup, Flacco has taken the reins in Cleveland and has the team on the cusp of its second playoff berth over the past 20 years. Out of football until November, Flacco is now interested in playing next season. The Browns are interested in Flacco staying in Cleveland to do so.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • Jake Browning took a step back in a Bengals Week 16 loss, but coming into that Steelers matchup, Joe Burrow‘s backup had been highly effective. The fifth-year veteran, who had never taken a regular-season snap until this year, still carries a 72% completion rate and an 8.5-yard average per attempt. Browning, 27, moved up from third-stringer to backup this year, with the Bengals letting Brandon Allen walk in free agency, and Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes he is interested in seeing what is out there for him in free agency. A 2024 free agent, Browning would at least generate appeal as an intriguing QB2. Teams have been burned by signing backups to be starters in recent years — as the additions of Brock Osweiler (Texans) and Nick Foles (Jaguars) have most famously shown — but this is a rather valuable position. Browning finishing the season strong will only up his price for 2024.
  • Patrick Peterson made his first start at safety in Week 16, intercepting Browning. Replacing Minkah Fitzpatrick in a depleted Steelers secondary, Peterson views the move as something that could extend his career. Aiming to play through at least the 2025 season (which would be his 15th year), the All-Decade cornerback said the move could be a prelude for his future. “I feel like this is a great move for me at this stage of my career,” Peterson said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Joe Rutter. “We have good corners who can be a cornerstone for this team. This could be my second career.” The Steelers had some safety work in mind when they signed Peterson to a two-year, $14MM deal. It will be interesting to see how Peterson, 33, is used moving forward. Steelers have Keanu Neal on IR and Damontae Kazee suspended for the regular season’s remainder.
  • Browns linebacker Anthony Walker underwent arthroscopic knee surgery recently, per ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter. The veteran defender missed Week 16 and is week-to-week. Walker suffered a torn quad tendon last year, ending his season after three games, but re-signed with the Browns and has started 12 games this season. Pro Football Focus ranks the ex-Colts draftee 32nd among off-ball ‘backers this season. Walker is not on IR, but he joins a growing number of unavailable Browns defenders. Ogbo Okoronkwo, Grant Delpit and Rodney McLeod are out of the mix as well. Delpit is on IR but could return in the playoffs, while Okoronkwo remains on the active roster despite a torn pec.

Browns To Re-Sign LB Anthony Walker

March 22nd, 2023 at 12:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Anthony Walker was among the Browns linebackers to suffer a major injury last season, the team will keep him around on another one-year deal.

Walker visited the Commanders earlier this week, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets the veteran off-ball defender will return to the Browns. This will be the third straight offseason in which Walker has signed a one-year deal with the Browns.

The Browns have now come to terms with two of their linebackers coming off significant injuries. They re-signed Sione Takitaki last week as well. Several weeks before Takitaki’s ACL tear, Walker suffered a torn quad tendon. Despite Walker’s previous two deals coming during Joe Woods‘ defensive coordinator tenure, the Browns will see what he looks like in Jim Schwartz‘s defense.

Walker left Indianapolis for Cleveland in 2021, when he signed a one-year deal worth $3MM. In 2022, it cost the Browns $4.25MM to bring Walker back on a one-year accord. A deal in this neighborhood should be expected this time around. Walker is entering his age-28 season. The team also showed interest in bringing back Mack Wilson, but the Patriots signed him last week. Instead, Takitaki and Walker will each attempt to rebound from their injuries in Cleveland.

Cleveland still has top linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on his rookie contract. The 2021 second-round pick cannot be extended until next year. Should the Browns extend Owusu-Koramoah, veteran linebacker money will be scarcer. With the Notre Dame product still in that rookie-deal window, Takitaki and Walker will complement him once again.

Walker suited up for 13 Browns games in 2021, tallying 100-plus tackles (113) for a third time. The ex-Shaquille Leonard sidekick has been a prolific tackler when on the field, but he has missed 18 games over the past two seasons. The injury trouble and a buyer’s market forming at inside linebacker this offseason will suppress Walker’s value.

Deion Jones, whom the Browns traded for last year, remains in free agency, but the team still sports a crowded linebacker room. Cleveland added ex-Indianapolis and Chicago contributor Matthew Adams this week, and Jacob Phillips — the third Browns ‘backer to suffer a season-ending injury in 2022 — remains on the roster as well. Walker saw more action than Takitaki and Phillips when healthy. In 2021, he played 80% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps. Should he prove recovered from the September quad injury, another regular role should await.

Commanders To Host LB Anthony Walker

March 20th, 2023 at 9:44am CST by Adam La Rose

Anthony Walker could be close to finding a third NFL employer. The veteran linebacker is conducting a free agent visit with the Commanders today, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

Walker began his career with the Colts, taking on a starting role in his second season. His play in Indianapolis earned him a deal with the Browns in 2021, one which proved to be a worthwhile investment. The former fifth-rounder totaled 113 tackles in his debut Cleveland season, the third time in his career he eclipsed 100 stops in a campaign. His production led to another one-year contract last March.

However, the 27-year-old suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury only three weeks into the 2022 season. That made him one of many Browns linebackers to spend considerable time on the shelf, something which contributed to the team’s defensive struggles and their re-tooling on that side of the ball this offseason. That effort has included a number of outside additions, but also a new one-year deal for fellow veteran ‘backer Sione Takitaki.

