HEADLINES

Ezekiel Ansah

Extra Points: Gordon, Cowboys, Ansah

May 11th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Suspended Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon is currently without an agent, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Joby Branion terminated their relationship “a couple weeks ago,” a source told Florio. Branion succeeded Drew Rosenhaus, who parted ways with Gordon several months back, as Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes (on Twitter). Branion had been working to help get Gordon reinstated, a bid the NFL denied Thursday. The league’s decision came on the heels of a recent conversation between Gordon and commissioner Roger Goodell, per Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, who adds that Gordon is working out in Gainesville, Fla., and seems to be in good shape physically (Twitter links).

More from around the league:

  • Before the Cowboys chose Michigan defensive Taco Charlton with the 28th pick in the draft, they spoke with the Ravens about trading up to No. 16 for Missouri DE Charles Harris, reports Charean Williams of the Star Telegram. However, the teams’ discussions died when the Ravens’ target, Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey, was still on the board for their pick. Harris ended up going 22nd overall to the Dolphins.
  • The Cardinals released Daryl Washington on Thursday, but the linebacker told Mike Jurecki he’d have wanted to stay with the team had it been willing to pay him a salary higher than the league minimum (Twitter link). Understandably, Arizona wasn’t interested in making any kind of a real investment in Washington, who hasn’t played a down since 2013 because of repeated violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The league reinstated Washington last month.
  • Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah says that he will ask Ndamukong Suh for advice on contract talks, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. “I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but I will,” Ansah said. The Lions are hoping to lock Ansah down with a contract extension, despite a down year in 2016.
  • Wide receiver Eddie Royal, whom the Bears released Thursday, is still recovering from the turf toe that ended his 2016 campaign early, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While Royal is making progress from December surgery, he’s not ready to return to the field, per Rapoport.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Questions About Ziggy Ansah’s Age Emerge

May 10th, 2017 at 4:08pm CST by Zachary Links

There have been whispers about Ezekiel Ansah‘s true age ever since he was drafted in 2013. The Ghana native, some have said, was actually born in 1987, which would mean that he is on the cusp of his 30th birthday rather than his 28th birthday. When the latest round of rumors picked up, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reached out to the Lions for clarity. Ezekiel Ziggy Ansah

“We believe our published information is accurate — born May 29, 1989,” a team spokesman said in a text message.

As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes, teams around the league viewed Ansah’s passport back during the draft process and confirmed his age. This may not be a 100% foolproof way to verify the age of a player born outside of the U.S., but it’s the best info that the league has as its disposal and the belief remains that he was born in 1989.

Ansah certainly doesn’t want any questions about his age to linger as the team looks to sign him to a long-term extension. The difference between 30 and 28 may seem like splitting hairs to some, but it makes a major difference in the NFL and a discrepancy here would likely cost Ansah millions of dollars.

Ansah was hampered by ankle and shoulder issues in 2016, but he should be in for a bounce back year if he stays healthy. In 2015, Ansah recorded 14.5 sacks and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Lions, 49ers, Packers

April 7th, 2017 at 8:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan was “mind-blown” when the Ravens traded him to the Eagles on Tuesday, he told reporters, including Zach Berman of Philly.com. Jernigan didn’t expect to be a long-term fit in Baltimore after it re-signed nose tackle Brandon Williams to a massive contract last month, but he figured he’d remain there in 2017. Now that he’s in Philadelphia, Jernigan is excited to line up next to Fletcher Cox and play in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s scheme. Schwartz told Jernigan he has “big plans” for the 24-year-old, who set career highs in starts (15) and sacks (five) in 2016. “This is my first time ever being told, ‘Go,’ “ Jernigan said. “I’ll prove my point.”

