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Shaquil Barrett

Shaquil Barrett To Visit Bengals

March 14th, 2019 at 9:13am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Bengals are looking for pass-rushing help. Cincinnati is hosting outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett on a visit later today, a source told Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com.

Barrett is testing the open market for the first time since entering the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2014. He signed with the Broncs originally, and has spent the last five years in Denver. The last we heard was that the Broncos “have had good conversations” with Barrett’s agent, so it certainly seems like he isn’t ruling out a return to Denver.

But Barrett has made it clear he’s looking for more playing time, and he might be able to find it in Cincinnati. At the end of last season, Barrett publicly declared he wanted to be a full-time starter in 2019.

“I want to start. I want to be a guy somewhere. I don’t want to just be a role player,” Barrett said. “I can’t do it. … Reserve role is done for me, unless that’s the only role I got after this year. But that’s not what I’m looking for going into free agency,” Barrett said at the time.

Barrett spent his rookie season on the Broncos’ practice squad, then burst onto the scene in 2015 with 5.5 sacks. He hasn’t been able to replicate that production since, mostly due to lack of playing time, but the Broncos thought highly enough of him to put a second round tender on him last offseason. With the Broncos’ staple of pass-rushers, Barrett was never going to be an every down player in Denver. Last year Barrett played right around 25% of the defensive snaps, and was also a key player on special teams.

Broncos Rumors: Amos, Barrett, Paradis, James

March 11th, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest on the Broncos, with all links going to Troy Renck of Denver7’s Twitter:

Shaquil Barrett Seeking Starting Role

December 28th, 2018 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

At full strength, the Broncos feature one of the deepest edge-rushing groups in the NFL. That appears set to change going into 2019.

Both Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray are headed for free agency. Ray has been a healthy scratch the past two games, and Barrett no longer has intentions of being a backup. The UDFA success story said (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, on Twitter) he will be eyeing a team that will give him a starting role. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb entrenched as Broncos starters, Barrett’s probably about to play his final game as a Bronco on Sunday.

“I want to start. I want to be a guy somewhere. I don’t want to just be a role player,” Barrett said. “I can’t do it. … Reserve role is done for me, unless that’s the only role I got after this year. But that’s not what I’m looking for going into free agency.”

Barrett has never been a high-end sack artist, but then again, the Colorado State product has not enjoyed a consistent starting opportunity. A plus run defender, Barrett may still receive a chance to start in free agency. Pass rushers Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford, DeMarcus Lawrence, Frank Clark and Ziggy Ansah are slated for free agency. Only Ansah figures to be a lock to reach the market. Teams annually retain top-tier pass rushers, opening the door for players on Barrett’s level to cash in.

Brandon Graham, Trey Flowers, Brian Orakpo, Bruce Irvin, Preston Smith, Markus Golden and Clay Matthews do make 2019 an interesting year to need a pass rusher. Some of these players will reach free agency. Barrett has seven sacks over the past two years and did start nine games in 2017 but played behind DeMarcus Ware and now Chubb for full seasons as well. Denver slapped a second-round RFA tender on Barrett this year.

The Broncos have Barrett, Ray, Matt Paradis, Bradley Roby and Jared Veldheer among a deep group of UFAs-to-be. The only way it appears Barrett will cycle back to Denver is if his market underwhelms.

Broncos’ Jeff Heuerman, Shaquil Barrett Suffer Injuries

November 26th, 2018 at 1:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have climbed back into the AFC wild card race after consecutive wins, but their most recent victory saw key contributors go down.

Both Jeff Heuerman and Shaquil Barrett suffered injuries during the Broncos’ 24-17 win over the Steelers, and in the tight end’s case, that will mean an IR trip. Heuerman has broken ribs and a bruised lung and is out for the rest of the season, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). Vance Joseph confirmed Heuerman, whom Klis notes broke three ribs, is done for the year.

Barrett, used as an off-the-bench pass rusher, will be out for a few weeks because of a hip flexor issue, Klis adds.

While the Broncos have a deep group of edge defenders, they are now quite thin at tight end. Jake Butt is already on IR. Matt LaCosse, who scored his first touchdown Sunday, will be the next man up. Klis adds (via Twitter) the Broncos are expected to promote Temarrick Hemingway from their practice squad.

A fourth-year tight end out of Ohio State, Heuerman’s delivered his best season since arriving in Denver as a third-round pick. Injuries and inconsistency previously ailed Heuerman, but he’d become a steady option for Case Keenum since the trade of Demaryius Thomas. Heuerman caught 18 passes over the past three games and has 281 receiving yards this season. This, though, will be a tough blow for his value. A free agent-to-be, Heuerman only has 49 career catches for 564 yards and four touchdowns in four seasons.

The Broncos hope Barrett, also a contract-year player, will miss only two games, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. He was one of this year’s top restricted free agents, and the Broncos applied as second-round tender to their 2014 UDFA find. A plus run defender in a high-end pass-rushing group, Barrett has three sacks this season. Denver still has 2015 first-round pick Shane Ray as a key second-string edge rusher, and UDFA Jeff Holland resides on its practice squad.