With the latter – along with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and others – in the fold for Cleveland, Walker is unsurprisingly exploring other options. That has led him to today’s visit in the nation’s capital, and the potential to find a new home. When healthy, Walker is capable of handling starting duties, with his skillset being suited better to run defense than production in the passing game. That, coupled with his injury, is likely to tamper his market in the second wave of free agency.

The Commanders have retained several incumbent linebackers so far in free agency, including depth options David Mayo and Khaleke Hudson. They lost Cole Holcomb to the Steelers, but have added former Seahawk Cody Barton as a replacement starter. Walker would look to carve out a role within their LB room if a deal were to materialize in the near future, one which could add experience to Washington’s defense and allow him to prove his continued worth upon returning to full health.

Browns LB Anthony Walker Out For Season

September 23rd, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:45pm: The Browns made the roster move official this afternoon, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, placing Walker on injured reserve, where he is expected to remain for the rest of the season.

11:52am: Anthony Walker left Thursday night’s game early, and the Browns linebacker will not return this season. An MRI revealed the sixth-year defender suffered a quadriceps tendon tear, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

After initially signing Walker in 2021, the Browns gave him a one-year, $4.25MM deal to come back as a starter. But the team will need to make a long-term adjustment after Friday’s news. This is a tough blow for Walker, who required cart transportation last night and will be set to go through a five- to seven-month rehab timetable.

A 2017 Colts fifth-round pick, Walker has been a starter for the past five seasons. The Colts let him walk in 2021 and doled out record-setting off-ball linebacker money to Shaquille Leonard months later. But Walker made an impact in Cleveland last season. Pro Football Focus rated him as a top-20 off-ball linebacker alongside promising youngster Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Walker, 27, made 113 tackles and notched a sack last season.

This will obviously hurt Walker’s chances of scoring a better free agency deal in 2023. The Browns also saw Owusu-Koramoah leave Thursday’s game; a groin injury sidelined the second-year defender. Jacob Phillips, a 2020 third-round pick, is set to both replace Walker and wear the green dot signifying a communication role, Kevin Stefanski said.

While Phillips has only started four games in his Browns career, he played well against the Steelers. The LSU product registered seven tackles and came through with a third-down sack and a third-down pass breakup during Cleveland’s Week 3 win. This figures to turn into an audition season for Phillips, who played just 123 defensive snaps last year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/22

August 6th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Washington Commanders

  • Activated from reserve/retired list: LB Tre Walker

Weatherly was in line for a rotational role with the Browns this season behind entrenched starters Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. The 28-year-old was coming off of a sack-less campaign with the Vikings last year, but has 73 games and 17 starts on his NFL resume. In his absence, the Browns will depend not only on another mostly healthy season for Clowney, but also third-round rookie Alex Wright and recent USFL signing Chris Odom in the edge rush department.

Just yesterday, Walker surprisingly ended his NFL career before it began, briefly becoming the second young Commander this offseason to hand up his cleats unexpectedly. Hours later, however, the UDFA changed his mind and asked to be reinstated. Having signed him to his rookie contract, Washington held the rights to the San Jose State alum and were free to bring him back into the fold. He will once again look to make the team’s roster – something he has a decent chance at, given the lack of proven options Washington has down the depth chart at ILB.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/22

July 26th, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions, including a handful of notable names landing on the physically unable to perform list and the non-football injury list as teams open up camp:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released with NFI designation: WR Cody Core

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Browns To Re-Sign Anthony Walker

March 16th, 2022 at 10:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have re-signed Anthony Walker. The linebacker will receive a one-year, $5MM deal, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 

Walker, 26, came into the league as a fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2017. He joined up with the Browns last year on a one-year, $3.5MM deal and went on to notch 113 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a pair of pass deflections. Beyond the traditional stats, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus graded him as the 17th best linebacker in the NFL.

Clearly, Walker was in line for a sizable pay bump. This new deal roughly doubles his last one (one-year, $2.7MM/year), but this still seems pretty team-friendly given his all-around improvement. Walker will now look to improve his run-defense while maintaining his solid pass coverage.

Walker, 27 in August, has 456 career tackles to his credit across four seasons with the Colts and his first with the Browns.

Browns Place RB Kareem Hunt, Seven Others On Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 17th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns have placed more players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including running back Kareem Hunt. The team announced that the following players have landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list:

In his third season with the Browns, Hunt has totalled 386 rushing yards and five touchdowns, along with an additional 174 yards on 22 catches in eight games. The 26-year-old has been a key member of the Browns’ backfield alongside Nick Chubb, helping the team average 143.5 rushing yards per game, ranking fourth in the NFL.

The team also announced that offensive assistant coach T.C. McCartney has tested positive for COVID-19. We learned earlier today that the NFL was pushing Saturday’s game between the Browns and Raiders to Monday.

Meanwhile, Cleveland activated linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. from the reserve/COVID-19 list, and they’ve signed quarterback Kyle Lauletta to the active roster off the Jaguars practice squad. Lauletta, 26, has appeared in just two NFL games. Both were with the Giants in 2018, where he went 0-for-five with one interception. He has since spent time on the Eagles’, Falcons’ and Browns’ practice squads, only going to Jacksonville’s after being waived at the end of August.

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