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Cyrus Kouandjio

AFC Notes: Jaguars, Bills, Dolphins

January 26th, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although quarterback Blake Bortles has been a disappointment since the Jaguars drafted him third overall in 2014, the organization remains bullish on the soon-to-be 25-year-old. “I’ve said this time and time again: ‘I think we can win a lot of games with Blake; I think we can win a Super Bowl with Blake,” general manager Dave Caldwell told John Oehser of the team’s website. “I think he needs to improve and I think we need to improve around him, too, in order for that to happen.” The Jags amassed just three wins this season with Bortles, who went backward after a promising 2015. Bortles’ interception total decreased from 18 to 16, but he threw 12 fewer touchdowns than his 35-score 2015 and averaged a paltry 6.2 yards per attempt after posting a 7.3 YPA the previous year.

More on Bortles-led Jacksonville and a couple of its conference rivals:

  • Whether pending free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore will return to the Bills in 2017 is “all up to them,” the five-year veteran told Conor Orr of NFL.com. “They seem like they’re going to turn it around out there but, like I said, I don’t know what’s going to happen. They got a decision to make,” said Gilmore, who has spoken on the phone with two prominent members of the Bills’ new staff in head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Gilmore’s overall performance declined in 2016, as he fell from Pro Football Focus’ ninth-ranked corner in 2015 to No. 61, but he did intercept a career-high five passes across 15 starts. While this year’s free agent class could feature other No. 1-caliber corners like A.J. Bouye and Trumaine Johnson, Gilmore is happy to measure his résumé against theirs. “I know the other guys (cornerbacks on the market). But I did it for five years at a high level. I like myself,” he declared.
  • The Dolphins made a key trade with the Eagles last March to acquire two defenders – cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso – as well as the 13th pick in the draft (offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil) for No. 8. Now, Miami is once again aiming to go the trade route to bolster its roster, executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum informed Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We’re going to look at every avenue to improve the team. That could mean trades that start around the combine, and then we’ll get into free agency,” Tannenbaum said. “Our focus philosophically is we’re going to try to keep our own [free agents] as best we can. But [plan to] be opportunistic via free agency or trades, and draft as well as we can.”
  • Bills offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio suffered an injury to his hip thanks to a fall at home and had to undergo surgery Wednesday, the team announced. The expectation is that Kouandjio will be ready for training camp. The 2014 second-round pick from Alabama appeared in 12 games and started five in Year 3 of his pro career.
  • The Jaguars have hired Mark Collins as their new linebackers coach, tweets Sporting News’ Alex Marvez. Collins spent the previous two seasons coaching the Jets’ outside linebackers.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Ravens, Bills

August 1st, 2015 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Facing a suddenly thin defensive end situation, with Derek Wolfe‘s recent PEDs suspension and Malik Jackson‘s calf strain, the Broncos are in need of some good news on their line.

They’ll have to settle for Antonio Smith being able to practice and hoping his being investigated in a child sex-abuse complaint doesn’t deter his time in Denver. The Broncos previously excused him from OTAs in late May once word of this allegation emerged.

“I have faith in the end it’s going to be all right,” Smith told Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press. “I love football. I love my teammates more than I love the game. To be away from them was definitely a hard situation.”

GM John Elway permitted the 33-year-old end who he signed as a depth piece earlier this offseason to practice since he hasn’t been arrested or charged.

Here’s some more news out of Denver and as well as the Broncos’ AFC brethren’s training camps.

  • A second consecutive preseason and third straight season for Broncos wideout Kyle Williams looks to have been marred by a severe injury, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Williams, who suffered his previous injuries with the 49ers and Chiefs, confirmed on his Instagram page a knee injury sustained Saturday will end his 2015 season. The Broncos signed Williams to a futures contract in Dec. 2014 despite his missing the last six games of the 2013 season and all of the 2014 campaign with ACL and shoulder maladies. Most known for the fumble that propelled the Giants into the Super Bowl past the 49ers in overtime of the 2011 NFC championship game, the 27-year-old Williams has to be considered questionable at best to resume his career.
  • 2014 Bills second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio‘s second chance appears to still be in full bloom, with Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reporting the Bills’ right tackle job is his to lose despite a slow rookie year. Per Dunne, when Rex Ryan‘s staff arrived, they cleaned the slate of the former Alabama starter. This could mean a demotion for 16-game starter Seantrel Henderson, a 2014 seventh-rounder. “That absolutely could be his job,” Ryan said of Kouandjio. “That’s competition. Seantrel, I hope will feel differently. He’s going to think ‘I’m going to battle to win that job.’ But right now, he’s running with the 1’s so look at it any way you want.”
  • Scott Cohen will join the Ravens as a consultant after the Buccaneers fired him earlier this year, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Cohen previously worked as Mike Tannenbaum‘s assistant GM for five years with the Jets.

