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K’Lavon Chaisson

Panthers To Sign OLB K’Lavon Chaisson

March 15th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers met with Jadeveon Clowney on Thursday, but the team is waiting out other clubs’ interest. Clowney is meeting with the Jets on Tuesday. In the meantime, Carolina has added two edge rushers.

K’Lavon Chaisson will follow D.J. Wonnum to Charlotte. The former Jaguars first-round pick is joining the Panthers on a one-year deal worth up to $5MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Chaisson disappointed in Jacksonville, but Carolina will provide a second chance for the LSU alum.

Chosen with one of the picks obtained in the Jalen Ramsey trade, Chaisson could not establish himself as a starter or a productive rotational rusher with the Jaguars. He will head to Charlotte with just five career sacks. Though, he did notch two of those last season. The Jags used Chaisson as a starter in just 11 games during his four-year tenure. During Doug Pederson‘s two-year run, Chaisson logged 18% and 25% snap shares on defense.

Chaisson, 24, posted eight QB hits last season while playing 17 games as a backup. Wonnum has a better history as a sack artist, having registered 23 on his Vikings rookie contract. Chaisson profiles as more of a flier who should probably not be considered a lock to make the team. After the Jags passed on Chaisson’s fifth-year option, he came up in trades. As expected, a Jags regime that did not draft the former SEC standout is moving on.

Trading Brian Burns for an underwhelming haul (second- and fifth-round picks) and seeing Yetur Gross-Matos join the 49ers, the Panthers are starting over on the edge. Hybrid pass rusher Frankie Luvu is also bound for Washington. Burns, Luvu and Gross-Matos combined for 18 of the Panthers’ NFL-low 27 sacks last season.

Jaguars LB K’Lavon Chaisson On Trade Block?

May 20th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Ben Levine

A former Jaguars first-round pick is likely on the trade block. Albert Breer of SI.com writes that “it’d hardly be a shocker” to see linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson traded during training camp.

The Jaguars had high hopes for Chaisson when they selected him with the 20th-overall pick in the 2020 draft. The linebacker was coming off a championship-winning season at LSU where he led the team with 6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.

The rookie was expected to take the place of Yannick Ngakoue, who publicly feuded with owner Shahid Khan’s son and was eventually traded to Minnesota. Chaisson didn’t do much to make up for his departed teammate, finishing his rookie campaign with only 19 tackles and one sack in 16 games (three starts). He took on a slightly larger role with eight starts in 2021, but he only finished with 31 tackles.

With Doug Pederson on board in 2022, Chaisson found himself struggling for playing time. He played in a career-low 217 snaps, with just about half of those snaps coming on special teams. He finished the season with only 10 tackles in nine games, and he spent a chunk of the season on injured reserve while recovering from a knee injury.

Predictably, the team declined the fifth-year option on Chaisson earlier this month, and the linebacker will now be fighting for a roster spot. The Jaguars used a fifth-round pick on outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah, and with Josh Allen and Travon Walker entrenched as the starting OLBs, Chaisson will have to compete for one of the final spots on the depth chart.

Jaguars Decline K’Lavon Chaisson’s Fifth-Year Option

May 1st, 2023 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

K’Lavon Chaisson has been unable to justify his draft slot with the Jaguars. Unsurprisingly, the Jags will make 2023 a contract year for the former first-round pick.

Jacksonville is passing on Chaisson’s fifth-year option, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Because of his declining participation rate, the edge rusher’s option checked in on the bottom tier of the option structure; for defensive ends, that number is $12.14MM. Given Chaisson’s fit in Mike Caldwell‘s defense, that is still a lofty number.

[RELATED: 2024 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]

The Jags took Chaisson 20th overall in 2020, selecting him 11 spots after C.J. Henderson. Although Henderson’s option became the Panthers’ responsibility, the Jags did not fare well with their two first-round picks — the latter of which obtained in the Jalen Ramsey trade — in 2020. (The Panthers declined Henderson’s fifth-year option Monday.) The Jags took Chaisson despite having selected Josh Allen in the 2019 first round. They have since chosen another first-round edge, in 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker.

Chaisson, 23, has just three sacks across three seasons. After being benched in 2021, Chaisson played just 109 defensive snaps during Caldwell’s first year running the Jags’ defense. A meniscus injury sidelined Chaisson for a stretch last year, and the Jags did use one of their eight IR-return spots on the three-year veteran. Chaisson played in both Jacksonville’s playoff games, and despite the team losing Dawuane Smoot for the season in Week 16, the former first-rounder only totaled 11 defensive snaps in the postseason.

Generating roster-bubble rumors last summer, Chaisson remains part of the Jags’ edge-rushing contingent. The team has not re-signed Smoot and let Arden Key walk in free agency. The Jags also waited until the fifth round (Louisville’s Yasir Abdullah) to address the position in this year’s draft. The team has Allen and Walker as its top edge defenders, but it remains to be seen how the AFC South favorites will structure their rotational pass-rushing corps.