More from the NFC:

  • The Lions are planning to pursue a contract extension with defensive end Ziggy Ansah, which the 27-year-old would welcome. “OK,” Ansah told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “That would be great.” Ansah is a year away from potentially hitting free agency; in the meantime, he’s slated to earn $12.734MM under his fifth-year option in 2017. Since going fifth overall in the 2013 draft, Ansah has tallied 32 sacks, though he posted a career-low two in 13 games last season.
  • Releasing cornerback Tramaine Brock on Friday is unlikely to significantly affect the 49ers’ draft plans, observes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. The team was already cognizant of its need at corner, per Wagoner, who notes that this year’s draft class includes plenty of promising prospects. Arguably the best of the bunch, Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore, visited the 49ers on Wednesday.
  • With Aaron Rodgers firmly entrenched under center, odds are the Packers will trade backup quarterback Brett Hundley over the next year-plus, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Green Bay’s hope is that it will be able to flip Hundley for a pick more valuable than the fifth-rounder it used on him in 2015. Hundley has since attempted 10 passes, all of which came last season, and is entering his penultimate year of team control.
  • The Lions only have two QBs – Matthew Stafford and Jake Rudock – but it’s a “guarantee” they’ll add a third, general manager Bob Quinn informed Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. That won’t necessarily come via the draft, though Quinn did talk last offseason about the importance of regularly collecting youthful signal-callers. “I think it’s really good football business to acquire a young quarterback every year, or every other year,” Quinn said. “There’s such a value in the position, and nowadays in college football, there’s a lot of spread offenses, which means it’s a lot different than pro football. So it takes these young quarterbacks time to develop.”

Lions Planning Extension For DE Ziggy Ansah

March 28th, 2017 at 11:52am CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Lions have defensive end Ziggy Ansah under contract in 2017 thanks to his fifth-year option, Detroit would like to lock up the fifth-year edge rusher for the foreseeable future. The Lions have interest in inking Ansah to a long-term extension, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who cautions talks have not yet started.Ezekiel Ziggy Ansah

[RELATED: Lions, Matthew Stafford Begin Negotiations]

After posting 30 sacks during his first three years with the Lions (including 14.5 in 2015), Ansah registered only two quarterback takedowns last year. Bothered by ankle and shoulder injuries, Ansah didn’t put up a sack until Week 11, and garnered his worst Pro Football Focus grade since his rookie campaign (PFF rated Ansah as the No. 51 edge defender among 109 qualifiers).

Ansah, 27, will earn $12.734MM in 2017 before becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Detroit will have the option of assigning Ansah the franchise tag next spring, but that would come with a high price tag. The 2017 franchise tender for defensive ends is worth $16.394MM, so increases in the salary cap could push that figure near $18MM in 2018.

A franchise tag wouldn’t come cheap, but neither will an extension, as Ansah and his representatives will likely to point to recent comparable edge defender contracts when negotiations get underway. Those deals might include Von Miller ($19.083MM annually), Olivier Vernon ($17MM), Chandler Jones ($16.5MM), and Jason Pierre-Paul ($15.5MM).

NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Gettleman, Baalke

October 9th, 2016 at 8:11pm CST by Rory Parks

Bears kicker Connor Barth missed a pair of field goals during his team’s six-point loss earlier today. Through five games, the 30-year-old has connected on five of his eight attempts, and Barth has been around the league long enough to recognize that the Bears will probably explore the kicker market.

“Nothing surprises me these days,” he told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s the NFL. So just gotta go back to work. Like I said, those are kicks I usually make. I gotta make them.”

Coach John Fox was non-committal when discussing Barth’s roster status, but he wasn’t ready to lay all of the blame on his kicker.

“We look at everything every week,” coach John Fox said. “But I don’t think that’s on one guy, by any stretch.”

The veteran was signed by the Bears right before the season, with the 30-year-old replacing long-time kicker Robbie Gould.

We took a swing around the AFC earlier today, now let’s round up a few more notes from around the NFC…

  • Ezekiel Ansah has been dealing with a high ankle sprain since Week 2, but according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tests have revealed that the injury is no more serious than that. Caplan reports that Ansah will not require surgery and the Lions are optimistic we will begin practicing soon.
  • Kyle Meinke of MLive.com does not expect Lions head coach Jim Caldwell to be fired mid-season, especially since he is still well-respected and even revered by his players. However, he will surely not survive into 2017 if the team does not show dramatic improvement over the remainder of the 2016 campaign.
  • The Panthers’ secondary is a mess right now, and as David Newton of ESPN.com writes, there is really no one else to blame but GM Dave Gettleman. Newton observes that the one area Gettleman hasn’t spent money on is the secondary. He has put together that unit in piecemeal fashion with midrange draft picks and older veterans who came cheap, letting starters like Captain Munnerlyn and Josh Norman walk because they didn’t fit into his financial plan. Now, Gettleman’s approach is starting to catch up with him.
  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com believes that 49ers GM Trent Baalke is on the hot seat, largely as a result of his repeated failure to address the team’s weaknesses at impact positions. The problem is that there is nothing Baalke can do to strengthen the team for the final 11 games, so if San Francisco does not improve on its own, Baalke’s tenure with the club could be over.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Jeffery, Lions, Ansah

