Yannick Ngakoue - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Yannick Ngakoue

March 20th, 2020 at 6:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ve already seen a few splash trades go down since the new league year began, and the next one many people have been talking about is the Jaguars’ Yannick Ngakoue. The defensive end has stated publicly that he doesn’t want to be in Jacksonville, so when the Jags franchise-tagged him anyway, many assumed it was the precursor to a tag-and-trade.

But while there’s been a ton of speculation, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that there’s nothing brewing on the trade front right now, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com (Twitter link). The fact that there’s no traction could have something to do with what Jacksonville is looking for. People around the league believe the Jaguars are looking for a compensation that “began with a first-round pick,” sources told Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The Jags’ demands make sense given Ngakoue’s consistent production and the fact that he’s only 24, but it also makes sense why teams would be reluctant to part with a first-round pick considering he isn’t quite considered to be among the league’s true top-tier outside rushers. The Eagles are one team that’s been linked to some pass-rushers, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that they have “a lot of interest” in Ngakoue.

Any team that trades for Ngakoue will likely immediately try to sign him to an extension, so it sounds like they’ll have to give up an early pick and dish out a big payday. The Maryland product was drafted 69th overall back in 2016. He’s had at least eight sacks in each of his four pro seasons, and made the Pro Bowl in 2017 when he had 12.5.

He’s also had at least four forced fumbles in three of those seasons, and led the league with six in 2017. Right now he’s in a bit of a stalemate with the Jaguars, and we’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more.

Jaguars Franchise DE Yannick Ngakoue

March 13th, 2020 at 3:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another long-rumored franchise tag candidate received that designation Friday. The Jaguars will apply their top tag to Yannick Ngakoue, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Teams have until 10:59am CT to apply tags.

Ngakoue profiles as this year’s most logical tag-and-trade candidate, however. Ngakoue has said he no longer wants to play in Jacksonville. But for now, the would-have-been free agent defensive end will be tagged at $17.8MM.

Ngakoue skipped the Jags’ offseason program last year while angling for a new contract but reported for training camp. Of the edge rushers who have been tagged or are expected to be tagged, the soon-to-be 25-year-old edge rusher has displayed the most consistency. The 2016 third-round pick has posted at least eight sacks in all four of his seasons, topping out with 12 to go with six forced fumbles in the Jags’ 2017 “Sacksonville” season.

“The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville,” Ngakoue tweeted. “Duval, I love you and gave you guys everything I got. I’m thankful for the journey and look forward to continuing my career elsewhere.”

Should the Jags entertain the prospect of trading another of their acclaimed 2016 draftees, interest will surely emerge. The Seahawks have already surfaced as a potential Ngakoue suitor, and they executed two tag-and-trade deals in 2019. Ngakoue joins Matt Judon and Bud Dupree as this year’s crop of edge rushers who could be tagged and then dealt.

Seahawks Interested In Yannick Ngakoue?

March 5th, 2020 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year after being part of two tag-and-trade transactions involving edge rushers, the Seahawks may be interested in another such move.

The Seahawks are interested in Yannick Ngakoue, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. The Jaguars are expected to use their franchise tag on the veteran defensive end, but Ngakoue has let it be known he is no longer interested in signing a long-term deal to stay in Jacksonville.

While Ngakoue is set to be tagged, he profiles as a tag-and-trade candidate. Last year, the Seahawks franchised Frank Clark and traded him to the Chiefs before acquiring Texans franchise player Jadeveon Clowney via August trade. Seattle remains interested in extending Clowney before he becomes a free agent March 18 but may not be willing to make a major bid to retain the pass rusher. The former No. 1 overall pick is predictably receiving extensive interest as he prepares to be a first-time UFA.

It cost the Chiefs first- and second-round picks to acquire Clark, a zero-time Pro Bowler in Seattle who registered 35 sacks in his four Seahawk seasons, and a third-rounder last April. Ngakoue has one Pro Bowl on his resume, in 2017, and has 37.5 sacks through four seasons. Because of the Clark trade, Seattle holds two second-round picks this year.

Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell has accumulated 10 draft picks this year, two coming from the Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye trades. He expressed interest in acquiring more, per John Reid of the Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville’s eighth-year GM said earlier this year keeping Ngakoue was his top offseason priority, but with Ngakoue the second Jags 2016 draftee to inform the franchise he wants out in the past six months, will the franchise begin tag-and-trade negotiations?

Jaguars’ Yannick Ngakoue Wants Out

March 2nd, 2020 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars will use their franchise tag on Yannick Ngakoue, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the pass rusher took to Twitter on Monday morning to announce that he is not interested in a long-term deal with the club.

“The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville,” Ngakoue tweeted. “Duval, I love you and gave you guys everything I got. I’m thankful for the journey and look forward to continuing my career elsewhere.”

At this point, it seems like the Jaguars will wind up having to tag-and-trade the standout defensive end. They’ll find plenty of interest in him if that’s the case – over the last four years, Ngakoue has notched 37.5 sacks for the Jaguars and 14 forced fumbles (fourth in the NFL in that span, behind only Khalil Mack, Chandler Jones, and T.J. Watt. He’s been durable as well; he never missed a game until last year.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old had another standout campaign in 2019, finishing with 41 tackles, eight sacks, six passes defended, and four forced fumbles. The former third-rounder discussed an extension with the team last offseason, but those talks did not lead to a deal and it seems that he is not long for Jacksonville.

The franchise tag for defensive ends is expected to cost upwards of $19MM for 2020.

South Rumors: Titans, Luck, Jags, Falcons

February 28th, 2020 at 5:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Perhaps no team’s free agency plan hinges on the CBA more than the Titans‘. They have three marquee free agents, and the previously reported goal of extending Ryan Tannehill soon looks to have an auxiliary purpose. The Titans’ hopes of extending Tannehill before the franchise-transition tag window closes March 12 doubles as a way to keep Tannehill, Derrick Henry and Jack Conklin. Tennessee would then like to use both its tags on Henry and Conklin, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. The Conklin component here is interesting, as little has emerged on a possible reunion between the tackle and the Titans. It will almost certainly require a tag to keep the former first-round lineman off the market. Conklin has generated immense interest thus far.

This Titans plan might not be viable, leading to some frenetic extension talks in order to prevent them from losing two members of this trio. Teams may not be permitted to use both tags. While a ruling has yet to emerge, the possibility of a CBA ratification forcing a team to vacate one of its tags remains in play.

Here is the latest from the South divisions:

No surprise here, but the Jaguars are prepared to use their franchise tag on Yannick Ngakoue, La Canfora adds. The standout defensive end held out from Jags offseason activities last year and will not be pleased the team will prevent him from hitting the market, per JLC. The Jaguars not picking up Marcell Dareus‘ option freed up $20MM in cap space, giving them just more than $21MM — just enough for an approximately $18MM Ngakoue tag. GM Dave Caldwell called Ngakoue the team’s top priority at the end of last season.
Jim Irsay appears to be hoping Andrew Luck will change his mind, but Frank Reich does not expect him to. The Colts HC continues to talk to the team’s former franchise quarterback, but those discussions apparently do not progress to the subject of a comeback. “I talk to him; we communicate. I sense none of that. We don’t talk about that,” Reich said, during an appearance on PFT Live, about an NFL return for the 30-year-old passer. “I think he’s retired. He’s like any other ex-player. You’re always going to miss your buddies in the locker room. That’s normal. I don’t read into that a clue that he wants to come back. He’s just a good friend.”
A Falcons cog for seven seasons, Kemal Ishmael will likely have to find another team in order to continue his career. The seven-year veteran linebacker-safety will not be brought back, according to Ishmael’s agent (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). The Falcons have shuttled the 28-year-old defender/special-teamer between safety and linebacker and have re-signed him to one-year deals in each of the past three offseasons.

Latest On Jaguars DEs Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue

February 11th, 2020 at 7:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Count Jaguars owner Shad Khan among those who’d like to see the team’s top defensive ends return to Jacksonville next season. Khan told Jaguars.com’s Ashlyn Sullivan that the organization wants to retain both Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue (via John Oehser of the team website).

