Karlos Dansby - Pro Football Rumors

Karlos Dansby Visiting Bengals

March 24th, 2016 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

After being released by the Browns earlier this month, linebacker Karlos Dansby mentioned the Bengals as a team he wouldn’t mind joining. It appears that interest is mutual. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Dansby is visiting Cincinnati today to meet with the Bengals.

Dansby, racked up 109 tackles, forced three fumbles, and intercepted three passes, including two for touchdowns, during the 2015 season. Pro Football Focus ranked him 25th out of 97 qualified non-rush linebackers. However, with the Browns going younger on defense, the team released the 34-year-old with two seasons left on his four-year contract.

At the time of his release, Dansby told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he wouldn’t mind joining a Super Bowl contender like the Bengals, Packers, or Cardinals. “Yeah, I think the Bengals are licking their chops right now,” the linebacker said. “I hope they are. We’ll see what it is.”

The Bengals have some depth at linebacker, with Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, Vincent Rey, and A.J. Hawk among the available options for the three starting jobs. Still, the team did lose Emmanuel Lamur in free agency, and Burfict will serve a suspension to start the 2016 season, so adding a player like Dansby certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Dansby is also said to have received some interest from the Seahawks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: J. Jones, A. Smith, Dansby, Randle

March 21st, 2016 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Packers have informed Frank Bauer, the agent for wide receiver James Jones, that they don’t currently have interest in re-signing Jones, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “They’re going to go with the young guys,” Bauer said. Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis, and Jared Abbrederis are expected to complement top targets Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in Green Bay.

Here are a few more free agent updates from across the NFL:

Asked about outside linebacker Aldon Smith, who will be suspended until at least mid-November, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com that “conversations have been good.” Oakland – or another team – could sign Smith immediately, but McKenzie and the Raiders are more likely to be patient to ensure that the veteran pass rusher continues to make good off-field decisions.
Following his release last week, veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby suggested that he wouldn’t mind heading to Arizona, Cincinnati, or Green Bay. However, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter link) hears that the Cardinals haven’t reached out to Dansby. The division-rival Seahawks have shown some interest though.
After paying a visit to the Jets last week, Saints RFA tight end Josh Hill is meeting with the Bears today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New Orleans would have the opportunity to match any offer sheet Hill signs with another team.
Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that the Rams are unlikely to add wide receiver Rueben Randle to their roster, despite hosting him for a visit earlier in March.
Before he signed with the Broncos, free agent tackle Russell Okung drew interest from other teams on a traditional multiyear deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Okung was seeking $10-11MM per year though, which was too rich for clubs, given his injury history, says Pelissero.

FA Rumors: Upshaw, Cowboys, Hall, Dansby, Mays

March 16th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent linebacker Courtney Upshaw will meet with the Jets on Thursday, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Upshaw has made 64 straight regular-season appearances (51 starts) since Baltimore took him in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 26-year-old recorded 51 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles last season. In terms of overall performance, Pro Football Focus ranked Upshaw 84th out of 110 qualifying edge defenders for his work during the 2015-16 campaign. He was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

The latest on some other unsigned players around the NFL:

