HEADLINES

Mackensie Alexander

Bengals CB Mackensie Alexander Arrested

August 26th, 2020 at 1:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mackensie Alexander left Bengals camp Tuesday in search of his father, whom Okeechobee County (Fla.) authorities reported missing. Shortly after arriving in Florida, the veteran cornerback was arrested on a battery charge Tuesday night, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Collier County (Fla.) authorities arrested Alexander, 26, on one count of battery. The arrest is in connection with the disappearance of Alexander’s father. Alexander is believed to have confronted the man who left his father after a Monday berry-picking trip in Okeechobee County, Pelissero tweets.

Alexander’s father, Jean Odney Alexandre, was reported missing Monday night. Okeechobee County authorities reported Alexandre, 65, had traveled with an unnamed man Monday but did not report the latter as missing.

The Bengals defender is on track to be released from jail soon, according to Pelissero (on Twitter), and is expected to rejoin the search of his missing father. Alexander is expected to plead not guilty to the battery charge, Ben Baby of ESPN.com tweets. This arrest may still trigger a suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Alexander signed a one-year, $4MM contract with the Bengals this offseason, coming to Cincinnati after four seasons in Minnesota.

Contract Details: Anderson, Pennel, Alexander

March 27th, 2020 at 8:56pm CST by Ben Levine

A handful of contract details to pass along:

Bengals To Sign Mackensie Alexander

March 19th, 2020 at 10:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have agreed to sign former Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. He’ll get a one-year, $4MM deal from the club – a pact that could prove to be a solid value for Cincy.

Alexander had his meniscus trimmed in January, a procedure that probably impacted his market. But, before that, he was enjoying a productive season. Alexander registered 38 tackles and five passes defensed in 13 games. Unfortunately, the injury kept him out of the Vikings’ postseason.

The Vikings secondary will look totally different in 2020. This month, they’ve lost Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Jayron Kearse in addition to Alexander. Meanwhile, we’re waiting to see how things shake out with Anthony Harris.

CB Mackensie Alexander Cleared For Football Activities

March 7th, 2020 at 12:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Mackensie Alexander overcame a major hurdle just as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the cornerback was “recently cleared to resume football activities.” The 26-year-old had had his meniscus trimmed back in January.

The Vikings slot cornerback was having another productive campaign in 2019, compiling 38 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and five passes defended in 13 games (four starts). The knee injury ultimately landed him on the injured reserve, forcing him to miss the Vikings two playoff games.

In total, the former second-rounder has appeared in 55 games during his four-year career, collecting 103 tackles, two interceptions, and 21 passes defended.

As we detailed earlier today, the Vikings cornerbacks corps could look a whole lot different next season. Besides Alexander, cornerback Trae Waynes is also set to hit the open market. The organization could also choose to move on from veteran Xavier Rhodes.

Vikings Place Mackensie Alexander On IR

January 10th, 2020 at 2:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Mackensie Alexander‘s season is over. On Friday, the Vikings placed the cornerback on injured reserve, ruling him out the rest of the postseason. 

Alexander was already ruled out for Saturday’s divisional round game against the 49ers after undergoing arthroscopic surgery for a lateral meniscus tear. They got past the Saints without him, but he’ll be badly missed this week as they push to reach the NFC title game.

The Vikings’ remaining group of active cornerbacks – Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, and Holton Hill – will be tasked with holding down the fort yet again as they face the Niners’ potent offense. They’ll be joined by CB Nate Meadors, who was called up to the 53-man roster to take Alexander’s place.

If the Vikings lose to the Niners, that could mark the end of Alexander’s career in purple. The cornerback is scheduled to reach free agency in March.

The Vikings will also be without safety Jayron Kearse, who has been ruled out for this week. On the other side of the ball, the Vikings are keeping their fingers crossed for Adam Thielen and his stitched ankle.

Vikings’ Mackensie Alexander To Have Surgery

January 7th, 2020 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings won’t have Mackensie Alexander on the field for Saturday’s game against the 49ers. The cornerback will undergo arthroscopic surgery for the small tear in his lateral meniscus, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). 

On the plus side – Alexander’s season isn’t necessarily over. If the Vikings advance, Alexander could conceivably return for the NFC title game or the Super Bowl.

The Vikings managed to upset the Saints in the opening round of the playoffs, despite not having Alexander or Mike Hughes on the field. Their other cornerbacks – Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, and Holton Hill – will be tasked with holding down the fort yet again as they face the Niners’ potent offense.

If the Vikings fall to the Niners, that could mark the end of Alexander’s career in purple. The cornerback is scheduled to reach free agency in March.

Vikings’ Mackensie Alexander May Need Surgery

January 6th, 2020 at 1:50pm CST by Zachary Links

On Sunday, the Vikings got past the Saints without Mackensie Alexander. They might not have him for the rest of the postseason, either. 

Alexander is meeting with doctors to determine whether he needs surgery on his injured knee, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Alexander is dealing with a small tear to his lateral meniscus, so it could go either way. A final decision is expected to come by the end of business on Tuesday, which will give the Vikings some time to formulate a game plan in advance of Saturday’s showdown with the 49ers.

The Vikings are already without Mike Hughes, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Friday. Without Alexander or Hughes, the Vikings deployed Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, and Holton Hill at cornerback in their overtime victory.

Alexander, the No. 54 overall pick in the 2016 draft, is scheduled to reach free agency in March. Whether or not he returns to the Vikings, he’ll see a major pay bump from his four-year, $4.316MM rookie deal.