While Chaisson has not lived up to expectations, the Jags did land Travis Etienne with the other first-round pick from the Ramsey haul. Etienne’s fifth-year option decision is due in 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/22

December 10th, 2022 at 7:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the minor moves around the league in advance of the Week 14 slate of games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/23/22

November 23rd, 2022 at 8:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Thanksgiving will mark McKinley’s Cowboys debut after he signed to Dallas’ practice squad last week. The veteran will seek to be more productive in his reunion with Dan Quinn than his previous stops following the end of his Falcons tenure, while providing depth to a Cowboys edge group which has produced a league-leading 42 sacks this season.

Hobbs returning to the fold in the near future will be a welcomed sight for the Raiders’ secondary. The 2021 fifth-rounder was a full-time starter through the first five weeks of the season before landing on IR with a broken hand. Vegas has struggled against the pass, allowing more than 247 yards per game through the air in 2022. The team has three weeks to activate him before he becomes ineligible to play again this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/22

October 11th, 2022 at 7:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jaguars Place OLB K’Lavon Chaisson On IR

October 10th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Former first-round draft pick K’Lavon Chaisson‘s struggles in the NFL will continue for at least another four weeks as the Jaguars pass rusher is headed to injured reserve, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The LSU product is dealing with a meniscus injury suffered this past Sunday that was severe enough to warrant the extended time out. 

Chaisson has failed to catch on in the NFL after being drafted 20th overall in 2020. He got his most playing time as a rookie, appearing in every game and starting three. While he got five more starting opportunities in his sophomore season, Chaisson saw his snap usage plummet as, even though he started eight games, he was only on the field for over half of the defensive snaps in only two games all year. This year has seen his usage plummet even more. In four games this season, Chaisson has played more special teams than defense.

Chaisson had shown some flash of ability as a rookie. Despite recording only one sack, Chaisson got to the quarterback nine times and racked up three tackles for loss. In 2021, he was able to replicate his sack and tackles for loss totals, but only managed four quarterback hits. So far this year, through four games, Chaisson has failed to tally a sack, tackle for loss, or quarterback hit.

Chaisson’s waning usage is easily a result of the increasing talent of Jacksonville’s linebacking corps. No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker has played up to his value across the field from star defender Josh Allen and, after a breakout contract year in Atlanta, Foyesade Oluokun has continued to be a tackling machine. That’s not even mentioning that Walker faces some stiff competition for Defensive Rookie of the Year from his own teammate, inside linebacker Devin Lloyd. The talent-laden position group not only has Jacksonville as a top-five scoring defense but also has pushed Chaisson aside for more productive teammates.

Chaisson will be eligible to return from IR in time for a mid-November matchup with the Chiefs, but, if the injury shows any possible chance for long-term damage, the Jaguars may decide to hold him out through their Week 11 bye to give him a solid six weeks off. Regardless, Chaisson will be feeling the pressure once he returns. He will be heading into a contract year next season, but, with a $4.25MM cap hit in 2023, he may end up becoming a cap casualty before playing out the last year of his rookie contract.

AFC Rumors: White, Chaisson, Williams, Cannon

June 24th, 2022 at 9:50pm CST by Ely Allen

After tearing his ACL in late November last season, Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White is a candidate to begin the season on injured reserve, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. This differs slightly from earlier reports this year that White may be on track to start the 2022 NFL season healthy.

White was just halfway through the second year of his four-year, $69MM extension when he suffered the noncontact injury. His absence was a tough blow for the Bills who fell just short of their second-straight AFC Championship game appearance. With White on injured reserve for at least the first four weeks of the season, Buffalo will depend on rookie first-round pick Kaiir Elam. Elam will team up with returning corners Taron Johnson, Dane Jackson, and Siran Neal to anchor a strong Buffalo secondary until White’s return.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC, starting with a couple of rumors from Duval County:

  • Despite his lofty status as one of the Jaguars’ first-round picks from the last couple of years, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson‘s roster spot is anything but guaranteed, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN. During his two years in Jacksonville, Chaisson has only started 11 games despite playing in all but two. In those two seasons of work, Chaisson only has 2.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits to his name. This leaves him in a precarious spot this offseason as he hopes to carve out his role on the Jaguars’ defensive line and prove his worth as the former No. 20 overall draft pick.
  • ESPN’s DiRocco also dove into Jacksonville’s cornerback room, positing that former Rams cornerback Darious Williams is expected to earn the starting spot at nickel for the Jaguars defense. With Tyson Campbell and Shaquill Griffin in place on the outside, Williams should have the inside track to start in the slot. Four-year Jaguars cornerback Tre Herndon has some experience on the inside, as well, and should provide some quality depth and competition for Williams, but Williams was brought in to play and will likely get the opportunity over Herndon to start the year.
  • Running back Trenton Cannon has bounced around a bit during his first four years in the league, spending time with the Jets, Panthers, Ravens, and 49ers. Cannon signed with the Titans in March and is expected to make the eventual 53-man roster due to his return abilities, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport. On the running back depth chart for Tennessee, Cannon likely sits behind Derrick Henry, Dontrell Hilliard, and rookie Hassan Haskins, but he has extensive experience as a kick returner, serving as San Francisco’s primary return man down the stretch last season. With the Titans’ primary return man from last year, Chester Rogers, currently off the roster as a free agent, Cannon should be able to solidify a roster spot if he can prove his worth as a special teamer.