Linebacker Karlos Dansby, whom the Browns released Wednesday, would like to join the Cardinals, Bengals or Packers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Yeah, I think the Bengals are licking their chops right now,” he said. “I hope they are. We’ll see what it is.” Notably, Dansby started his career in Arizona as a second-round pick in 2004 and piled up 25.5 sacks before leaving at the close of the 2009 season.
The Cowboys aren’t working toward a deal with Wednesday visitor Leon Hall, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). The veteran cornerback has thus far spent his entire career with the Bengals since they chose him in the first round of the 2007 draft. Hall started in four of 14 appearances last season, picked off two passes, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ 33rd-best corner (111 qualifiers). Like Upshaw, Hall also earned an honorable mention from PFR before free agency.
Even though Hall to the Cowboys doesn’t exactly appear imminent, they are working on a deal with restricted free agent Benson Mayowa, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com. The Raiders gave Mayowa, a defensive end, an original-round tender. As a former undrafted free agent, that means they won’t get any compensation for him if they decide against matching a hypothetical offer. Mayowa, 25 in August, has accrued 30 appearances (three starts) and two sacks during his three-year career.
The Bengals “have made good progress” on a contract with Taylor Mays, writes Geoff Hobson of their official website. Mays is scheduled to miss the first four games of next season because of a suspension. Nevertheless, Cincinnati wants him back as a nickel linebacker to replace Emmanuel Lamur – who signed with the Vikings – Hobson notes. Mays spent 2011-14 with the Bengals before joining the Raiders last season.
Linebacker O’Brien Schofield took to social media Wednesday to discuss his future. “By no means have I counted the Falcons out but I’m waiting for the right opportunity for my family and I. It’s a business so I’m patient,” Schofield tweeted. The 28-year-old signed with Atlanta last offseason and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts). Schofield said last week that he and the Falcons “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a contract.”

Browns Release Karlos Dansby

March 16th, 2016 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

1:48pm: The Browns have made Dansby’s release official, confirming the move in a press release.

12:10pm: The Browns have informed veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby that they will be releasing him, reports Pat McManamon of ESPN.com (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The news comes on the heels of Cleveland signing free agent inside linebacker Demario Davis to a two-year deal.

Dansby, a former second-round pick, signed a four-year, $24MM contract with Cleveland two years ago, and has started 28 games for the team since then. In 2015, he played all 16 games for the club, racking up 109 tackles, forcing three fumbles, and intercepting three passes, including two for touchdowns. Pro Football Focus ranked him 25th out of 97 qualified non-rush linebackers.

Dansby’s solid 2015 season makes his release a bit of a surprise, but there are several reasons Cleveland may be deciding to move on. The veteran linebacker will turn 35 later this year, and had been set to count for $6.5MM against the team’s cap in 2016. Releasing him will create $3.5MM in cap savings, and take the Browns off the hook for his $5MM salary.

Additionally, moving on from Dansby allow the Browns to go a little younger at the position. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton said last month that 23-year-old Christian Kirksey is “probably a starter for us,” as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Dansby’s and Kirskey’s strengths and weaknesses overlap somewhat, as PFF’s grades show — both players received very strong pass coverage grades and very poor marks for their run defense.

For his part, Dansby will be eligible to sign with a new team immediately once the move becomes official. He tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), “It’s time for me to go get a ring.” So expect him to target contending teams as he searches for his new NFL home.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Updates: Monday

November 17th, 2014 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence. Already today, we’ve learned that the Colts believe Ahmad Bradshaw broke his ankle during last night’s game against the Patriots. Here are a few more updates from around the league:

Browns head coach Mike Pettine told reporters today that linebacker Jabaal Sheard may be out for the season with a foot injury (Twitter links via Jeff Schudel and Nate Ulrich). As for Karlos Dansby, whose MCL injury is noted below, he could be sidelined for a month or so.
Dolphins linebacker Jonathan Freeny is expected to miss about four weeks with a hamstring injury, sources tell James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
A successful contract year has come to an abrupt and disappointing end for Falcons running back Antone Smith, according to head coach Mike Smith, who told reporters today that Smith broke his leg and will be placed on IR (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).

