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Kyzir White

Cardinals To Sign LB Kyzir White

March 14th, 2023 at 5:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Another Eagles defender is out the door. Linebacker Kyzir White is signing with the Cardinals, reports Jordan Schultz of The Score (via Twitter).

White is inking a two-year deal that can max out at $11MM, per Schultz. The linebacker played last season on a one-year, $5MM deal, and he parlayed his strong performance into a multiyear contract.

White, a former fourth-round pick, took on a larger role during each of his four seasons with the Chargers. This culminated in a breakout 2021 campaign where he finished with 144 tackles, two interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles. Despite the strong numbers, he had to settle for a one-year deal with Philly last offseason, and he ended up emerging as a key piece on the Eagles defense.

The linebacker started eight of his 17 games, finishing with 110 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He added another 11 stops in three postseason appearances. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking the 26-year-old 33rd among 81 qualifying linebackers. Today’s move will reunite White with new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was Philly’s defensive coordinator last season.

With both White and T.J. Edwards gone, the Eagles will be searching for two new starting LBs next season. Javon Hargrave and Marcus Epps have also left in free agency and opened holes on Philly’s defense.

AFC West Notes: Brown, Chargers, Raiders

February 10th, 2023 at 12:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Orlando Brown Jr. will command either a second franchise tag, another lucrative Chiefs extension offer or a massive free agency accord. The four-time Pro Bowler wants to stay in Kansas City, but it certainly does not sound like any hometown discount will be considered.

“Yeah, absolutely, I want to stay here, but the business is the business,” Brown said, via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams. “Things happen. Whatever happens, man, I’ll be prepared to go.”

This stance is unsurprising, given how the franchise-tagged tackle played his 2022 negotiations. Despite acquiring Brown via trade in 2021, the Chiefs tabled extension talks until last year. Brown changed agents, hiring a representative without a football background, and said Kansas City’s offer was too light on guarantees for him to sign. The Chiefs offered Brown a six-year, $139MM deal that contained the second-most guarantees among tackles, and although a bloated final-year salary existed to increase the AAV to top Trent Williams‘ $23MM mark, Brown passed. This rankled some in the organization. Pro Football Focus viewed the mammoth left tackle as making slight improvements in 2022, slotting him as a top-20 player at the position. Barring a major injury in Super Bowl LVII, Brown will be in strong negotiating position again soon.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • Justin Herbert will be taking some time off ahead of the Chargers‘ offseason program. The star quarterback underwent surgery to address a shoulder labrum injury, according to the team. Herbert underwent the procedure on his nonthrowing shoulder, which became an issue late in the season. The Chargers expect their QB to be ready in time for their offseason program, which will be a bit more important for Herbert and Co. due to the team having changed offensive coordinators.
  • On the OC topic, the Chargers will entrust Herbert’s fourth season to Kellen Moore. The 33-year-old play-caller made a quick move from Dallas to L.A., being informed he was not returning for a fifth season as the Cowboys’ OC to landing the Bolts job within a day. Prior to the Chargers moving quickly on Moore, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes they were leaning toward hiring Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson (Twitter link). Multiple coordinator-seeking teams believed Robinson, a former Brandon Staley coworker, would land the gig. Robinson has interviewed for the Ravens’ OC position, but as of now, the young assistant is set to return to the Rams.
  • Kyzir White departed the Chargers after a productive contract year, one that led the linebacker to the Eagles. Set to start in Super Bowl LVII, White is still auditioning for a long-term payday. The Eagles gave the converted safety a one-year, $3MM deal. Despite White tallying a career-high 144 tackles and starting 17 games for the 2021 Chargers, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper notes Staley’s system not placing a high value on off-ball ‘backers led the Bolts to let him walk (subscription required). This could be relevant intel for the Bolts’ Kenneth Murray plan. The team chose Murray in the first round before Staley’s arrival; his fifth-year option will cost $12.72MM.
  • The Bolts should be expected to consider re-signing right tackle Trey Pipkins, per Popper. Winning the right-side job in training camp after making offseason improvements, Pipkins suffered an MCL sprain and aggravated the injury twice upon returning. The free agent-to-be still started 14 games. Pro Football Focus ranked Pipkins 67th among tackles, though Popper notes the Chargers will likely hold the former third-round pick in higher regard compared to the rest of the league. It will be interesting to see what Pipkins’ market produces, as starter-caliber tackles generally do well in free agency.
  • Adam Butler secured a pretty nice reserve/futures deal with the Raiders. The veteran defensive tackle’s one-year pact includes $485.8K guaranteed, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, adding the contract can spike to $2MM. A former Patriots regular, Butler did not play in 2022 after being cut by the Dolphins during training camp.

