Latest news with #passrushing
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lions could pull off league-altering trade with Cowboys for Micah Parsons
The Detroit Lions are in desperate need of pass-rushing help, and the team could orchestrate a league-altering trade with the Dallas Cowboys for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons. For The Win's Charles Curtis lists the Lions as one of the top six landing spots for Parsons, who could force his way out of Dallas soon. "The Super Bowl window is open in Motor City. Aidan Hutchinson is coming back from that horrible injury, so why not add another body to rush the QB?" Curtis wrote. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported on Friday that Parsons and the Cowboys are still far apart on an extension, and it has gotten to a point where the superstar pass rusher is considering requesting a trade or cutting ties with the organization. "The Micah Parsons-Cowboys relationship has deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he is severing his relationship with the team, per multiple league sources familiar with the situation," Russini wrote. "The two sides remain far apart heading into the second week of training camp, and are not currently negotiating." It's shocking that the Cowboys aren't willing to pay Parsons his desired contract. Since entering the league in 2021, the 26-year-old has tallied four straight double-digit sack campaigns and has earned four Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro nods. If Dallas decides to trade away Parsons, Detroit would be a logical landing spot. Pairing Aidan Hutchinson with Parsons on the Lions' defensive line would be lethal, and the move would elevate the Lions into the clear favorites in the NFC North and possibly the entire conference. Trading for the Penn State product and giving him a lucrative extension will be challenging, especially with Hutchinson also seeking a long-term deal. However, general manager Brad Holmes would be foolish not to look into a trade for Parsons, as the 2021 No.12 overall pick is a generational talent, and those types of players don't come on the trade market often. It still seems unlikely that Parsons won't be with the Cowboys for the foreseeable future, but with how the relationship looks between both sides right now, the chances of him leaving Dallas have skyrocketed. MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS Lions fans have already seen enough of Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen in QB2 battle Dan Skipper suffers injury in Lions' Hall of Fame Game loss to Chargers Detroit Lions rookies who shined in the Hall of Fame Game vs. Chargers
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lions training camp medical preview: EDGE
The EDGE pass-rushing position has been a concern for many years dating back to the Matt Patricia era. Aidan Hutchinson was a home-run selection in the 2022 draft but is coming off a significant leg injury. Behind him are a lot of players with question marks entering the season - both in terms of health and ability. Last year, five EDGE's made the initial 53-man roster (Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal, James Houston, and John Cominsky who was immediately placed on IR). Here is the list of EDGE's starting with the players with the biggest medical question marks entering the season. Ages are at the start of the season. Note: Some of these players may also cross-play at the outside linebacker position. #1: Aidan Hutchinson - 25yo Left tibia/fibula fracture - October 13, 2024 The #1 Lions injury news of last season is healed up and ready for training camp. You can see his latest progress in a recent instagram video: Like a sinewy snake shedding its skin, Hutchinson shed his leg sleeve which had been present throughout the offseason - worn possibly for cosmetic reasons to hide the atrophy. There still appears to be some atrophy of the left leg but that's not a concern. Projection: Hutchinson will be a full-go starting in Week 1 at Lambeau. Physically, he will likely return to his pre-injury form quickly, but residual effects are always possible. Even if he is physically complete, there are mental hurdles to overcome which could result in some production lag. #2: Marcus Davenport - 29yo Left elbow - September 22, 2024 After missing all but two games of last season due to a groin and elbow (reportedly a triceps tear), Davenport is on a 1-year, prove-it contract. He was a full participant in OTA last month which means he is ready for the season. Projection: Davenport returns to the starting lineup in Week 1. For the rest of the season, fans will be keeping a close eye on his availability - which could be a huge determining factor in the final outcome for the team. #3: Josh Paschal - 25yo Paschal missed one game with an unspecified right knee issue last year and missed two more due to a shoulder mass excision. While the shoulder mass isn't a concern, the knee could be something to monitor as he was limited at June OTA. Projection: Paschal will start the season as a key backup and will log a high percentage of snaps throughout the year. He will be highly motivated to produce, as this is the 4th and final year of his rookie deal. #4: Al-Quadin Muhammad - 30yo Muhammad has been healthy throughout his career - but he is on the wrong side of 30. He became a key member of the team towards the end of last season as defensive line injuries mounted. He showed decent production finishing with 295 snaps and 3 sacks. Projection: Muhammad makes the 53-man roster and gets a lot of snaps this year to see if he can build on the success he had last season. #5: Mitchell Agude - 26yo In his first season of action in the NFL last year, Agude logged 40 snaps without a sack. He has been healthy during his brief career, but he did have a life-threatening concussion and head injury at age nine. That injury could become an issue if he has any future concussions. Projection: All of Agude's snaps last season were in the final five games which creates optimism that he can build on that going forward. He'll need to ramp up his productivity during this