Johnathan Hankins - Pro Football Rumors

Chargers Met With Johnathan Hankins

August 29th, 2018 at 9:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Johnathan Hankins is only 26 and has been an NFL starter for the past four seasons, he’s without a team less than two weeks before most franchises’ 2018 seasons begin. But he’s confident he’ll find a home soon, and another suitor emerged recently.

It’s not certain when this visit occurred, but it was revealed during an interview with Brady Quinn and A.J. Hawk on Sirius XM Radio Hankins met with the Chargers this offseason. The former Giants and Colts interior defender added he’s had discussions with teams and is trying to determine the best landing spot.

“I believe I’ll be with a team pretty soon,” Hankins said during the interview. “I’ve just been really talking to teams and trying to figure out what would be the best fit. Just taking my time with things, and I feel like I’ll be with at team very soon, before the season gets started.”

The Colts released Hankins in mid-March. He since met with the Jets in April and worked out for the Browns earlier this month, but no deals materialized. The Chargers will play the first four games without Corey Liuget due to a suspension, and although they did add defensive tackle Justin Jones in the third round, Hankins would supply depth. He graded as a top-20 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus, last season and was productive with the Giants prior to initially hitting free agency.

It’s likely Hankins will have to settle for a one-year deal at a lower-than-expected rate, similar to the some of this year’s top free agent safeties who mysteriously languished unattached for months. But he remains one of the best available players heading into the season.

Browns To Work Out Johnathan Hankins

August 14th, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns will work out defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins on Wednesday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. This marks Hankins’ first known meeting with a club since April.

Last year, Hankins was among the league’s most sought-after free agent defensive tackles. It’s not clear why his market has dragged this year, but it’s possible that his camp has been asking for significantly more money than what he has been offered thus far. After all, that’s what happened last year. In 2017, Hankins’ camp told teams that he was looking for $15MM per year. Soon after, the asking price was reduced to a more reasonable $10MM per season, and he eventually accepted a $9MM/year pact from the Colts.

Two of the Browns’ defensive tackles – Trevon Coley and Caleb Brantley – are dealing with ankle injuries, so Hankins could provide the club with a healthy alternative. If signed, Hankins would almost certainly start in the team’s 4-3 scheme. He played in a 3-4 setup with the Colts last year, but Hankins had only worked out of a 4-3 scheme prior to joining Indianapolis.

Hankins didn’t offer much against the pass in 2017, but he was exceptional against the run. In fact, only Damon Harrison and Ndamukong Suh ranked better against ball carriers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Johnathan Hankins

July 9th, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, Johnathan Hankins was among the league’s most sought-after free agent defensive tackles. In July 2018, Hankins is without an NFL home.

Hankins’ market dragged a bit last year due to his asking price, but he settled for less in April when he signed a three-year, $27MM deal with the Colts. In March of this year, the Colts surprised many by terminating his contract.

Hankins finished out the year as Pro Football Focus’ No. 20 ranked interior defender and the Colts had – and still have – an abundance of cap room. The Colts’ change from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 setup likely played a part in their decision, but Hankins had only worked out of a 4-3 scheme prior to joining Indianapolis. Hankins did not offer much against the pass in 2017, but he was exceptional against the run, which is the primary goal of any defensive tackle.

Since his release, Hankins has met with the Redskins and Jets, but did not sign with either club. So, what gives?

We haven’t heard much on Hankins in recent weeks, but it stands to reason that his asking price is keeping him from landing a deal. In 2017, Hankins’ camp told teams that he was looking for $15MM per year. Soon after, the asking price was reduced to a more reasonable $10MM per season, and he eventually accepted a $9MM/year pact from the Colts.

After turning in a solid season – nearly the best of his career, according to PFF – Hankins may be unwilling to take anything less than what he received from the Colts. It’s the only logical explanation for one of the league’s best run-stuffing DTs being left in limbo.

That position may seem foolish since many teams have already blown their wad in the first and second waves of free agency, but there are still plenty of dollars available, particularly when it comes to his potential suitors. The Jets, who might not want to bank on 32-year-old Steve McLendon in the middle, will still have about $14MM in cap room after they sign top draft pick Sam Darnold. The Packers, who might not have complete confidence in Kenny Clark taking the next step in 2018, have nearly $11MM in space after inking their entire draft class. The Cowboys, who will start the year without David Irving, have nearly $15MM to work with.