Earlier updates:

As first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Falcons cornerback Robert Alford broke his wrist during yesterday’s win over the Panthers. Smith confirmed that Alford will miss two to four weeks with the injury, tweets McClure.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced today that tight end Troy Niklas has a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to play this week. The team intends to monitor Niklas and is hopeful that the injury won’t end his season (Twitter links via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
As first reported by CST’s Victor Howell (Twitter link), Saints wide receiver and return man Brandin Cooks broke his thumb yesterday against the Bengals. Agent Jeff Sperbeck (Twitter link) has confirmed that his client had surgery on his thumb and should return in about four to six weeks.. With Robert Meachem also dealing with an ankle issue, New Orleans may consider adding another wideout to the roster at some point this week.
The Saints also saw safety Rafael Bush leave yesterday’s game with a leg injury, and Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate reports that Bush has a broken fibula rather than a more serious fractured tibia. Still, a fractured fibula generally requires a few weeks to heal, so we’ll see if New Orleans decides to put Bush on injured reserve — if they do, he’d be the fourth Saints safety to land on IR this year. Ty Zimmerman, Vinnie Sunseri, and notable offseason signee Jairus Byrd are already on IR.
The Browns believe starting linebacker Karlos Dansby suffered a sprained MCL against the Texans yesterday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dansby is undergoing more tests today to confirm the diagnosis and to determine a timetable for his recovery.

Poll: Impact Free Agents

July 12th, 2014 at 3:30pm CST by Rob DiRe

279 free agents changed teams this past offseason, but some will have more of an impact than others, writes Nathan Janke of ESPN.com. Jahnke has highlighted five players who have a chance to come in and immediately transform their team.

His top five are Branden Albert (Dolphins), Jairus Byrd (Saints), Eric Decker (Jets), Michael Johnson (Buccaneers), and Karlos Dansby (Browns).

The list seems to be missing key contributors at first glance, as big name players such as Darrelle Revis (Patriots), DeMarcus Ware (Broncos), Aqib Talib (Broncos), and Julius Peppers (Packers) fail to garner even a mention. When looking at impactful free agent pickups, even Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Giants) and Hakeem Nicks (Colts) could have been considered, as both have a chance to come in and prove their worth immediately.

However Jahnke justifies his selections by pointing out how each of the five teams he highlighted struggled in 2013, and how these five free agents were brought in specifically to turn that particular need around quickly. His reasoning pairs a statistic the team was at the bottom of the league in, with a free agent was near the top:

The Dolphins, for example, had a mess at left tackle with Jonathan Martin and Bryant McKinnie on the field, creating a revolving door for pass rushers to fly through. Albert ranks third in the NFL in pressures allowed per game since 2011.
Byrd was brought in to turn around a Saints defense that led the league in passing yards allowed by the safeties. Byrd’s specialty is eliminating plays of more than ten yards over the middle of the field, and turning the mistakes in that area into interceptions.
Decker was the fifth-best receiver in the NFL in terms of yards accumulated on passes 20 yards or deeper down the field. The Jets quarterbacks were last in the league in passer rating when targeting receivers in 2013.
Johnson is fourth in the league in pressures as a right defensive end since the beginning of the 2012 season. The Buccaneers defensive ends have missed more than twice as many tackles than the NFL average for the position.
The Browns were third worst in the NFL in passer rating allowed by inside linebackers in 2013, and dead last in yards after catch allowed. Dansby led the league in passes defended at the position the past two season.

Jahnke ranks them in that order, but there are other free agents to consider as well. Every team hopes the players they sign in the offseason will be able to close up the biggest weaknesses on their roster, and not all of them can live up to expectations.

Karlos Dansby, Browns Agree To Four-Year Deal

March 11th, 2014 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have reached an agreement to sign free agent linebacker Karlos Dansby, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). Dansby’s four-year deal with Cleveland will be worth a total of $24MM, with $10MM in the first year and $14MM in guaranteed money.

Although he’ll turn 33 in November, Dansby certainly didn’t show any signs of falling off in 2013, racking up 121 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and a career-high four interceptions, including two for touchdowns. The former 33rd overall pick also ranked fifth among inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus, grading exceptionally well in pass coverage. Dansby will replace D’Qwell Jackson at inside linebacker for the Browns, and receives a deal similar to the one Jackson signed in Indianapolis.

