Jaguars’ Yannick Ngakoue Drawing Trade Interest
Multiple clubs have reached out to the Jaguars with interest in defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). Ngakoue, who turns 25 today, might continue his (remote) celebration with another club. 
Ngakoue said he wanted out of Jacksonville, but the Jags franchise tagged him anyway. Many assumed that this would be Step 1 towards a tag-and-trade, but that’s not necessarily the case – the Jaguars know that he’s one of the most talented young edge rushers in the game today and they could try to reconcile their differences.
“The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville,” Ngakoue tweeted a couple weeks back. “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.”
That sentiment hasn’t changed. Ngakoue took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to offer his response to Garafolo’s report:
“Let’s agree to disagree . Why hold a man from taking care of his family. It’s obvious my time is up in my current situation. Let’s both move on @Jaguars 🏁”
Any trade for Ngakoue would require a massive haul in return. It’s believed that the Jaguars are looking for a first-round pick, and then some. It’s a big ask, but not an unrealistic one given Ngakoue’s youth and performance. Since entering the league as the No. 69 overall pick in the 2016 draft, he’s tallied at least eight sacks per season. And, in 2017, he earned a Pro Bowl nod with 12.5 QB takedowns.
The Eagles have reportedly been eyeing Ngakoue and they’re surely not alone. The Jets would be logical suitors, too, though they don’t have him high on their list. Meanwhile, the demand will increase if Jadeveon Clowney is re-signed by the Seahawks or scooped up by another club.
For now, the defensive end is slated to play out the 2020 season with the Jaguars on a one-year, $17.8MM deal.
Bengals To Release Dre Kirkpatrick
The Bengals will release cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, according to ESPN.com’s Ben Baby (Twitter link). The move will save Cincy $8.3MM against the salary cap, giving them even more cash to work with in the second half of the offseason. 
Kirkpatrick is just the latest vet to be jettisoned by the Bengals. All in all, they’ve freed up more than $23MM by cutting veterans in the last couple of months.
The Kirkpatrick release doesn’t come as a surprise after the Bengals inked Trae Waynes to a three-year, $42MM deal that will pay him approximately $20MM in 2020. Kirkpatrick, a former first-round pick, should find plenty of interest from cornerback-needy teams, though his market will be somewhat limited since many teams have already addressed that gap.
Since 2012, Kirkpatrick has appeared in 99 games over the course of eight seasons. Last year, his season was cut short by a hyperextended knee injury. He finished out with 33 tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery in six contests. In 2018, he allowed just 44.4% of the targets thrown his way to be caught, good for the second-best rate in the NFL.
The Bengals will also be moving forward without Darqueze Dennard, who left in free agency to sign with the Jaguars. Waynes will be among their new headliners and he’ll be joined by fellow ex-Viking Mackensie Alexander. Former Titans corner LeShaun Sims will also be in the CB mix.
Cowboys To Sign K Greg Zuerlein
Young GZ is headed to Dallas. On Friday, the Cowboys agreed to sign Greg Zuerlein, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Dak Prescott To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Player?]
The kicker will receive a three-year deal with a base value of $7.5MM. That marks a pay bump for Greg The Leg, who averaged about $1.6MM per year on his rookie contract with the Rams, with $2.3MM in base salary in the final year.
Zuerlein will also get to reunite with his old special teams coach, John Fassel. Across eight seasons with the Rams – split evenly between St. Louis and L.A. – Zuerlein connected on 82% of his field goal tries. That number doesn’t quite tell the whole story, however. At his best, Zuerlein is one of the league’s most accurate, as shown by his 95% success rate in 2017. Last year, however, he made only 72.7% of his three-point shots with little luck (5-of-11) from 40-49 yards out.
Last year, Brett Maher and Kai Forbath combined to make 75% of the Cowboys field goals.
NFL To Vote On Expanded Playoffs
The NFL Draft will commence on April 23rd as planned, and so will the league’s push towards an expanded postseason. Next week, owners will vote on the proposed 14-team playoff via conference call, as Judy Battista of NFL.com tweets.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Still On For April 23-25]
On the call, the owners will also hash out some other pending league matters. Potential changes to the in-game rules, however, will likely be held for a later date. That’ll likely take place at the league meeting, which is presently slated for mid-may in Los Angeles.
The proposed postseason would include seven teams from each conference, with only one bye being awarded in the AFC and NFC. The other three divisional winners, meanwhile, would partake in Wild Card weekend with home field advantage.
The new playoff system will almost certainly be ratified for the 2020 season. It’s one of many changes on the way, thanks to the brand new collective bargaining agreement. In the not-too-distant-future (perhaps as early as 2021), the league is also expected to add an extra game to the regular season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/27/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: RB Tyler Ervin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: DB Ryan Smith
Vikings Interested In Darryl Roberts
The Vikings are on the lookout for cornerback help and former Jets CB Darryl Roberts is on their radar, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. Ditto for Kevin Peterson, who was recently non-tendered by the Cardinals, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP (on Twitter). 
