Jason Babin - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Put Alex Okafor On NFI, Sign Babin

January 12th, 2016 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals have made multiple changes to their 53-man roster in advance of their divisional round game against the Packers, the team announced today in a press release. Arizona has placed outside linebacker Alex Okafor on the non-football injury list due to a toe issue, and placed defensive tackle Cory Redding on IR with an ankle injury.

To replace Okafor and Redding on the roster, the Cards have promoted inside linebacker Gabe Martin from their practice squad, and signed veteran outside linebacker Jason Babin, who recently worked out for the club.

Okafor, who turns 25 next month, didn’t have the same impact in 2015 that he did in 2014, when he recorded a career-high eight sacks. However, the Texas product was still a key contributor on the Cardinals’ defense, starting 13 games and playing more defensive snaps than any other Arizona edge defender, so his absence will be felt. Since he landed on the NFI list rather than on IR, it appears his injury was sustained away from the team.

Redding was a part-time player for the Cardinals who didn’t play a huge role for the team this season, but did make a handful of big plays, recovering a pair of fumbles – including one for a touchdown – and grabbing an interception.

As for Babin, the 35-year-old has played for eight teams since being selected in the first round of the 2004 draft. The two-time Pro Bowler made 16 appearances (four starts) with the Jets in 2014, compiling 25 tackles and two sacks. New York released him in September and Babin caught on with the Ravens following a season-ending injury to Terrell Suggs. However, he was inactive for his first two games with Baltimore, and barely saw the field in his next two games, committing multiple penalties when he did play. He was cut by the Ravens in October.

Cardinals Work Out Jason Babin, Matt Shaughnessy

January 11th, 2016 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals worked out a pair of veteran linebackers in advance of their playoff opener against the Packers this weekend. Both Jason Babin and Matt Shaughnessy received tryouts from Arizona, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

Both players could be eligible to suit up for the Cardinals this weekend if the Cardinals decide to sign them. Babin has been out of the NFL since the Ravens cut him in mid-October. Shaughnessy, meanwhile, was dropped by Arizona on September 4th and did not sign after that.

Shaughnessy, 29, appeared in all 16 games for Arizona in 2013, including 12 starts. In that season, he tallied 3.0 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble. In 2014, he appeared in only 8 total games (7 starts) thanks to a mid-season injury. Still, Shaughnessy was important enough to the Cardinals in ’14 that they put him on IR-DTR so that he could be activated later in the year.

Babin, signed by the Ravens following the season-ending injury to Terrell Suggs, was inactive for his first two games with Baltimore, and barely saw the field in his next two games, committing multiple penalties when he did play. Despite his 64.5 career sacks, the 35-year-old clearly wasn’t a big part of the Ravens’ plans going forward, leading to his October release.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Cut Jason Babin, Rashaan Melvin

October 13th, 2015 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens, hit hard by injuries in recent weeks, have made some changes on the defensive side of the ball. The team announced today that has cut veteran outside linebacker Jason Babin, along with cornerback Rashaan Melvin, promoting cornerbacks Asa Jackson and Charles James to fill the open spots on the active roster (Twitter links).

Babin, signed by the Ravens following the season-ending injury to Terrell Suggs, was inactive for his first two games with Baltimore, and barely saw the field in his next two games, committing multiple penalties when he did play. Despite his 64.5 career sacks, the 35-year-old clearly wasn’t a big part of the Ravens’ plans going forward, so it makes sense that the team would part ways with him in order to re-stock a depleted secondary.

Melvin has also been frequently inactive for the Ravens in the first few weeks of the season, so the team decided to give the two defensive backs on its practice squad a chance to earn playing time on the 53-man roster, with Jackson and James receiving promotions.

Jackson, 25, filled in last season for the Ravens when multiple cornerbacks went down with injuries, starting six games and recording 28 tackles. James, meanwhile, has seen most of his limited regular season action on special teams. He was cut by the Texans prior to the season.

