HEADLINES

Ezekiel Ansah

Compensatory Pick Formula Ends Today

May 7th, 2019 at 8:51am CST by Zachary Links

Starting at 4pm ET/3pm CT, any unrestricted free agent that signs with a new team will not count towards the 2020 compensatory draft pick formula, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This should quickly accelerate the market for several free agents of note, including:

Compensatory picks are given to teams that lose a greater number of compensatory free agents (or, a greater quality of free agents) than they acquire. The complicated formula that dictates how the picks are dispersed is not disclosed to the public, but teams are wary of signing even lower impact UFAs while it is in effect.

But, when the formula is turned off, veteran free agents should start flying off of the board.

Ziggy Ansah Visiting Seahawks

April 29th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The latest Ziggy Ansah visit involves a team that suddenly has a need on the edge. Ansah is in Seattle on Monday meeting with the Seahawks, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Although the Seahawks selected TCU defensive end L.J. Collier in the first round, their draft-week trade of Frank Clark still leaves them a bit undermanned at their edge defender spot. None of the Seahawks’ other 10 draft choices addressed this spot, and John Schneider hinted Saturday the team was not done in its pursuit of defensive ends post-Clark.

Ansah already visited the Bills, Saints and Ravens this offseason. A decision may be imminent for the injury-prone pass rusher. However, any team that signs the former top-five pick will do so with the understanding he is not expected to be cleared until after training camps begin. Ansah underwent surgery after another injury-limited season, and although his shoulder is structurally sound, mid-August is the clearance target date.

The Seahawks signed Cassius Marsh and Nate Orchard this offseason but have a need up front. Collier should be expected to play a key role this season, but the team traded its top edge rusher and the only edge player to record more than three sacks for last year’s squad. Rasheem Green, a 2018 third-round pick, and Quinton Jefferson, a three-sack player last year, remain in the group as well. But it’s clear the Seahawks are interested in augmenting the group after Clark’s departure.

Ziggy Ansah Visiting Ravens

April 24th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Ezekiel Ansah could be getting closer to finding his new NFL home for the 2019 season. The Ravens will meet with the free agent defensive end on Wednesday, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

Ansah, the No. 5 overall pick of the 2013 draft, enjoyed some serious highs and lows with the Lions. Over the course of six seasons, Ansah compiled 48 sacks. However, that stat doesn’t tell the whole story.

Ansah appeared in just seven games for the Lions last year before his shoulder took him out of action. However, Ansah has shown serious potential in the past with two 12+ sack seasons. As recently as 2017, Ansah profiled as one of the best edge rushers in the game.

Thanks to the shoulder, Ansah’s plan all along has been to wait until April to sign with a club. He recently had a follow-up appointment to assess his readiness for the upcoming season and now that four months have passed since his operation, he’s apparently on track to play.

Indeed, Ansah saw specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday, and Dr. ElAttrache provided a positive prognosis, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Ansah’s shoulder is structurally sound, and he should be cleared by the middle of August. The key will be getting strength back in the shoulder, and there doesn’t appear to be any reason to think that he won’t be able to do so.

For the Ravens, Ansah could bolster an edge rushing unit that is now without Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith.

Ezekiel Ansah Won’t Sign Until April

March 25th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Zachary Links

Ezekiel Ansah stands as one of the best pass-rushers remaining on the open market, though many expected him to be off the board by this point in the offseason. As it turns out, teams want to learn more about his surgically repaired shoulder, according to his agent (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 

The plan, for now, is to wait until Ansah’s follow-up appointment in mid-April to determine his readiness for the upcoming season. That appointment will (roughly) mark the four-month anniversary of his operation, which should give a clearer picture of where Ansah stands in his recovery.

Ansah appeared in just seven games for the Lions last year before his shoulder took him out of action. However, Ansah has shown serious potential in the past with two 12+ sack seasons. As recently as 2017, Ansah profiled as one of the best edge rushers in the game.

The Bills and Saints have both shown interest in Ansah and the Jets could be a potential suitor for him.

Bills Remain Interested In Ziggy Ansah

March 21st, 2019 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have three defensive ends set to return from last year’s team, but there’s still room for more help on the edge. The Bills recently met with Ezekiel Ansah and GM Brandon Beane says they’re still interested. 

