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Kendall Langford

Saints Work Out Will Beatty, Jaye Howard

September 19th, 2017 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints auditioned edge rusher Lamarr Houston earlier today, but he wasn’t the only notable NFL veteran to work out for New Orleans today. Here’s who the Saints looked at on Tuesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (all Twitter links), Adam Caplan (Twitter links), and Howard Balzer (all Twitter links):

Beatty is perhaps the most high-profile name of the bunch, as the veteran offensive tackle 63 career starts under his belt (all for the Giants). Having served as a backup last season, Beatty would presumably play right tackle for the Saints, who are down to Senio Kelemete on the right side following starter Zach Strief‘s MCL sprain. Ola, too, would give New Orleans depth along their front five, although he doesn’t offer nearly the experience that does Beatty (only 19 starts).Ricky Jean-Francois (Vertical)

As Caplan noted, the Saints essentially worked out the majority of the top free agents on the defensive side of the ball, and that comes as no surprise. Despite throwing free agent funds and draft picks at its defense, New Orleans ranks dead last in yards, 31st in scoring, and 31st in DVOA through two weeks.

Douzable, Howard, Jean-Francois, Johnson, and Langford have all served as quality starters in the very recent future, and Douzable (49ers), Howard (Bears), and Jean-Francois (Packers) have each signed contracts earlier this offseason only to be released later. Wilson, meanwhile, repeatedly bounced on-and-off the Bears’ roster a year ago, and also has a previous stint in New Orleans.

Per Pelissero, the Saints’ Week 4 contest in London is a factor in the club working out such a long list of players right now. Given that New Orleans won’t have much time to audition veterans in the coming weeks, the team will likely update its emergency list now before heading across the pond.

49ers Work Out Seven Defenders

September 13th, 2017 at 5:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers hosted a few established defensive linemen on Wednesday, working out free agents Ahtyba Rubin, Jaye Howard, Kendall Langford and Tony McDaniel, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). They also tried out defensive tackle Stefan Charles and a pair of defensive backs – Devonte Johnson and Josh Thornton – per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Ahtyba Rubin

Rubin, perhaps the most notable of the bunch, spent the previous two years in the 49ers’ divisio – the NFC West – with Seattle. The Seahawks, who play the 49ers this week, released Rubin at the outset of the month, and his only known interest prior to his meeting with San Francisco came from the Bills. The 31-year-old DT started in all 32 appearances with the Seahawks, registering 75 tackles and three sacks, and previously started in 75 of 99 games as a Brown from 2008-14. Kyle Shanahan, the Niners’ rookie head coach, was Cleveland’s offensive coordinator during Rubin’s last season there.

Howard, 28, worked out for the Lions this week before his visit to San Francisco. The former Chief has been on the hunt for a job since the Bears released him Sept. 2. Howard didn’t play a down in Chicago, which signed him in May after the Chiefs released him, and is coming off an injury-played 2016. After Howard posted back-to-back 16-game seasons and combined for 24 starts from 2014-15, a hip ailment limited him to eight and five in those categories last year.

Like Rubin and Howard, Langford and McDaniel earned summer releases from their previous employers. The Colts cut Langford with a failed physical designation in August, indicating that the 31-year-old hadn’t recovered from the knee injury that ended his 2016 campaign in October. He was, however, the picture of durability from 2008-15 with the Dolphins, Rams and Colts, appearing in eight straight 16-game seasons. Langford’s also just two years removed from a career-high seven-sack showing.

McDaniel, whom the Saints released at the beginning of the month, is an 11-year veteran who spent three of the previous four years in Seattle. The 295-pounder is familar with first-year 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who worked on the Seahawks’ staff during one of McDaniel’s seasons with them (2013). McDaniel started a personal-best 15 games that season and notched 53 tackles (a career mark) and two sacks.

It’s unclear if the 49ers will sign any of these players, but doing so would perhaps improve a defensive line that didn’t generate much pressure during their 23-3 loss to the Panthers in Week 1. The 49ers hit Panthers quarterback Cam Newton just twice and failed to register a sack in Saleh’s debut atop their defense. They did, however, hold Carolina to a measly 3.1 yards per rush on 38 attempts.

Colts Release Kendall Langford

August 9th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Colts announced that they have released defensive end Kendall Langford with a failed physical designation. Langford had been on the Colts’ active/physically unable to perform list recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2016 campaign in late October.

Kendall Langford

The 31-year-old Langford’s knee has been a problem since after the 2015 season, when he underwent arthroscopic surgery. Langford returned in time for Week 1 last year, but he only lasted seven games before the Colts placed him on injured reserve. All told, Langford played 301 snaps and tallied 10 tackles. Notably, he failed to register a sack for just the second time in his nine-year career and the first time since 2011, when he was with the Dolphins.