October 6th, 2016 at 7:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest on the NFC North’s two 1-3 clubs:

  • Bears receiver Kevin White‘s injury troubles could make it more difficult for the club to let fellow wideout Alshon Jeffery leave as a free agent after the season, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times observes. White, whom the Bears chose seventh overall in the 2015 draft, missed all of last season with a tibial stress fracture and is now on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain and a fractured fibula in Week 4. Jeffery, meanwhile, is raking in $14.6MM as Chicago’s franchise player after it was unable to reach a long-term deal with him in the offseason. The Bears will once again have the option of tagging Jeffery after this season, or they could either reach a long-term pact with the fifth-year standout or allow him to hit the open market. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report said in July that one reason the Bears drafted White was so they could avoid signing Jeffery to a lucrative contract, but the former’s inability to stay on the field might put a wrench in that plan.
  • The Lions are unlikely to have either defensive end Ziggy Ansah or tight end Eric Ebron against 3-0 Philadelphia on Sunday, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Michael Rothstein). Ansah has missed the majority of the season since succumbing to a high ankle sprain early in Week 2, thus depriving Detroit of its best pass rusher. Ebron, who banged up his knee and ankle in the Lions’ 17-14 loss in Chicago last Sunday, has played through multiple injuries this season. The 23-year-old has been productive, though, as he ranks third on the Lions in receptions (18) and second in yards (210).
  • Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan is progressing well since going down with a thumb injury in Week 2 and has a chance to return Sunday against the Colts, he said after practicing Thursday with a cast on his right hand (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com). “I led the SEC two years in a row in tackles at Kentucky with a cast on [to protect a wrist injury], so I’m pretty familiar [with playing with one],” the former Bronco stated. “I’m not very limited with the cast. It’s specially made, but I’m just trying to do everything I can to be out there with my teammates come Sunday.” Trevathan is among several key Bears who have missed this time this year, which has contributed to their poor start.

NFC North Notes: Cutler, Kalil, Lions

September 25th, 2016 at 12:29pm CST by Rory Parks

After Monday night’s ugly loss to Philadelphia, Rich Campbell of The Chicago Tribune writes that the end of Jay Cutler‘s tenure with the Bears felt as real as it ever has. Each year since former head coach Lovie Smith was fired at the end of the 2012 season, the Bears have asked themselves whether they prefer Cutler to an alternative, and each year, the answer has been yes.

However, after looking at the success that rookie Carson Wentz had against them last week, and as they prepare for rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott this week, the Bears’ quarterback calculus could change sooner rather than later. After all, it could be tough for GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox to continue with a 33-year-old quarterback who has a 50-49 record and only one playoff victory in seven-plus seasons in Chicago, particularly a quarterback they inherited who has no more guaranteed money left on his deal as of 2017.

The problem is that a quarterback has not been the best player on the board when the Bears have been on the clock in the past two seasons, and it would not have made sense for the team to reach for a signal-caller when they had a solid quarterback on the roster with guaranteed money still to be paid. But with no succession plan in place, the Bears may have no choice but to grab a QB in the 2017 draft and hope they can find someone to lift them out of their cycle of mediocrity.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the NFC North:

  • With Matt Kalil on IR, many have wondered if the Vikings–who demonstrated they were “all in” on the 2016 season with the Sam Bradford trade–could deal for a replacement left tackle, like Cleveland’s Joe Thomas. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Minnesota will not make such a trade.
  • Earlier today, we learned there is a good chance that Adrian Peterson could return to the Vikings next year, despite much speculation to the contrary.
  • Lions DE Ziggy Ansah is expected to be out through at least next week as he continues to battle a high ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Ansah will get a second opinion on that injury later this week.
  • Lions LG Laken Tomlinson has had a very disappointing start to the season, but Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes Detroit has no other choice but to continue relying on last year’s No. 28 overall selection, as 2016 fifth-rounder Joe Dahl does not appear ready to step into the starting lineup.

