Ryan Kerrigan

Ryan Kerrigan Has Requested Trade

Washington edge defender Ryan Kerrigan has requested a trade, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. However, WFT has said that it will not deal its 32-year-old stalwart.

Of course, that could just be a negotiating ploy. Although the 2-5 Washington outfit is somehow in second place in the NFC East, it hardly profiles as a championship contender, and Kerrigan is on the last year of his current contract. Plus, his playing time has gone down considerably, as he has appeared in just 36% of the club’s defensive snaps this season.

As John Keim of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter), Kerrigan requested the trade some time ago (though he did say back in June that he would like to finish his career in Washington). The bigger issue is that teams just might not be all that interested in Kerrigan. Keim indicated that rival clubs have not been calling WFT about the 2011 first-rounder.

Kerrigan is Washington’s all-time leader in sacks with 94, including four this season. And Pro Football Focus still considers him an above-average pass rusher, giving him a 69.6 rating in that metric, good for 32nd among the league’s qualified edge defenders. It seems that a team in need of a boost to its pass rushing rotation could certainly use Kerrigan, but for now, it looks like he’ll stay put.

As we heard last week, however, the less-accomplished (but considerably younger) Ryan Anderson could be on the move.

Trade Rumors: Giants, Ryan, Fuller

After dealing Markus Golden to the Cardinals, it appears the 1-6 Giants have officially declared themselves sellers at this year’s trade deadline. Though GM Dave Gettleman may be reluctant to trade away veteran talent that could theoretically help Big Blue win a few games — and perhaps save Gettleman’s job in the process — players like Evan Engram, Kevin Zeitler, and Golden Tate could be available, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes (though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the club is unlikely to deal Engram).

2017 second-round DT Dalvin Tomlinson could also be on the move, per Dunleavy. Tomlinson is playing out the last year of his rookie contract, and while he has expressed interest in staying with the Giants long-term, there has been little progress in contract talks.

As we creep closer to the November 3 deadline, let’s round up a few more trade rumors from around the league:

Trade Notes: Vikings, Giants, Dunlap, Jets

The Vikings greenlit this season’s biggest trade thus far by sending Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens for third- and fifth-round picks. While GM Rick Spielman said the team is not waving a white flag on its 2020 season, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the Vikings are willing to make more seller’s trades. Teams have contacted them about Kyle Rudolph, their 10th-year tight end who is in the first season of his latest Minnesota extension. The Vikings signed Rudolph to a four-year, $36MM extension but did so shortly after drafting Irv Smith Jr. in the second round. While Breer notes the Vikes are open for business on contract-year players, the soon-to-be 31-year-old Rudolph would make sense as a trade chip as well. He was a trade candidate before he signed his extension. Guard Pat Elflein and franchise-tagged safety Anthony Harris are the Vikings’ highest-profile contract-year players.

Here is the latest from the trade market:

  • While this year’s NFC East could be historically bad, the Giants are 1-6 and in a seller’s position again. They have fielded calls on Kevin Zeitler and Golden Tate, according to Breer. Tate has been a deadline chip before, with the Lions sending him to the Eagles in 2018. Tate’s through-2022 contract, thanks to a PED suspension in 2019, contains no more guaranteed money. Zeitler’s deal runs through 2021. The upper-echelon guard has more than $5MM in salary remaining this season and is due a $12MM base in 2021. The Giants acquired Zeitler via trade in 2019.
  • Washington has lost five straight and is also willing to listen on veterans, per Breer. Two that have come up: edge defenders Ryan Kerrigan and Ryan Anderson. The former is Washington’s all-time sack leader; he has three this season for a deep D-line group. But Washington drafted Montez Sweat and Chase Young in the past two first rounds, creating a rare surplus that has moved Kerrigan to a rotational role. Kerrigan and Anderson are in contract years.
  • Carlos Dunlap took issue with the Bengals demoting him, joining Geno Atkins in voicing frustration about playing time. The Bengals were not eager to deal veterans last year, despite their struggles in a 2-14 season, but Breer adds teams view Dunlap as available for trade. Dunlap is Cincinnati’s all-time sack leader but still played a part-time role for the team last week, despite Sam Hubbard‘s IR placement. The Bengals are expected to cut Dunlap in 2021.
  • The Jets dealt nose tackle Steve McLendon to the Buccaneers shortly after their Week 6 game, and in a rare development, McLendon knew he would be a postgame trade piece a day in advance. The Jets interestingly opted not to hold him out of last week’s game. “I got the news on Saturday night that a car would be waiting for me after the game Sunday to come to Tampa,” McLendon said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “I was like, ‘OK.’ Sunday morning, I woke up, I prayed, and I was like, ‘This is one last ride.’ A lot of guys were saying, ‘Man, you’re really gonna play?’ And I was like, ‘Man, this could be the last time I play with y’all in my career.'” The 11th-year veteran will now be tasked with replacing Vita Vea.
  • Traded players must go through similar protocols to free agency additions. They must pass a COVID-19 test for five days straight and pass a sixth on the day they enter the facility. This formed the Ravens‘ timetable on their Ngakoue trade, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter), in order for the defensive end to practice Wednesday and play against the Steelers next week.