The Ravens also announced a pair of previously reported moves, confirming that they’ve signed cornerback Shareece Wright and placed cornerback Will Davis on IR (Twitter link).

AFC Notes: Ravens, Manning, McCown, Colts

September 18th, 2015 at 7:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s look at some of the news coming from AFC teams’ camps as teams begin final preparations for Week 2.

Eugene Monroe will miss the Ravens‘ second game after sustaining a concussion in their first, Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. James Hurst will likely start at left tackle. Hurst helped DeMarcus Ware receive a J.J. Watt-esque +10.6 grade from Pro Football Focus in the Ravens’ Week 1 loss to the Broncos. Breshad Perriman will also miss Week 2.
John Harbaugh deemed recently signed pass-rusher Jason Babin fit to suit up for the Ravens on Sunday, with the team likely using him in pass-pursuit situations behind Elvis Dumervil and Courtney Upshaw, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports.
Josh McCown did not believe he sustained a concussion on his end zone dive against the Jets and drove himself home from the Browns‘ facility after the game, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. Cleveland’s primary starter expected to be cleared for this week but will comply with the concussion protocol, Cabot notes. Mike Pettine seemed to acknowledge McCown endured a setback this week, according to Cabot, noting that such an occurrence resets the recovery clock in the concussion protocol.
Gary Kubiak‘s offense continues to be a dud with the Broncos thus far, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports, with Peyton Manning‘s hot stretch coinciding with the 18-year veteran taking 31-of-37 snaps out of the shotgun following his second-quarter pick-six compared to being under center for seven of the 13 plays prior to Marcus Peters‘ interception, per Football Outsiders. “We’re trying to help him by running the football better and do some things,” Kubiak told media. “But we also know what he’s very comfortable doing, so we’re trying to somehow find a medium between the two and we think that will be good for our team.”
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com examines whether a potential Colts dynasty has been squandered due to the failure to form a quality roster around Andrew Luck. Corry’s chart of contenders’ quality players lists the Colts with having nine, a number well below their top-tier brethren; the Broncos have 17, the Patriots 15, the Packers 14 and the Seahawks 13 in this analysis.
Jonathan Cyprien (calf) is doubtful for the Jaguars‘ AFC Florida supremacy battle, while Luke Joeckel (ankle) is questionable, according to an Associated Press report.

Ravens To Sign Jason Babin

September 15th, 2015 at 9:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are set to sign linebacker Jason Babin, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Babin is scheduled to practice with Baltimore tomorrow. With Terrell Suggs sidelined, the Ravens are hoping that Babin can help bolster their pass rush.

Babin, 35, signed a two-year, $3.25MM deal with the Jets in the 2014 offseason, but his time with the club ended earlier this month when he was cut. Cutting Babin saved the organization $1.5MM, with $125K in dead money. Just weeks ago, the Western Michigan product was competing with Trevor Reilly and Lorenzo Mauldin to be Quinton Coples’ primary backup.

A first-round pick in 2004, Babin has played with seven teams during his 12-year career. The two-time Pro Bowler made 16 appearances (four starts) with the Jets last season, compiling 25 tackles and two sacks. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) actually rated Babin as the third-most valuable defender on the Jets, and he was ranked as the league’s ninth-best 3-4 outside linebacker.

Babin played in all 16 games in 2013 for the Jaguars, racking up 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. Those are solid numbers, albeit a far cry from the ones he was posting just three years prior — in 2011 for the Eagles, Babin set a career high with 18 sacks, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth. The veteran’s days of ranking among the NFL’s league leaders in sacks may be over, but he could still have plenty of football left in him.

Jets Cut Jason Babin

September 5th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have released veteran linebacker Jason Babin, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Western Michigan product was competing with Trevor Reilly and Lorenzo Mauldin to be Quinton Coples primary backup.

