Mario Edwards Jr. - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Green, Broncos, Raiders

December 2nd, 2016 at 6:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green is progressing in his recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered Nov. 20, but he’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Eagles, according to Bob Holzman of ESPN. Although the 3-7-1 Bengals are all but out of playoff contention, the five-time Pro Bowler has no plans to shut himself down for the season. “I want to get back,” he told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “No matter what type of season we have, I’m not the type of guy to cash it in. So, whenever it’s ready, I’ll be ready to go. But, I’m not going to rush it because I’m not going to have this be a continuing issue.”

Mario Edwards Without Return Date

November 19th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mario Edwards‘ timetable continues to be delayed as he deals with what’s turned out to be another significant injury. The second-year Raiders defensive lineman has yet to resume practicing, according to Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group, who notes the prolonged absence will likely extend into Week 12 and potentially beyond.

More than a month ago, the talk coming out of Oakland placed Edwards’ timetable at being on schedule for a Week 9 return, which would have been the earliest Edwards could have been activated. He’s been eligible to practice for over a month.

Oakland’s top interior pass-rusher is considerably behind Jack Del Rio‘s October projection as the Raiders prepare for their Mexico City game against the Texans. Prior to that, August early reports pegged Edwards as being set to miss one or two regular-season games with his hip injury, so the 2015 second-round pick is facing the prospect of a lost season.

The Raiders still have to designate Edwards as their IR-return candidate, and he will almost certainly need some acclimation time before returning even as a role player. Oakland would have three weeks to activate Edwards once he returns to practice. So, it seems likely December could be Edwards’ new best-case return scenario for game work.

It’s been assumed the 6-foot-5 interior pass-rushing talent would be the player the Raiders bring back from IR, but the former Florida State performer not having practiced yet further delays this process. Oakland has just four players on IR, with blocking tight end Lee Smith (broken bone in his foot) being the highest-profile cog among those aside from Edwards.

This continues a trend for the promising player, who saw a neck injury end his rookie slate and nag him to the point he didn’t receive full clearance to return until May. He made 42 tackles and two sacks last season, being a top-10 run-stopper among edge defenders — per Pro Football Focus — but also helping as an inside presence on passing downs.

The Raiders have used Stacy McGee in that role this season, and the former sixth-round selection’s 2.5 sacks are second on the team to Khalil Mack‘s seven. He’s missed the past two games, however. Having Edwards would help the league’s 29th-ranked defense. Although, it can no longer be assumed the injured talent will be able to return at full strength to provide the help most assumed he would after he went down in August.

Raiders’ Mario Edwards To Return Week 9?

October 11th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio expects defensive lineman Mario Edwards to return from injured reserve in Week 9, the earliest date that Edwards can get back to game action, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Edwards, who suffered a hip injury during the preseason, can start practicing again on Monday after Oakland faces the Chiefs.

[RELATED: Raiders Sign Perry Riley]

Injuries have been a common theme in the brief NFL career of Edwards, whom the Raiders chose in the second round of last year’s draft. The ex-Florida State Seminole suffered a mysterious neck injury that prematurely ended his rookie season, and he didn’t receive medical clearance to return until May.

When healthy, Edwards served as a bright spot for the Raiders last year, racking up 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks in 14 games. He worked at both end and tackle along the way and rated as one of Pro Football Focus’ best run-stoppers among edge defenders. Edwards figured to complement superstar Khalil Mack and new acquisition Bruce Irvin in an improved Raiders pass rush this year, but the club will have to wait until at least November to see the trio in action at the same time.

Oakland could certainly use the return of Edwards, as the club’s defense has ranked as one of the league’s worst through five games. The Raiders rank 29th in defensive DVOA, including a No. 29 rank against the pass and a No. 21 rank against the run.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders Place Mario Edwards On IR

September 5th, 2016 at 5:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders have placed defensive lineman Mario Edwards on injured reserve, Adam Caplan of ESPN was among those to report (Twitter link). Edwards suffered a hip injury during the team’s exhibition opener last month and will now miss at least the first eight games of the regular season.

