Tyrunn Walker - Pro Football Rumors

Tyrunn Walker Accused Of Rape

June 22nd, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker is accused of raping a woman in Louisiana in February, report Jim Mustian and Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate. Walker was released by the Rams today just two hours after the Advocate scribes offered his agent an opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Walker and another man are alleged to have sexually assaulted two women in a hotel following a celebration of Mardi Gras in late February. At least one woman believes she was drugged before the assault occurred, and both women have filed restraining orders against Walker and the other male. An investigation began in March, but the Lafayette, La. district attorney hasn’t yet decided whether the case will be sent to a grand jury.

Los Angeles cut the 27-year-old Walker just three months after signing him to a one-year deal. Under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, Walker could face a league-imposed suspension regardless of whether he’s found guilty or charges are officially filed.

Rams Release DT Tyrunn Walker

June 22nd, 2017 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rams have released defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Walker joined the Rams as a free agent just three months ago.

The Rams were Walker’s third NFL stop and he’ll now be in search of team No. 4. Walker, 27, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Saints and the last two with the Lions. All in all, he has totaled 42 appearances with the majority of his 13 career starts (eight) coming in 2016.

Walker tallied 26 tackles and played in 34.1% of the Lions’ defensive snaps last year. He ranked a below-average 77th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.

With the Rams, Walker was supposed to provide depth at defensive tackle behind starting nose tackle Michael Brockers. Now, the Rams will evaluate Mike Purcell, rookie Tanzel Smart, and untested 2015 UDFA Louis Trinca-Pasat as reserve options.

Rams Sign Tyrunn Walker

March 23rd, 2017 at 6:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Rams have signed free agent defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).

Los Angeles will be the third NFL destination for the 27-year-old Walker, who spent the first three seasons of his career in New Orleans and the previous two in Detroit. Walker has totaled 42 appearances, and the majority of his 13 career starts (eight) came last season. Walker tallied 26 tackles and played 34.1 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps in 2016, and ranked a below-average 77th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior D-linemen.

With the Rams, Walker figures to provide established depth to a line in need of it. The Rams entered Thursday with the untested Louis Trinca-Pasat as their top backup to starting nose tackle Michael Brockers. Trinca-Pasat hasn’t played a defensive snap since joining the Rams as an undrafted free agent from Iowa.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Cowboys, Lions, Saints

January 28th, 2017 at 10:48am CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this week, the Redskins promoted Matt Cavanaugh from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. Despite Kirk Cousins‘ questionable future with the team, the quarterback was happy that the organization valued continuity on the coaching staff.

“I love the fact that we’re not starting over,” Cousins said (via Jake Kring-Schreifels of Redskins.com). “We’ve learned a certain way of doing things for a couple of years now and with Coach Cav as the coordinator, we’ll be able to keep that rolling, as opposed to having to start all over with a brand new system and terminology and philosophy.”

Cavanaugh had served as the Redskins quarterbacks coach since 2015, and he played an important role in helping Cousins’ production over the past two seasons.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…

The Cowboys recently exercised the fifth-year option on offensive guard Zack Martin, but both sides are hoping the player’s tenure with the team lasts beyond 2017. Jon Machota of the Dallas News writes that the team is hoping to hammer out a long-term deal with the three-time Pro Bowler, and the 26-year-old echoed that sentiment. “It would be huge,” Martin said. “I’m not real worried about that. I’m worried about playing. Obviously I’ll be here for hopefully a long time. These guys make it fun to come to work every day…Hopefully we can get something done.”
The Lions need some talent on the defensive side of the ball, and ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein believes the team can acquire those types of players via free agency. The writer lists a number of impending free agents who could be intriguing fits for the Lions, including Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan, Rams cornerback T.J. McDonald, Patriots defensive end Jabaal Sheard, Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, Jaguars defensive tackle Abry Jones, and Jaguars running back Denard Robinson.
Lions defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker missed out on a $150K playing time bonus by only seven snaps, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The five-year veteran was required to play 35-percent of his team’s defensive snaps in order to earn the incentive, but he ended the season having played 34.4-percent of the defense’s snaps. Walker was a healthy scratch during his team’s Week 11 win over the Jaguars, and that decision surely cost the defensive tackle his bonus.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has a history of trading up in the draft, but the executive told Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com that he doesn’t have a definitive process when it comes to their draft strategy. “I think it depends on how the board falls,” he said. “You just kind of have to pay attention to the players that are still available for you and what players are below them and how are you going to acquire those players.” The Saints traded up twice in last year’s draft to select second-round safety Vonn Bell and fourth-round defensive tackle David Onyemata.

