By: Jake Rajala

The Tennessee Titans edge rusher Harold Landry unleashed personal-best figures in sacks (12), quarterback hits (22), combined tackles (75), and tackles for loss (14) a season ago. His efforts and growth in his fourth season led him to punch his first ticket to the Pro Bowl. The Titans awarded his 2021 performance by inking him to a five-year contract extension worth $87.5 million dollars (including $52.5 million guaranteed).

Well, it was confirmed by Adam Schefter of ESPN that Harold was dealt a mountain (by Fauozia) of adversity – as he suffered a torn ACL in Wednesday’s practice. Landry will have to intensely work to bounce back, while the Titans need the likes of Bud Dupree and Ola Adeniyi to blossom.

With that said, I would still unequivocally like to see the Titans target a free agent pass rusher to hunt down opposing signal-callers. Hence, I’m going to untwine five potential replacements for Harold Landry.

• Dee Ford

The former San Francisco 49ers pass rusher has had constant injury issues – as he’s missed 26 games in the past two seasons combined. However, I still believe he nicely showed his talent at 30 years old (in 2021) by ousting three sacks and four QB hits in six games. If he stays healthy, he can blatantly be a wrecking ball.

• Everson Griffen

The Minnesota Vikings legend, Everson Griffen, still has some gas left in the tank. Griffen ousted five sacks and 10 QB hits in nine games last season. He also had six sacks, 14 QB hits in 2020. Furthermore, he made the Pro Bowl in 2019 by registering 8 sacks and 24 QB hits. Besides 2021, he usually has been able to stay healthy.

• Trade for Marcus Davenport

The New Orleans Saints have tremendous pieces (Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, and Payton Turner) at their DE spot. Jordan is still playing at a high level and I expect Turner to be at least a several sacks plus edge player, too. It may also be difficult to retain Davenport (who is a FA in 2023). After the Saints shipped out Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in his contract season, Dennis Allen may wish to ship away Davenport for the right offer.

• Chris Garrett

The D2 legend and utterly explosive edge rusher Chris Garrett may be a great value pick-up by the Titans. Garrett, who has had injury hiccups this summer, was waived by Sean McVay and the Rams. He holds a similar skill-set as Landry & he could potentially be a star for the Titans long-term.

• Alex Okafor

The former Kansas City Chiefs edge rusher Alex Okafor would be a sharp depth piece. Okafor notched 7 QB hits, 1.5 sacks, and 23 combined tackles last season.

The post 5 potential replacements for Harold Landry appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Written by Benedetto Vitale: Twitter (@TalksVitale)

The Minnesota Vikings enter the NFL offseason searching for ways to improve the team. They finished with a 7-9 record, ending the year in third place in the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers are the kings of the north for now, but the Vikings aren’t too far away from fighting for the throne. 

The offense was much more efficient than the defense. For the Vikings to improve, they’ll need to find some solid players to improve the defense, while potentially finding another wide receiver to put the offense over the top. Kirk Cousins hasn’t been terrible, but finding another receiver to line up with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen could be what this team needs to thrive. 

Minnesota had one of the worst defenses in the league. They allowed 4,141 yards and 30 touchdowns through the air alone, ranking them in the bottom portion of the NFL. They couldn’t stop the run either, as they allowed 2,151 yards and 19 touchdowns. Opposing offenses did whatever they wanted, which prevented the Vikings from winning games. They have to bring in high-quality defenders if they want a chance to win the NFC North. Here are three dream targets for the Minnesota Vikings. 

Bud Dupree Could Fix the Vikings Pass Rush

Bud Dupree has been a prolific pass rusher throughout his career, and 2020 was no exception. Despite tearing an ACL and missing time, Dupree still managed 31 total tackles, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles in an 11 game span. 

He enters the offseason as one of the top edge rushers available in free agency. His abilities would provide the Vikings the help they need to improve their pass rush next year.  He’s a stellar player, and Matthew Marczi seems to agree, saying, “Bud Dupree isn’t a player who has ever made a Pro Bowl. At the same time, he is certainly one of the more productive edge rushers hitting the open market, particularly over the span of the last two seasons.” 

The injury is a reason for concern, but in this day and age, torn ACLs aren’t as serious as they used to be. Considering the Vikings only managed a measly 23 sacks, which Dupree can help increase immediately. 

Signing Will Fuller Elevates the Offense to a Whole New Level

The Vikings’ offense was the bright spot during the 2020 season. Dalvin Cook did Dalvin Cook things, and the emergence of Justin Jefferson provided Minnesota a boost in the passing game not many were expecting. The defense needs help, but signing a receiver like Will Fuller would elevate the offense towards the top of the league. He finished with 53 receptions, 879 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which are career-highs for Fuller. 

Chet Gresham with Draft Kings Nation recognized Fuller’s achievements last season, stating, “Fuller was easily having his healthiest and most productive season in 2020 when he was popped for PED usage and missed the last five games and the first game of the 2021 season to suspension.”

Fuller is a speedy receiver that provides a deep field threat. He’s the type of player that could open up the offense even more so and potentially create larger run lanes for Dalvin Cook. His speed is essential and would force opposing defenses to play deep, allowing for other targets to get open underneath in the secondary. This would be a luxury acquisition for the Vikings, as signing Fuller would make the offense even better overall.