Last season was the second in Indianapolis for Langford, who joined the team in March 2015 on a four-year, $17.2MM pact. Langford came to the Colts with an impressive track record of durability and continued that through 2015, appearing in 128 consecutive games to begin his career, and notched a personal-best seven sacks in Indy during his first season with the club.

Since going in the third round of the 2008 draft, Langford has piled up 135 appearances (113 starts) out of a possible 144 with the Dolphins, Rams and Colts. By releasing him, the Colts have saved $4MM of his $4.25MM cap number for 2017 and left themselves with Henry Anderson, Hassan Ridgeway, Margus Hunt and fourth-round rookie Grover Stewart at defensive end.

Colts Move Kendall Langford To IR

November 19th, 2016 at 1:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts placed Kendall Langford on IR after the defensive end played this season with knee pain. Indianapolis promoted cornerback Christopher Milton from its practice squad to take Langford’s place on the roster.

Langford functioned as the Colts’ top defensive lineman last season after signing a free agent deal earlier that year but hasn’t been the same player in 2016. The 30-year-old 3-4 end underwent offseason arthroscopic knee surgery, and although he returned in time for the Colts’ opener and played in seven games, Langford struggled to find his form. The former Dolphins and Rams talent failed to register a sack in those seven games, this coming after he recorded a career-high seven in 2015.

Chuck Pagano announced the Colts were shutting Langford down in late October. He did not return to action, so that shutdown will be an extensive maneuver.

Langford started 16 games for Indianapolis last season after being benched by the Rams a year prior. He’s under contract through the 2018 season after signing a four-year, $22MM deal last March.

The former Dolphins third-round pick all seven of the games he played this season, bringing the ninth-year veteran’s start total to 113 in his career. Indianapolis will now turn to Hassan Ridgeway and Lavar Edwards to supplement starters Henry Anderson and Arthur Jones. Anderson is also dealing with an injury and is questionable for Week 11.

AFC Notes: Murray, Colts, RGIII

October 30th, 2016 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the AFC:

  • Titans RB DeMarco Murray had an MRI on his toe after Thursday night’s victory over Jacksonville, and the prognosis is good, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport’s source indicated that Murray will be fine.
  • Kevin Bowen of Colts.com believes that Colts TE Jack Doyle has established himself as a starting-caliber tight end, and that his free agent platform year has come at a perfect time for him. Bowen says Doyle will be one of Indianapolis’ most important free agents this offseason and that he could pull down a contract with a $5MM average annual value.
  • Colts DE Kendall Langford, who has the the longest active games-played streak among all NFL defensive linemen (135), will see that streak come to an end, according to Andrew Walker of Colts.com. Langford continues to deal with a right knee issue that required minor surgery during training camp, and he will sit out an indeterminate amount of time to give that knee a chance to fully heal.
  • Neema Hodjat of OverTheCap.com examines what a potential extension for Raiders QB Derek Carr might look like. This is Carr’s third year in the league, so he will be eligible to receive an extension at the end of this season. Assuming he continues to play at a high level, Carr should command a five-year deal worth upwards of $110MM, according to Hodjat. And the Raiders, who have done a terrific job managing the salary cap in recent years, will be able to shell out that kind of money without much hesitation.
  • Browns QB Robert Griffin III does not need surgery at this time, so he could possibly return somewhere between the November 20 game against the Steelers and the Dececmber 11 matchup against the Bengals after the bye week, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cabot believes the Browns should get RGIII some action this year if possible, as they have to decide if they need to draft a quarterback in April.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe opines that the Patriots‘ recent trades for Kyle Van Noy and Eric Rowe indicate that the team is preparing for significant free agent losses this offseason. Both players are under club control through at least 2017, and they are playing on fairly inexpensive deals. Van Noy will serve as insurance should one or both of Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower depart in free agency, and Rowe will offset the potential losses of Malcolm Butler and/or Logan Ryan.
  • Volin tweets that Jacoby Brissett could be the Patriots‘ one player to return from IR this season.

Latest On Potential London Team

October 1st, 2016 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Naturally, the latest London game brought more discussion of where the NFL bringing a team to England on a full-time basis stands. When the subject of a London Super Bowl surfaced, Roger Goodell pumped the brakes on such a maneuver until the NFL has a team stationed in London, via James Palmer of NFL.com (on Twitter).

As far as the seemingly monumental task of relocating a team to London, or installing one there as an expansion outfit, more emerged on that front as well. Jim Irsay is in favor of a London team but notes it can only be a worthwhile venture if a forward-thinking owner runs it with an understanding of both the American and European market.

“That’s my goal as an owner, to find the right owner and the right team to come here,” Irsay told George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “… We look forward to having a permanent NFL team here.”

Smith points out the NFL remains serious about a London team. Several owners believe this is the league’s popularity apex in the states and the only way for the game to grow further would be a move overseas. While the right owner would help, it wouldn’t solve the logistical issues that continue to plague it. This makes Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star doubt this long-rumored London project will happen.

