Tag Archives: Johnny Hekker

2022, 2022, NFC South, NFC, NFL, Articles, Free Agency

2022 NFL Free Agency, Live Updates: NFC South

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2022 NFC South free agency handed the Buccaneers a retirement from one of its veteran offensive lineman. The Falcons lost a key linebacker but picked up an All-Pro corner. Then they traded away a former league MVP. The Panthers lost one of its top pass rushers but picked up a four-time All-Pro punter to help its Top Five defense. It has been a busy couple of weeks in the NFC South.

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offensive free agents

  • RB Giovani Bernard (re-signed)
  • G Alex Cappa (Agreed to terms with the Bengals)
  • RB Leonard Fournette (re-signed)
  • QB Blaine Gabbert (re-signed)
  • QB Ryan Griffin (re-signed)
  • WR Chris Godwin (re-signed)
  • TE Rob Gronkowski
  • TE O.J. Howard (Agreed to terms with the Bills)
  • C Ryan Jensen (re-signed)
  • C Donell Stanley (released)
  • RB Ronald Jones II
  • RB Le’Veon Bell
  • WR Breshad Perriman (re-signed)
  • G Aaron Stinnie (re-signed)
  • T Josh Wells (re-signed)

Defensive free agents

2022 Free Agency report/Other Notes:

  • S Andrew Adams
  • CB Carlton Davis (re-signed)
  • CB Pierre Desir
  • DL Will Gholston (re-signed)
  • DL Steve McLendon
  • LB Kevin Minter
  • OLB Jason Pierre-Paul
  • DE Pat O’Connor (re-signed)
  • S Curtis Riley
  • CB Richard Sherman
  • DL Ndamukong Suh
  • S Jordan Whitehead (Agreed to terms with the Jets)
  • LS Zach Triner (re-signed)
  • Head coach Bruce Arians retired and former DC Todd Bowles signed a five-year contract to be the team’s next head coach
  • Agreed to terms with WR Russell Gage (Falcons), DB Logan Ryan (Giants), OL Fred Johnson (Bengals), S Keanu Neal (Cowboys)
  • Re-signed WR Chris Godwin to a three-year deal (after originally placing the franchise tag on him), RB Leonard Fournette to a three-year deal, CB Carlton Davis to a three-year deal, OL Ryan Jensen to a three-year deal, OL Aaron Stinnie to a one-year deal, OL Josh Wells to a one-year deal, WR Breshad Perriman to a one-year deal, DE Will Gholston to a one-year deal, LS Zach Triner to a two-year deal, RB Giovani Bernard, QB Ryan Griffin, DE Pat O’Connor, QB Blaine Gabbert
  • Lost TE O.J. Howard (Bills), OL A.J. Cappa (Bengals), S Jordan Whitehead (Jets)
  • QB Tom Brady retired and then decided to come back for another season in 2022
  • OL Ali Marpet retired after seven seasons
  • Traded a fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for OG Shaq Mason

Atlanta Falcons

Offensive free agents

  • QB Josh Rosen
  • QB A.J. McCarron
  • RB Cordarrelle Patterson (re-signed)
  • WR Russell Gage (Agreed to terms with the Buccaneers)
  • WR Tajae Sharpe
  • TE Hayden Hurst (Agreed to terms with the Bengals)
  • TE Lee Smith
  • OL Josh Andrews
  • OL Jason Spriggs
  • OL Matt Gono
  • OL Colby Gossett (re-signed)

Defensive free agents

  • DL Jonathan Bullard
  • DL Mike Pennel
  • DL Tyeler Davison (released)
  • OLB Brandon Copeland
  • OLB Dante Fowler (released)
  • OLB Steven Means
  • ILB Foye Oluokun (Agreed to terms with the Jaguars)
  • ILB Daren Bates
  • ILB Emmanuel Ellerbee
  • CB Fabian Moreau
  • CB Isaiah Oliver (re-signed)
  • S Erik Harris (re-signed)
  • S Duron Harmon
  • S Shawn Williams
  • P Thomas Morstead
  • LS Josh Harris (Agreed to terms with the Chargers)

