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Ben Ijalana

Jets To Re-Sign OL Ben Ijalana

March 9th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are retaining OL Ben Ijalana, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It will be a two-year, $11MM deal.

Ijalana offers versatility on the offensive line and he stepped up to play left tackle when called upon in 2016. He’s not exactly a world-beater, however. Ijalana got a 47.6 overall score from Pro Football Focus, ranking him as the No. 60 tackle in the NFL last year out of 78 qualified players.

Jets Rumors: Marshall, Ijalana, Glennon

March 7th, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at Gang Green:

  • Jets wide receiver Jalin Marshall is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. The team has since confirmed the news. Marshall tested positive for Adderall and will not appeal the suspension. The four-game ban is an unfortunate development for the Jets as they increase their focus on younger players. “We feel really good about our young receivers,” Maccagnan said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. “The one thing with our roster right now… everybody’s aware that we’re making some changes in terms of our veteran players. These are all decisions we’re making going forward to try to build this team. We’ll let the young guys come up and hopefully establish themselves as good players going forward.” Marshall finished last season with 14 catches for 162 yards and two scores in ten games. He also returned 13 kickoffs for 324 yards and 18 punt returns for 100 yards.
  • The Jets not expected to re-sign tackle Ben Ijalana before free agency begins, Darryl Slater of NJ.com writes. The Jets have been in touch with his camp about a new deal, but they’ll likely wait and see how this week plays out before submitting a serious offer. Last year, Ijalana played on a one-year, $846K deal with $150K guaranteed.
  • Will the Jets pursue Mike Glennon this week? The latest word is that their reported interest in the quarterback is “overblown.”
  • The Jets are one of six teams with interest in wide receiver Andre Holmes.

Latest On Jets’ Offseason Blueprint

February 19th, 2017 at 7:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are without a surefire quarterback option and are up against the cap going into the 2017 league year. But Gang Green looks to be attempting to keep some key role players.

Career swing tackle Ben Ijalana stepped into the Jets’ starting lineup last season after Ryan Clady went down, and the team is looking to retain the veteran, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports. The Jets are also interested in re-signing UFA outside linebackers Josh Martin and Mike Catapano, per Cimini.

Martin may be a more pressing target than Catapano, with Cimini reporting the team is trying to reach an agreement with the special-teamer. The reporter adds that the former UDFA might want to test the market, though, in hopes of being able to compete for a linebacker job elsewhere.

New York could be without both starting tackles from the 2016 season. The team already passed on Ryan Clady‘s option and is expected to cut Breno Giacomini, who joined Clady on IR by season’s end. Ijalana cost just $840K on a one-year deal last year, but after making 13 starts should be more expensive due to demand, Cimini notes.

The Jets jettisoning Giacomini would save them $4.5MM but deprive them of their only tackle with significant starting experience. The 13 starts the 27-year-old Ijalana made double as the only ones in his six-year career, but the team is devoid of options heading into free agency. Clady could loom as a fallback option after the draft if the Jets are unable to land a suitable replacement, but it would be on a much cheaper deal. And it’s possible the 30-year-old Clady could be a mid-level target for another team, the now-injury-prone left tackle being a two-time first-team All-Pro.

Even after moving on from Clady, the Jets are projected to have less than $2MM in cap space. And they will likely add a veteran quarterback, being linked to Mike Glennon and Jay Cutler, so the team will have to create some additional cap space. But the free agents the team plans to retain won’t cost much.

Neither Martin nor Catapano will require a significant financial commitment, with both being career backups. Both finished up their four-year rookie contracts last season. The Jets still have Jordan Jenkins and Lorenzo Mauldin under contract. Fellow linebacker Bruce Carter also looms as a UFA, but Cimini notes there’s no urgency to get a deal done since Carter is likely looking at a veteran-minimum deal. The former Cowboys starter is entering his age-29 season.

Jets Working To Re-Sign OT Ben Ijalana

February 15th, 2017 at 6:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Having declined Ryan Clady‘s 2017 option, the Jets are in need of a starting left tackle, and the club may look internally to fill the void on the blindside. New York is trying to re-sign pending free agent offensive lineman Ben Ijalana, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Ben Ijalana (Vertical)

[RELATED: New York Jets Depth Chart]

Ijalana, 27, was slated to act as a backup during the 2017 campaign, but injuries along Gang Green’s offensive line forced him into the starting lineup. Over the course of 13 starts, Ijalana graded out as the league’s No. 60 offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked Ijalana just two spots higher than Clady.

A former second-round pick, Ijalana had never started a contest before 2016. Two ACL tears wrecked his time with the Colts, who eventually waived him in 2012. Ijalana has been under New York’s control ever since, but didn’t factor into the club’s plans until this past year.

The Jets could still theoretically re-sign Clady at a lower salary, but otherwise the team’s options at left tackle are limited. The draft doesn’t feature any high-end prospects at the position, while free agency offers Andrew Whitworth, Riley Reiff, and a cavalcade of unsurprising options.

Extra Points: Treadwell, Spence, Jets, Giants

April 18th, 2016 at 9:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds one more club to the list of teams bringing in Ole Miss wideout Laquon Treadwell for visits, tweeting that Treadwell will meet with the Jets on Wednesday. Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence will be visiting Gang Green on Wednesday as well, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who adds that UCLA receiver Devin Fuller met with New York today (Twitter links).