AFC East Notes: Smith, Coples, Kouandijo

July 26th, 2014 at 8:24am CST by Matt Feminis

Jets second-year quarterback Geno Smith has received 74 percent of the snaps through two days of camp, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. However, GM John Idzik claims the “competition” isn’t tilted: “There will be a little bit of fluctuation in reps. Going into camp, we feel like we’re going to give the lion’s share to Geno and we’ll see how he responds.”

Here’s some more AFC East reading:

  • Jets 2012 first-round defensive lineman Quinton Coples hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he dedicated himself in the offseason, writes Costello in the New York Post. Coples reported to camp at 270 pounds (20 pounds lighter) and approximately nine percent body fat.
  • Sammy Watkins has “stolen the show” early in Bills camp, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak, who provides an update on the team’s rookies. As for second-rounder Cyrus Kouandijo, “He’s the heir apparent at right tackle but that transition might not take place until next season,” says Rodak.
  • Kamaal McIlwain has impressed early in Bills camp, according to WGR 590’s Joe Buscaglia, who says, McIlwain could be in the mix for the final cornerback spot. Buscaglia also noted the team is making an effort to train linebackers to learn each of the three positions. Accordingly, Keith Rivers, Nigel Bradham, Preston Brown and Stevenson Sylvester have rotated with the first team, flanking Brandon Spikes in the middle.
  • The Patriots have ongoing competitions for the center and right guard jobs, according to Boston.com’s Ben Volin. Additionally, “There’s been a lot of talk about the competition between WRs Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce for a roster spot,” says Volin, “and if that is indeed the case, Thompkins appears to be ahead by a sizable margin right now.”
  • Not surprisingly, the new-look Dolphins offensive line is enduring early growing pains as the new starters work to develop chemistry, but Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel says the remodeled blocking unit should still be held to a high standard: “For those creating built-in excuses for the Dolphins’ offensive line, concerned that they’ll hold Miami’s offense back, keep in mind that this present unit collectively has 287 regular-season NFL starts heading into September.” Kelly cites the Bears, whose offensive line was atrocious in 2012 before they turned over four starters and improved drastically last season.

AFC East Notes: Williams, Thomas, Johnson, Kelly

July 19th, 2014 at 3:06pm CST by Ben Levine

Bills newcomer Mike Williams sat out portions of minicamp to rest his troubled hamstring, but the veteran wideout has no worries heading into training camp.

“I’m fully ready to go,” Williams told Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News. “I trained this whole offseason. There was really no offseason for me. I kinda had to get my leg better. I had to get back to feeling like Mike again, like my mom always tells me. Today running that conditioning test made me feel like I was Mike again.

“At the start of camp, just did the conditioning test and I feel real good. I feel great. I feel I got an A-plus, if there was a grade for it. I feel I’m ready to go.”

Williams finished 2013 with 22 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns – all career lows. The Buccaneers traded the wideout to the Bills in early April for a sixth-round pick.

Let’s look at some more notes from the AFC East…

Bills Sign Cyrus Kouandjio

May 29th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that they have signed second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPNBoston.com. Buffalo has now successfully signed all of their draft picks, as shown in PFR’s running list.

Kouandjio, a former DeMatha Catholic star who continued his dominance at the University of Alabama, was a candidate to go in the first round. While he didn’t hear his name called on Day 1, the Bills scooped him up early on in the Day 2 proceedings, tabbing him with the No. 44 pick. Earlier this week, coach Doug Marrone made it clear that he thinks Kouandjio is ready to make the transition to the NFL.