Eagles Sign LB Kyzir White

March 26th, 2022 at 11:16am CST by Ben Levine

One of the NFL’s top tacklers last season has found a new home. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Eagles have signed Kyzir White.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (on Twitter) that White is inking a one-year deal worth up to $5MM.

White had a breakout campaign in 2021. The linebacker started all 17 games for the Chargers, finishing with a team-leading 144 tackles, good for eighth in the NFL. White added four QB hits, one sack, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He got into 84 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.

White was a 2018 fourth-round pick by the Chargers. The West Virginia product got into 30 games (20 starts) through his first three seasons in the NFL, collecting 134 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and six tackles for loss.

The 26-year-old will be joining a depth chart that’s led by recent acquisition Haason Reddick. Philly is also rostering the likes of T.J. Edwards, Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley, and Patrick Johnson.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/20

December 23rd, 2020 at 5:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/20

November 21st, 2020 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is Saturday’s usual flood of minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Football Team

West Rumors: 49ers, Seahawks, Chargers

December 19th, 2018 at 9:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has a “real good chance” to participate — at least, on a limited basis — during San Francisco’s 2019 organized team activities in late May/early June of 2019, head coach Kyle Shanahan told Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL in late September, so returning at the end of the May would give him roughly eight months of recovery. As Shanahan notes, quarterbacks like Garoppolo aren’t necessarily going to need the same amount of recovery time as a player at another position that needs to run and cut, so May seems like a realistic target date.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • Shanahan also told reporters that he hasn’t necessarily considered an extension for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, but was quick to add that Buckner is someone the 49ers want on their roster “for a long time,” tweets Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Buckner will become eligible for a new deal when San Francisco’s season concludes, but there’s no rush, as he’ll be under contract through 2020 when the 49ers inevitably exercise his fifth-year option for 2020. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Buckner has become an under-the-radar superstar in his third NFL campaign, ranking fifth among interior defenders in tackles for loss and seventh in quarterback hits.
  • Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright could be available to play against the Chiefs on Sunday night, according to Brady Henderson on ESPN.com. “The ramping up has worked out fine and he’s ready to go,” head coach Pete Carroll said. Wright underwent knee surgery in August and subsequently missed Seattle’s first seven games. He came back in Week 8 and managed to play in three straight contests, but struggled during that time. Now that he’s been given several more weeks to rest, Wright could be fully ready for the stretch run and the postseason.
  • While Wright is set to return to action in the near future, the same can’t be said for Chargers linebacker Kyzir White. Although White is eligible to come off injured reserve in time for the postseason, that course of action doesn’t appear likely, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link). A fourth-round rookie out of West Virginia, White had played extremely well in three NFL starts (especially in coverage) before going down with a knee injury. With both White and fellow ‘backer Denzel Perryman out for the year, Los Angeles has been deploying a single-LB defense, with only Jatavis Brown seeing more than 25% playtime over the past several weeks.
  • Raiders owner Mark Davis says he doesn’t regret trading edge defender Khalil Mack nor wide receiver Amari Cooper, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Oakland received a bevy of picks for Mack and a first-round selection for Cooper, and will now have three first-rounders in the 2019 draft. However, both the Bears (who acquired Mack) and the Cowboys (who received Cooper) are now headed for the postseason, meaning the value of their picks that were sent to the Raiders has decreased.

