Latest news with #KevinByard
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ben Johnson wants to build dynasty with Chicago Bears
There is no denying the impression that Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has made early on in the first few days of training camp this summer. Several players have noticed the attention to detail and intensity from Johnson early on in training camp, including veteran safety Kevin Byard, who's entering his second season with Chicago. He's been a great veteran presence for the defense and team as a whole, and he sees Johnson's vision for this team. Earlier this week, Byard raved about how Johnson "breathes competition" and his energy "raises the level of everybody on the team." Also, Johnson is already talking about a building something lasting in Chicago. "We're trying to win the Super Bowl," Byard said. "Ben Johnson wants to build a dynasty. We want to be the guys who get this thing started. I want to be one of the guys who kind of builds the foundation of that and continue to go as long as we possibly can. That's the goal, but we have a long way to go to be able to accomplish that." Having a respected veteran like Byard buying into Johnson's philosophy, it's a big sign of leadership for this franchise. Johnson clearly wants to build a foundation of winning in Chicago, and getting team leaders like Byard to buy in will be crucial to building a culture that leads to success. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson wants to build dynasty with Chicago Bears
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Meet our 10 best Tennessee Titans defensive players in franchise history
The summer Tennessee Titans slow down is underway. The Titans are off until late July. So, while we wait for fall camp to begin on July 22, we've ranked the 10 best defensive players in Tennessee Titans history since the organization moved to Nashville in 1997. Everyone selected for this list played a minimum of one season in Nashville as a Tennessee Titan to be eligible. How long they spent within the organization was also considered. Let the debate begin. 1. Keith Bulluck Bulluck played linebacker for the Titans from 2000 to 2009. He was named to the All-Pro first team twice and second team once. The linebacker was also selected to the Pro Bowl in 2003. Bulluck recorded 1,057 total tackles and 18 sacks during his time in Tennessee. 2. Kevin Byard Byard was drafted by the Titans in 2016 out of Middle Tennessee State and played in Nashville until 2023. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2017 with eight. The safety was a two-time All-Pro first-team member and two-time Pro Bowler. Byard recorded 27 interceptions during his time in Nashville, which is tied for fourth most in franchise history. 3. Jurrell Casey Casey was drafted by the Titans in 2011 and stayed in Nashville until 2019. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and named to the All-Pro second team in 2013. Casey is seventh on the list for most sacks in franchise history with 51. The defensive tackle recorded 493 total tackles as a Titan. 4. Jevon Kearse Kearse was drafted by the Titans in 1999 and stayed until 2003. He then returned and played the 2008 and 2009 season in Nashville. In 1999, he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and First-team All-Pro. That season, he was the NFL co-leader in forced fumbles. The defensive end was also a three-time Pro Bowler as a Titan. He has the sixth most sacks in franchise history with 52. 5. Michael Griffin Griffin was drafted by the Titans and played in Tennessee from 2007-2015. In his first season, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In 2010, Griffin was named an All-Pro second-team member. The safety was also a two-time Pro Bowler. Griffin's 25 career interceptions gives him the ninth most in franchise history. 6. Albert Haynesworth Haynesworth played for the Titans from 2002-2008. During his time in Tennessee, he was named a two-time All-Pro first-team member as well as a two-time Pro Bowler. The defensive tackle recorded 24 career sacks as a Titan. 7. Kyle Vanden Bosch Vanden Bosch played for the Titans from 2005-2009. As a Titan, he was selected to the Pro Bowl three times. The defensive end was named First-team All-Pro in 2007. Vanden Bosch has the 12th most career sacks in franchise history with 38.5. 8. Samari Rolle The cornerback was drafted by the franchise in 1998 and played in Tennessee until 2004. In 2000, he was named First-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl. During his tenure with the team, Rolle recorded 27 interceptions. The cornerback was part of the Titans team that went to Super Bowl XXXIV. 9. Jeffery Simmons Simmons was drafted in 2019 and is heading into his seventh season with the Titans. The defensive tackle has been named Second-team All-Pro twice and to the Pro Bowl three times. He has 31.5 sacks, which is 13th most in franchise history. 10. Cortland Finnegan Finnegan played for the Titans from 2006-2011. In 2008, the cornerback was named a Pro Bowler and First-team All-Pro. The seventh-round draft pick recorded 473 total tackles and 14 interceptions during his time in Nashville. 3 Titans who just missed the list Blaine Bishop Bishop was drafted by the franchise in 1993 and played with the Titans until 2001. He was an All-Pro second-team member in 2000 and was a four-time Pro Bowler. The safety led the team in tackles in 1995, 1996 and 1999. Harold Landry III Landry played for the Titans from 2018-2024. The linebacker was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021. He recorded 50.5 sacks during his tenure in Tennessee, which is the eighth most in franchise history. Landry combined for 397 total tackles as a Titan. Derrick Morgan Morgan played his entire career as a Titan from 2010 to 2018. He recorded 44.5 sacks, which is 10th most in franchise history. During his tenure, the linebacker recorded 305 total tackles, 26 deflections, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 10 best Tennessee Titans defensive players in franchise history