Injuries have been a common theme in the brief NFL career of Edwards, whom the Raiders chose in the second round of last year’s draft. The ex-Florida State Seminole suffered a mysterious neck injury that prematurely ended his rookie season, and he didn’t receive medical clearance to return until May.

When healthy, Edwards served as a bright spot for the Raiders last year, racking up 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks in 14 games. He worked at both end and tackle along the way and rated as one of Pro Football Focus’ best run-stoppers among edge defenders. Edwards figured to complement superstar Khalil Mack and new acquisition Bruce Irvin in an improved Raiders pass rush this year, but the club will have to wait until at least November to see the trio in action at the same time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mario Edwards To Miss First Six Games?

August 31st, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mario Edwards resides as a key piece for the Raiders’ retooled defense but hasn’t practiced since suffering a hip injury during the team’s first preseason game. Initially believed to be in line to miss one or two regular-season games, Edwards could now be an IR list candidate.

Jack Del Rio told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle the second-year defensive end may need to start the season with this distinction, which would shelve Edwards for a minimum of six games and deal a blow to the Raiders’ front.

The previous IR-DTR format has been altered, giving teams the option of removing one player from IR after he’s spent six weeks there and is again healthy enough to play.

This would allow Oakland to use an extra roster spot for a depth player while Edwards continues his rehabilitation but would also potentially stunt the development of a talented performer. Edwards functioned as a defensive end and and defensive tackle for the Raiders last season, rating as one of Pro Football Focus’ best run-stoppers among edge defenders. He only registered two sacks as a rookie but stood to benefit from the Raiders’ acquisition of Bruce Irvin, with the 2015 second-round pick being set to rush from the interior on passing downs.

Edwards, of course, needed extensive rehab time to make it back to the field in time for minicamp. A mysterious neck injury ended his rookie season in December, and the former Florida State talent wasn’t cleared medically to return until May. The Raiders are deciding whether or not to allow Edwards extra time to heal this latest setback and return by late October.

In Edwards’ place, Oakland has been running out third-year veteran Denico Autry, a third-year UDFA. The Raiders also drafted Jihad Ward in the second round, and the former Illinois cog lined up across the Fighting Illini’s defensive fronts. So, the team has more options than it did a season ago when Edwards went down.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Edwards, Broncos

August 13th, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joey Bosa‘s relationship with the Chargers did not include much of a honeymoon, with the sides still at an impasse over offset language and the structure of the No. 3 overall pick’s signing bonus. While some have sided with Bosa given the Chargers’ 21st-century history in dealing with draft picks, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Bosa should be in camp by now. The Bolts make their preseason debut today.

Using the negotiations between Antonio Gates and the Chargers in 2005 and ’10 — both of which involved meetings with then-GM A.J. Smith to close the deals — Acee argues the onus is now on Bosa to make a decision on the team’s offer, which has reportedly been unchanged since training camp began.

The Chargers will play their second preseason game on Friday, and Bosa stands to miss at least that tilt as well at this juncture. We heard recently the relationship between Bosa and the Bolts could have endured “irreparable damage,” which is something the Chargers have experienced recently with Eric Weddle, but Acee points to several instances where rookies held out well into the preseason only to re-sign with the Chargers. LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers are among those, although both of the franchise icons’ delayed debuts came during an era where those were commonplace.

Here’s more out of San Diego and in the AFC West.