Chargers Place LB Kyzir White On IR

November 3rd, 2018 at 12:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Kyzir White‘s promising rookie season has likely come to an end. The Chargers announced that they’ve placed the linebacker on the injured reserve. The team has promoted cornerback Jeff Richards from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

White, a fourth-round pick out of West Virginia, was moved from safety to linebacker shortly after being selected in the 2018 draft. He ended up earning one of the starting gigs, and he proceeded to start each of his three games. In those three appearances, White compiled 17 tackles, two passes defended, and one interception. The 22-year-old didn’t end up playing enough snaps to earn a spot on Pro Football Focus‘ rankings, but his score would have placed him just outside the top-30 among 81 eligible linebackers.

Unfortunately, the rookie suffered a knee injury during Week 3, and he subsequently underwent surgery. The organization presumably thought that he’d be able to return to the field before the end of the season, explaining why they kept him on the active roster for so long.

Richards, a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Emporia State, has spent time in the AFL, CFL, and NFL. Besides a brief stint with the Buccaneers, he’s spent most of the past two seasons on the Chargers practice squad. He had a standout preseason, compiling 11 tackles and one pass defended.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Fins, Bengals, Chargers

October 3rd, 2018 at 8:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If Jon Gruden had his way, safety Derwin James would be patrolling the Raiders‘ defensive backfield instead of the Chargers’. Gruden today told reporters that he preferred to select James in the first round of this year’s draft, but Oakland had already used high picks on safeties — Karl Joseph and Obi Melifonwu — in recent years, per Eric Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Raiders ultimately used the 15th overall selection on UCLA offensive tackle Kolton Miller, who is now manning Derek Carr‘s blindside. James has emerged as an early Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate with his play in Los Angeles, but Gruden’s remarks can be interpreted as a subtle dig at Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, who reportedly hasn’t meshed with Gruden.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • Dolphins safety Reshad Jones will be available for Week 5 after missing the previous two weeks with a shoulder injury, writes Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com. Jones was sidelined for Miami’s games against Oakland (win) and New England (loss), forcing rookie defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to take over at safety opposite T.J. McDonald. With Jones’ return, Fitzpatrick will move back into his natural slot corner role. Jones, who entered the league as a Dolphins fifth-round pick in 2010, has been a full-time starter since his second season in the NFL. Last spring, he inked a long-term extension that should keep him in South Beach through 2021
  • Rookie Bengals center Billy Price hasn’t suffered any setbacks since suffering a foot injury in Week 2, but he’s still expected to be in a walking boot for at least two more weeks, tweets Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. That means Price will miss games against the Dolphins and Steelers, and possibly more if his recovery timeline is extended. Cincinnati’s bye comes in Week 9, so the Bengals could potentially hold Price out through then if they want to be cautious. With Price out, the Bengals have turned to former starting guard Trey Hopkins to fill in at the pivot.
  • Chargers linebacker Kyzir White underwent a minor knee operation on Monday and will miss Week 5, head coach Anthony Lynn told reporters, including Williams (Twitter link). White isn’t expected to miss much time, however, and should be back “sooner rather than later,” per Lynn. A fourth-round rookie out of West Virginia, White has started three games for Los Angeles this season, racking up 12 tackles in the process. Jatavis Brown should see more snaps in White’s absence.

Extra Points: Manziel, Thomas, Bolts, Browns

May 19th, 2018 at 7:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

It does not appear the Johnny Manziel saga will return to the NFL until at least the end of the decade. Manziel’s two-year contract with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats is a binding deal, and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets no escape clause for the purposes of venturing to the NFL exists in the league’s collective bargaining agreement. The CFL previously voted on a possible escape-hatch option, but the proposal was rejected. La Canfora adds Manziel’s professional football options will come exclusively in Canada for the next two years (Twitter link). The NFL may be a faraway bridge considering how the former Heisman Trophy winner fared in his two years with the Browns and the many months that went by without any team showing significant interest.

