Kamu Grugier-Hill

Panthers Sign LB Kamu Grugier-Hill

Former Eagles and Texans starting linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill will end up in Carolina. The Panthers announced an agreement with the veteran defender Tuesday.

The Panthers have some openings at the position after having released Damien Wilson and let Cory Littleton walk in free agency. The team still has Shaq Thompson and hybrid player Frankie Luvu in place as its linebacker regulars. Grugier-Hill, who is going into his age-29 season, can provide some experience as a depth player and special-teamer.

The Texans cut Grugier-Hill just before last year’s trade deadline, granting the starter a release days before he would have been subject to the waiver process. The former Patriots draftee-turned-Eagles contributor finished out the season with the Cardinals, who used him as a backup in six games. While the Texans deployed Grugier-Hill as a starter, he has spent more games as a backup.

Grugier-Hill started 20 games for the Texans between the 2021-22 seasons, having reunited with Nick Caserio, who was on the Patriots’ staff when the team drafted him seven years ago. Grugier-Hill finished with career-high marks in tackles (108) and sacks (three) in 2021. He was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII-winning team and then started 10 games for Philadelphia’s 2018 edition. The Eagles used the Eastern Illinois alum steadily on special teams, and he resumed that role with the Cardinals, seeing time on 66% of Arizona’s ST snaps during a six-game cameo with the NFC West team.

This will be Grugier-Hill’s sixth team. After the Patriots moved on before the former sixth-rounder’s rookie season began, he moved to Philly, Miami, Houston and Arizona.

Cardinals Sign LB Kamu Grugier-Hill

Kamu Grugier-Hill has found a new home. The linebacker is signing with the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Grugier-Hill asked for and was granted his release by the Texans last week.

During his lone full season in Houston in 2021, Grugier-Hill collected a career-high 108 tackles, three sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles in 14 games. He also set the Texans’ single-game record for tackles with 19. He collected 40 tackles through Houston’s first six games this year, but he graded out as PFF’s second-worst LB at the time of his release. The Texans were planning to increase rookie third-round pick Christian Harris‘s playing time, and Grugier-Hill decided to seek more playing time elsewhere.

However, it’s remains to be seen if he’ll see a significant role in Arizona. Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons soak up many of the linebacker snaps, and the Texans have also Ben Niemann, Tanner Vallejo, Nick Vigil, and Zeke Turner getting looks at the position.

The Cardinals also brought in offensive lineman Rashaad Coward for a workout today, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). Coward saw time in 30 games for the Bears through his first three seasons in the NFL, but he was limited to only four appearances with the Steelers in 2021. The 27-year-old spent the preseason with the Cardinals.

Texans LB Kamu Grugier-Hill Granted Release

Kamu Grugier-Hill has been granted his release. The Texans are cutting the veteran linebacker, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).

Per Wilson, Grugier-Hill was set to see a reduced role during the second half of the season, leading the player to ask for his release. The Texans acquiesced and have made the 28-year-old a free agent. Grugier-Hill re-signed with the Texans this past offseason and was playing on a one-year deal.

A former sixth-round pick by the Patriots, Grugier-Hill spent four seasons with the Eagles from 2016 through 2019. After a year with the Dolphins in 2020, he joined Houston for the following campaign. During his lone full season in Houston, the linebacker collected a career-high 108 tackles, three sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles in 14 games. He also set the Texans’ single-game record for tackles with 19.

Grugier-Hill has started each of the team’s first six games this season, compiling 40 tackles. However, he’s graded out as the league’s second-worst linebacker, per Pro Football Focus. As a result, the team will increase the playing time of rookie third-round pick Christian Harris, who will play alongside defensive signal-caller Christian Kirksey.

Texans To Re-Sign LB Kamu Grugier-Hill

The Texans are retaining another of their own free agents whose individual 2021 performance outshone that of the team. According to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, the team is re-signing linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill on a one-year, $4MM deal (Twitter link).

Grugier-Hill, who will be 28 at the start of next season, came to Houston in 2021 on a similar deal to this one. His time in Houston was preceded by four seasons with the Eagles and one with the Dolphins. In the case of both of his former clubs, he saw heavy playing time on special teams, though in Miami in particular he started to show his coverage skills.

With the Texans, Grugier-Hill saw his stated desire of more consistent playing time come to fruition. He started all 14 games he played in, setting career-highs across the board. The former sixth-round pick totalled a team-leading 108 tackles, adding three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. While his numbers in coverage weren’t as impressive as his background in that aspect of the game suggest they could have been, 2021 was nothing short of a breakout year.

The Grugier-Hill re-signing would mark the third notable move the Texans have made with respect to their LB corps. The team has already re-signed Christian Kirksey and added former Lion Jalen Reeves-Maybin this offseason. With the three of them in the fold, the top of the depth chart at the position appears to be set.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Texans To Sign Kamu Grugier-Hill

The Texans haven’t made any big splashes, so far opting for some cheaper but still quality options. Shortly after agreeing to terms with return specialist Andre Roberts, Houston has set their sights on a linebacker.

The Texans have agreed to terms with Kamu Grugier-Hill on a one-year deal worth “up to” $3.25MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. It’s a nice low-risk signing for a rebuilding Texans defense as Grugier-Hill is still only 26 and has excelled in coverage recently.