2022 Free Agency report/Other Notes:

  • Traded QB Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2022 third-round draft pick (82nd overall)
  • Agreed to terms with QB Marcus Mariota (Raiders) on a two-year deal, CB Casey Hayward (Raiders) on a two-year deal, RB Damien Williams (Bears), OL Elijah Wilkinson (Bears), DE Lorenzo Carter (Giants), WR KhaDarel Hodge (Lions), WR Auden Tate (Bengals), WR Damiere Byrd (Bears), S Dean Marlowe (Lions), LS Beau Brinkley (Bears), LB Rashaan Evans (Titans), OT Germain Ifedi (Bears), TE Anthony Firkser (Titans), DT Vincent Taylor (Texans)
  • Re-signed OL Colby Gossett, CB Isaiah Oliver, S Erik Harris, WR Cordarrelle Patterson
  • Signed DT Anthony Rush on an original round tender
  • Released OLB Dante Fowler, DL Tyeler Davison
  • Lost ILB Foyesade Oluokun (Jaguars), WR Russell Gage (Buccaneers), LS Josh Harris (Chargers), TE Hayden Hurst (Bengals)

Carolina Panthers

Offensive free agents

  • TE Ian Thomas (re-signed)
  • C Matt Paradis
  • QB Cam Newton
  • OT Trenton Scott
  • OL John Miller
  • WR-KR Alex Erickson
  • WR Brandon Zylstra (re-signed)
  • LS J.J. Jansen
  • K Zane Gonzalez

Defensive free agents

  • CB Stephon Gilmore (Agreed to terms with the Colts)
  • CB Donte Jackson (re-signed)
  • OLB Haason Reddick (Agreed to terms with the Eagles)
  • DE-OLB Marquis Haynes (re-signed)
  • LB Jermaine Carter (Agreed to terms with the Chiefs)
  • DT DaQuan Jones (Agreed to terms with the Bills)
  • S Juston Burris (re-signed)
  • S Sean Chandler (re-signed)
  • OLB Frankie Luvu
  • OLB Julian Stanford
  • CB Rashaan Melvin (re-signed)
  • P Lachlan Edwards

2022 Free Agency report/Other Notes:

  • Re-signed TE Ian Thomas on a three-year deal, OLB Frankie Luvu to a two-year deal, CB Rashaan Melvin, WR Brandon Zylstra, S Sean Chandler, S Juston Burris
  • Agreed to terms with OL Austin Corbett (Rams) on a three-year deal, S Xavier Woods (Vikings) on a three-year deal, P Johnny Hekker (Rams) on a three-year deal, LB Damien Wilson (Jaguars) on a two-year deal, WR Rashard Higgins (Browns) on a one-year deal, DT Matt Ioannidis (Commanders) on a one-year deal, LB Cory Littleton, OC Bradley Bozeman (Ravens) on a one-year deal, CB Chris Westry (Ravens)
  • Signed WR D.J. Moore to a four-year extension and re-signed CB Donte Jackson to a three-year extension, CB Rashaan Melvin, DE Marquis Haynes
  • Exercised an option on OLB Brian Burns
  • Lost OLB Haason Reddick (Eagles), DT DaQuan Jones (Bills), LB Jermaine Carter (Chiefs), CB Stephon Gilmore (Colts)

New Orleans Saints

Offensive free agents

  • OT Terron Armstead (Agreed to terms with the Dolphins)
  • QB Jameis Winston (re-signed)
  • WR-RB Ty Montgomery (Agreed to terms with the Patriots)
  • QB Trevor Siemian
  • WR Tre’Quan Smith (re-signed)
  • TE Garrett Griffin
  • WR Kenny Stills
  • OT Kyle Murphy

Defensive free agents

  • S Marcus Williams (Agreed to terms with the Ravens)
  • DB P.J. Williams (re-signed)
  • LB Kwon Alexander
  • S Jeff Heath
  • DT Jalyn Holmes
  • DE Christian Ringo
  • CB Kenneth Crawley