“When you feel someone’s ready to go from the standpoint of knowledge where they’re not going to get anyone hurt, throw them in there,” said Marrone, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. “I’ve had a lot of success by taking young guys and once they know what they’re doing, throw them in there with the first group and see what they can do. I think you’ll see a lot of that as we look forward in camp.”

The Bills weren’t the only club with an eye on the 311 pound bruiser. The Redskins reportedly would have taken him in the first round if they had a pick there and considered him at No. 34 before trading that selection to Dallas.

NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Redskins, Kouandjio

May 9th, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are looking to make a big move up the second draft board to secure help for their front seven, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter) hears. The latest out of the NFC East..

  • The Redskins were not a part of last night’s festivities but they could be open to moving their No. 34 pick tonight, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. General Manager Bruce Allen is listening to calls from teams interested in moving up for a quarterback or a receiver with the second pick in round two but he’s being patient, realizing that the deals will get better, not worse, as Friday unfolds. The GM could even wait until Washington is on the clock to start weighing offers.
  • The Redskins are a team to watch for Alabama offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Washington would have taken him in the first round if they had a pick there so they’d gladly grab him in the second tonight. The bruising offensive lineman has local ties too as a product of Maryland’s DeMatha Catholic High School.
  • The Eagles passing on Johnny Manziel at No. 22 is a ringing endorsement of quarterback Nick Foles, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank. Foles looked like a superstar in the second half of 2013 and it seems like coach Chip Kelly & Co. are confident that it was more than good luck.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins

May 9th, 2014 at 12:03pm CST by Matt Feminis

Although Chip Kelly has had nothing but good things to say about Johnny Manziel publicly, it seems clear that the Eagles never really thought about taking him with the 22nd pick, writes Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine. “I love him,” Kelly said. “I think he’s a dynamic quarterback. I also think we have a very, very good quarterback situation – not only with Nick [Foles], but you add Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley – we think quarterback is a strength for us right now. We felt like the pass-rusher who we had rated higher was the guy we were gonna take.”

  • “Best player available” is used ad nauseam during the draft. However, it’s the Eagles‘ philosophy and they’re adamant about it, as evidenced by the quotes from GM Howie Roseman and elly in a column by Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Domowitch following the (surprise) selection of Marcus Smith.
  • And then there’s the Cowboys, who did not stick to their board, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer (via Twitter). When the Cowboys lost out on their top three draft targets last night — all defensive players — they opted for a relatively safe choice in offensive lineman Zack Martin even though they had Manziel graded higher.
  • Consequently, rounds two and three have become more important for the Cowboys, says Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. After fielding a historically bad defense in 2013 and losing DeMarcus Ware, the team has plenty of holes to fill, especially on the defensive line. George mentions four defensive lineman who could be on the team’s radar tonight: Boise State’s Demarcus Lawrence, Missouri’s Kony Ealy, Oregon State’s Scott Crichton and Florida State’s Timmy Jernigan, all of whom made predraft visits to Dallas.
  • The Giants‘ selection of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 12 puts them on track to fix their broken offense, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The LSU star caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Giants wide receiver Reuben Randle, who played with Beckham at LSU, described him as a “DeSean Jackson type,” writes Ebenezer Samuel of the Daily News.
  • The Redskins were not part of Thursday night’s festivities, but they’re up at No. 34 tonight, and USA Today’s Steven Ruiz takes a look at their options. Most speculation centers around the team selecting an offensive lineman, perhaps Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandijo, Virginia’s Morgan Moses or UCLA’s Xavier Su’a-Filo.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Donald, Latimer

April 24th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

In past years, we’d be gearing up for the NFL draft to begin in a matter of hours, but with this year’s event pushed back into May, we still have two more weeks of build-up until the big night. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net is helping to bridge that gap by continuing to pass along noteworthy tidbits on this year’s prospects. Here’s the latest from Pauline, with these notes coming from his latest blog entries unless otherwise indicated:

  • The Dolphins like offensive lineman Zack Martin, but don’t expect him to be available when they pick in the first round. Sources tell Pauline that Miami could end up trading down and targeting a player like Nevada’s Joel Bitonio — Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandjio isn’t expected to be a first-round option for the club. Bitonio, meanwhile, is also drawing interest from the Panthers and Buccaneers.
  • Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald figures to come off the board somewhere between picks No. 6 and 16, according to Pauline, who identifies the Falcons (6th), Giants (12th), Bears (14th), and Cowboys (16th) as potential landing spots.
  • At least 23 teams will travel to Bloomington, Indiana tomorrow for Cody Latimer‘s on-campus workout. Pauline hears that the receiver is one of the draft’s fastest risers, and even has a shot to be selected in the first round.
  • Fresno State wideout Davante Adams is working out with the Panthers for a second time. Adams has also visited the Lions, Chargers, and Falcons, and worked out for the Titans.
  • The Colts brought in Wisconsin safety Dez Southward for a pre-draft visit, according to Pauline.
  • The Steelers, Colts, and Eagles are displaying the most interest in Oregon defensive end Taylor Hart.
  • Wake Forest linebacker Justin Jackson is paying a visit to the Chiefs today, Pauline reports in a tweet.
  • The Jets have reps at Clemson today to work out quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Roderick McDowell, and linebacker Quandon Christian, tweets Pauline.
  • Pauline also reports (via Twitter) that the Packers, Patriots, and Chiefs are at Mississippi State today to work out quarterback Tyler Russell and safety Nickoe Whitley.

King’s Latest: Draft, Texans, Jags, Cards, Rams

April 21st, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Peter King of TheMMQB.com has kicked off the week by sharing a number of interesting tidbits that can be found in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column. Let’s dive right in and round up several of the highlights from King….

  • Vikings general manager Rick Spielman on this year’s crop of quarterbacks: “There’s no Andrew Luck, no Peyton Manning. It is such a mixed bag with each player — every one of them has positives, every one of them has negatives. And if that’s the way you end up feeling, why don’t you just wait till later in the draft, and take someone with the first pick you’re sure will help you right now?”
  • One friend of Texans general manager Rick Smith tells King that the GM prefers Buffalo’s Khalil Mack over Jadeveon Clowney. King adds that he thinks Houston will try to choose a sure thing with the No. 1 pick, which could mean Mack, Clowney, or Greg Robinson, but may rule out the top quarterbacks.
  • At No. 3 overall, the Jaguars want a pass rusher “badly” and would be a good fit for Mack or Clowney, depending on who is still available, says King.
  • Top tight end Eric Ebron recently suggested he thinks the Lions will draft him, though King is skeptical the club would go that route with its first pick.
  • The Cardinals are “sweet on” signal-callers Derek Carr and A.J. McCarron. King says he expects Arizona to draft a QB within the first two rounds and the Rams to take one within the first three.
  • Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks are drawing interest from the Steelers, who are weighing the possibility of drafting a wideout in the first round.
  • In King’s view, current draft risers include Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin, and Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. Players whose stock may be falling include Louisville signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater, UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr, and Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.

Extra Points: Bears, Watt, Lee, Patriots

April 18th, 2014 at 8:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Lindenwood cornerback Pierre Desir is on the Bears‘ radar, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. A relative unknown after spending two years at Washburn, followed by the two seasons at Lindenwood, Desir finished his college career with 25 total interceptions and 52 pass breakups en route to being named a Division II All-American three times. The cornerback is projected by some to go in the second round and the Bears might be looking at him as a possibility at No. 51. More from around the NFL..

  • Texans standout defensive end J.J. Watt will never play for his fifth year option, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. After the 2014 season he’s expected to sign a lucrative, long-term extension. As the Pro Football Rumors 2015 Fifth-Year Option Tracker shows, Watt’s option is worth $6.969MM.
  • The Texans have holes to fill all over the roster, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. That could be part of the reason why there’s ostensibly several viable candidates for the No. 1 overall pick.
  • USC All-American wide receiver Marqise Lee visited the Patriots and Lions this week, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Lee was named the Pac-12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, when he caught a career-high 118 passes for 1,712 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a junior last season, Lee’s production fell to 57 catches for 791 yards and four touchdowns as he dealt with injuries.
  • Alabama offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio worked out for the Buccaneers and Panthers, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. The Crimson Tide standout has seven visits and workouts in total.