We heard in June the owners discussed this issue in-depth at a meeting, right down to what a playoff bracket would look like if a London trip was involved. But what did not come out of those meetings were how a London team would affect regular seasons and the players who uprooted to Europe to play for this hypothetical franchise.

Doyel doubts a London team could field the same kind of talent due to the life-changing relocation it would require and doesn’t think the NFLPA would back the move, as it would have to. Additionally, Doyel points out the team’s division mates would be at a disadvantage in having to make the trip annually — not to mention the actual London team’s road games occurring between five and eight hours apart from its time zone, with only one bye week to help for restoration purposes.

“That would be tough,” Colts defensive end Kendall Langford told Doyel regarding being on a London-stationed team. “It would be tough for me, especially when you have to go to the West Coast. (But) anything is possible in this league.”

Nevertheless, this will continue to be a key topic in league circles, especially during weeks the league’s London showcase opens its Sunday slate.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Mailbags: McGloin, Richardson, Bengals, Jets

June 27th, 2015 at 9:45am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start the day with some notes from the AFC…

  • Considering the presence of Derek Carr and Christian Ponder, Bill Williamson believes the Raiders could shop quarterback Matt McGloin. If he ends up having a good preseason, another team could look to acquire the 25-year-old.
  • Regardless of the play of Raiders running back Latavius Murray, Williamson believes Trent Richardson will make the team’s opening day roster.
  • Coley Harvey would prefer to “wait and see” how the Bengals receivers perform before declaring that they need more depth at the position.
  • Rich Cimini guesses that four running backs will make the Jets roster, an indication that Zac Stacy will be safe. As the writer points out, the team surrendered a draft pick for Stacy, so the organization will try to make it work.
  • If Henry Anderson ends up starting on the defensive line for the Colts, Mike Wells says we can point to Kendall Langford‘s contract as a mistake.

Contract Updates: Manning, Suh, Parker

March 14th, 2015 at 2:58pm CST by Rob DiRe

Peyton Manning‘s contract restructure with the Broncos includes a no-trade clause, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, that clause only applies for 2015, so theoretically the Broncos would be free to trade him after this season.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Contract Details: Maclin, Thomas, Hughes, Odrick

March 11th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few details on some of this week’s noteworthy new contracts:

AFC deals:

  • Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): Five years, $55MM. $22.5MM fully guaranteed. $12MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com).
  • Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): Five years, $46MM. $21MM fully guaranteed. $28.3MM in first three years (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
  • Jerry Hughes, DE (Bills): Five years, $45MM base value. $7MM signing bonus. $11.775MM fully guaranteed. $1MM annually in sack-based incentives (Twitter links via Corry and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Jared Odrick, DL (Jaguars): Five years, $42.5MM. $22.5MM guaranteed. $5MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Brandon Flowers, CB (Chargers): Four years, $36.4MM base value. $20.5MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus. $2.25MM first-year cap hit (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Curtis Lofton, LB (Raiders): Three years, $18MM base value. $10MM guaranteed. $6.5MM in first year, including $3.5MM roster bonus (Twitter links via Pelissero and Wilson).
  • Kendall Langford, DT (Colts): Four years, $17.2MM base value. $2.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports).
  • Brian Hoyer, QB (Texans): Two years, $10.5MM base value. $3.75MM roster bonus to be paid this month. $5.25MM annual cap hits (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
  • A.J. Hawk, LB (Bengals): Two years, $3.25MM base value. $500K guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).

NFC deals:

  • Torrey Smith, WR (49ers): Five years, $40MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $8.75MM fully guaranteed. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Corry).
  • Bryan Bulaga, T (Packers): Five years, $33.75MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • Stephen Paea, DT (Washington): Four years, $21MM. $7.85MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Corey Peters, DT (Cardinals): Three years, $9MM base value. $5.75MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
  • Justin Durant, LB (Falcons): Three years, $10.8MM base value. $4.5MM in 2015. $3MM available in incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
  • Dwan Edwards, DT (Panthers): Two years, $4MM base value. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Sean Weatherspoon, LB (Cardinals): One year, $3.58MM base value. $1.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Major Wright, S (Buccaneers): Two years, $3MM base value (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Colts Sign Kendall Langford

March 10th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

WEDNESDAY, 1:32pm: Langford did pretty well on his new deal with the Colts — it’s a four-year pact worth $17.2MM, and features $5MM in year-one money, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

TUESDAY, 6:07pm: The Colts and free agent defensive lineman Kendall Langford have agreed to a contract, per the team’s official website. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Langford, a seven-year veteran, spent the past three seasons with the Rams and totaled over 100 tackles and eight sacks. Impressively, the 29-year-old Langford has never missed a game since breaking into the NFL in 2008 with the Dolphins, appearing in 112 straight contests and making 90 starts.

Langford is coming off a respectable season – Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him the 36th-best D-tackle in the league out of 81 qualifiers – and is expected to add durable depth to a Colts defense that finished 2014 a below-average 18th against the run.