The 35-year-old signed a two-year, $3.25MM deal with the team last offseason. Cutting Babin will save the organization $1.5MM, with $125K in dead money.

A first-round pick in 2004, Babin has played with seven teams during his 12-year career. The two-time Pro Bowler made 16 appearances (four starts) with the Jets last season, compiling 25 tackles and two sacks. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) actually rated Babin as the third-most valuable defender on the Jets, and he was ranked as the league’s ninth-best 3-4 outside linebacker.

The veteran has experience in 4-3 and 3-4 schemes, meaning he’s not a one-trick pony. While his skills have certainly declined, it wouldn’t be a shock if Babin caught on with another squad. The linebacker certainly sounded confident about his skills when discussing his role with Darryl Slater of NJ.com.

“I don’t worry about what I don’t control,” he said. “But I am not at all concerned about my abilities to rush the passer or do any other things they need me to do. I can get the job done in a very effective way. So I’m not concerned, either way.”

Jets Decline Option On Chris Johnson

February 14th, 2015 at 1:33pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jets have declined to pick up Chris Johnson‘s option for 2015, according to Randy Large of NewYorkJets.com. Johnson would have been owed a $500K roster bonus had the team decided to pick up his option, write Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The running back will now become an unrestricted free agent on March 10, according to the team (via Twitter).

The team has also exercised the options on pass rushing linebackers Calvin Pace and Jason Babin. Each of those options come with a roster bonus of $250K, according to Cimini (via Twitter).

The decision to release Johnson will give the Jets an extra $3.5MM in cap space this offseason, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). He notes that the team was already planning on having between $45MM-$50MM in cap space to work with.

Although the team has exercised the options on both Babin and Pace, that does not guarantee either a spot on the roster in 2015, writes Cimini (via Twitter). Both linebackers are 34, and pass rusher will likely be considered a position of need for the Jets.

East Notes: Revis, Jets, McCoy

February 5th, 2015 at 8:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It’s long been assumed that the Patriots would not pick up Darrelle Revis‘ 2015 option as it would mean carrying the cornerback’s $25MM cap charge next season. However, the idea of New England exercising the option has been gaining traction, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) passes along how the contract’s guarantees would be structured. Per Corry, Revis would be entitled to a $12MM roster bonus on the first day of the 2015 league year. The bonus would be paid in four $3MM installments, with payments coming on March 31, October 31, December 31, and March 31 of 2016.

Here’s more from the league’s east divisions:

As PFR’s Zach Links wrote in his evaluation of the Jets’ offseason, Gang Green could look to release Percy Harvin and/or Chris Johnson to create cap space. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com agrees, and adds that linebacker Calvin Pace and defensive lineman Jason Babin could also be on the chopping block.
Christopher Price of WEEI.com offers his free agent forecast for the Patriots, noting that both Devin McCourty and Stephen Gostkowski are legitimate candidates for the franchise tag.
Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com looks at the state of the Eagles‘ running back corps going into the offseason. It’s a diverse and talented group, but the team will have to decide what, if anything, should be done with LeSean McCoy. Although McCoy was not the electrifying playmaker in 2014 that he was in 2013, he still had a very productive season, with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average. However, his $11.95MM cap hit has left some wondering if Philadelphia would be better off cutting him. Kapadia, though, believes McCoy is not going anywhere, though the Eagles could approach him with a restructure proposal and may select a running back in the middle rounds of the draft.
Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com look at how Washington might approach their safety positions, which seem to be in a constant state of flux, this offseason. Although the team has often tried to bring in cheap veteran free agents without much success in the past, both writers believe Washington has no other choice but to open the checkbook again. Tandler suggests Kendrick Lewis as a possible target for free safety, while advocating for Phillip Thomas to be given the strong safety job. El-Bashir, though, thinks the team must fill both positions in free agency and expresses no confidence in Thomas.
Liz Clarke of the Washington Post examines the value of Brian Orakpo, who was Washington‘s highest-paid player in 2014, as he hits free agency.