Grugier-Hill was used as a passing downs specialist by the Dolphins, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets that he was looking for a more consistent role. He should be able to find that on a Texans team that needed linebacking help.

A sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2016, Grugier-Hill didn’t make New England’s roster as a rookie and was scooped up by the Eagles. He started 10 games for Philly in 2018 and six the following year before signing a one-year deal with Miami for 2020. He played about 20 percent of the defensive snaps for the Dolphins last year.

Contract Details: Nassib, Alonso, Jefferson

Some more contract details from around the league:

  • DE Carl Nassib, Raiders: signed. Three-year, $25MM deal with $17MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The deal has a max value of $28MM.
  • LB Kiko Alonso, Saints: restructured contract. Base salary reduced from $6.4MM to $1.7MM, $4.7MM available in incentives. Already has $1.45MM roster bonus, meaning he can still hit his previous $7.85MM total via playing-time bonuses. All notes via ESPN’s Mike Triplett on Twitter.
  • DE Quinton Jefferson, Bills: two-year deal. Contract worth $13.5MM total, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Twitter.
  • FB Derek Watt, Steelers: signed. Three-year deal worth $9.75MM, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on Twitter.
  • LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, Dolphins: one-year deal. Contract worth $3MM, including $2MM signing bonus, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Twitter. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that there’s up to $500K in playing time incentives.

Dolphins Sign Kamu Grugier-Hill

The Dolphins have agreed to a one-year deal with linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Miami continues its offseason spending spree to add some linebacking and special teams depth.

Grugier-Hill has been with the Eagles for his entire career since he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. While he made 16 starts at linebacker in over the past two seasons, Grugier-Hill has served as a captain on special teams in Philadelphia for the previous three seasons.

In his career, Grugier-Hill has made 98 tackles, recorded one sack, one interception, 11 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hits, and 2 forced fumbles.

Eagles Place Kamu Grugier-Hill On IR

The Eagles are placing Kamu Grugier-Hill on the injured reserve list, per a team announcement. The linebacker will undergo spinal surgery to fix a painful lower lumbar disc herniation that has plagued him throughout the year.

Grugier-Hill played through the pain for ten games (six starts) this year, but doctors ultimately determined that he would need surgery. His 2019 season ends with 22 stops and one fumble recovery.

Grugier-Hill cracked the Eagles’ starting lineup in 2018 and racked up 45 tackles, a sack, an interception, and two passes defended. This year, he was having an exceptional training camp this year before a Grade 3 MCL sprain stopped him in August. Now, a much more serious issue will sideline him until 2020.

The timing is brutal on a number of levels. The Eagles are gearing up for a pivotal game against the Cowboys on Sunday that will make or break their playoff chances. Meanwhile, Grugier-Hill is slated for unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career.

AFC East Notes: Gronk, Jets, O-Line, Enunwa

Although Rob Gronkowski issued another reminder he will not come back this season, the former Patriots tight end has not closed the door on a 2020 comeback or beyond.

I wouldn’t say ‘never coming back,'” Gronkowski said Tuesday, via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. “I’m 30 years old. I’m young. I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it. I’m feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case. Or maybe two years off, man. It’s always an option in the back of my head.”

Robert Kraft was hopeful Gronkowski would return this season. He would need to do so by November 30, due to league rules. The Patriots, who have struggled to generate consistent offense against the better teams on their schedule, have certainly missed perhaps their future Hall of Famer this season. Gronk jokingly acknowledged this, but it looks like the will-he/won’t-he rumors will continue into next year.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • It is possible every Jets offensive line starter from Week 1 will not be part of the 2020 team. The Jets cut Kelechi Osemele, and the rest of that September group — Kelvin Beachum, Ryan Kalil, Brian Winters and Brandon Shell — are either free agents (Beachum, Kalil, Shell) or players without any guaranteed money left (Winters). It would not be a surprise if all were elsewhere next year, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. Third-round pick Chuma Edoga can be expected to start next season, and trade-acquisition guard Alex Lewis has intrigued the team. But beyond that, GM Joe Douglas will be looking to overhaul the unit. The Jets’ $61MM in projected cap space is less than they’ve possessed in recent years, however.
  • Quincy Enunwa‘s fines for missing rehab sessions involved some shaky communication, per Cimini, who adds that the wide receiver was told to talk to three different staffers — wideouts coach Shawn Jefferson, HC Adam Gase and then Douglas — before receiving clarity on this matter. While Enunwa’s second neck injury in three years puts his career in jeopardy, this process and the one that led to Osemele’s exit may factor into how free agents view the Jets.
  • Isaiah Wynn can come off IR this week, and Bill Belichick confirmed (via NESN.com’s Zack Cox, on Twitter) the Patriots do plan on activating him when he’s ready. The 2018 first-round pick has played in only two games, missing all of last season with an Achilles tear and the past eight weeks because of turf toe.
  • Kamu Grugier-Hill has become an Eagles linebacker starter, but the former sixth-round pick was once in the Patriots’ plans. The Pats drafted Grugier-Hill in the 2016 sixth round but cut him before that season. They wanted to pass the Eastern Illinois alum through to their practice squad, viewing him as a developmental piece (per Reiss), but the Eagles claimed him.
  • The Dolphins recently agreed to an extension with Allen Hurns, making every member of their current receiver nucleus signed through at least 2020.