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Titans select two-time All-Pro two rounds earlier in 2016 re-draft
The NFL draft is hit or miss. Teams do their best to determine which players fit their needs, but things don't always play out the way they hoped, which is why Pro Football Focus releases re-drafts using current data and PFF grades. If teams had the information that they have today about the players that were drafted previously, what (if anything) would they have done differently? In 2016, the Tennessee Titans had the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft. PFF switched the Titans and Cleveland Browns on their list, but the Titans did, indeed, have the No. 8 overall pick, not the 15th. Cleveland Browns (Tennessee Titans): S Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee (Round 3, Pick 64)Original Pick: T Jack Conklin, Michigan StateByard was originally a third-round pick out of Middle Tennessee State. He has far exceeded the expectations attached to that draft slot as a two-time All-Pro and a two-time Pro has earned four single-season PFF coverage grades above 80.0, and two above 90.0. He is also on a seven-year run of recording a PFF tackling grade above 83.0. Since 2020, Byard's 1.44 PFF WAR trails only Antoine Winfield Jr. among safeties. It's interesting that they suggest the Titans selecting a player in the first round that they were able to obtain in the third round when the draft originally happened, but that's where they are with this one. Kevin Byard played for the Titans until 2023, when the Titans traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. During his tenure with the Titans, Byard was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and a two-time Pro Bowl selection. Jack Conklin joined the Cleveland Browns as a free agent after the 2019 season, which is where he remains today.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kevin Byard sees noticeable energy difference this Bears offseason
In what was a busy offseason for the Chicago Bears, with several new roster additions and a new coaching staff, the vibe around the organization has been much different this year. At this time last year, the Bears were preparing to be the feature team on HBO's "Hard Knocks" while first-round picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze were entering their first season in the league and Matt Eberflus was still the head coach. Following a 5-12 season, the Bears moved quickly to overall their coaching staff and the roster. Advertisement Veteran safety Kevin Byard, who was in his first year with the team last season, has seen a real difference this offseason. From Eberflus and last year's team to the arrival of Ben Johnson and new teammates on both sides of the ball, Byard spoke about the big differences since last year, which brings a much different feeling. 'It's been fun," Byard said, without making many comparisons to the previous regime. "I don't really like to get into comparisons and stuff like that, but the intensity level of Ben Johnson – I feel like it's very evident. I think you guys can see that. A couple times where he's stopping practice, you can definitely hear him out there. It's been fun, a lot of competition, especially going with the offense. I really like the additions we made on offense and defense. I think those guys are going to help us out a lot this year.' Johnson's arrival has changed the tone and culture inside the Bears organization before they've even stepped on the field for meaningful games. All of it will have to come together and fall in line for the team to improve in a big way from their disastrous 2024 season. But, so far, so good. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears' Kevin Byard sees noticeable energy difference this offseason
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kevin Byard sees noticeable energy difference this Bears offseason
Kevin Byard sees noticeable energy difference this Bears offseason In what was a busy offseason for the Chicago Bears, with several new roster additions and a new coaching staff, the vibe around the organization has been much different this year. At this time last year, the Bears were preparing to be the feature team on HBO's "Hard Knocks" while first-round picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze were entering their first season in the league and Matt Eberflus was still the head coach. Following a 5-12 season, the Bears moved quickly to overall their coaching staff and the roster. Veteran safety Kevin Byard, who was in his first year with the team last season, has seen a real difference this offseason. From Eberflus and last year's team to the arrival of Ben Johnson and new teammates on both sides of the ball, Byard spoke about the big differences since last year, which brings a much different feeling. 'It's been fun," Byard said, without making many comparisons to the previous regime. "I don't really like to get into comparisons and stuff like that, but the intensity level of Ben Johnson – I feel like it's very evident. I think you guys can see that. A couple times where he's stopping practice, you can definitely hear him out there. It's been fun, a lot of competition, especially going with the offense. I really like the additions we made on offense and defense. I think those guys are going to help us out a lot this year.' Johnson's arrival has changed the tone and culture inside the Bears organization before they've even stepped on the field for meaningful games. All of it will have to come together and fall in line for the team to improve in a big way from their disastrous 2024 season. But, so far, so good. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