Broncos LB Shaq Barrett To Sign Tender

April 20th, 2018 at 3:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Broncos linebacker Shaquil Barrett will sign his restricted tender on Monday, according to Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter). Barrett will earn $2.914MM in 2018, per the terms of the tender.

[RELATED: Broncos’ Matt Paradis Signs RFA Tender]

The Broncos now effectively have all of their RFAs in the fold after center Matt Paradis inked his tender on Friday morning. League-wide, there are now only three restricted free agents who have yet to sign their tenders: Falcons cornerback Ricardo Allen, Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams and Chiefs defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches.

Barrett has been a key rotational player for Denver over the last three seasons. He has performed well against the run and the Broncos did not want to risk losing him by using the low-level tender on him this offseason, which would have been cheaper, but only would have granted the team the first right of refusal.

In the coming months, the Broncos may look to extend Barrett before he begins his contract year.

 

Broncos Give Shaquil Barrett Round 2 Tender

March 12th, 2018 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are protecting two RFAs at the second-round level this offseason, with Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reporting (via Twitter) the team placed the second-highest available tender on Shaquil Barrett.

This comes minutes after Matt Paradis was tendered at the Round 2 level. Like Paradis, Barrett will make $2.914MM if he plays on the tender this season.

Barrett has not been an every-week starter like Paradis but has served as a key rotational presence over the past three seasons. The former UDFA was the player the 2015 Super Bowl champion iteration of the Broncos turned to to replace DeMarcus Ware while he was injured, and he’s been one of the better run-defending outside linebackers since that season.

While three years younger than Paradis despite coming into the league at the same time, Barrett isn’t as surefire an extension candidate because of Shane Ray‘s presence. The Broncos used both Ray and Barrett as Von Miller‘s top complements last season after Ware’s retirement, and the franchise must decide on Ray’s fifth-year option by May 3. Barrett, though, has been the more consistent player despite Ray’s first-round status.

It could become an either/or situation as to which Miller supporting-caster is extended, but for 2018, both are under contract.

Broncos’ Shaq Barrett Could Play Week 1

August 22nd, 2017 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

At one point this year, the Broncos feared that Shaquil Barrett would miss the bulk of the 2017 season. Today, they have reason to believe that the edge rusher will be able to suit up for the season opener. Shaquil Barrett (vertical)

[RELATED: Broncos Name Trevor Siemian Starting QB]

Barrett was removed from the non-football injury list on Tuesday, according to the team’s latest edition of the roster. Apparently, Barrett has bounced back well from his hip injury and will be able to resume football activities this week.

The linebacker will now practice with an eye on suiting up for the team’s opening game against the Chargers on September 11. Failing that, he’ll hope to be ready in time for Week 2 against the Cowboys (September 17) or Week 3 against the Bills (September 24). Barring any unforeseen setbacks, the Broncos will probably have him on the 53-man roster to start the season. Otherwise, the Broncos would have to keep him on NFI for the first half of the season.

When Barrett takes the field for Denver, he’ll likely be the team’s top reserve option to spell Shane Ray and Von Miller. The Broncos are also keeping their fingers crossed when it comes to Ray since he is dealing with a torn ligament in his right wrist that could sideline him for the start of the season.

West Rumors: Broncos, Seahawks, Raiders

May 31st, 2017 at 9:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Broncos linebacker Shaquil Barrett won’t require surgery for his ailing hip, he’s still expected to miss a good deal of time leading up to the 2017 campaign, and could potentially be sidelined for the beginning of the regular season, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Additionally, because Barrett injured his hip doing a plyometric exercise outside the Broncos’ purview, Denver could choose to place the 24-year-old edge rusher on the non-football injury list. If the Broncos opt for that course of action, they would have the right to rescind a portion of Barrett’s $615K base salary, per Klis. A former undrafted free agent with two accrued seasons under his belt, Barrett is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2018.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • Earl Thomas was taking “nearly every rep” during Seahawks practice sessions today, an excellent sign as the veteran safety recovers from a broken leg, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The news surrounding Thomas and his rehabilitation has been nearly all positive since his December injury, as Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said Thomas was “way ahead of schedule” in March before indicating earlier this month that Thomas will be ready for the 2017 season opener. Seattle has added reinforcements in the defensive backfield this offseason, so the club should be well-prepared if Thomas is forced to miss any time. In addition to making a value signing in Bradley McDougald, the Seahawks used a third-round pick to draft Michigan safety Delano Hill.
  • Now that a new regime is running the 49ers, players signed or drafted by the previous decision-making group aren’t assured of playing time or roster spots, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details. Tight end Vance McDonald and linebacker NaVorro Bowman, notably, have been mentioned in trade rumors, and Bowman is now expected to be forced to compete for snaps with Reuben Foster and Malcolm Smith. Fellow linebacker Ray-Ray Armstong, signed to an extension last year, could fall from a potential starting gig to a third-string role, per Barrows, while 2016 first-round pick Joshua Garnett isn’t a lock to be a starter, either.
  • Derek Carr has already indicated he won’t discuss an extension once the regular season begins, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines that the Raiders quarterback may not want to negotiate a new deal until the campaign concludes. At that point, Carr would be able to exert enormous leverage over Oakland, as the club would be forced to deploy the exclusive franchise tag to ward off potential suitors. Thanks to the extraordinary value of the quarterback franchise tag, Carr could demand north of $90MM in three-year cash flow, and could also extract concessions such as having his future salaries tied to a percentage of the salary cap, per Florio.