Ryan Kerrigan Wants To Stay With Redskins

Ryan Kerrigan has one year to go on his deal with the Redskins, but he’s hoping to stick around for longer. The edge rusher told the team website that he wants to finish his career in Washington.

I obviously hope to be here for the duration of my football career, however long that is,” said Kerrigan. “I’ve gotten to talk to [head] coach [Ron] Rivera a couple of times over the phone, [but] haven’t really been able to meet him in person yet because of the whole lockdown and whatnot. Hopefully, I’m here for the long haul. I want to be here. They know where I stand and I want to be here.”

From the sound of it, the two sides have yet to discuss an extension. For now, Kerrigan is set to earn $11.5MM in base salary for 2020, though that sum is completely non-guaranteed. A longer deal would allow the Redskins to smooth over the $11.687MM cap hit while giving Kerrigan the additional years he’s seeking.

Kerrigan stands as the Redskins’ second-longest tenured player on the roster. The nine-year pro is 1.5 sacks away from topping Dexter Manley as the franchise’s all-time leader in the category. He’s also coming off of a down year, which may complicate things. In 2019, Kerrigan had just 5.5 sacks, the lowest single-season tally of his career.

What I did last year was definitely not what I ever want to put on film again,” Kerrigan said. “I got away from some fundamental things that really prevented me from being productive like I usually am.”

There was some talk that the Redskins would cut Kerrigan this offseason, but Rivera said in February that the veteran is staying put.

Redskins Expected To Retain Ryan Kerrigan

Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan missed the first game of his nine-year career in Week 13 of the 2019 season, and given that the rebuilding club could clear $11.5MM off its books by releasing Kerrigan, there was speculation that the Purdue product may have already played his last snap for Washington.

However, that does not appear to be the case. During an interview on the Redskins Talk podcast today, head coach Ron Rivera said that Kerrigan will be on the roster in 2020 (h/t Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports Washington). “We had a great conversation with Ryan and it was awesome,” Rivera said. “He’s all fired up about getting ready for next season. I’m not going to get into a player’s contract, but he’s a guy we’re looking forward to having around.”

Kerrigan appeared in just 12 games in 2019 and posted a career-low 5.5 sacks, but he has 90 QB take-downs in his career, one away from Dexter Manley‘s franchise record. He also posted back-to-back 13-sack campaigns from 2017-18, so he clearly has something left in the tank.

Washington has long been expected to select Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young with the No. 2 overall selection in this year’s draft, though there has also been some chatter that the club could look at a QB, a corner, or even trade down. But even if they do draft Young, you can never have too may pass rushers in today’s game, so keeping Kerrigan, a four-time Pro Bowler, would make plenty of sense.

Redskins Rumors: Snyder, Rivera, Kerrigan

Although since-fired team president Bruce Allen took most of the heat for the Redskins’ personnel decisions during the 2010s, Dan Snyder has continued to play a role in the franchise’s football operations. Allen was also believed to be on the side of drafting Dwayne Haskins, but John Keim and Jason Reid of ESPN.com write Snyder appeared to lead that charge — even though the owner once criticized for his big-ticket moves has contributed less input on that front in recent years. Some in Washington’s building placed a third-round grade on Haskins, per Keim and Reid. Haskins was viewed as a first-round pick for most of the pre-draft process. While Ron Rivera is expected to have more control over Redskins personnel matters than Jay Gruden, sources informed the ESPN duo they still expect Snyder to be involved.