“We had a great visit with Ziggy and he’s a great young man,” Beane said on WGR 550 (via Matt Parrino of New York Upstate). “He had a tough shoulder injury last year and he’s still rehabbing that. I know he went on a couple other visits, or at least one other that I’m aware of. We had great talks with him and his agent. It’s kind of just at a standstill right now but it doesn’t mean it will or it won’t happen. We’ll see going forward and we’ll stay in touch with him and his representatives.”

Whether Ansah signs with the Bills or not, Beane seems to be leaning toward adding more talent on the d-line either in free agency or the NFL Draft next month.

Ansah has talent and question marks in equal measure. After shoulder surgery, Ansah appeared in just seven games for the Lions last year. However, he has two 12+ sack seasons to his credit, with the most recent one coming in 2017.

The Bills’ interest makes sense, though it’ll likely come down to cost. More specifically, the Bills would probably aim for a deal that has a modest base salary, affording them some protection in the event of another injury.

Regardless of what happens with Ansah, it sounds like the Bills are keen on adding edge rushers in April’s draft.

“There’s a couple guys out there (on the free agent market) but we’re mainly in a holding pattern there,” Beane said. “I don’t know that there’s a guy out there that we would probably jump on before the draft. But depending on what we land in the draft maybe there’s some guys that we pursue after that separate of Ziggy, whether we go after him or not.”

Saints Notes: Ansah, Emanuel, Rankins

March 15th, 2019 at 10:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from New Orleans:

  • Although the Saints recently met with free agent defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, no deal is imminent between the two parties, according to Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). That’s because New Orleans — and other clubs with interest — want to evaluate the status of Ansah’s shoulder before signing him. Ansah was limited by that shoulder issue all year long, and ultimately appeared in only seven games while trying to work through the ailment. The Bills have also met with Ansah, who was the Lions’ franchise player in 2018.
  • The Saints hosted linebacker Kyle Emanuel for a visit on Thursday, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. Emanuel, 27, started 33 games for the Chargers over the past four years, but only topped 50% playing time in a season once during that span. He’s been a force on special teams, however, seeing at least 150 ST snaps in each of his pro campaigns. New Orleans already has Alex Anzalone, Demario Davis, and A.J. Klein as is starting linebackers, so Emanuel would serve as depth if signed.
  • After tearing his Achilles in the Divisional Round of the postseason, Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is likely to begin the 2019 regular season on the physically unable to perform list, which would force him to miss the first six games of the year, per Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link). Rankins, 24, played the most snaps of any Saints defensive tackle in 2018, managing 40 tackles (12 for loss), eight sacks, and 15 quarterback hits in the process. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, graded Rankins as the No. 23 interior defender among 119 qualifiers.

Bills, Saints To Host Ziggy Ansah

March 12th, 2019 at 12:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The pass rusher market has begun to move rapidly, with the Packers doing much of the heavy lifting on this front Tuesday. One of the biggest names left unsigned will enter the picture now.

Ziggy Ansah has visits scheduled with the Bills and Saints, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Bills will get the first visit, per Rapoport.

While free agent peers Trey Flowers, Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith agreed to deals without visits, teams obviously want to examine Ansah given his recent struggles with injuries. The former top-five overall pick missed most of last season due to injury, and the Lions’ Flowers addition signals they are indeed moving on from their six-year defensive end.

Ansah, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, played in just seven Lions games last season. This came after Detroit franchise-tagged its top pass rusher. Ansah, who is set to turn 30 in May, has two 12-plus-sack seasons — the most recent coming in 2017. But he has battled injuries for a while now.

Buffalo could obviously outbid New Orleans for Ansah, given the cap space disparity between these franchises, but Ansah’s recent history might not point to a high-end deal.

Jets Interested In Fowler, Ansah

March 1st, 2019 at 1:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets’ need for pass rushing help has been well documented and they’re already targeting some of this year’s biggest available names. Gang Green is showing interest in Dante Fowler (Rams), Ezekiel Ansah (Lions), and Preston Smith (Redskins), according to ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). 

This year’s crop, at first glance, is positively loaded with impactful edge rushers. However, top flight guys like Demarcus Lawrence (Cowboys), Jadeveon Clowney (Texans), Frank Clark (Seahawks), and Dee Ford (Chiefs) are expected to receive tags or sign long-term deals with their respective clubs. That may leave the Jets to sift through some lower tier options, though Fowler, Ansah, and Smith all have upside.