The Chargers’ latest pitch to voters regarding their downtown stadium measure is that fans of other teams will be paying for the $1.8 billion stadium/convention center project as opposed to Bolts backers. Their latest ad campaign states the stadium will be paid for by “Raiders, Broncos and Patriots fans,” as Brett Schrotenboer of USA Today points out. This is based around the stadium finance plan regarding the use of public money — which will be voted upon Nov. 8 — using a hotel tax hike. Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts voices over the piece, which is aimed at continuing to raise support for a ballot measure that, as of now, needs a two-thirds majority to pass this fall. Most experts deem that unlikely.
Mario Edwards left Friday’s Raiders-Cardinals game on a cart with a hip injury and needed crutches to leave the locker room, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Edwards in May received medical clearance to return from the nagging neck injury he sustained last season and remains a key component for Oakland’s defensive front despite the bevy of additions this offseason brought.
Currently the clubhouse leader to become the Broncos‘ No. 3 wideout, Bennie Fowler is expected to miss at least a few weeks with a fractured elbow, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports. Now vying with Cody Latimer and Jordan Norwood for that position, Fowler — a former UDFA from Michigan State — caught 16 passes for 203 yards as a rookie last season.
Many have doubted Gary Kubiak when he’s said 2015 third-stringer and seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian had a legitimate shot to win the quarterback job over Mark Sanchez, but Jhabvala notes history should lead skeptics to take the second-year coach at his word. Kubiak refused to say Peyton Manning had been benched for Brock Osweiler when many expected the healthier Osweiler to keep the job throughout once Manning returned to sufficient health. Sanchez and Siemian, their disparate profiles notwithstanding, have split reps in practice and each played a quarter on Thursday night in the defending champions’ preseason opener.

West Notes: Woodley, P. Lynch, Cards, Raiders

May 6th, 2016 at 9:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent linebacker Lamarr Woodley offered scathing reviews of two of his former defensive coordinators, the Cardinals’ James Bettcher and ex-Raiders assistant Jason Tarver (now with San Francisco), on the latest edition of his podcast (per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic).

“In Oakland, we had a dumb defensive coordinator and in Arizona, we had a dumb defensive coordinator,” he said.

Woodley didn’t mention either Bettcher or Tarver by name, but given that he only spent one year with both teams, it’s clear he was referring to them.

He continued, “They thought we were like Madden players. They’d draw something up and on paper it looked good, but the players still have to go out there and run it. Those guys didn’t really listen to their players. They wanted to do it their way and their way only.”

Woodley also ripped into Bettcher for his game plan in the Cardinals’ 49-15 loss to Carolina in the NFC championship.

“It wasn’t because we had bad players. No, our defensive coordinator he didn’t have the common sense to talk to his players to make the adjustments. Because he just wanted to do things his way those are the results we got, bottom line,” he said.

Woodley didn’t play in the title round (or any Cardinals game beyond Nov. 22) because he was on injured reserve. The 31-year-old appeared in just 16 contests over the previous two seasons with the Raiders and Cardinals, combining for 15 tackles and a sack. Woodley was a far more productive player from 2007-13 in Pittsburgh, with which he piled up 58 sacks.

And now the latest from the AFC West:

Quarterback Mark Sanchez might not be at the Broncos’ helm for long if first-rounder Paxton Lynch forces the team’s hand, which is something general manager John Elway believes the ex-Memphis standout is capable of doing. “We think he’s going to be ready quicker than a lot of people think,” Elway told Denver Sports 760 (link via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). On why the Broncos decided to trade up in the first round for the 6-foot-7 Lynch, Elway said, “He’s a young guy with tremendous athletic ability, he’s got the strong arm, can make all the throws, he’s smart, and he’s a guy that can fit into this offense real well.”
While Elway sees the Lynch era approaching, Troy Renck of the Denver Post cautions that patience is in order. As Renck writes, Lynch hasn’t played in a pro-style offense since his freshman year at Memphis – which is the last time he was even in a huddle – and his play calls there were far less complicated than they will be in Denver. Moreover, the Broncos would be unwise to rush Lynch into the lineup to serve as a game manager, Renck opines. The club should instead wait until the 22-year-old is truly ready and let him take advantage of his strengths, namely his big arm and elusiveness.
Raiders defensive end Mario Edwards has been given medical clearance to resume his career, he announced Friday on Instagram (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com). A serious neck injury brought a premature end to Edwards’ rookie campaign after he had started in 10 of 14 appearances and tallied three forced fumbles and two sacks. For his work last season, the second-rounder from Florida State ranked an impressive 32nd out of 110 qualifying edge defenders at Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Raiders Place Mario Edwards On IR

December 23rd, 2015 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

2:48pm: The Raiders have placed Edwards on IR and promoted linebacker John Lotulelei from their practice squad, according to CSNBayArea.com.