Jayon Brown Provides Elite Linebacker Play for Minnesota

Focusing on the defensive side of the ball once again, the Vikings would benefit from signing an inside linebacker. Jayon Brown enters free agency as one of the best linebackers available and could give Minnesota some versatility in the position. Before suffering from a season-ending injury, Brown finished with 76 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception. 

The Tennessee Titans would likely prefer keeping Brown on the roster, but Justin Melo with SB Nation brings up a solid point as to why they possibly let him walk. He explains, “The main argument as to why they should let Brown walk comes in the form of who would take his place: David Long, Jr., another Day 3 draft pick by Jon Robinson. Long did an excellent job replacing Brown down the stretch in 2020.”

For that reason, Brown should be available and would be an excellent signing for the Vikings. He’s a tackle machine and plays well in coverage. It took him a few years to become accoladed as a starter, but once he earned the role, Brown played as a consistent inside linebacker. He’d provide Minnesota solid play within the front-seven.

The post Top 3 Dream Free Agency Targets for the Minnesota Vikings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Michael Obermuller

The 2020 season was a wild and turbulent ride for edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, and not just because of the pandemic. The former 2016 third round pick out of Maryland played out his rookie contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the relationship deteriorated after the Jags organization tagged Ngakoue at the start of another offseason that was widely viewed as an attempt to tank.

Hoping to test free agency in the first place, the situation became hostile when Ngakoue demanded a trade before the new season began. After a lot of feet dragging by the Jaguars, that trade request was finally granted to the Minnesota Vikings, who later flipped the pass rusher to the Baltimore Ravens before the deadline.

Ngakoue’s strength as an edge rusher is his consistency. Through five NFL seasons, he has never totaled less than 8.0 sacks, with a personal record of 12.0 in 2017. In 2020 he logged five with the Vikes and three with the Ravens, plus four forced fumbles split between the two. That performance yielded a solid 70.0 grade from Pro Football Focus.

The defensive end is more familiar with the 4-3 scheme that Jacksonville and Minnesota both utilize, but he proved that he can still flourish as a 3-4 outside linebacker with Baltimore. This versatility should help Ngakoue on the open market, as he competes with free agents like Jadeveon Clowney, Trey Hendrickson, Shaq Barrett, Melvin Ingram, Bud Dupree and more. In terms of Yannick, the question is really what franchise wouldn’t want a player of his ability, not what franchise would. With that in mind, these three landing spots are my top fits for Ngakoue.

3. New York Jets (Cap: $+72,498,042_ Rank #3)

This one makes so much sense that it probably won’t happen. The New York Jets have needed an edge rusher for what feels like decades, and yet they still have safeties and interior defensive linemen leading their team in sacks season after season. In 2020, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams led the Jets with 7.0 sacks, and next after that was journeyman edge rusher Tarell Basham with just 3.5 on the year. For a 3-4 defense dependent on blitzing, that’s downright terrible.

Now defensive guru Robert Saleh is at the helm, and it’s expected that this unit to switches over to a 4-3 in 2021. New York has very few capable defensive ends on their current roster (and they just cut one of them in Henry Anderson), so they pretty much HAVE TO target a couple edge defenders through either free agency or the draft. The Jets have the money to nab just about any free agent they want, so it will probably come down to which player Saleh and GM Joe Douglas deem worthy of the hefty price tag.

2. Indianapolis Colts (Cap: $+50,572,338_ Rank #4)

The Indianapolis Colts have done a really nice job building their roster over the years, and they always seem to have cap space to spare despite having less needs than the average NFL team. Credit GM Chris Ballard for that success, and now that the Colts have their starting quarterback Carson Wentz, they can focus on fine-tuning other weak areas.

One position that stands out is defensive end. Veteran Justin Houston is a free agent, and that gives Indy $12 million to spend on a younger replacement. Although there are plenty of free agent options at this position, Ngakoue’s speed and ferocity could really gel with Darius Leonard and this aggressive linebacking crew.

Honorable Mention: Seattle Seahawks (Cap: $+24,795,512_ Rank #15)

Even though the Seattle Seahawks should be spending their money elsewhere, like on an offensive line to block for their disgruntled franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, they probably won’t… And let’s be honest, Ngakoue is a perfect fit for this 4-3 defense that has earned its scary reputation. Carlos Dunlap has already been released and Benson Mayowa is an unrestricted free agent, opening the door for an Ngakoue signing.

1. Tennessee Titans (Cap: $7,559,660_ Rank #20)

Mike Vrabel is ALWAYS in the market for pass rush, and they just freed up $10.2 million in cap space by releasing cornerback Malcolm Butler. Last offseason the Titans brought in Vic Beasley and the aforementioned Clowney on the edge, but largely swung and missed on both free agents (their average of 1.4 sacks per game was tied for 28th in the NFL in 2020). Fast forward one year later and the void for a consistent pass rusher is larger than ever.

Tennessee must correct this weakness if they hope to compete for a Super Bowl, and not many free agent edge rushers have been as dependable as Ngakoue. So far the five-year pro has been an ironman throughout his career, playing 78 out of 80 possible games, and starting 70 of them. We already discussed his consistency getting to the quarterback as well, as he averages an impressive 9.1 sacks per campaign.

The Titans matched up against Ngakoue twice a year for four straight seasons. They know what he can do, and it’s time they added his skillset to their arsenal.

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