Latest news with #DefensiveRookieoftheYear
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Veteran Cornerback Ronald Darby Announces NFL Retirement
Veteran Cornerback Ronald Darby Announces NFL Retirement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Veteran cornerback Ronald Darby has informed the Houston Texans that he is retiring from the NFL. Darby, 31, signed a one-year deal with the Texans in March after being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he appeared in 12 games during his only season with the team in 2024. Advertisement A second-round pick out of Florida State in 2015, where he helped the Seminoles win a national championship, Darby was selected by the Buffalo Bills and made an immediate impact, finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He started 15 games that season, recording 68 tackles and two interceptions. Over the course of his 10-year NFL career, Darby played in 118 games and made 107 starts, recording 447 tackles and eight interceptions. Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Ronald Darby (25) on the sidelines.© Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK The Maryland native also won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, even though his season was cut short by an ACL tear in November. Darby's retirement does leave a noticeable gap in Houston's secondary as the projected cornerback duo now consists of All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, both prone to injury. Advertisement Stingley played in just 20 of his first 34 games while Lassiter missed three games during his first year due to a shoulder injury and a concussion. The backup group includes Myles Bryant, D'Angelo Ross, Tremon Smith, third-round rookie from Iowa State Jaylin Smith and undrafted free agent Alijah Huzzie. If either starter does miss time, Darby's absence will test the rest of the group that has combined for just 25 career starts. Related: Texans Predicted to Land Proven Veteran to Protect C.J. Stroud Related: Texans Among Possible Trade Candidates for Dolphins All-Pro WR Tyreek Hill This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Jared Verse challenges Aaron Donald to work out with him: 'He's not ready for that'
Jared Verse challenges Aaron Donald to work out with him: 'He's not ready for that' 'That little 500 bench he had. He's not ready for that. I'll be moving weight." There probably aren't many people who can keep up with Aaron Donald in the gym. He's a workout warrior who's always lived in the weight room, even now that he's retired from the NFL. Unsurprisingly, Jared Verse isn't afraid to poke the bear. He wants to go toe-to-toe with Donald in the gym, challenging the future Hall of Famer during a recent interview on Adam Schefter's podcast. Schefter asked if Verse ever gets to work out with Donald and this was his response, calling out the three-time Defensive Player of the Year for his 'little Instagram posts' in the weight room. 'No, he don't want that. He's not ready for that. He's not ready for that,' Verse said. 'That little 500 bench he had. He's not ready for that. I'll be moving weight. I'll be moving weight. Whenever he's ready for a workout – I'll be seeing his little Instagram posts, the dumbbell benches. He can get at me whenever he's ready.' Verse is the ultimate trash-talker and his comments about Donald were (mostly) in good fun, but you can bet he isn't afraid to get in the weight room with AD. He'd gladly take on Donald in a lifting contest and after seeing him plant 365-pound tackle Jordan Mailata on his back, he's got plenty of power in that 6-foot-4 frame. Now we just need Donald to visit the Rams' facility and get these two Defensive Rookie of the Year winners in the gym together. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rams OLB Jared Verse explains why he could've had around 10 more sacks last season
Jared Verse turned in a fantastic rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams, going on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and quickly becoming one of the game's best young players. He won that coveted award despite only recording 4.5 sacks, which is a surprisingly low total for a player who had the level of impact that he did. In Verse's mind, he should've had several more sacks in his rookie year. Like, three times as many as he finished with. Advertisement During an interview with Adam Schefter, Verse explained why he feels he left 'around 10 sacks on the field' last season. 'Yeah, I was doing a lot of things but I probably left around 10 sacks on the field just from, 'Hey, a little too inside. A little too this, a little too that. Not taking the extra step.' And looking at that, I'm like, 'Damn, that's not happening no more so the things I can do now is a whole different conversation,'' he said. When asked how many sacks he'll have in Year 2, Verse didn't want to put a number on it, but he knows it'll be more than last season. 'All I know is it's going to be up because I'm not giving them up like I was last year. I learned to take that little extra step, keep my feet underneath me and I'm taking everything I got this year,' he said. Advertisement Verse struggled mightily with his tackling early last season. He missed 11 tackles in his first four games alone, many of which should've been sacks on players such as Kyler Murray, Brock Purdy and Caleb Williams. He finished the year with 21 missed tackles (including the postseason), so he only missed 10 tackles in his final 15 games – a much better rate than what he started the season with. It was clear he was getting more comfortable as the year went on, dialing back the aggressiveness and speed when he got near the quarterback to stay in better control. That's something he'll be better about in his second season, which should lead to more sacks. 