2022 Free Agency report/Other Notes:

  • Agreed to terms S Marcus Maye (Jets) on a three-year deal, S Daniel Sorensen (Chiefs) on a one-year deal, QB Andy Dalton (Bears) on a one-year deal, OG Forrest Lamp (Bills) on a one-year deal, DT Jaleel Johnson (Texans), DE Taco Charlton (Steelers), S Justin Evans, TE JP Holtz (Bears)
  • Lost S Marcus Williams (Ravens), RB Ty Montgomery (Patriots), OT Terron Armstead (Dolphins)
  • Re-signed QB Jameis Winston to a two-year deal, CB Bradley Roby, WR Tre’quan Smith, CB P.J. Williams, RB Dwayne Washington
  • Placed RFA tenders on DT Shy Tuttle, WR Deonte Harris
  • S Malcolm Jenkins retired
  • Released QB Blake Bortles

NCAA FB, 2018, Articles

Texas A&M P Shane Tripucka: ‘All in the Family’

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Former Texas A&M punter Shane Tripucka is not your ordinary punter.  His father, Chris, played football at Boston College but his family lineage doesn’t stop there.  His grandfather is former NFL quarterback Frank Tripucka (Denver Broncos) and his uncle, Kelly Tripucka, played for the Detroit Pistons and the Utah Jazz.  DraftNasty’s Corey Chavous caught up with the former Aggie during the week of 2018 East-West Shrine practices to discuss his meticulous approach as a specialist.

DN: How have you enjoyed the experience down here (2018 East-West Shrine practices) and what are your goals for the week?

Tripucka: It’s been great so far. It’s kind of cool to get out here, you know, go through a little bit of the NFL systems and learn some stuff. I just want to come out here, do what I do, kick some ball, learn a little bit and hopefully come out here and punt well.

DN: The kicking tradition at Texas A&M is kind of long. Most recently Josh Lambo (Chargers, ), but there a lot of other ones who’ve come out (Shane Lechler). Drew Kaser (Los Angeles Chargers) is another guy. What did you learn from those guys mentally…let’s say for instance if you have a shank?

Tripucka: I learned a lot from those guys. I was at A&M and I sat behind Drew Kaser for a few years. So I got to watch how he goes about his days and goes about practice to learn just the little things. Feedback with each other. If one of us is struggling, to be able to tell the other, ‘Hey, I think you should maybe look at this and do stuff.’ So, it was good to have that feedback between each other.  It really helped me.

DN: In looking at some of the kicks we charted on you (2017), we’re seeing punts with 70 yards distance, 4.69 hang time. We see 4.72 hang times with a 1.12 catch-and-kick time. What was your hang time average for the most part this year?

Tripucka: I was usually in the mid-to-high fours, 4.6. I’m usually in there.  For me, that’s solid.

DN: That’s NFL-like. Matt Bosher-like (Atlanta Falcons).

Tripucka: That’s how my punting game is. I’m more of a hang time, directional kind of punter…instead of you know, a little bit longer-hitting, long punts, big punts. I’m a consistent guy. So, that’s something I strive to do every day.

DN: Would you say you’re 2 ½-step, three-step? What would you say in that regard?

Tripucka: I’m honestly just a regular two-step punter within three yards. I’m very compact in what I do. I think that really helps with get-off times and in my punting too. The shorter I am, the better the punt is going to be.

DN: Finally, if you had to say there was one punter that you kind of look up to in terms of who you’ve patterned your game after, who would that be?

Tripucka: I’m a big Johnny Hecker fan (Los Angeles Rams). I watch a lot of Johnny Hecker film. He punts a lot like I do. Obviously, he’s the best in the game. He’s someone I try to watch the film and kind of model my game after.

DN: That’s one heck of a person to model your game after. Hey man, good luck this year and good luck in the NFL Draft.

Tripucka: Thank you. I appreciate it.

DN: No doubt.

Tripucka: It’s good talking to you.

DN: Good talking to you too.

-Corey Chavous, DraftNasty Staff reports

2018 East-West Shrine practices, Day 2