AFC Notes: Barrett, Cassel, Browns, Texans

May 31st, 2017 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shaquil Barrett won’t be participating in any further Broncos offseason workouts after suffering a hip injury away from the team’s facility recently, but the outside linebacker won’t need surgery, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). The third-year outside linebacker contributor will still be out “a while,” per Klis, who notes (via Twitter) this injury could keep him out of some training camp time. Barrett is expected to be the Broncos’ No. 3 outside ‘backer behind Von Miller and Shane Ray, with the group thinning out after DeMarcus Ware‘s retirement. The Broncos signed Kasim Edebali after the Saints didn’t extend him an RFA tender this offseason but didn’t further address the position. A lengthy Barrett absence could lead the team to explore potential edge defenders in free agency.

Here’s the latest from the AFC.

  • The Titans have a slightly more prominent player in the same boat, with Matt Cassel expected to be out six weeks after injuring his throwing thumb, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com tweets. The 13th-year veteran will have surgery on the thumb, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Cassel is signed for another year as Marcus Mariota‘s backup. This timetable puts him in line to be able to rejoin the team come training camp, per Mike Mularkey. Alex Tanney resides as Tennessee’s third-stringer.
  • Isaiah Crowell addressed his contract situation from Browns OTAs, saying “both sides are trying to get something done,” Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Crowell reported late to Cleveland’s voluntary workouts. He signed his RFA second-round tender earlier this month and is entering a contract year. The 24-year-old managed to gain nearly 1,000 yards last season despite being a 1-15 team’s primary running back. After the Browns beefed up their line this offseason, Crowell is in better position to play well in a possible audition season for other teams, should the sides be unable to get a deal done before this season. The Browns have $57MM in cap space and signed Christian Kirksey to an extension earlier this week.
  • Corey Coleman will be held out of remaining Browns offseason practices after the second-year wideout fell on the ball while making a catch last week, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Hue Jackson steadfastly denied Coleman broke a bone during the tumble, but it looks like the 2016 first-rounder won’t re-emerge on the practice field until camp. Coleman missed six games last season because of a broken hand.
  • Duane Brown is again a no-show as the Texans continue their voluntary workouts, and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle confirms (Twitter link) this absence is contract-related. The Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson reported last week the longtime left tackle wants a new contract and is staying away for the time being. McClain wonders if the 31-year-old Brown will show for mandatory minicamp next month. Two years remain on Brown’s six-year, $53.4MM extension. He has non-guaranteed base salaries of $9.65MM and $9.75MM on tap for 2017 and ’18.

Extra Points: Carr, Barrett, Cowboys

May 30th, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Derek Carr emphasized today that he has no interest in discussing a contract extension with the Raiders once training camp starts.

“I wouldn’t even answer my phone,” Carr said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez). “The money isn’t the thing that drives me. … What drives me is making sure I’m giving everything that I have with my abilities, and making sure that we win. And I don’t want anything distracting my thought process at all.

“Now, that’s not a jab, or anything like that. That’s just me saying I’m not going to deal with anything that’s not helping me just focus on winning.”

The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he’s certainly in line for a significant raise on the $1.15MM he’s set to make this year. Last season, the quarterback completed 63.8-percent of his passes for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Let’s check out some additional notes from around the NFL…

  • Broncos outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett is expected to miss the rest of the offseason after suffering a hip injury, reports Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (via Twitter). The 24-year-old hasn’t missed a game over the past two seasons, compiling 86 tackles, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles. While the defender will presumably be ready for the regular season, Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post wonders (on Twitter) if the team might pursue a replacement, citing the team’s lack of linebacker depth.
  • The Cowboys learned last week that defensive end David Irving is facing a four-game ban after failing a test for performance enhancing drugs. That was followed by yesterday’s news that cornerback Nolan Carroll was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Predictably, executive vice president Stephen Jones wasn’t particularly happy with these developments. “We just have to continue to try to educate these young men that there’s consequences and there’s accountability that you have to have for the bad decisions you make,” Jones said during an interview on the team’s website (via Jon Machota of the Dallas News). “Then we have to move forward and do the very best we can. We know it’s frustrating and disappointing to our fans and all the people who support us…At the same time, they have to know that we’re dealing with young people who aren’t going to be perfect, and we’ll obviously try to continue to draft the right kind of guys, but the right type of guy can make a bad decision every now and then as well.”
  • The Cowboys lost a pair of team leaders this offseason in safety Barry Church and cornerback Brandon Carr. Following the news of Irving’s potential suspension and Carroll’s arrest, David Moore of the Dallas News writes that the team isn’t “off to a good start replacing” those veterans’ positive locker room presence.
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