North Notes: Williams, Browns, Ansah, Bears

September 22nd, 2016 at 7:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback K’Waun Williams has filed a grievance through the NFLPA asking the Browns to pay for his ankle surgery plus his full $600K salary for ’16, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. During the offseason, Williams and the Browns were locked in a heated battle as he refused to play through painful bone spurs in his ankle. The Browns suspended the corner for two weeks and later waived him. He was claimed by Chicago, but later released when he failed the physical.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah is getting a second opinion on his high ankle sprain, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Typically, that’s not a great sign. Lions running back Ameer Abdullah got a second opinion on his sprained foot earlier this week and wound up being ruled out for at least two months. With fellow defenders Devin Taylor and DeAndre Levy also nursing injuries, Detroit can’t afford to lose its star playmaker in Ansah.
  • The Browns are bringing former BYU wide receiver Mitch Mathews in for a visit/workout on Friday, agent Brett Tessler tweets. Mathews spent this preseason with Kansas City. He auditioned for New England in early September but left without a deal.
  • The Bears worked out free agent punter Cody Webster, according to Caplan (Twitter link). Per Caplan, Webster is the latest in a line of punters that has auditioned for Chicago. That could indicate that the club isn’t happy with incumbent specialist Pat O’Donnell, who ranks 26th in the league in net punt average.

Lions’ Ansah, Levy Could Miss Extended Time

September 19th, 2016 at 7:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Lions’ best pass rusher, defensive end Ziggy Ansah, suffered a high ankle sprain in the team’s 16-15 loss to the Titans on Sunday and will miss an undetermined amount of time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Detroit played nearly all of Week 2 without Ansah, who limped off the field after three snaps and didn’t return.

Ziggy Ansah (vertical)

Ansah, whom the Lions chose fifth overall in the 2013 draft, has developed into a prolific sack artist in the NFL. After taking down opposing quarterbacks 15.5 times and forcing five fumbles during his first two seasons, he tallied 14.5 and four in those two categories last year. He hasn’t made much of a dent on the stat sheet this season in limited playing time for the 1-1 Lions, whose defense currently ranks 22nd in the league in scoring and 25th in yardage (though it is tied for seventh in sacks).

Up next for the Lions are the NFC North rival Packers, but Ansah won’t be on the field against the Aaron Rodgers-led club. The same might be true for another of the Lions’ integral defenders, linebacker DeAndre Levy, who didn’t practice last week and missed the Titans game. When asked Monday if Levy’s quad injury could end his season, head coach Jim Caldwell didn’t give the most reassuring response.

“We’ll see. You know we don’t talk about injuries,” said Caldwell (via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com).

Levy was one of the Lions’ top players from 2009-14, but he missed all but one game a season ago on account of a hip injury. A knee issue then caused Levy to sit out training camp over the summer, though he did recover in time to take the field Week 1. Levy’s inability to stay healthy since last year isn’t what he or the Lions envisioned when the two agreed to a four-year, $33MM contract extension in August 2015. Without Levy on Sunday, Detroit turned to fifth-round rookie Antwione Williams on the weak side. Williams picked up four tackles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Ansah, Stafford, Bradford, Giants

May 6th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Defensive end Ziggy Ansah, who is now under contract through 2017 after the Lions picked up his fifth-year option for 2017, won’t say whether he’s interested in signing a multiyear extension to remain in Detroit long term.

“As of right now, I think you’ve got to take it step by step,” said the standout Lions defender, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “You’ve got to see how this season goes, and I’m just looking forward as far as having a great season for the team.”

In 2016, Ansah will earn a modest $2.94MM salary, but that 2017 option will pay him $12.734MM, so he’s in line for a nice raise eventually, whether or not he inks a long-term deal with the Lions. The former first-round pick, who recorded 14.5 sacks in 2015 on his way to his first Pro Bowl nod, was the league’s 27th-best edge defender out of 110 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).

Here’s more from out of the NFC:

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Load More Posts