Between now and the start of the year, it’s entirely possible that a team could open up the checkbook to meet Hankins’ demands. In addition to the aforementioned clubs, there are still 16 teams with eight figures in cap room. Beggars can’t be choosers at this stage of the summer, but all it takes is one GM to cave.

Alternatively, Hankins may wind up taking his salary demands down a notch or two, which would greatly open up his possibilities. The Lions, for example, have just $9MM in space, but they may want to consider Hankins to beef up their line, even after signing Sylvester Williams in March.

If the market doesn’t meet his demands, Hankins may be willing to settle for a one-year platform contract in the $7MM range to reestablish his value. If quality defenders like Aaron Donald, Khalil Mack, Jadeveon Clowney, and Geno Atkins are taken off of the 2019 free agent list with extensions, Hankins could be on the path to riches next spring.

The Best Remaining NFL Free Agents

June 20th, 2018 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

There are still plenty of impact free agents left on the board, including some big names. Here’s a look at some of the high-profile veterans that are still looking for work in advance of training camp:

Kaepernick probably stands as the most talented quarterback left on the open market, but his ongoing collusion case against the NFL complicated matters. It seems unlikely that he’ll land anywhere between now and the start of the season, but friend and former teammate Eric Reid probably has a better chance of signing somewhere, despite being in a similar boat. Recently, the duo was spotted working out together in California.

It seems like just yesterday that Murray was the league’s most fearsome running back. Unfortunately, Murray’s age has caught up to him to some extent and he was overshadowed last year in Tennessee by the younger Derrick Henry. The Titans dropped Murray in March and he has not found a new NFL home despite meeting with the Lions, Seahawks, and Dolphins since his release. Recently, the Saints tried to include Murray in their cattle call for running backs, but he declined the invite.

Peterson has lobbied the Texans, Saints, Packers, Panthers, Dolphins, and Rams to sign him, but we have yet to hear of any reciprocated interest from those clubs. It’s possible that Murray and Peterson won’t sign unless a running back injury opens up an opportunity for them. Teams could also steer clear of Peterson altogether given his desire for a starring role despite his lack of star performance over the last two years.

Bryant is the biggest name on this list, but we shouldn’t expect to see him sign anywhere until July. There have been conflicting reports on his market, but the latest word indicates that he is receiving interest, despite concerns about his demeanor in the locker room.

Jets Meet With DT Johnathan Hankins

April 5th, 2018 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is visiting with the Jets, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Giants second-rounder was cut by the Colts in March after one year with the team.

The Colts dropped Hankins as they switched to a 4-3 scheme, but the Jets are intrigued by the possibility of plugging Hankins in as their starting defensive tackle. Currently, Steve McLendon stands as the team’s top nose tackle in their 3-4 set.

Hankins recently met with the Redskins, but the two sides are said to be in a holding pattern. Washington may be unwilling to meet Hankins’ asking price, but the cash-flush Jets could have the room to pull off a deal.

Hankins, who turned 26 on Sunday, was the third-best run stopping defensive tackle in the league last year, per Pro Football Focus. Only Damon Harrison and Ndamukong Suh ranked better against ball carriers.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Redskins, Cowboys

March 27th, 2018 at 8:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Giants are not actively shopping wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., team owner John Mara (once again) didn’t dismiss the idea of dealing the star pass-catcher. “Do I want [Beckham] to be traded? Absolutely not,” said Mara, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). “I want him to be a Giant. I can’t promise that’s going to happen. We’re not looking to get rid of him, OK? I’d like him to be a Giant. But if you’re asking me for a 100% guarantee, nobody has that.” Beckham may reportedly consider a holdout if he’s not extended by the start of the 2018 season, but he’s clearly not in the good graces of New York’s decision-makers at the moment. Mara recently indicated he’s “tired of answering questions” about OBJ, who was involved in a video that may have involved drug use earlier this year.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFC East:

Free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is in a holding pattern with the Redskins after meeting with the club last week, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Asking price could be an issue, as Keim indicated Washington views Hankins as a potential complementary piece of its run defense rather than a key cog. As such, Hankins may not be in the Redskins’ plans unless his cost comes down. Fellow interior lineman Bennie Logan remains under consideration, but given that Washington has yet to schedule a visit, its interest clearly isn’t serious. If neither Hankins nor Logan end up in the nation’s capital, the Redskins should be expected to target defensive tackle help through the draft.
New Cowboys linebacker Joe Thomas‘ two-year deal is worth up to $3.6MM, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Thomas, who had spent his entire career in Green Bay, received a $1MM signing bonus and will also have $400K of his base salary guaranteed. The Packers opted to non-tender Thomas as a restricted free agent rather than pay him an original round tender of $1.907MM, and Thomas won’t meet that mark with Dallas, either, as Demovsky reports Thomas will collect just $1.6MM total in 2018. Thomas, 26, will likely spend most of his time on the Cowboys’ special teams unit, but will provide depth in case Sean Lee or Jaylon Smith go down with injury.
Texas A&M receiver Christian Kirk has schedule a pre-draft visit with the Cowboys, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Because he’s likely considered a local prospect, Kirk shouldn’t count against Dallas’ allotment of 30 prospect meetings. The Cowboys have already added Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson to a pass-catching corps that also includes Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, and — for now — Dez Bryant, but Kirk could give the club another dimension on offense. Kirk averaged a 78/952/9 line during three seasons with the Aggies.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Lions, Vikings

March 27th, 2018 at 6:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Allen Robinson narrowed his potential destinations to the Bears and Packers before ultimately deciding on Chicago, as the star wideout tells Mike Kaye of First Coast News. While a number of clubs — including the Redskins, Browns, Ravens, Panthers, and incumbent Jaguars — were linked to Robinson before free agency officially opened, Green Bay was never mentioned as a suitor. The revelation is interesting on a few different levels, but chief among them is that the Packers clearly feel a need to upgrade their receiving corps. So far this offseason, Green Bay cut ties with franchise icon Jordy Nelson, but hasn’t made any additions to its wideout depth chart. Robinson, 24, eventually landed a three-year, $42MM deal from the Bears.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

The Lions‘ decision to release Eric Ebron was strictly a financial call, general manager Bob Quinn told reporters, including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Ebron had been scheduled to earn a base salary of $8.25MM in 2018, and that figure would have become fully guaranteed on the first day of the league year. Indeed, Ebron’s high salary also warded off any potential trade suitors, per Quinn, while Detroit never discussed an extension that would have reduced Ebron’s upcoming cap charge (Twitter link via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News). Ebron, a first-round pick in 2014, has subsequently inked a two-year, $13MM pact with the Colts.
Given that he’s currently in Ghana, Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah has no immediate plans to sign his franchise tag, per Birkett (Twitter link). However, Ansah does eventually plan to ink the tender and has no intention of dragging out the process. When he does eventually sign, Ansah will earn a fully guaranteed $17.143MM base salary for the 2018 campaign, and will have until July to hammer out a long-term extension with Detroit. Ansah finished the 2017 season with 12 sacks, 44 total tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
The Vikings have indicated they’d like to re-sign cornerback Terence Newman, but it sound as though money will be the determining factor in any such agreement, according to Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). While Newman will be 40 years old when the 2018 season gets underway, he was able to stay healthy for all 16 games last year. Newman, who ranked as the No. 66 CB among 119 qualifiers in 2017 (per Pro Football Focus), would reinforce a Minnesota secondary that also includes Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander.
Despite a previous report to the contrary, the Lions are not interested in free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, tweets Birkett. Detroit has already upgraded its defensive tackle rotation by signing Sylvester Williams and Ricky Jean-Francois, but Hankins isn’t in the team’s plans.

Lions Searching For Defensive Tackles

March 21st, 2018 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are scouring the defensive tackle market. They’re expected to bring in free agents Johnathan Hankins and Alan Branch for visits and former Titans defensive tackle Sylvester Williams is also on their radar, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, they’re working on a deal with former Pats defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Lions project to start A’Shawn Robinson and Akeem Spence on the interior defensive line, but they’re a little thin in support. Last year’s sixth-round pick Jeremiah Ledbetter and former UDFA Toby Johnson are the only other DTs on the roster as of this writing. It’s possible that the Lions will look to sign two or more of the aforementioned quartet of free agent defensive tackles to pad out the depth chart.