Here is the latest out of Washington:

  • New defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio confirmed the Redskins will shift back to a 4-3 base defense, Les Carpenter of the Washington Post notes. Both Rivera and Del Rio have used 4-3 bases for most of their respective careers, so this should come as no surprise. However, Snyder is believed to have made this a point of emphasis, per Keim and Reid. The Redskins have not deployed a 4-3 base defense in 11 seasons, though with teams’ increased nickel usage, transitions in front-seven schemes are not as significant as they once were. This will make Washington’s starting lineup interesting, however, with the team having three talented interior defenders — Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and 2019 sack leader Matt Ioannidis — up front.
  • Ryan Kerrigan just completed a down year, registering a career-low 5.5 sacks and missing the first two games of his career. The productive Redskins edge defender is going into a contract year, but Keim tweets Kerrigan and previous Redskins management had engaged in extension talks in 2019. Kerrigan, 31, would like to stay with Washington on a third contract.
  • Rather than retirement, Alex Smith will continue his efforts to return to the field. The Redskins quarterback has missed the past 22 games because of a gruesome leg injury that required numerous surgeries. “I still have dreams of getting back to where I was and getting back out there,” Smith said, via NBC Sports Washington’s Ethan Cadeaux. “This has been a crazy ride with a lot of unforeseen turns, but without a doubt, that’s still my goal.” Smith, 35, is set to count $21.4MM against Washington’s cap this season. No cap savings can come of a Smith release until 2021.

Redskins Place Ryan Kerrigan On IR

The Redskins have placed linebacker Ryan Kerrigan on injured reserve, interim head coach Bill Callahan says. With that, the veteran has played his final game of the season, and possibly his final game in Washington. 

[RELATED: Redskins Place Derrius Guice On IR]

Kerrigan remains under contract for 2020 with a base salary of $11.5MM, but it’s completely non-guaranteed. The Redskins could, in theory, walk from the 31-year-old (32 in August) with no fiscal penalty and put those resources elsewhere.

The 2011 first-round pick missed the first game of his career in Week 13, thanks to a concussion. With his his 139-game streak over, he returned to action against the Packers, only to suffer an injury after sacking Aaron Rodgers.

Kerrigan finishes out 2019 with 25 tackles, 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Meanwhile, he’s got 90 career sacks and 436 total tackles in the NFL.

At 3-10, the Redskins are currently slated to pick No. 3 overall. They’re also projected to have $40MM+ in cap space.

NFC East Notes: Cooper, Kerrigan, Giants

Amari Cooper left the Cowboys‘ Thanksgiving Day game because of a knee injury, but it appears the wide receiver avoided a significant setback. An MRI Cooper underwent Friday revealed no structural damage in the knee, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes. The Cowboys do not have a 10-day break, set for a Thursday-night game in Week 14 in Chicago, but Cooper looks to have avoided a multi-game injury. That will obviously be pivotal to a 6-6 team vying for the NFC East title with the 5-6 Eagles.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • The Giants announced they have designated outside linebacker Kareem Martin to return from IR. A 2018 free agent signing, Martin played only in Week 1 this season. The former Cardinal has rehabbed from a knee injury and will soon be set to make it three ex-Cardinals among the Giants’ linebacking corps. New York has seen Markus Golden stand out on his one-year deal, and Big Blue added ex-Arizona first-rounder Deone Bucannon during Martin’s IR stay.
  • Evan Engram will miss his third straight game. After being declared out, the Giants’ third-year tight end will miss his 11th career game. The Ole Miss product is dealing with a mid-foot sprain. Engram was playing well prior to this injury. The Giants must decide on the 2017 first-rounder’s fifth-year option by early May. Blocking tight end Rhett Ellison will also miss New York’s 12th game, leaving the 2-9 team without much of note at this position.
  • Long out of playoff contention, the Redskins are playing only for evaluation and draft position at this point. A player the team does not need to evaluate, though, will miss his first NFL game. Ryan Kerrigan‘s 139-game streak will come to an end because of a concussion, Bill Callahan said Friday. Washington’s top edge rusher has posted double-digit sacks in each of the past three seasons but will have a tougher time running that streak to four with this news. The ninth-year outside linebacker is sitting on 4.5 sacks after 11 games.
  • The Eagles gave kicker Jake Elliott a five-year extension, keeping the former Bengals practice squad leg tied to Philadelphia’s roster through the 2025 season.