Extra Points: Campbell, Murray, Cowboys, Suh

March 8th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

Contradicting a report from another outlet, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes that the Cardinals aren’t trying to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, and haven’t received any inquiries from teams asking if he’s available.

Still, while Campbell may not be on the trade block, his situation is still worth keeping an eye on this offseason, as Somers points out. The standout defensive lineman is entering the final year of his contract, and has a cap hit of $15.25MM, making him a prime extension candidate if Arizona wants to keep him around for the long term.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL on a busy Tuesday:

There was some discussion about the Cowboys, rather than the Titans, acquiring DeMarco Murray from the Eagles, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Werder says Dallas wasn’t on board with the compensation or the guaranteed money necessary to make a deal.
The Dolphins created $16MM in cap room when they restructured Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). James Walker of ESPN.com breaks down the specifics.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details on Tyrunn Walker‘s new one-year deal with the Lions, which features a $150K signing bonus, $550K in total roster bonuses, and $650K in playing-time incentives.
Safety Andrew Sendejo will receive $2.5MM fully guaranteed on his new deal with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Goessling adds that Sendejo will make $4MM in the first year and $7MM through two years.

Lions Re-Sign Tyrunn Walker

March 4th, 2016 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 8:34am: The Lions’ contract agreement with Walker has been finalized, with the team announcing the signing in a press release.

THURSDAY, 12:23pm: A year ago, the Lions’ signing of defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker from the Saints was viewed as one of the more solid under-the-radar moves of the offseason. However, Walker’s first year in Detroit came to an early end when he suffered a broken fibula and landed on the team’s injured reserve list in early October.

As he recovers from that injury though, Walker is prepared to sign a new contract with the Lions, According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the free agent defensive tackle is en route to Detroit today, where he will take a physical and sign a new one-year deal with the club, assuming some contractual language gets finalized.

After signing a one-year, $1.75MM pact last year, Walker will get a similar deal this time around. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Walker’s new one-year contract will be worth $1.6MM, with a chance to max out at $2.25MM. It wouldn’t be surprising if the deal features per-game roster bonuses — because the Tulsa alum only appeared in four contests in 2015, only a quarter of his per-game roster bonuses would count against the cap.

In addition to nearing a contract agreement with Walker, the Lions are in talks to bring back Haloti Ngata, and Birkett expects him to re-sign (Twitter link). As Birkett notes, retaining those two defensive tackles would give the club the flexibility to focus on other positions in free agency next week.

Speaking of free agency, Birkett also reports that the Lions have tendered contract offers to all of their exclusive-rights free agents. The following players have received ERFA tenders, per Birkett:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Beckham, Brees, Tomsula, Lions

December 23rd, 2015 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The appeal hearing for Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ended at about 12:25 CT this afternoon, and a decision will likely come at some point today, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. As we wait for that announcement, let’s round up some news and rumors from across the NFC…

While there’s little question that the Saints will have to address Drew Brees’ contract in the offseason to reduce his cap hit if they want to keep him, there’s another issue in play, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). If head coach Sean Payton were to listen on other head coaching opportunities around the NFL and ultimately decided to leave New Orleans, it’s not clear whether or not Brees would still want to stick with the team for the rest of his career.
From the Saints‘ perspective, there’s no question that the club should want Brees to return for the 2016 season, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
In a separate Bleacher Report video, Cole echoes what CBS sideline reporter Jay Feely said on Sunday, suggesting that 49ers management would like to see head coach Jim Tomsula return for the 2016 season. However, Cole adds that a final decision has not yet been made.
After signing a one-year contract with the Lions, defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker saw his 2015 season derailed in Week 4 by a broken fibula and dislocated ankle. However, he tells Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News that he’s not thinking about re-entering free agency again yet, focusing instead on making sure he’s fully healthy first. “I’ve got to rehab, man,” Walker said. “I’ve got to get right.”
Sharon Terlep of The Wall Street Journal examines the ascension of Martha Ford, who – at age 90 – has taken over a larger role in Lions ownership, representing the team in place of Bill Ford.

