Taco Charlton - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Sign DE Taco Charlton

May 2nd, 2020 at 9:18am CST by Ben Levine

Taco Charlton has found a new home. The defensive lineman is signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs, reports Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo (via Twitter).

Charlton’s brief stint with Miami came to an end earlier this week, as the Dolphins waived the 25-year-old. Of course, that’s not to say that the lineman’s lone season in Miami wasn’t a success; despite appearing in only 10 games (five starts), Charlton still managed to compile a career-high five sacks and two forced fumbles.

The 2017 first-round pick out of Michigan spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Cowboys. He wasn’t particularly productive when he saw the field, as he combined for only 46 tackles and four sacks between the 2017 and 2018 seasons (27 games). He missed five games during the 2018 campaign thanks to a shoulder injury, and he later underwent ankle surgery. Those ailments lingered into the early parts of the 2019 season, and the Cowboys cut the lineman in mid-September.

In Kansas City, Charlton will have another shot to rehabilitate his image. Of course, that might be easier said than done, as he’ll be inserted into a depth chart that already includes the likes of Alex Okafor, Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel, and Breeland Speaks.

Dolphins Waive DE Taco Charlton

April 30th, 2020 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins will move on from one of its first-round defensive linemen. They waived Taco Charlton on Thursday. Miami initially claimed Charlton off waivers from Dallas last season.

Charlton did not live up to expectations with the Cowboys, who used a first-round pick on him in 2017, but did lead the 2019 Dolphins in sacks with five despite playing in only 10 games with Miami. No other Dolphin totaled more than 3.5 last season.

Miami signed multiple defensive ends this offseason — Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah — and added hybrid player Kyle Van Noy but did not make a substantial investment in the position during the draft. The Dolphins used a fifth-round pick on defensive end Jason Strowbridge.

Given Charlton’s draft pedigree and production in limited Dolphins time last season, he will be a tempting waiver claim — especially when teams can carry 90 players on their respective rosters. Charlton, though, recorded just four sacks in two seasons with the Cowboys. Dallas waived him in September of last year.

Dolphins Claim Taco Charlton Off Of Waivers

September 19th, 2019 at 3:35pm CST by PFR Staff

The Dolphins have claimed Taco Charlton off of waivers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com relays (Twitter link).

Charlton will be eligible to play for the Dolphins against the Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas released their former first-round pick earlier this week.

Charlton has been ineffective during his time in Dallas, though injuries have robbed him of a chance to get better. Dallas gets Robert Quinn, who played last season with the Dolphins, back from suspension this week, so the team had little room for Charlton in the defensive line rotation. He finished his Cowboys career with four sacks in 27 games.

Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Dolphins were the only team to put a claim in on Charlton (Twitter link). Other clubs were deterred by the $3MM Charlton is owed over the next two seasons and his relative lack of production to date, but Miami, flush with cap space and in the midst of a rebuild, was willing to absorb the cost of this particular lottery ticket.

Cowboys Release Taco Charlton

September 18th, 2019 at 3:13pm CST by cwcrouse

Taco Charlton, who the Cowboys selected in the first round of the 2017 draft, has been released, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports and the Cowboys confirm. It was reported earlier today that the Cowboys would shop the defensive end or cut him if they couldn’t find a suitor on the trade market.

Robert Quinn, who the Cowboys acquired in the offseason, is set to return from a two-game suspension and with Quinn in the defensive line rotation, playing time for Charlton would have likely been minimized.

Charlton has been ineffective during his time in Dallas, though injuries have robbed him of a chance to get better. He finishes his Cowboys career with four sacks in 27 games.

Cowboys To Cut Taco Charlton?

September 18th, 2019 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

One way or another, Taco Charlton won’t be with the Cowboys much longer. The Cowboys continue to seek a trade for the former first-round pass-rusher, but if they can’t find a suitable deal, they’ll release him, Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater of NFL.com (on Twitter) hear.

With Robert Quinn set to return from his two-game ban, there’s little room for Charlton, who has not lived up to expectations so far. The 2017 first-round pick has lacked explosiveness at the pro level and a string of injuries prevented him from taking a step forward this offseason. This year alone, Charlton has already undergone two surgeries.

Given his potential, it seems likely that Charlton will hook on elsewhere if the Cowboys cut him. The 24-year-old (25 in November) will look to improve upon an iffy 2017 season in which he struggled, despite three sacks as a part timer.

Cowboys Have Discussed Taco Charlton Trade

September 15th, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have recently talked to teams about potentially trading Taco Charlton, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport hears nothing is imminent, though talks could heat up this week.

If Dallas is able to deal Charlton, a 2017 first-rounder, it does not sound like the club would get much of a return. Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder observes that the team has been trying to trade the Michigan product for weeks, if not months, and the fact that Charlton has been inactive for the first two weeks of the 2019 campaign while the Cowboys are thin at DE due to suspensions does not help his value (Twitter link).