Extra Points: Chargers, 49ers, Bills, Bucs

The NFL is “besides itself” over the Chargers’ choice to exit San Diego in favor of Los Angeles last week, a league source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. “There are a ton of owners very upset that [the Chargers] moved,” said another source, who interestingly added the league hopes Chargers owner Dean Spanos realizes he “bungled” the situation and moves the team back to San Diego. Unsurprisingly, the chances of that happening are rather slim, Schefter notes.

More from LA and several other NFL cities:

  • It looks as though the 49ers are “making a huge offer” to reel in Gus Bradley as their defensive coordinator, tweets Drew Copley of CBS47. That jibes with Sporting News’ Alex Marvez report from earlier Friday that there’s “buzz” regarding a Kyle Shanahan-Bradley ticket in San Francisco and runs contrary to the notion that Bradley would’ve only gone to the Niners had they hired Tom Cable as their head coach.
  • The Bills announced Friday that wide receiver Sammy Watkins underwent foot surgery for the second time and will be unavailable until training camp. Watkins’ foot was an issue throughout the 2016 campaign, as the three-year veteran sat out eight games and played injured during the other eight en route to a 28-catch, 430-yard, two-touchdown showing. Like Watkins, Bills pass rusher Shaq Lawson also had surgery – on his knee. Lawson’s procedure was minor and won’t keep him from participating in offseason activites. The 2016 first-round pick from Clemson missed six games as a rookie after undergoing shoulder surgery and didn’t make a significant impact during his initial 10 NFL contests (13 tackles, two sacks).
  • With $65MM-plus in cap space, the Buccaneers will prioritize re-signing their own soon-to-be free agents before the market opens, general manager Jason Licht revealed Friday (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). “We have a track record of rewarding our players that produce, keeping key players that thrive in the system and we have the salary cap flexibility to make it happen,” said Licht. In light of Licht’s statement, Stroud expects the Bucs to make an effort to retain defensive end William Gholston and Jacquies Smith, wide receiver Russell Shepard and cornerback Josh Robinson.
  • Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan had surgery to repair “loose bodies” in his left elbow, he informed John Keim of ESPN.com. Kerrigan, who injured his elbow Dec. 19, will need six to eight weeks to recover. The 28-year-old is coming off his second Pro Bowl season, in which he piled up 11 sacks. Kerrigan hasn’t finished with fewer than 7.5 sacks in any of his six seasons.
  • The Chargers will hire Alfredo Roberts as their running backs coach, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). He’ll replace Ollie Wilson, who had been with the Chargers for 14 years. Roberts and new Bolts head coach Anthony Lynn will now work together for a third time – the two were previously on the same staffs in Cleveland and Jacksonville.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Hardy, Kerrigan

Earlier this morning, we passed along the latest updates on injured Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and his franchise tag, but there are plenty of other items from out of the NFC East to round up, so let’s dive right in…

  • Appearing on WIP in Philadelphia today, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said that he isn’t looking for a new kicker and doesn’t anticipate making any major changes during his team’s bye (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). It’s no surprise that the Eagles are sticking with Caleb Sturgis — he missed one field goal attempt in last night’s loss, but it came from 50 yards out.
  • After Greg Hardy‘s outburst on the Cowboys‘ sideline during Sunday’s loss to the Giants, Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com writes that Dallas should be suspending the volatile defensive end, rather than enabling him.
  • Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan fractured a bone in his right hand during Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay, and may have to undergo surgery this week, according to Andrew Walker of Redskins.com. However, with the team’s bye coming up in Week 8, there’s a chance Kerrigan won’t have to miss any time.
  • Many NFL observers were shocked when the Giants signed wide receiver and special-teamer Dwayne Harris to a $17MM contract back in March, but as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post outlines, Harris’ kick return touchdown on Sunday against his old team might have helped save New York’s season.