Yannick Ngakoue doesn’t want to go back to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s made that clear over the past month or so.
But where will the 25-year-old pass rusher end up? The Jaguars placed the franchise tag on Ngakoue, which keeps him in team control, but he has not signed the tender. He wants Jacksonville to trade him and he said he will not sign a long-term deal with the franchise.
“It’s time for me to move on to the next chapter of my career, and I’m forever thankful for what Jacksonville has brought to me and my family, but it’s time to move on,” Ngakoue said Tuesday during an interview on ESPN’s “NFL Live.”
And Philadelphia Eagles fans should pay attention. Ngakoue has been teasing Eagles interest on his Instagram account by posting photos of former Eagles greats like Reggie White and Brian Dawkins on his Instagram Stories, and he’s posted screenshots of songs from Eternal Atake, the new album by Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert. He posted a cheesesteak, too.
During his “NFL Live” interview, Ngakoue was asked what he’s looking for in his new team.
“Well, I’m not really sure what team I will be landing at,” Ngakoue said. “But what type of team that I would love to join is a team that has great culture. I really want to be a part of a team that has great culture and winning is a habit. I don’t want to be part of a team where losing is a norm or anything of that nature. I want to be part of something special. Also, I just want to go to a place where the community — I can make a great impact in the community and just reach out to younger people that look up to me.”
The Eagles have made the playoffs in three straight years and won the Super Bowl after the 2017 season. That seems to check one box. The locker room is regarded as being one that can absorb strong personalities and keep players on the same page. That works, too. Plus, a number of Eagles — including team owner Jeffrey Lurie — are heavily involved in work in the community.
The Eagles appear to nicely fit the criteria Ngakoue lays out.
In the four seasons since the Jaguars selected Ngakoue with a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Maryland — Ngakoue wore a long-sleeved Maryland shirt during his interview Tuesday — Ngakoue has been a dynamic pass rusher. He has 37.5 career sacks, including a career-high 12 in 2017, and he has 85 quarterback hits.
During his interview, Ngakoue highlighted his ability to get the ball back for his team, too, with 14 forced fumbles, including a league-leading six in 2017, in his career. Plus, he feels like he’s toiled in some anonymity in Jacksonville.
“I bring just a different presence in the locker room, not just on the field. You can reach out to anybody that’s ever played with me in Jacksonville — the kind of intensity and aggressiveness I bring is different,” Ngakoue said. “In my opinion, I’m a top-five defensive end in this league, top-three. My play hasn’t been able to be seen like that playing in Jacksonville, not having too many prime time games, so if I end up landing on a team that’s prime time, hopefully I can show the world what I can do completely.”
The Eagles also check that box.
It might be cost-prohibitive for the Eagles to pursue Ngakoue. The Jaguars likely would want a high draft pick — the Eagles’ two top picks are at No. 21 and No. 53 — and the Eagles have said they’re emphasizing getting younger in this year’s draft. The team already dealt two picks for cornerback Darius Slay, and there are some long-term needs on the roster that need to be addressed.
Plus the Eagles would have to consider an expensive long-term deal for the pass rusher, and there are a number of players with sizable cap hits over the next couple years. And quarterback Carson Wentz’s extension is kicking in soon.
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