“Both of those players – Yannick and Calais – I had chats with them after the season,” Khan said. “I would love for them to be back and I’m very hopeful they’ll be back.”

We heard back in January that the Jaguars’ front office had made Ngakoue a priority, and rightfully so. The 24-year-old had another standout season in 2019, finishing with 41 tackles, eight sacks, six passes defended, and four forced fumbles. The former third-rounder will hit unrestricted free agency this spring, but Oehser is confident he won’t be going anywhere; if the two sides can’t agree to an extension, there’s a good chance the Jaguars slap Ngakoue with the franchise tag.

Campbell is a different story, as the veteran has a cap hit of $17.5MM in 2020. The team could save upwards of $15MM if they moved on from the 33-year-old, but there’s a better chance that the two sides will work on an extension that lowers that cap hit. Campbell hasn’t missed a game since joining the Jaguars, and he finished the 2019 campaign having compiled 6.5 sacks. The lineman is also well-respected, and he was the team’s first ever recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

“I think he’s a fabulous guy and I think his contributions … everybody understands, knows, respects,” Khan said.

Caldwell: Keeping Yannick Ngakoue Is Jaguars’ Top Priority

January 1st, 2020 at 5:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s free agent class of edge defenders could include several impact players, but the Jaguars look poised to keep one of them off the market.

Yannick Ngakoue‘s rookie contract is up, and he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency. But GM Dave Caldwell has identified an agreement to ensure Ngakoue is a Jaguar next season is the franchise’s top offseason priority.

“He’s a tremendous player and even a better person. I would say that’s Priority No. 1, to make sure that he comes back to Jacksonville and that he’s a Jacksonville Jaguar,”Caldwell said. “Hopefully, we can get that done where he’s here for a long period of time.”

The Jags and Ngakoue negotiated last year but could not come to terms on an extension. Ngakoue played out his contract year and ended up with eight sacks and 15 quarterback hits. The latter figure was significantly down from his 33 in 2018. But for his career, the talented pass rusher has 37 sacks and 14 forced fumbles. He’s become one of the game’s better pressure artists.

Ngakoue’s camp will be negotiating with a new-look Jaguars setup, with Tom Coughlin no longer in place atop the team’s decision-making structure. The former third-round pick stayed away from the team until training camp. The Jaguars extended Myles Jack but traded fellow 2016 draftee Jalen Ramsey. That leaves Ngakoue left on the franchise’s to-do list. The Jags still have Calais Campbell under contract and saw Josh Allen excel as a rookie. But they’re committed to keeping Ngakoue, who will not turn 25 until March.

Should the Jags go with the franchise tag for Ngakoue, it would cost them approximately $18MM. Jacksonville is projected to be $900K over the cap, so Caldwell will have work to do to clear out space to keep Ngakoue. The Maryland alum joins the likes of Arik Armstead, Jadeveon Clowney, Bud Dupree, Dante Fowler, Matt Judon, Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Lawson and Markus Golden as edge rushers whose contracts will soon expire. Some of these talents will hit free agency. It will make for an interesting several weeks on the edge defender front, with the Jaguars playing a key role in shaping the market.

AFC Notes: Jaguars, Patriots, Randall

September 14th, 2019 at 9:56pm CST by cwcrouse

The Jaguars will be without several players on Sunday against the Texans, Michael DiRocco of ESPN recaps on Twitter. S Ronnie Harrison is listed as questionable with an ankle injury. CB A.J. Bouye, WR Marqise Lee, DE Yannick Ngakoue and LT Cam Robinson have all already been ruled out of the contest.

Last week, Jacksonville lost starting QB Nick Foles, who suffered a broken left clavicle in Week 1 and has been placed on injured reserve. The franchise’s collective health has put a damper on what should have been a bounceback year for the Jags. As the team carries on in Houston, let’s take a look around the AFC:

The Patriots worked out several players ahead of their game against the Dolphins, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Athletic (Twitter link). OT Caleb Benenoch, NT Carl Davis, DT Willie Henry, DB Josh Jones and DB Adarius Pickett worked out for New England.
Browns S Damarious Randall has been ruled out of Monday’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Randall showed up to Cleveland’s facility with a concussion and was placed in the concussion protocol.
A.J. Green, who injured his ankle during the Bengals‘ training camp, is out of his walking boot and feels like is he ahead of schedule in his recovery, as Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer relays. “I’m only six weeks out and I’m already walking,” Green said. “You never know what the next two weeks or three weeks are going to bring to where I can start back putting on shoes and actually running and doing some on the field stuff. You never know.”