As for Manziel’s deal, La Canfora reports (on Twitter) the 25-year-old passer will earn a $122K base salary in 2018. An additional $10K signing bonus is included, as well as an $18K housing stipend. La Canfora adds $10K escalators will trigger if Manziel hits six-, 10- and 14-game benchmarks this season. He’ll receive a $120K bonus if he plays in half the snaps, per JLC, and a $75K offseason bonus is due on March 1, 2019. Manziel’s 2019 salary spikes to $202K, and the same incentives are present.

Shifting back to the NFL, here’s the latest:

  • In supporting his former Seahawks teammate, Richard Sherman revealed a bit about Earl Thomas‘ goals for what will be his third NFL contract. “I think Earl Thomas deserves the money he’s asking for,” Sherman told former teammate and current NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson on Saturday (via NFL.com). “I think he deserves to be compensated as the top safety in the league. Whether Seattle does that or not is up to them.” Financial figures haven’t really emerged regarding this potential standoff, but if the Seahawks are to pay top dollar for their three-time All-Pro defender, it will cost them more than $13MM per year. And that could be a bridge too far for a retooling team that’s dangled Thomas in trades. When Thomas agreed to his initial Seattle extension, his $10MM-per-year salary paced NFL safeties. Five are now ahead of him.
  • Hue Jackson has repeatedly said he would like Tyrod Taylor to start throughout this season. But cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot does not see the Browns opting to re-sign Taylor after this season. She expects Mayfield to make a serious charge for the starting role at some point this season. If it turns out Taylor is a catalyst that leads the Browns to a major turnaround, Cabot expects him to hit the market as a coveted commodity — and one the Browns will not be paying for — in 2019.
  • The Chargers drafted Kevin White‘s younger brother, Kyzir White, in the fourth round. And the Bolts will move Kyzir from safety to linebacker, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Denzel Perryman has one of Los Angeles’ linebacker spots locked down, with Kyle Emanuel and former seventh-round pick Hayes Pullard tentatively slotted in the other spots. The Bolts also drafted USC’s Uchenna Nwosu in the second round. But it doesn’t appear White will factor into the Bolts’ safety picture behind Jahleel Addae and Derwin James at this time.
  • The Saints gave UDFA tight end Deon Yelder $90K guaranteed to sign, Joel Erickson of The Advocate notes. A former wide receiver recruit at Western Kentucky, Yelder spent time behind current Rams tight end Tyler Higbee and current Seahawks left tackle George Fant while with the Hilltoppers prior to receiving plenty of playing time last season. New Orleans has struggled to replace Jimmy Graham and recently cut Coby Fleener. Yelder will try to make a team that has 37-year-old Benjamin Watson and Josh Hill atop its depth chart.
  • In a lower-stakes matter, the Patriots have $215 committed to Malcolm Butler on this year’s payroll, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Apparently, one day of workout cash last offseason didn’t get tallied until now.

Chargers Sign Five Draft Picks

May 13th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

First-round safety Derwin James is now the only Chargers 2018 draft pick without a contract, as Los Angeles announced that the following selection have signed their rookie deals:

Third-round defensive tackle Justin Jones is also under contract, leaving James as the sole holdout. NFL rookie deals are now a breeze to negotiate thanks to the league’s most recent collective bargaining agreement, but James will likely sign his deal soon. First-rounders are often able to push for certain contractual issues, such as timing of bonus payments, but James is participating in the Chargers’ rookie minicamp even without a pact.

Most of the players signed by Los Angeles today will likely need to make their rookie mark on special teams duty, but Nwosu could have a chance at playing time in 2018. Although largely an edge rusher at USC, Nwosu probably won’t see much time as a pass-rusher given that the Chargers already employ Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. But the 6’2″, 240-pounder could find a role as a inside ‘backer, an area of weakness for the Bolts.

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