Roberts, entering his fifth pro season, spent his entire career with the Jets up until his release last Saturday. The Vikings, who just watched Xavier Rhodes leave for the Colts, are among the teams with interest.
Roberts may not be a glamorous addition, but he would offer experience to the Vikes’ group. He’s got 56 appearances and 26 career starts to his credit, including 13 games and ten starts in 2019. He also had one of his best performances against the Vikings a couple years back – a career-high eleven tackles (with two tackles for a loss) in 2018.
The former seventh-round pick inked a three-year, $18MM deal with the Jets in March of last year. One year into it, the Jets’ new regime dropped him in order to save $6MM against the books.
This time around, Roberts figures to cost a bit less, and a one-year deal would probably make sense for both the player and the team that signs him.
Eagles Pick Up Zach Ertz’s Option
The Eagles have exercised Zach Ertz‘s option for the 2021 season, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). No surprise here – he’s one of the league’s most skilled tight ends and the Eagles are expected to try for an even longer arrangement in the coming months. 
[RELATED: Eagles To Sign Nickell Robey-Coleman]
For now, Ertz is slated to count for $8MM in 2020 and $8.25MM in 2021, the aforementioned option year. Given the advancement of the tight end market, and Ertz’s production, you can expect to see a sizable pay bump on the next pact.
Last year, Ertz racked up 88 catches for 916 yards and six touchdowns – an especially solid stat line given the Birds’ up-and-down season. In 2018, he notched career highs in just about every category with 116 receptions (also an NFL record for TEs), 1,163 yards, and eight touchdowns. A Pro Bowler in each of his last three seasons, Ertz has 525 grabs, 5,743 receiving yards, and 35 touchdowns to his credit across seven pro seasons. Meanwhile, he’s led the team in catches and receiving yards in each of the last four seasons.
Austin Hooper reset the tight end market earlier this month by signing a four-year, $42MM deal with the Browns that includes $18.5MM fully guaranteed. That deal, which topped the previous record held by Jimmy Graham, will likely be leapfrogged by Ertz.
Lions Sign Reggie Ragland, Elijah Lee
On Friday, the Lions added a pair of linebackers to the pack. They’ve signed Reggie Ragland and Elijah Lee, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com and Justin Rogers of the Detroit News (Twitter links). 
Ragland, a 2016 second-round pick of the Bills under the Doug Whaley regime, was traded to the Chiefs in the summer of 2017. You may recall that Ragland was one of several Bills players to be jettisoned in that offseason – wide receiver Sammy Watkins, cornerback Ronald Darby, and quarterback Cardale Jones were all shipped out. He never played a down for the Bills due to his torn ACL, but he’s compiled 160 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one interception over the last two years for KC. When he turns 27 in September, he’ll suit up for his third NFL club.
Lee, a former seventh-round pick, has carved out a nice career for himself. In three years, Lee has appeared in 38 games and tallied 76 total stops.
Both ‘backers will join a retooled Detroit D, one that will forge ahead without longtime stalwart Darius Slay. While Slay starts a new chapter with the Eagles, the Lions will work to fortify their squad with the third- and fifth-round picks they received from Philly.
Titans To Sign Ty Sambrailo
The Titans have agreed to sign Ty Sambrailo, according to a team announcement. The offensive lineman will receive a one-year deal with his third career pro club. 
Sambrailo, who was previously with the Broncos and Falcons, figures to slot in as offensive line depth. He’s not a world-beater, but his versatility is a plus – he can offer help at tackle while also, potentially, lining up at guard. At tackle, he’ll backstop left tackle Taylor Lewan and right tackle Dennis Kelly.
The 28-year-old suited up for 13 games off of the Falcons’ bench last year. He also enjoyed a highlight reel moment that he’ll never forget – a 35-yard touchdown catch against the Buccaneers to close out the season.
Bengals To Sign Vonn Bell
The Bengals’ defensive overhaul continues. On Wednesday, the Bengals agreed to terms with safety Vonn Bell, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Once finalized, it’ll be a three-year deal.
Garafolo adds in a separate tweet that the contract is worth $18MM, $7MM of which will be paid out in 2020.
Bell, 25 (26 in December), entered the league as a second-round pick of the Saints back in 2016. He spent four years there, up until now. There was some chatter of the Saints re-signing him, but Sean Payton & Co. elected to instead bring back old friend Malcolm Jenkins.
In 2019, Bell started in all 13 of his games and finished out with 89 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and one interception. Now, he’ll move on to the Bengals where he joins fellow newcomers D.J. Reader, Trae Waynes, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Mackensie Alexander, and Josh Bynes. At safety, he’ll be accompanied by Jessie Bates, Shaun Williams, and likely a couple more names between now and the start of the season.