Plus, Charlton underwent two surgical procedures this offseason, and in his first two years in the league, he has not done much to dispel pre-draft concerns about his explosiveness. After posting three sacks in his rookie season, Charlton managed just one in 2018 despite starting seven games.

Still, another team with pass-rushing needs will likely be willing to deal a little bit of draft capital in the hopes that a change of scenery can help unlock Charlton’s potential.

NFC East Notes: Williams, Cowboys, Giants

August 12th, 2019 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams continues to hold out from Redskins camp, but the team is standing firm on the trade front. Despite acquiring Donald Penn, the Redskins have told teams they have no plans to trade Williams, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Teams continue to inquire about the 10th-year left tackle’s availability, but thus far, Washington has resisted. Williams, 31, is upset with the organization because of his contract and its handling of a health scare of his. Some around the league believe the Patriots will make a play for the seven-time Pro Bowler, but nothing is moving on this front yet. This may be an attempt for Washington to drive up the price, but for now, Williams remains a Redskins employee.

As for Washington’s left tackle situation, Penn and 2018 third-rounder Geron Christian are battling for the spot, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Ereck Flowers is back at guard but may be behind fourth-round rookie Wes Martin.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

Deandre Baker will miss time for the Giants because of a knee sprain, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (video link). However, the first-round pick’s ACL did not sustain damage, and the Giants appear to expect him back soon. Baker will likely be asked to start in his first season, with Big Blue’s cornerback corps rather thin.
The Cowboys gave fourth-round pick Tony Pollard just four carries in their preseason opener, but Jerry Jones may be using that to send a message to holdout Ezekiel Elliott. “He looks confident out there. We know he’s inordinately understanding what it is he does and what he can do,” Jones said, via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. “We’ve seen him do it. We know he’s capable, if he really needs to, carry the whole load.” Pollard gained 16 yards against the 49ers. While Dak Prescott‘s negotiations have been talking points in the past two days, not much has emerged on the Elliott front. Jones said (via Jon Machota of The Athletic, on Twitter) nothing has changed regarding Dallas’ extension candidates.
Third-year Cowboys defensive end Taco Charlton addressed his current situation, which may not involve a full-time starting role. The 2017 first-round pick has just four career sacks and said he was not asked to rush quarterbacks as much as he did as a rookie. He mentioned discussing his NFL future with his agent recently (via Machota, subscription required). “We know my value and everything like that, so everything is good,” Charlton said. “I’m here right now working hard with this team. I will show up every day to work hard, healthy, hurt, whatever may be. Shoulder hurt, I still show up every day to work hard.” The Cowboys have DeMarcus Lawrence recovering from surgery, Robert Quinn out two games with a suspension and Randy Gregory once again banned. The defending NFC East champs will need Charlton, especially early.
On another NFC East defensive line, the Eagles saw their 2017 first-round pick return to 11-on-11 drills. Derek Barnett participated in team work for the first time in camp, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia notes. Barnett spent the offseason recovering from a shoulder injury that sent him to IR in October. The Eagles traded Michael Bennett and lost Chris Long to retirement, pointing to a big role for Barnett.
The Giants lost another wide receiver for the season. Recent addition Amba Etta-Tawo tore one of his Achilles’ tendons, per NJ.com’s Matt Lombardo. In his second camp with the Giants, the Syracuse alum has yet to play in a regular-season game. Big Blue is down Sterling Shepard and Corey Coleman and will be without Golden Tate for the season’s first four games.

NFC East Rumors: Redskins, Cowboys, Giants

May 14th, 2019 at 9:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jay Gruden studied this year’s quarterback class extensively, watching every throw each of the high- and mid-tier prospects made. The sixth-year Redskins coach said he did more work on this year’s QB class than he had in any draft since 2011, when the Bengals, Gruden’s employer at the time, selected Andy Dalton. In addition to Dwayne Haskins‘ arm strength, Gruden said the one-year Ohio State starter’s presence reminded him of Cam Newton.

“They’re all pretty confident kids, bright-eyed. I was impressed with the entire class,” Gruden said, via Albert Breer of SI.com. “But (Haskins) has a demeanor and aura about him, kind of similar to Cam Newton coming out, just an aura of confidence. There’s something about him. When you’re around him, you feel like he’s got it, everything’s going to be OK — that he’s going to be successful, because he believes it.”

Haskins and Case Keenum will split the Redskins’ first-team reps, with Colt McCoy still out because of his fractured fibula injury. However, McCoy is expected to participate partially in Washington’s minicamp and be ready for training camp, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While Gruden said Haskins is no lock to play this year, nearly every recent first-round passer chosen becoming a first-season starter points to the newcomer taking the reins early.