The Browns’ new-look defense under head coach Mike Pettine is starting to come into focus, with the team also expected to lock up hard-hitting safety Donte Whitner when free agency opens later today. When I ranked 2014’s top 25 free agents over the weekend, both Whitner and Dansby placed inside my top 20, at Nos. 17 and 19 respectively.

Mary Kay Cabot first reported earlier today that the Browns were expected to seriously pursue Dansby, while Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Browns had emerged as “the team to beat” in the Dansby sweepstakes, with the Titans and Cardinals having fallen out of the running.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Frontrunners For Karlos Dansby

March 11th, 2014 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have emerged as “the team to beat” in the Karlos Dansby sweepstakes, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Titans and Cardinals have been the other teams frequently linked to Dansby, but both of those clubs feel like they may be out of the running, says Rapoport.

Although he’ll turn 33 in November, Dansby certainly didn’t show any signs of falling off in 2013, racking up 121 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and a career-high four interceptions, including two for touchdowns. The former 33rd overall pick also ranked fifth among inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus, grading exceptionally well in pass coverage. If Cleveland can lock him up, Dansby will replace D’Qwell Jackson at inside linebacker.

Mary Kay Cabot reported earlier today that the Browns were expected to seriously pursue Dansby.

AFC Rumors: Tate, McFadden, Mitchell, Dansby

March 11th, 2014 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent receiver Golden Tate, who tweeted last night that things are “heating up” for him, could be a target for the Jaguars, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The former Seahawks notable is coming off of his most productive season ever in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns. More out of the AFC..

While many free agent running backs aren’t getting much play yet, Darren McFadden is one that has drawn “significant interest,” tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) hears from a league source that the Raiders have a one-year offer on the table for McFadden. The 26-year-old has missed 19 games over the last three seasons.
The Dolphins are in the mix for defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old is getting a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability, and his high motor.
The Browns are likely to pursue Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio News Group. Dansby, 32, would replace D’Qwell Jackson, who signed a four-year deal with the Colts last week. The Browns were also unsatisfied with the play of inside ‘backer Craig Robertson as the 2013 season went along.
The Browns are aggressively pursuing slot receivers with Davone Bess out of the picture, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Julian Edelman is a possibility as is poaching Andrew Hawkins from the Bengals.
Re-signing defensive tackle Antonio Johnson is a priority for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The club also has interest in holding on to Leon Washington, Marc Mariani, Damian Williams, and Chris Spencer.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) asked a Jets source for the best way to describe the organization’s free agency plan and he was told that the club will be “aggressive.”
The Broncos have discussed the likes of pursuing safety T.J. Ward and defensive end Jared Allen but they’re certainly not in the lead as some have implied, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
The Jets and Patriots will each pick up nearly an extra $2MM in cap room due to various bookkeeping technicalities, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explains in a series of tweets.

NFC Rumors: Saints, Rams, Cardinals

March 9th, 2014 at 11:01pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Saints continue to cut players, fans are attributing the moves to the team trying to free up cap space for Jimmy Graham. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com doesn’t directly attribute the cuts to New Orleans trying to afford the All-Pro tight end, pointing out that most of the players (Darren Sproles, Lance Moore, Will Smith) have become part-timers at this point of their careers. He also adds that the team won’t use all of their savings on Graham and will likely pursue one or two free agents.

A couple of more notes from the NFC South…

In the same article, Triplett mentions the possibility that the Saints might let center Brian de la Puente go. If that’s the case, Triplett believes Tim Lelito would be next in line at the position.
Saints running back Mark Ingram wasn’t necessarily happy with all of the teams cuts, especially fellow back Sproles, writes Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Still, Ingram understands that this means a bigger role in the team’s offense.
The Rams are expecting to be less active than other teams in free agency, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Of course, the team has said that previously, resulting in them spending potentially $175MM in 2012 and 2013.
The Cardinals have reportedly offered Karlos Dansby a two-year contract worth between $10MM and $12MM, reports Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. Somers adds that Dansby is likely to test free agency.
The Vikings are making cornerback their priority in free agency, sources tell Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).