South Notes: White, Newton, Julio, Jags

September 13th, 2019 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Devin White left Thursday night’s game before the lightning delay hit, but the rookie Buccaneers linebacker appears to have dodged a long-term injury. Bruce Arians said (via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine) the No. 5 overall pick suffered a grade 1 MCL sprain. While it would seem White is in danger of at least missing the Bucs’ Week 3 game against the Giants, Arians would not rule out an immediate return.

Here is the latest from the South divisions, moving first to the Bucs’ Week 2 opponent:

Ron Rivera denied Cam Newton is experiencing issues with the foot he injured during preseason play or his surgically repaired shoulder. The Panthers have now lost two home games, and Newton has not played especially well in either. He completed 48% of his passes on Thursday and did not fare well against Bucs blitzes. Prior to Newton’s shoulder injury last season, he had the Panthers on track for another playoff berth and was on a better statistical run than his 2016 or ’17 slates. Now 0-2, the team will have an uphill battle to make it back to the postseason. The 30-year-old passer is signed through the 2020 season.
Nick Martin‘s three-year, $33MM Texans extension features fully guaranteed salaries ($6.1MM and $7.25MM) for the 2019 and ’20 seasons and a $5MM signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The Texans center’s 2021 and ’22 base salaries of $7.25MM and $7.75MM are non-guaranteed.
Julio Jones‘ three-year, $66MM Falcons extension came with $64MM in guarantees, which outpaces every other wide receiver’s deal by a staggering margin. Jones’ pact also could bump up to $72MM, with Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweeting the 30-year-old wideout’s deal has annual escalators. It’s not yet known what benchmarks Jones would have to hit to trigger those, however.
Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson has received clearance to make his season debut, but Doug Marrone said (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco, on Twitter) the third-year blocker will be held out against the Texans. It would appear Robinson, who is dealing with a different knee problem than to the ACL tear he suffered last season, will be on track to return to his post in Week 3. He has not played since September 2018. Due to a hamstring malady, Yannick Ngakoue is also out for the Jags this week.
The Texans worked out cornerbacks Jeremy Clark, Rodney Randle and D.J. White, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter). Houston made a cornerback roster swap this week, releasing Aaron Colvin and signing Phillip Gaines.

Yannick Ngakoue Reports To Camp

August 4th, 2019 at 8:17am CST by Rory Parks

Jaguars star defender Yannick Ngakoue still doesn’t have a new contract, but he reported to camp Sunday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He needed to report by Tuesday in order for 2019 to count as an accrued season towards free agency, and the 24-year-old pass rusher did not want to miss that deadline. He is now eligible for unrestricted free agency next year.

The last report concerning negotiations between Ngakoue and Jacksonville indicated that the club had offered a short-term extension to the Maryland product, which Ngakoue declined. It is currently unclear how close the two sides are to getting something done, but Ngakoue indicated that talks are not active. He said, “I don’t want to keep talking about the deal. Like I said they had a chance to sign me for a long-term deal and it didn’t get done” (Twitter link via James Palmer of the NFL Network).

However, Ngakoue’s return does restore a key piece to one of the league’s best defensive lines, a unit that includes players like four-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell and promising rookie Josh Allen. With 29.5 sacks, 70 QB hits, and no missed games over the last three years, Ngakoue has emerged as one of the best young pass-rushers in the league, and if the Jags are to return to contention this season, he will likely be a big reason for it.

Luckily, the 2016 third-round draft choice apparently doesn’t need any time to knock the rust off. Head coach Doug Marrone said that Ngakoue has passed his conditioning test and will immediately be a full participant in practice (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com).

The team has officially removed Ngakoue from the Reserve/Did Not Report list and has waived Fish Smithson in a corresponding move.