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Eli Ankou

Bills Sign Nazair Jones, Eli Ankou

June 22nd, 2021 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills will take a flier on a former Seahawks third-round pick. They signed defensive lineman Nazair Jones on Tuesday, adding him to the roster after defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. suffered an Achilles injury during minicamp.

Cox is now on IR, and Jones will attempt to make his way back to the field. The North Carolina alum has not played in a regular-season game since the 2018 season.

The Seahawks drafted both Jones and fellow interior D-lineman Malik McDowell during the 2017 draft’s second day, adding the former late in Round 3. Jones started two games as a rookie, registering two sacks and three tackles for loss. Injuries intervened soon after. A foot injury ended Jones’ rookie year, and a knee malady sent him to IR ahead of the 2019 season. The Seahawks waived Jones just after the 2020 draft.

Buffalo signed ex-Jones Seahawks teammate Quinton Jefferson last year but moved on after one season. The Bills are still fairly deep at defensive tackle. Star Lotulelei is back after his 2020 opt-out; he joins former first-round picks Ed Oliver and Vernon Butler and ex-third-rounder Harrison Phillips on Buffalo’s defensive interior.

This mix will also include Eli Ankou, who joins Smith as a defensive tackle headed to Buffalo. A former UDFA, Ankou has played 27 games (two starts) since 2017. The UCLA alum suited up for seven games with the Cowboys last season.

Bills Meet With Eli Ankou

June 21st, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

For the second time this year, the Bills are meeting with Eli Ankou (Twitter link via WGR’s Sal Capaccio). The defensive tackle last visited Buffalo in May and could finally join them this summer if all goes well. 

Shortly after his trip to Buffalo, Ankou signed with the Falcons. However, that deal didn’t last long — Atlanta dropped the 327-pound lineman after a few weeks.

Ankou, a former UDFA out of UCLA, started his career with the Texans. After getting cut by Houston he was claimed by the Jaguars, and played a sizable role in Jacksonville as a rookie. In nine games in 2017, he had 15 tackles and a sack and a half as a rotational run defender.

He remained with the Jags up until the Browns signed him off the practice squad in October 2019. He wound up making two starts while appearing in nine games for Cleveland that year. Ankou then had a short stint with the Colts, was waived, claimed by the Texans, and then traded to the Cowboys in November of last year.

He finished the 2020 season in Dallas, and played around a third of the defensive snaps in the seven games he was active. Still only 27, Ankou offers size and intriguing upside as a run-stuffer.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/17/21

June 17th, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: OL T.J. Wheatley Jr.

Denver Broncos

 

Falcons To Sign Eli Ankou

May 16th, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Falcons are bringing in some defensive line depth on a quiet Sunday evening. Atlanta has agreed to terms with free agent defensive tackle Eli Ankou, a source told veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson (Twitter link).

Ankou just met with the Bills a few days ago, so it appears there was some legit interest in the interior defender. The UCLA product was an UDFA in 2017, and originally signed with the Texans. After getting cut by Houston he was claimed by the Jaguars, and played a real role in Jacksonville as a rookie. In nine games in 2017, he had 15 tackles and a sack and a half as a rotational run defender.

The big fella was a part of the Jags’ organization until the Browns signed him off their practice squad in October of 2019. He ended up making two starts while appearing in nine games for Cleveland that year. Ankou then had a short stint with the Colts, was waived, claimed by the Texans, and then traded to the Cowboys in November of last year.

He finished the 2020 season in Dallas, and played around a third of the defensive snaps in the seven games he was active. He’ll turn 27 next month.

Bills To Meet With Eli Ankou

May 12th, 2021 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are set to meet with defensive tackle Eli Ankou, according to Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 (Twitter link). Ankou, who stands at 6’3” and weighs 327 pounds, could provide depth and run-stuffing help in Buffalo.

Ankou, who won’t turn 27 until next month, has already spent time with five different NFL teams. His last stop was with the Cowboys, after the Texans shipped him mid-season in exchange for a seventh-round pick. In 2020 alone, Ankou spent time with three different teams, going from the Colts to the Texans to the Cowboys.

Ankou notched five tackles in seven games for Dallas last year. For the most part, the former undrafted free agent out of UCLA has served as a special teams player, though he did notch 1.5 sacks as a rookie in Jacksonville.

The Bills already boast a solid interior, headlined by Ed Oliver and Vernon Butler plus Harrison Phillips and Star Lotulelei.

Texans Trade Eli Ankou To Cowboys

October 30th, 2020 at 10:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have traded defensive tackle Eli Ankou to the Cowboys, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The deal will be finalized on Monday, pending the results of Ankou’s COVID-19 test. In exchange, the Texans will receive a seventh-round pick.

[RELATED: Jerry Jones On Mike McCarthy’s Job Security]

Ankou will help Dallas fill the gap following the release of defensive tackle Dontari Poe. This marks the 26-year-old’s third stop of the season — he started out with the Colts before being claimed by the Texans earlier this month. He did not suit up for Houston this season, but he does have 20 career appearances to his credit with the Colts, Browns, and Jaguars.

Ankou, a former undrafted free agent out of UCLA, will be watching from a distance as the Cowboys face the Eagles on Sunday night. Instead, he’ll have his first chance to debut the following week against the Steelers. The Cowboys still have time for additional moves before the Tuesday deadline, but they’re not expected to make a huge splash. Meanwhile, other would-be contenders like the Vikings may be gearing up for a weekend fire sale.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/20

October 26th, 2020 at 4:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/20

October 19th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

  • Claimed off waivers from Colts: DT Eli Ankou

New Orleans Saints

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/20

October 17th, 2020 at 4:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Colts Sign WR Marcus Johnson To Active Roster, Activate DT Sheldon Day

October 17th, 2020 at 12:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts are doing a bit of roster reshuffling this morning. Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star reports (via Twitter) that the team is signing wideout Marcus Johnson to the active roster.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds that the team has also activated defensive tackle Sheldon Day from injured reserve, waived defensive tackle Eli Ankou, released safety Ibraheim Campbell, and promoted guard Jake Eldrenkamp and wide receiver DeMichael Harris from the practice squad.

Johnson, 26, joined the Colts back in 2018, but he started making a name for himself during the 2019 campaign. That year, the wideout finished with 17 receptions for 277 yards and two scores. He was waived by Indy back in September, but he later caught on with the practice squad. He had already been promoted to the active roster twice this season, and he’s hauled in four receptions for 80 yards in those two contests.

After spending the previous three seasons with the 49ers, Day joined the Colts this past offseason. He suffered a knee injury early in training camp that required his placement on the IR, and he was designated for return in late September. The 26-year-old appeared in 16 games for the 49ers last season, compiling 15 tackles and one sack. He also started each of San Francisco’s three playoff games.

Ankou was claimed off waivers from the Browns in early September, but he didn’t end up seeing any playing time for the Colts. Campbell was released by the Titans in September, and he subsequently joined Indy’s practice squad. He saw time in three games for the Colts, only contributing on special teams.

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