Vikings Place Mike Hughes On IR

January 3rd, 2020 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings will head into the playoffs without the services of Mike Hughes. On Friday, the Vikes placed the cornerback on injured reserve with a neck injury.

Hughes, a 2018 first-round pick, figured to see an increased role against the Saints in the Wild Card round as Mackensie Alexander nurses a knee injury. Now, the Vikings are without both corners for the big game on Sunday.

Hughes played in 14 games (three starts) in 2019, logging one interception, two forced fumbles, and 43 total tackles. The Vikings already had their work cut out for them with Michael Thomas & Co., but things are looking extra bleak for them at this moment.

To fill in at cornerback, the Vikings re-signed old friend Marcus Sherels. Sherels, a Minnesota native, spent nine straight seasons with the Vikings. From 2011-18, Sherels returned 231 punts for 2,447 yards (10.6 average) and five touchdowns, setting franchise records in all three categories.

No Extension Talks For Vikings, Mackensie Alexander

June 8th, 2019 at 6:53pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard earlier today that the Vikings were looking to lock up one member of their 2016 draft class, defensive end Stephen Weatherly. Non-first round 2016 draft picks are set to be free agents after this season, so this is a natural time to begin discussing deals. 

But while the Vikings have clearly made Weatherly a priority, a source told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that there haven’t been any such extension talks between Minnesota and Mackensie Alexander. Alexander, a cornerback, was a much earlier draft pick than Weatherly, as the Vikes took Alexander 54th overall out of Clemson in 2016. Despite his draft status, Alexander has struggled for consistent playing time because of the roadblocks in front of him on the depth chart.

That being said, he did play a very large role for the Vikings last year. He made 15 appearances and six starts, racking up 43 tackles, ten passes defended, and four sacks. Overall, he played just over 54 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. He received strong grades from Pro Football Focus, grading out as their 17th-best cornerback.

As of right now, he has Trae Waynes, 2018 first-rounder Mike Hughes, and Xavier Rhodes ahead of him. We’ve heard recently that the Vikings are listening to trade offers on Waynes and Rhodes, and Hughes is coming off an ACL tear, so they might end up needing Alexander. But as of right now, it doesn’t look like they’re dying to extend him.

North Notes: Hundley, K. White, Hurst

August 26th, 2018 at 10:48am CST by Rory Parks

Although many have assumed that the Packers will keep DeShone Kizer on their final roster — after all, Kizer is just one year removed from being a second-round draft pick, and Green Bay liked him enough to trade for him this offseason — Eric Baranczyk and Pete Dougherty of PackersNews.com believe the Packers should keep Brett Hundley and cut Kizer if it comes to that. Baranczyk and Dougherty say the game has slowed more for Hundley than it has for Kizer, and the fact that Green Bay recently traded for Kizer should not be a factor in the team’s decision (after all, the Packers were likely to cut Damarious Randall anyway if Cleveland hadn’t been willing to deal Kizer for him). Ideally, the Packers would be able to swing a trade for one of Hundley or Kizer, but failing that, the Packers News scribes think GM Brian Gutekunst should stick with Hundley, who did not play very well in relief of the injured Aaron Rodgers last year.

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

  • Wide receivers Kevin White and Javon Wims both improved their chances of making the Bears‘ 53-man roster during Chicago’s preseason victory over Kansas City last night, as Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. White, of course, was the No. 7 overall pick of the 2015 draft — and GM Ryan Pace‘s first-ever draft choice — but injuries have almost completely wiped out the first three years of his NFL career. Wims was a seventh-round selection in this year’s draft, and Jahns believes the Bears should keep both players and six receivers overall, including Josh Bellamy.
  • Although Mackensie Alexander is battling an ankle injury, he is expected to start as the Vikings‘ slot corner — and “quarterback of the defense” in head coach Mike Zimmer‘s scheme — if he is healthy, as Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune reports. However, first-round rookie Mike Hughes — who is also battling an undisclosed injury — has been pushing for first-team reps, which is fairly remarkable when considering that he did not play in the slot in college. Hughes could overtake Alexander down the line, but in any case, Minnesota appears to be well-set at the position in the long-term. Alexander, a 2016 second-rounder, has made tremendous strides in his third summer with the club.
  • Though they had been enjoying an injury- and drama-free offseason, the Ravens have been hit hard with unwelcome news over the past few days. They lost rookie TE Hayden Hurst for three-to-four weeks, they saw star CB Jimmy Smith suspended for four games — though they at least knew that was coming — and now Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic has more bad news to report. Zrebiec tweets that emerging third-year defensive tackle Willie Henry will miss several weeks with a hernia, while promising rookie safety DeShon Elliott may be out for the season with a forearm injury. Zrebiec adds that the recent spate of bad luck will impact Baltimore’s initial roster construction, because while the team will likely carry Hurst and Henry on the 53-man roster until they are ready to return, the Ravens may need to keep an extra tight end and defensive lineman until that happens (Twitter link). Elliott, meanwhile, is an IR candidate. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports that Henry had surgery for his hernia and Hurst has had surgery for the stress fracture in his foot (Twitter links).
  • Browns head coach Hue Jackson wants to keep six wide receivers on the team’s regular-season roster, as Steve Doerschuk of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, and Rashard Higgins make up four of those six wideouts, while sixth-round rookie Damion Ratley also stands a good chance. That means veteran Jeff Janis and relative unknowns Derrick Willies, Da’Mari Scott, and C.J. Board could be fighting it out for the last spot.
Load More Posts