At this point of the NFL offseason calendar, many veterans who are still unsigned will likely not have a deal in place until training camps open in July. In the case of Yannick Ngakoue, that could be different.

The journeyman edge rusher indicated during an interview on SiriusXM Radio that he has received interest this offseason (audio link). Ngakoue waited until August to sign last offseason, when he inked a one-year, $10.5MM Bears pact. Given the way his 2023 season ended, a more valuable pact should not be expected. The 29-year-old does, however, intend to find a new home before camp this time around.

“I feel like everything’s going to work out just perfectly,” Ngakoue said. “Like I said, everything happens for a reason… I’m just focused on myself, just focused on how can I get better, focusing on things that I could have done better last year.”

While the former second-rounder has not been able to find a long-term opportunity since his four-year run in Jacksonville, he managed to remain consistent as a pass rusher up until 2023. Ngakoue had totaled at least eight sacks in each of his first seven years in the league, spanning time with the Jags, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders and Colts. Expectations were high for a similar campaign in Chicago last year, but he managed just four sacks and six tackles for loss.

Ngakoue suffered a season-ending ankle injury in December; that ailment has played a role in the fact he has yet to sign a new deal. The Maryland alum has been floated as a candidate to return to the Windy City in 2024, but he said he is not considering specific offers at this time. Still, having an agreement (one which will no doubt be of the short-term, low-cost nature) in place relatively soon would represent a different approach to last year.

“I just hope that I’m somewhere before training camp starts because everyone needs to go through a training camp in order to have the kind of season they want to have,” Ngakoue added. “The only thing that I’m worried about is being able to help an organization, help out the young guys and guys that are veterans as well to be able to get a Super Bowl ring and just bring great energy to that building wherever I’m at.”

All the attention around the NFL was understandably focused on the running back market yesterday, but a number of veterans at other positions have been done little favors during the 2023 offseason. The edge rush market has remained stagnant through to the onset of training camps.

That has left Yannick Ngakoue on the open market despite a track record of performances as a sack artist. The 28-year-old has played for five different teams during his seven-year career, spending the 2022 campaign with the Colts. He led the team with 9.5 sacks, but it has been known for some time that another move will be required when he joins his next club.

Ngakoue had previously stated an intention of signing a multi-year deal with a contending team. Doing so would allow the former second-rounder to find some stability during his NFL career, while also providing an established pass-rushing contribution in the process. Ngakoue has recorded at least eight sacks every year in his career to date. His stance on his next destination appears to have shifted, however.

“Any team in the NFL is an ideal landing spot for me,” the Maryland product said during an appearance on the Jim Rome Show (video link). “It’s a blessing to be able to work any job in the NFL. Being able to go and practice with a team, go through walk-throughs, go through film study, it’s a blessing. It doesn’t matter what organization in particular.”

A report from last month indicated Ngakoue was seeking between $8 and $10MM per season on his next contract, a figure he is unlikely to be able to reach. The one-year pacts signed by fellow veteran edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Frank Clark checked in at $7MM and $5.5MM, respectively, in terms of base compensation. Those marks are likely more realistic for Ngakoue and other free agents like Justin Houston, Robert Quinn and Jadeveon Clowney with training camps just around the corner.

Movement on the edge market can be expected soon, given the depth of options still available and the degree to which contributors can thus be had on relatively inexpensive deals. Ngakoue will be a name to watch in that regard, especially if he is willing to consider essentially any potential destination.

The veteran edge market thinned out recently with deals being signed by Leonard Floyd and Frank Clark, but other pass rushers are still available at this point. One of those is Yannick Ngakoue, who figures to be a target for several teams still eyeing additions to their defensive fronts.

The 28-year-old has one of the league’s best track records with respect to sack production, something he has maintained during his nomadic time following his trade away from the Jaguars in 2020. Ngakoue is still angling for a multi-year deal from his newest team in a bid to find some career stability, and he acknowledged his preference for joining a contender earlier this offseason.

With respect to finances, the former second-rounder’s asking price is likely the primary obstacle to a deal getting finalized. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that Ngakoue was seeking between $8MM and $10MM as of May. The base value of Floyd’s pact with the Bills ($7MM) as well as Clark’s with the Broncos ($5.5MM) check in below that rate, though each one-year contract includes incentives. Attaining a longer investment, especially at a higher rate, would be a tall order at this point in the offseason for Ngakoue.

The Maryland product should still have suitors, especially if his contract terms come down. Biggs names the Bears as a team which would be well-suited to add Ngakoue, who has accumulated 65 sacks in his career and registered no fewer than eight in any given season. Chicago was relatively quiet in free agency and the team eyed the draft as an avenue for bolstering its pass rush. While three defensive tackles were added in April, no true edge rushers were drafted. A move amongst the remaining free agents would come as little surprise.