2:34pm: The Raiders are placing rookie defensive end Mario Edwards on season-ending injured reserve, per Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). The move will become official before Oakland faces San Diego on Thursday night, with a corresponding transaction to fill Edwards’ spot on the 53-man roster.

Edwards, the 35th overall pick in this year’s draft, sustained a neck injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Packers, and didn’t return to the game. Per Tafur (Twitter link), head coach Jack Del Rio said today that the injury is significant, and may require surgery.

It’s an unfortunate end to what was a solid rookie season for Edwards. In 14 games (10 starts) for Oakland, the Florida State product compiled 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He looks like another one of the many early draft picks that the Raiders have gotten right in the last couple years.

Raiders Sign Mario Edwards Jr.

June 19th, 2015 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raiders have signed second-round defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. to his rookie deal, the team announced today in a press release. Like the Giants and Patriots did earlier today, the Raiders have now finished locking up their 2015 draft class, with all 10 of their draftees now under contract.

According to Over the Cap, Edwards’ four-year pact will be worth a little over $6MM, and will feature a signing bonus of approximately $2.636MM. Edwards’ cap number for the 2015 season will be $1.094MM.

The 35th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Edwards spent three seasons at Florida State, and was named to the All-ACC First Team as a junior in 2014. He also played a role in helping the Seminoles win the 2013 BCS National Championship.

Only three 2015 draft picks have yet to agree to terms with their respective teams. First-round quarterback Marcus Mariota (Titans) third-round cornerback D’Joun Smith (Colts), and third-round defensive end Henry Anderson (Colts) remain unsigned.

West Notes: Mathis, J. Houston, Raiders, Cards

June 13th, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest from the NFL’s two West-based divisions:

Veteran guard Evan Mathis, whom the Eagles released earlier this week, is expected to draw plenty of interest from around the NFL. One team that won’t go after him is the Chiefs, according to ESPN’s Adam Teicher, who notes that they’re loaded with guards and lack the cap space to pursue a high-profile player like Mathis.
In other Chiefs news, star linebacker Justin Houston is without a contract after leading the league last year with a whopping 22 sacks. One major sticking point in whether he and the Chiefs can reach a deal will come down to the comparable contracts the two sides use with respect to both yearly salary and guaranteed money, tweets ESPN’s Lou Riddick. The Packers’ Clay Matthews leads all 3-4 OLBs in both total contract value ($66MM) and average annual value ($13.2MM). In the event Houston signs Kansas City’s franchise tender, he’ll make just under $13.2MM in 2015.
Raiders rookie defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr., a second-round pick out of Florida State, has made a positive impression on the team so far. “He’s had a great start to his rookie year,” head coach Jack Del Rio said, per Scott Bair of CSNCaliornia (via Twitter). Bair notes that Edwards has gotten plenty of first-team reps, having been used as both an end and a tackle.
49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was among the league’s most dominant defenders during the first three years of his career, amassing a prodigious 42 sacks in 43 regular-season games. Smith’s numbers declined last season, though, as he finished with just two sacks in seven games. However, Smith has been outstanding under new defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, according to Joe Fann of the 49ers’ official website, and is looking to return to his 2011-13 form. “I don’t think I played to my level, and I want to do everything it takes to play consistently at my level,” Smith said. “I know that when I’m playing consistently and I’m on my game, I can’t be stopped.”
This year’s Cardinals could be the deepest they’ve been in a while and are built to make a run at Super Bowl contention, writes Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic. The club has so much quality depth that Cards general manager Steve Keim is shopping their fringe players around the league instead of looking to release them outright, per Bickley.