Fowler, a former No. 3 overall pick, didn’t do a ton during the regular season, but he made a dent in the Rams’ first two playoff games. Ansah was limited to just seven games in 2018, but his history (14.5 sacks in 2015; 12.0 sacks in 2017) shows that he’s capable of much more when healthy. Smith, who had only four sacks last year, has amassed eight sacks in two of his four pro seasons and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ eighth-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the league in 2018.

With $102MM+ to burn, the Jets should be able to sign at least a couple of impact edge rushers in March.

Lions Won’t Rule Out Ezekiel Ansah Return

February 18th, 2019 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Ezekiel Ansah, but GM Bob Quinn won’t rule out a return. When asked about the possibility recently, Quinn seemed to leave the door open to a new deal at a lower price. 

[RELATED: Lions Unlikely To Pursue Golden Tate]

“Part of that is the medical,” Quinn said after the season (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Part of that is the, ‘How long is he going to be out? What do we think when he gets recovered? Is he going to be the same?’ So all these things kind of factor in, so I don’t have an answer today. I’ll say this about Ziggy. Ziggy fought through some things this year. Ziggy’s extremely, extremely tough and I’m proud of him being a Detroit Lion because he, like Matthew Stafford, he played through some things that a lot of guys wouldn’t and I appreciate that.”

Ansah would make $20.57MM if he were tagged for a second straight year. There’s no realistic chance of that happening Ansah missed 9 games and finished out with just four sacks.

Ansah has suffered two serious shoulder injuries in his six seasons with Detroit and was pretty much a non-factor for the Lions’ listless defense last year. However, he’s flashed in the past. In 2015, he recorded a career high 14.5 sacks en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection. In 2017, he has 12 sacks across 14 games.

In theory, an incentive-laden one-year deal could make sense for both parties. However, his spotty history could give the Lions pause, and Ansah’s camp may prefer to roll the dice on the open market where teams pay a premium for accomplished pass rushers.

Extra Points: Cooper, Raiders, Ansah, Lions, Firings

December 14th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The trade of Amari Cooper from the Raiders to the Cowboys has been one of the most discussed stories this NFL season. The conventional wisdom had been that new coach Jon Gruden wanted him gone as he sought to stockpile more draft picks to completely rebuild the Raiders the way he wanted, but new information suggests that might not be the case. Cooper himself told Calvin Watkins of The Athletic (Twitter link) that it was Raiders owner Mark Davis who wanted him gone and not Gruden.

Cooper shares an agent with Khalil Mack, and rumors have swirled online for a while now that there may have been bad blood between Davis and Mack’s agent after the two sides were unable to work out a new deal for the defensive end. That being said, the notion that Davis is the one who wanted Cooper off the Raiders isn’t true, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who tweets that Cooper is misinformed. It’s unclear who’s right, but it’s likely this isn’t the last we hear of this story.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah was placed on injured reserve recently, and has likely played his last game as a Lion, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Birkett writes that he “can’t see” Ansah returning to Detroit, even on a “one-year prove-it deal.” Ansah is a very talented pass-rusher, but has been unable to stay healthy the past couple of years while the Lions have paid him a ton of money. His free agency and what type of deal he’s able to land will be one of the most interesting to monitor this spring.
  • There will surely be a bunch of coaching moves on Black Monday once the regular season is over, but there have already been a bunch of moves made this season, and Field Yates of ESPN.com recapped all of the in-season firings (Twitter link). Packers head coach Mike McCarthy & associate head coach Winston Moss, Browns head coach Hue Jackson & offensive coordinator Todd Haley, Bengals defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Jaguars offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Vikings offensive coordinator John DeFillipo, Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith, Cardinals offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, and Lions special teams coordinator Joe Marciano have all been let go this year. We’ll know more very soon, but at least a few more head coaching jobs will be open soon, with Vance Joseph, Dirk Koetter, and Todd Bowles being the most likely candidates to be replaced.
  • In case you missed it, the Seahawks are interested in re-signing linebacker Mychal Kendricks once he serves his sentence for insider trading.
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