In Chicago or elsewhere, Ngakoue should be able to land a notable role as a sack artist this offseason. He recently changed agents to help achieve that goal, though teams may not need to proceed with much urgency during the break before training camps open in July. Especially if his asking price remains higher than the current market likely values him at, he may find himself in search of a new deal for the foreseeable future.

Movement finally took place in the edge rusher market this week, with the Bills and Broncos respectively bolstering their defenses by adding Leonard Floyd and Frank Clark. Younger than each while riding an unmatched active sack streak, Yannick Ngakoue remains a free agent.

The NFL’s only player with at least eight sacks in each of the past seven seasons, Ngakoue entered the offseason as one of the top free agent defenders. He resided behind only Marcus Davenport among edge players on PFR’s top 50 free agents list, and although DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook have hit the market, the well-traveled defensive end still has a case as the top player left unsigned.

Ngakoue is making an effort to accelerate his market. The seven-year veteran signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The famed power broker will now attempt to land Ngakoue a quality deal — likely with a sixth NFL team. Adisa Bakari had previously represented Ngakoue.

After a four-year Jaguars run, Ngakoue has since bounced to the Vikings, Ravens, Raiders and Colts. He has not played for the same team in consecutive years since his Jacksonville stay ended via a tag-and-trade transaction. Known as a pass rusher with suboptimal run defense skills, Ngakoue profiles as a quality complementary edge but certainly could make a case to be the top presence on certain teams.

Going into his age-28 season, Ngakoue is coming off a 9.5-sack slate for the Colts. He served as Indianapolis’ lead sack artist last season and teamed with Maxx Crosby in Vegas, registering 10 QB drops in 2021. While Ngakoue has spent three seasons with Gus Bradley (in three cities), he has also produced with other defensive coordinators. He set a career high with 33 QB hits for the 2018 Jaguars and forced an NFL-leading six fumbles for the ’17 Jags, helping that team to the AFC championship game.

This year’s top UFA edge defenders have not enticed teams to commit multiyear deals. Prior to the ice thawing on the veteran wing last week — via the $7MM and $5.5MM guarantees given to Floyd and Clark — Davenport agreed to a one-year, $13MM deal ($10MM guaranteed) with the Vikings. That said, Arden Key and Samson Ebukam, the latter of whom replacing Ngakoue in Indianapolis, did well for themselves in March. Ebukam fetched a three-year, $24MM deal ($10.8MM guaranteed), while Key signed a three-year, $21MM accord that came with $13MM locked in.

Given Ngakoue’s career path and three-month free agency stay, he might need to settle for another short-term deal and follow the Jadeveon Clowney route. But ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates the former third-round pick is still looking for a multiyear commitment (Twitter link). Ngakoue’s pass-rushing production warrants such a commitment, and unlike Clowney, injuries have not been an issue (four missed games in seven years). Clark and Floyd’s deals also did well to set a veteran edge market, and while Ngakoue will likely look to eclipse Floyd’s guarantee, it will be worth monitoring to see if he holds out for multiyear agreement.

A number of veteran edge rushers still find themselves without a contract for 2023, despite the post-draft free agent period being more than one month old at this point. One member of that group, Yannick Ngakoue, provided an update on his situation and what he is prioritizing on his next contract.

The 28-year-old most recently played for the Colts following his trade from the Raiders. He racked up 9.5 sacks, making 2023 another season in which he posted considerable production in the pass-rush department. The team moved in a different direction this offseason, however, confirming in April that they would not re-sign him.

That decision left the former second-rounder in search of yet another new home. Ngakoue has spent time with five different teams since entering the league in 2016. The former second-rounder has posted no fewer than eight sacks in every season, though his struggles in run defense has limited his effectiveness and thus teams’ willingness to make a long-term commitment to him. Team success, rather than finances, now appear to be at the top of his priority list.

“I definitely want to play for a contender, play for a team and an organization that wants to win a Super Bowl,” Ngakoue said during an appearance on Sirius XM (video link). “That’s one of the things on my agenda, to be able to help and contribute to that. Hopefully I can get some great interest from a contender.”

The Maryland product could provide an intriguing edge rush boost to a team already boasting at least one established contributor in that department. Ngakoue’s 65 career sacks place him in a tie for seventh in the league since his arrival, so he should have at least a few suitors to choose from even in what has become a depressed market at the position this spring. He is remaining patient in his approach with respect to long-term fits, though.

“I think in the financial aspect, that has everything to do with my agent and whatever team I decide to go to,” Ngakoue said, noting the added appeal of a multi-year deal if one were to emerge. “I just feel like instead of doing business I’m looking to have a stable home.”

Such a viewpoint is understandable considering the degree to which the former Jaguars selection has bounced around the league. If he is indeed able to secure a deal with long-term implications, he could prove to be an effective add to a team eyeing a Super Bowl run in 2023.