Jaguars Notes: Lawrence, Chaisson, Tebow

June 14th, 2021 at 8:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trevor Lawrence made his way back from offseason shoulder surgery and progressed to working out with his Jaguars teammates during OTAs. The No. 1 overall pick, however, has run into injury trouble on a new front. Lawrence battled left hamstring tightness last week, and after attempting to return to work during the first day of Jacksonville’s minicamp Monday, he aggravated the injury, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com notes. Urban Meyer said Lawrence will likely sit out team drills Tuesday, and it certainly would not surprise if the franchise’s QB1 is done with seven-on-seven or 11-on-11 activity until training camp. C.J. Beathard and the now-mullet-less Gardner Minshew split the reps in Lawrence’s absence.

Here is the latest out of Jacksonville:

  • K’Lavon Chaisson will miss all of Jacksonville’s minicamp due to a positive COVID-19 test, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The second-year defensive end attended Von Miller‘s annual pass rush summit in Las Vegas over the weekend. The event had coronavirus testing, per Chaisson (on Twitter).
  • The Jags have used a 4-3 defense as their primary look throughout their 26-season history, but new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen will switch to a 3-4 alignment. Meyer confirmed as such Monday, via News4Jax.com’s Jamal St. Cyr. Dating back to their Marcus Stroud–John Henderson D-tackle duo through the “Sacksonville” period, the Jags preferred a 4-3 look. While the distinction means less nowadays, given teams’ sub-package reliance, it is notable the Jags will make this switch.
  • Tim Tebow has bulked up to 255 pounds, up nearly 20 from his quarterback days, and will be attempting to make a rare transition. Washington tight end Logan Thomas, who is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, provides a reasonable example of a quarterback-to-tight end switch working, DiRocco writes. Thomas, however, first worked out as a tight end in 2016 and said it took him two years to feel comfortable at the position. The former Virginia Tech quarterback made the transition in his mid-20s; Tebow will attempt to do so at 33. Thomas noted blocking will be Tebow’s most difficult task, but the Jags may not have a pure tight end role in mind for the former Heisman winner. The prospect of using him as a wildcat quarterback has surfaced.

Jaguars Sign K’Lavon Chaisson, 3 Others To Wrap Draft Class

July 20th, 2020 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars became the latest team to wrap their 2020 draft class’ deals. They reached an agreement with first-round pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and three others to do so Monday.

In addition to their agreement with the LSU-developed edge defender, the Jags signed fifth-round safety Daniel Thomas, sixth-round quarterback Jake Luton and seventh-round cornerback Chris Claybrooks.

Chaisson will join a revamped defensive front, one that is thin on contributors from the acclaimed “Sacksonville” era. Jacksonville traded Calais Campbell and released both Malik Jackson and Marcell Dareus in the past two offseasons. Yannick Ngakoue must play this season on the franchise tag, but the team’s top pass rusher has vowed not to return to Jacksonville for a fifth season.

Jacksonville used first-round picks on edge defenders in two straight years, with Chaisson following Josh Allen to north Florida. Chaisson broke out for the national champion Tigers last season, registering 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. For his career, however, Chaisson only finished with 9.5 sacks.

Luton, who played at Oregon State, will compete for a job behind starter Gardner Minshew. Considering Mike Glennon and Joshua Dobbs are on the roster, Luton profiles as a candidate for the Jags’ practice squad. Thomas (Auburn) and Claybrooks (Memphis) will attempt to impress, despite limited offseason work, in training camp to earn jobs in the Jaguars’ secondary.

Here is the Jags’ 2020 draft class:

1-9: C.J. Henderson, CB (Florida): Signed
1-20: K’Lavon Chaisson, DE (LSU): Signed
2-42: Laviska Shenault, WR (Colorado): Signed
3-73: Davon Hamilton, DT (Ohio State): Signed
4-116: Ben Bartch, OT (St. John’s (MN)): Signed
4-137: Josiah Scott, CB (Michigan State): Signed
4-140: Shaquille Quarterman, ILB (Miami): Signed
5-157: Daniel Thomas, S (Auburn): Signed
5-165: Collin Johnson, WR (Texas): Signed
6-189: Jake Luton, QB (Oregon State): Signed
6-206: Tyler Davis, TE (Georgia Tech): Signed
7-223: Chris Claybrooks, CB (Memphis): Signed

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