Zach Links and Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Jets Notes: Secondary, Smith, Coples

August 17th, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

After the terrible performance put on by the Jets’ secondary in last night’s preseason game against the Bengals, the Internet has seen a veritable explosion from the team’s beat writers as they attempt to describe Saturday’s debacle. Let’s have a look at some of those articles and a couple of other Jets’ links:

Bob Glauber of Newsday describes the struggles of Antonio Allen and Kyle Wilson on Saturday and wonders if GM John Idzik will try to sign or trade for a corner. Glauber notes that Idzik prefers to promote from within, but given that Ras-I Dowling suffered a groin injury against the Bengals–thereby joining Dimitri Patterson, Dee Milliner, and Dexter McDougle on the club’s rapidly expanding list of injured corners–he might not have a choice.
Despite head coach Rex Ryan‘s attempts to publicly brush aside his secondary’s performance with characteristic humor and machismo, Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets are facing disaster if they do not make a roster move.
Gary Myers of the New York Daily News goes into more detail regarding the play of Antonio Allen, a safety who lined up at corner against A.J. Green on Saturday, a highly daunting task. Allen predictably struggled, but Myers believes he has the potential to be a solid corner and that the Jets may have to be patient with his transition, as the market for free agent corners is pretty bare.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com describes how the Jets’ young and out-of-position unit made Andy Dalton look like a superstar and notes that the team’s failure to adequately address the secondary in the offseason has evolved from a troublesome issue to a glaring one. Cimini adds that, when Ryan was asked if the team would try to acquire a veteran corner, Ryan replied, “I don’t think [73-year-old Hall of Fame corner] Willie Brown is out there.”
Cimini has been pretty busy last night and this morning. In a separate piece, he writes that Geno Smith was not great against the Bengals, but he was at least adequate, and it is now just a matter of time before Ryan officially declares him the starting quarterback.
Cimini wonders (via Twitter) if the team is trying to send a message to Quinton Coples. Coples played only 15 snaps last night, while Jason Babin played 31 snaps.

Jets Sign Jason Babin To Two-Year Deal

July 28th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 28, 5:50pm: Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap has more details on Babin’s contract: 2015 will be an option year, with the exercise date coming at the end of the 2014 league year. Babin’s 2015 base salary will be $1.35MM, and it can increase based on his performance.

JULY 27, 10:05pm: Babin will receive $3.25MM over two years, reports ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The veteran will have a base salary worth $1.1MM in 2014, with another $500K in roster bonuses.

JULY 23, 12:21pm: The Jets have officially announced their agreement with Babin, indicating that cornerback Lowell Rose has been cut to make room (Twitter link).

10:36am: After visiting the Jets earlier this week, veteran free agent Jason Babin has agreed to terms with the team, reports Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network (via Twitter). According to Jones, it’ll be a two-year deal for the former Jaguars edge rusher.

Babin, who turned 34 in May, played in all 16 games last season for the Jaguars, racking up 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. However, after re-signing with Jacksonville in March, the former first-round pick was released by the team last month, making him an unrestricted free agent. While Babin has always been a fairly one-dimensional player, his value has declined as his ability to rush the passer has slipped from elite to simply above average.

With experience in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses, Babin figures to compete for a roster spot and playing time at outside linebacker for Rex Ryan‘s team. The club’s projected OLB starters – Calvin Pace and Quinton Coples – and top reserve Garrett McIntyre all graded better against the run than as pass rushers last season, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

Terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, but when Babin signed with the Jaguars earlier in the offseason, his three-year contract had a total base value of just $7.275MM with only $500K guaranteed. When I examined his free agent stock a couple weeks ago, I suggested that a salary in the $1.5-2MM could be about right for Babin — a deal that includes a modest base salary with several incentives may also make sense, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap tweets.

The Jets were believed to have a full 90-man roster, so a corresponding move will be necessary to clear room for Babin.