'It's being more intentional in it. Like, my first year, I was kind of just going out there, wildin', doing my little thing,' he said. 'Now I realize how important every step is. Everything has to be intentional. You do everything for a reason. Like, in the middle of the night, you're not just going to wake up, walk to your kitchen for no reason and go to bed. You're going to wake up, go grab a glass of water. You've got to be intentional with everything you do.' Verse's ceiling is as high as any pass rusher's in the NFL. He has all the tools needed to become one of the best defenders in the league, including an eye-popping amount of power on the edge. Advertisement If he can play with better discipline and control this season, he'll be squarely in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage! This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Jared Verse feels he could've had 10 more sacks last season
USA Today
6 hours ago
- General
- USA Today
Rams OLB Jared Verse explains why he could've had around 10 more sacks last season
Rams OLB Jared Verse explains why he could've had around 10 more sacks last season Verse is confident a big year is coming in 2025 Jared Verse turned in a fantastic rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams, going on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and quickly becoming one of the game's best young players. He won that coveted award despite only recording 4.5 sacks, which is a surprisingly low total for a player who had the level of impact that he did. In Verse's mind, he should've had several more sacks in his rookie year. Like, three times as many as he finished with. During an interview with Adam Schefter, Verse explained why he feels he left 'around 10 sacks on the field' last season. 'Yeah, I was doing a lot of things but I probably left around 10 sacks on the field just from, 'Hey, a little too inside. A little too this, a little too that. Not taking the extra step.' And looking at that, I'm like, 'Damn, that's not happening no more so the things I can do now is a whole different conversation,'' he said. When asked how many sacks he'll have in Year 2, Verse didn't want to put a number on it, but he knows it'll be more than last season. 'All I know is it's going to be up because I'm not giving them up like I was last year. I learned to take that little extra step, keep my feet underneath me and I'm taking everything I got this year,' he said. Verse struggled mightily with his tackling early last season. He missed 11 tackles in his first four games alone, many of which should've been sacks on players such as Kyler Murray, Brock Purdy and Caleb Williams. He finished the year with 21 missed tackles (including the postseason), so he only missed 10 tackles in his final 15 games – a much better rate than what he started the season with. It was clear he was getting more comfortable as the year went on, dialing back the aggressiveness and speed when he got near the quarterback to stay in better control. That's something he'll be better about in his second season, which should lead to more sacks. 'It's being more intentional in it. Like, my first year, I was kind of just going out there, wildin', doing my little thing,' he said. 'Now I realize how important every step is. Everything has to be intentional. You do everything for a reason. Like, in the middle of the night, you're not just going to wake up, walk to your kitchen for no reason and go to bed. You're going to wake up, go grab a glass of water. You've got to be intentional with everything you do.' Verse's ceiling is as high as any pass rusher's in the NFL. He has all the tools needed to become one of the best defenders in the league, including an eye-popping amount of power on the edge. If he can play with better discipline and control this season, he'll be squarely in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Reports: Houston Texans CB Ronald Darby retiring at age 31
After a career that spanned 10 years, seven teams and included a Super Bowl 52 championship, cornerback Ronald Darby is retiring. ESPN reported Tuesday that Darby had informed the Houston Texans of his decision. At the time of writing, neither Darby nor the team have confirmed the news. Advertisement The Buffalo Bills drafted Darby out of Florida State, where he won the 2013 BCS National Championship, with their second-round pick in 2015. He finished as the runner-up to then-Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and played for the Bills for one more season. NFL RETIREMENTS: Lions center Frank Ragnow retires at 29 In August 2017, Buffalo traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a Super Bowl in his first season with the team. After his rookie contract expired following the 2018 season, Darby played one more year for the Eagles, then had short stints – between one to two years – with four more teams: the Washington Football Team, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars. Advertisement The Jaguars released Darby in March of this year, and he went on to sign with the Texans, his seventh team, before deciding to call it a career. Ronald Darby contract Length: One year Value: $2 million Darby's one-year, $2 million contract included $850,000 guaranteed and $500,000 in playing time incentives, according to Spotrac. Ronald Darby stats Darby started in 107 of the 118 regular-season games he played in his 10-year career. Here are his career (regular-season) stats: Tackles: 447 Passes defensed: 106 Interceptions: 8 Forced fumbles: 1 Fumble recoveries: 1 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ronald Darby retirement: 10-year NFL veteran calls it a career