preseason. #6: Nate Lynn - 23yo Lynn was an undrafted rookie last season. He had a season-ending shoulder injury last preseason and missed the whole year on IR. While "season-ending" sounds serious, sometimes minor injuries can land fringe players on IR for roster management reasons. Presumably his shoulder has recovered at this point although residuals are possible. He was a full participant at June OTA which is a good sign. Projection: Lynn will be competing with other "unprovens" in Agude and Ukwu to try to earn a role with the team this season. #7: Ahmed Hassanein - 23yo The Lions had hoped to address the EDGE position earlier in the draft but were not able to land one until the Hassanein selection in the 6th-round. This means that all eyes will be on this Egyptian rookie in the hopes he can outplay his draft status. He will enter the season healthy despite a minor ankle issue at the end of his college career. That injury is healed up as he was a full participant at OTA. Projection: Hassanein will be a welcome injection of healthy youth at the EDGE position. His energy and enthusiasm will make him a camp darling as he earns a spot on the 53-man roster. #8: Isaac Ukwu - 26yo Ukwu played 70 defensive snaps last year in his first season of action in the NFL. All those snaps came in Week 6 and 7. The lack of playing time for the rest of the season tempers expectations. He has a history of bilateral ACL tears (2020 and 2019), but those aren't a significant concern now Projection: Ukwu will get plenty of chances in all four preseason games to see if he can take a step up in productivity. #9: Keith Cooper - 22yo Signed after the 2025 draft as an undrafted rookie, Cooper is a bigger EDGE at 280 pounds. Projection: The Lions seem to favor larger EDGE players which gives Cooper an advantage over some of the other guys in this group. His young age is also a big plus. This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions training camp medical preview: EDGE
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Broncos' Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper Named Top Pass-Rushing Duo in NFL
Broncos' Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper Named Top Pass-Rushing Duo in NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Denver Broncos and Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto stand atop the NFL with the most potent edge duo entering this year, according to Bleacher Report's Matt Holder. Advertisement The two linebackers accounted for 24 sacks in 2024, the most by any duo in the league. Bonitto exploded onto the scene with 13.5 sacks, earning a Pro Bowl nod and Second-Team All‑Pro honors, while Cooper delivered 10.5 sacks to finish tied for 12th in the NFL. "These two were some of the most consistent edge-rushers in the NFL last year," Holder said. "Their potential moving forward is through the roof." Bonitto was a second-round pick in 2022 out of the Oklahoma, while Cooper was taken in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ohio State and is now far and away outperforming his expectations. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is tackled by Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) and linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) during the first half at MetLife Carchietta-Imagn Images Cooper and Bonitto helped carry Denver to a league-leading 63 team sacks, nine more than the Baltimore Ravens who finished second (54), but there are 38 more sacks to account for across the team. Advertisement "The Broncos have one of the best combos of interior pass-rushers in Zach Allen (25 career sacks in six seasons) and John Franklin-Myers (26.5 sacks in six seasons), and a young, promising edge-rusher off the bench in Jonah Elliss, who had five sacks as a rookie." Cooper signed an extension worth $60 million over four years last November, while Bonitto could be getting a new contract soon. With youth, explosiveness, and still some room to grow, the duo could terrorize opposing quarterbacks for years to come if Denver locks Bonitto up long-term. Related: Broncos Safety Keidron Smith's Roster Hopes Hanging by a Thread This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals' former late-round draft pick could have big role in 2025
There's a lot to like about the pass-rushing group going into 2025 for the Cincinnati Bengals. Provided, of course, one ignores the messy contract drama for Trey Hendrickson and first-round rookie Shemar Stewart. Advertisement But even including those two, the Bengals have first-round product Myles Murphy and are excited about the return of Cam Sample and Joseph Ossai also likely getting more looks. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic tacked on another name to keep in mind, too: 'Another name of note, further under the radar, is 2024 sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson. He found himself in regular rotations and has received praise from different corners of the building throughout the offseason program. He's the only edge who fits the speed rusher profile at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, and could find a subpackage role because of it.' RELATED: Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Advertisement Cedric Johnson was a pretty popular pick in the minds of fans when the Bengals made it in the 2024 draft. Like others before him, he was one of those guys who appeared to have huge upside, once the logjam of names like Sam Hubbard cleared up a bit. Now, it has. Like the rest of the defense, there's some seriously impressive upside, but nothing much has been proven yet. The youth movement is an overall high-upside gamble to complement what should be an elite offense again. Johnson locking down a subpackage role in an effective manner and getting notable snaps would mean the defense is forcing opposing offenses into pass-rushing situations in the first place, which would imply the unit is improved from last year, too. RELATED: Bengals standouts after mandatory minicamp includes surprises This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals' former late-round draft pick could have big role in 2025