Here are a few more notes from around the NFL, with a heavy emphasis on draft visits…

  • Carson Wentz isn’t the only North Dakota State prospect making the rounds — fullback/tight end Andrew Bonnet finsihed a visit with the Giants tonight, and has also met with the Panthers, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin is visiting the Rams on Tuesday, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Ervin rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015.
  • Cornerback Ryan Smith has taken visits with the Raiders, Dolphins, and Vikings, the North Carolina Central product tells Alex Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
  • Offensive lineman Ben Ijalana‘s one-year deal with the Jets is worth $840K, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that Ijalana receives $150K guaranteed.
  • The Seahawks will work out running back Giavanni Ruffin tomorrow, tweets Jared Tokarz of WhosNextFootball.com. Ruffin, who hasn’t played football since way back in 2010, posted 692 rushing yards for East Carolina between 2009-10.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/9/16

April 9th, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, which we’ll keep updated throughout the day:

  • The Saints are bringing in a fourth quarterback in signing second-year passer Griffin Neal, Concordia College coach Terry Horan relays (via Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com). It’s a three-year rookie contract for Neal, per Horan. A product of Division III Concordia, Neal attended Tulane’s pro day held at the Saints’ facility last month despite not being a draft-eligible prospect, and the Saints offered him a tryout for Friday, Terrell reports. After spending 2015 playing with a semi-pro team in Germany, Neal will enter a crowded competition behind Drew Brees, with Luke McCown and Garrett Grayson residing as New Orleans’ backups.
  • The Jets have re-signed offensive tackle Ben Ijalana, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News on Twitter. ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that it’s a one-year deal. The contract was apparently agreed upon prior to D’Brickashaw Ferguson‘s retirement announcement. Ijalana has played in seven NFL games since being selected in the second round of the 2011 draft.

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Lions

April 5th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the NFC:

  • Defensive end Jason Jones is still in play for the Cowboys, a source tells David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). However, the deal would have to be similar to the one-year, $1.1MM deal that Jack Crawford agreed to with Dallas on Monday.
  • Former Dolphins linebacker Kelvin Sheppard visited the Giants on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Giants brought in offensive linemen Ben Ijalana and Byron Stingily for a visit on Monday, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Lions‘ pre-draft visits are underway, and the team looked at offensive line prospects on Monday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that tackles Jerald Hawkins (LSU), Shon Coleman (Auburn), Caleb Benenoch (UCLA), and Jason Spriggs (Indiana) are meeting with the Lions.
  • Bowling Green center-guard Alex Huettel worked out for the Lions, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
  • Ohio State safety Vonn Bell has (or has had) meetings, workouts, or visits with the Cardinals and Vikings as well as the Jaguars, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Saints conducted private workout for Cal wide receiver Darius Powe on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Powe didn’t have any drops, according to a source, and drew praise from New Orleans brass.
  • The Eagles are hosting Florida wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson on a visit, a source tells Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (on Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

April 1st, 2015 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NFL have been busy today, making minor roster additions and subtractions as they continue to survey the remaining free agent landscape and prepare for this month’s draft. Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from across the league:

  • According to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys have signed defensive end Efe Obada, who played last year with the London Warriors in England.
  • Meanwhile, a former Cowboys defender, Caesar Rayford, announced today on Facebook that he has signed a new contract with the Vikings.
  • The Jets have re-signed backup tackle Ben Ijalana, the team announced today in a press release. During his two seasons in New York, Ijalana has been inactive on game days more often than not.

Earlier updates:

  • Seahawks fullback and defensive lineman Will Tukuafu posted an Instagram photo today that showed him signing a new contract with the Seahawks, and the NFL’s official transactions wire confirms the deal, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Per Condotta (via Twitter), Seattle’s new deal with defensive lineman Jesse Williams, who was cut earlier in the offseason for procedural reasons, also showed up on the transactions wire.
  • Cornerback and special-teamer Sherrick McManis has returned to the Bears on a one-year deal, according to the club (Twitter link). Although he played just 46 defensive snaps for Chicago in 2014, McManis was a key contributor on kick and punt coverage, recording 11 special teams tackles.
  • The Steelers have re-signed defensive lineman Clifton Geathers to a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. Geathers, 27, joined the Steelers in December of last year after the club placed Brett Keisel on injured reserve, but didn’t see any game action.
  • Agent Mike McCartney published a tweet this afternoon congratulating his client Mike Kafka on the quarterback’s new deal with the Vikings. A participant in last month’s veterans combine, Kafka spent time in 2014 on the Buccaneers’ practice squad and active roster.
  • Running back Dan “Boom” Herron has officially signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Colts, ensuring that he’ll be back with the team in 2015. The move was a formality, since Herron couldn’t negotiate with other clubs.
  • The Panthers have waived guard Derek Dennis and linebacker Horace Miller, two players who signed futures contracts with the team at season’s end, the club announced today (via Twitter).

NFC Links: Ball, McClain, Panthers, Cardinals

March 28th, 2015 at 10:32am CST by Ben Levine

Veteran cornerback Alan Ball rejected the Panthers offer in free agency, eventually opting to sign with the Bears. The former seventh-round pick discussed his decision to join Chicago with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune:

“I just see opportunity in a new defense that is coming in. I’ve watched Vic [Fangio]’s defense in the past and what he does for his players and the situations he puts them in. You have to be excited about that. [Ed] Donatell does a good job with players as well and John Fox, no matter who you ask, they say the same thing about him as a head coach.

“I like the whole situation with those guys after being around them and (general manager) Ryan Pace. It’s good energy and it is something to be excited about. I don’t want to talk numbers. The Bears were competitive. The reason I made the decision overall was because of fit.”

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