Given GM Bob Quinn‘s ties to the Patriots, Jean-Francois would be a logical signing for Detroit. Hankins, meanwhile, might be the most intriguing talent of the bunch given his success in the Giants’ 4-3 scheme from 2013-2016. Last year, he also performed well in the Colts’ 3-4 defense.

Redskins Host DT Sylvester Williams

March 20th, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins hosted free agent defensive lineman Sylvester Williams on Tuesday, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link), while the club also has interest in fellow defensive tackle Bennie Logan but has yet to schedule a visit, per John Keim of ESPN.com.

Washington is clearly seeking to improve the interior of its defensive line after ranking 29th in rush defense DVOA and dead last in adjusted line yards in 2017. Williams and Logan join Johnathan Hankins as notable defensive tackles on the Redskins’ radar, as the former Colts defender met with the club on Sunday. Keim recently reported Washington isn’t interested in investing heavily in it defensive line, but Williams and Logan could each be available on one-year deals.

The Redskins are “working hard” to sign Hankins, tweets Finlay, so Williams and/or Logan might not be of interest to the club for much longer. On the other hand, neither of Washington’s 2017 defensive tackle additions — Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain — made much of an impact during their respective first seasons in the nation’s capital, so one or both could be released.

Indeed, Washington altered the contract of defensive tackle McClain in a way that will make him easier to release, as Keim writes. Previously, McClain’s $3.25MM base salary was scheduled to become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2018 league year, but Washington has since made that salary guaranteed for injury only. As such, the Redskins should be able to cut McClain at any point prior to the start of the regular season without being on the hook for his salary (provided he doesn’t get injured between now and then).

Williams, meanwhile, started 11 games and made 15 total appearances for the Titans in 2017, his first campaign outside of Denver since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2014. Last season, Williams played on roughly a third of Tennessee’s defensive snaps (third-most among the club’s defensive linemen) while posting 12 tackles. Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 67 interior defender among 122 qualifiers, assigning much better marks against the run than the pass.

Logan, 28, has caught the Redskins’ eye in the past, as he took a meeting with the team last spring before ultimately landing a one-year, $8MM pact from the Chiefs. Washington should have a good idea of Logan’s capabilities, as he played against the Redskins twice per year as a member of the Eagles from 2013-16. Last season, Logan appeared in 15 games and played on 55% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps, acting as a serviceable run-stuffer during that time. Washington could have competition for Logan, as he met with Seattle earlier today.

South Notes: Luck, Hankins, Bucs

March 18th, 2018 at 12:00pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier today that Ndamukong Suh has completed his initial visit with the Saints and that his visit with the Titans is still ongoing. Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s south divisions:

Yesterday, the Colts agreed to trade their No. 3 overall selection in this year’s draft to the Jets in exchange for New York’s No. 6 overall pick and three second-round selections (including one in 2019). Most pundits believe that’s a pretty nice haul for Indianapolis, and Mike Wells of ESPN.com says it’s also good news for Andrew Luck. With this year’s class of rookie QBs considered to be quite strong — indeed, the Jets are widely expected to use the No. 3 overall pick on a signal-caller — the Colts could have guaranteed themselves of a Luck insurance policy if they felt they needed one. Instead, the move signals to Wells that the team is convinced Luck will look like his usual self in 2018 and beyond.
The Colts made the surprising decision to cut Johnathan Hankins yesterday, and Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes that the move was scheme-based. Indianapolis is converting from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme this year, and while Hankins had only worked in a 4-3 before joining the Colts, the team believes that Hankins’ skill-set will not fit its new emphasis on speed and quickness. Hankins played quite well in 2017, though, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes he will land a contract that pays him $7MM per year on the open market (Twitter link).
The Colts-Jets swap, combined with the Buccaneers‘ signing of Ryan Jensen, could result in a top-five prospect falling to Tampa Bay, which holds the No. 7 overall pick, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. Laine examines a few scenarios that could lead to a player like NC State’s Bradley Chubb or Penn State’s Saquon Barkley dropping into the Bucs’ laps.
Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has used free agency to drastically improve his team in the past, but as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Dimitroff is largely eschewing free agency this year. Atlanta has a strong roster with a number of quality young players on the defensive side of the ball, so the club is content to build through the draft. The team did sign Brandon Fusco to a three-year deal to be its starting right guard, but otherwise, the Falcons’ top priority this offseason is to get an extension done for Matt Ryan.