Lions To Place Tyrunn Walker On IR

October 6th, 2015 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Lions defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker suffered a broken fibula in last night’s game against the Seahawks, and will undergo surgery that will end his season, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport, the Lions will place Walker on the injured reserve list, but he’s expected to eventually make a full recovery.

Walker, 25, took on a part-time role in New Orleans last season and played well, recording 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks. However, New Orleans elected not to make him a restricted free agent tender offer in the offseason, perhaps due to to cap constraints, and the Lions landed him as an unrestricted free agent.

In the early going this season, Walker had played more defensive snaps than any other player on the Lions’ defensive line, so losing him will big a blow to a club that had already been trying to deal with the offseason departures of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. Making matters worse, Haloti Ngata suffered a calf injury against Seattle and is getting an MRI today, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Caraun Reid, Gabe Wright, and Jermelle Cudjo are currently the only healthy defensive tackles on Detroit’s roster, so the team figures to eye depth at the position this week.

Lions Notes: Stafford, Ansah, Abdullah, Walker

July 18th, 2015 at 6:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

Despite cracking the 60% mark for completion percentage for only the second time in his career, head coach Jim Caldwell has set a goal for Matthew Stafford to improve on that number in 2015, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “An improvement from where he was last year,” said Caldwell. “Get a little bit better, that’s the key.” Stafford was on a two-year decline since posting a career-best 63.5% in 2011.

Here are some other notes from around the Lions organization:

An improvement in completion percentage could propel Stafford back on to the NFL’s Top 100 list after missing it this year. Stafford had made it the previous three seasons but was notably absent after the playoff campaign in 2014. Mike O’Hara of DetroitLions.com picks Stafford as one of the five players who missed the list this year who have a shot to make it in 2016, along with Ezekiel Ansah, Ameer Abdullah, Larry Warford, and Darius Slay.
In her weekly review for DetroitLions.com, Lindsay Selengowski focuses on how a defense that lost key pieces in Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh is coming together in time for the 2015 season. Tyrunn Walker specifically is enjoying the freedom as a defensive tackle in Teryl Austin’s system to get upfield and make plays much like Suh and Fairley before him.
As the writers of DetroitLions.com are working hard covering the team during the slower part of the offseason, Tim Twentyman puts together a list of the top-10 special teams players the Lions will face in 2015. Their biggest challenges could come against Kansas City and Philadelphia this year, both of which have two players in the top ten.

Contract Details: Revis, Cromartie, Spiller

March 18th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few notable details from some of the contracts signed by free agents within the last several days:

AFC deals:

Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): Five years, $70MM base value. $39MM fully guaranteed. Options for 2018 and 2019 (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. Can be worth up to $35MM (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
Marcus Gilchrist, S (Jets): Four years, $22MM base value. $3.5MM fully guaranteed. $3.125MM cap number in 2015 (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
Tramon Williams, CB (Browns): Three years, $21MM base value. $10MM fully guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due this month (Twitter links via Wilson).
Scott Chandler, TE (Patriots): Two years, $5.3MM base value. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
Christian Ponder, QB (Raiders): One year, $2.25MM base value. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com).

NFC deals:

C.J. Spiller, RB (Saints): Four years, $16MM. $7.3MM fully guaranteed. $2MM available in escalators. Voids after three years if Spiller makes it to two Pro Bowls (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Rashean Mathis, CB (Lions): Two years, $3.5MM base value. $750K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
Chykie Brown, S (Giants): Two years, $1.8MM base value. $200K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Tyrunn Walker, DT (Lions): One year, $1.75MM base value. $550K signing bonus (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).