Here is the latest from the NFC East, shifting to news out of Dallas:

The Cowboys will not have Taco Charlton in action for a bit. The former first-round pick underwent ankle surgery recently, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic tweets. While Watkins describes this as a minor procedure, Charlton will likely miss Dallas’ offseason activities. He is expected to be ready for camp. This marks the second operation Charlton has undergone this offseason. Shortly after the Cowboys’ 2018 season concluded, the 24-year-old defensive end had shoulder surgery.
One of Charlton’s defensive line mates may have to face the prospect of missing regular-season time. Tyrone Crawford was popped with a misdemeanor charge of unlawful assembly related to the March incident at a Florida bar, Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com writes. An affidavit indicates Crawford, after being removed from the bar, threw punches at multiple security officers and hit at least one of them. This seems likely to produce a suspension for the veteran defensive lineman.
Cowboys seventh-round running back Mike Weber injured his knee over the weekend, but it appears he avoided a serious setback. Weber went through an MRI but was back on the practice field Sunday, per Breer. Weber is expected to compete for time behind Ezekiel Elliott and fourth-round pick Tony Pollard, with Weber profiling as more of a traditional back compared to the versatile Pollard. The Cowboys lost previous Elliott backup Rod Smith to the Giants in free agency.
Mike Remmers will not have a free pass to the Giants’ starting lineup. Offensive line coach Hal Hunter named incumbent Chad Wheeler the first-string right tackle last week, but that was before Remmers was signed. “It is up to (Wheeler) to hold that position,” Hunter said, via Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. “It is up to everyone else to beat him out.” Remmers’ contract (one year, $2.5MM), history (64 starts) and connections to Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur would point to him having the upper hand. Wheeler took over for Ereck Flowers early last season and graded as Pro Football Focus’ third-worst full-time tackle. The Giants were connected to multiple free agent right tackles this offseason.

Injury Notes: Gronk, Mack, Pack, Eagles

November 10th, 2018 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

A third Rob Gronkowski injury absence appears to be in the cards. The Patriots will not deploy their All-Pro tight end to play Sunday against the Titans, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While Gronkowski is traveling with the team to Nashville, per ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), he’s expected to be held out. Gronk missed games against the Bears and Packers but played in Buffalo on the Monday night in between those tilts. He’s been dealing with back and ankle trouble. While the Patriots have been able to win without their top pass-catcher, these repeated absences are obviously a concern for the future Hall of Famer’s availability for New England’s stretch run and potentially his post-2018 NFL future. It’s likely the Pats are attempting to rest Gronk now to hopefully see him healthy for key late-season games and the playoffs, but that can’t be considered a lock given his extensive injury history. Gronkowski hitting his incentive targets may now be unrealistic as well.

Here’s the latest from the Week 10 injury front.

Better news for the Bears. They’re in line to have both Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson back on Sunday when they face the Lions, per the Associated Press. Mack is no longer on the injury report after missing the past two Chicago games because of an ankle malady. His defensive player of the year chances took a hit because of this hiatus and Aaron Donald continuing another all-world season but Mack figures to still be in the running and can help a team attempting reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
The Lions‘ Robinson coverage options will be limited. Darius Slay is out for Week 10, joining guard T.J. Lang in that regard. Slay’s played in each of Detroit’s previous eight games and hasn’t missed time since 2016 but is battling a knee injury. A neck ailment will sideline Lang, who also missed time because of a concussion this season.
A tough injury night against the Patriots will have after-effects for the Packers. Kevin King will not play Sunday against the Dolphins because of a hamstring injury. Bashaud Breeland, whom ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes appeared to impress the Packers in his Green Bay debut, figures to see more time.
Both Sidney Jones and Jalen Mills are going to miss Sunday night’s Eagles-Cowboys game, but Corey Graham will return after missing four games, per Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). After claiming Cre’Von LeBlanc off waivers earlier this week, surely due to injuries affecting the aforementioned duo, the Eagles have seven corners on their roster.
Taco Charlton and Connor Williams aren’t playing for the Cowboys on Sunday. Xavier Su’a-Filo appears to be the choice to replace Williams at left guard for Dallas, per executive VP Stephen Jones (Twitter link). A full-time Texans starter the past two seasons, Su’a-Filo has not played this season. Williams is down with a knee injury.

Cowboys, Taco Charlton Agree To Deal

May 11th, 2017 at 4:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with their first-round pick, former Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton, per Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram (Twitter link).

Charlton saw action in all four of his years with the Wolverines, and he was particularly effective last season in racking up personal bests in tackles (40), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (10). That production helped convince the Cowboys to use the 28th pick on Charlton, who’s set to make over $10MM in guarantees – including $5.43MM-plus via signing bonus – on his rookie contract.

While the Cowboys went an NFC-best 13-3 last year, they did it without an elite pass rush, ranking a decent 13th in sacks and a below-average 26th in quarterback hurries. No one on the team finished with more than six sacks, leading owner Jerry Jones to make it clear early in the offseason that upgrading the pass rush was in order. The Cowboys’ hope is that Charlton will do that, while further defensive help could come from second- and third-round cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. They’re among eight unsigned Cowboys draft picks, with Charlton being the only member of their class with a contract.