Titans trade LB Akeem Ayers and 7th round pick to Patriots for 6th round pick

[Corsi]

Titans beat writer @jwyattsports reporting that #Titans have traded LB Akeem Ayers to #Patriots
 

 

 

[Leather]

Drafted #39 overall in 2011.
 
Career stats:
 
Played in all 16 games in 2011, 2012, and 2013, but only 2 this year.
Started 43 (none in 2014)
192 Tackles
9 Sacks
1 INT
2 FF.

 

[Rico Guapo]

They do need help at LB, hopefully this doesn't mean someone else (Hightower?) is getting IR'd....

 

[Corsi]

 

Mike Loyko ‏@NEPD_Loyko  4s5 seconds ago
Akeem Ayers was @PFF #4 ranked OLB last season. Take that however you want. Wasn't a fit for Horton in 2014. Been inactive last few week
 

 

[mpx42]

UFA at the end of the year.

 

[lostjumper]

If he's been inactive for the last couple of weeks, I have to imagine the price is very low. They desperately need LB help, so I really like this.

 

[Corsi]

 

Jason La Canfora ‏@JasonLaCanfora  20s20 seconds ago
I'm told it's just an exchange of 7th round picks the Pats and Titans are making with the Ayers trade. LB headed to New England
 

 

[Corsi]

Literally couldn't have acquired him for less.

 

[Corsi]

 

Miguel@PatsCap.Com ‏@patscap  1m1 minute ago
Akeem Ayers's 2014 salary is $1,046,796. Pats would be responsible for 10/17ths of it or $615,762. Ayers will be an UFA after this season.
 

 

[Corsi]

 

Brian McIntyre ‏@brian_mcintyre  4m4 minutes ago
Akeem Ayers played in 68%-76% of the Titans’ def. snaps from 2011-13. This year, has just 10 snaps on def, 33 snaps on special teams.
 

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I loved Ayers coming out of UCLA but haven't really tracked him much in the pros.  PFF has graded him much highly in run support and rushing the passer but poorly in coverage over the least few years, for whatever that is worth.   He could be a really nice addition, especially for basically no cost.

 

[Corsi]

 

Ethan Hammerman ‏@Ethanhamm  3m3 minutes ago
Akeem Ayers was a favorite at draft time for many. He can cover. I compare him a bit to Brian Cushing pre-injury.
 

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Also, isn't our 7th rounder likely to be lower than the Titans' seventh?  So is this a straight $600K salary dump for them?

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

This is a steal, with our depth situation.

 

[Phragle]

Literally couldn't have acquired him for less.

 
Could have been future picks.
 
Why hasn't he played this year? He used to be pretty good.

 

[Rico Guapo]

edit: Trading a 6th for Ayers and Titans 7th round.

 

[mpx42]

Also, isn't our 7th rounder likely to be lower than the Titans' seventh?  So is this a straight $600K salary dump for them?

 
Probably turns out to be a sixth and seventh, unless one of the teams has an extra seventh that they're trading and not their own.

 

[Corsi]

 

Jason La Canfora ‏@JasonLaCanfora  now4 seconds ago
So, actually the Pats just trade a 6th round pick to the Titans for Ayers and a 7th round pick. He hadn't been playing. Pats need LB help
 

 

[nazz45]

He had surgeries to repair patella tendons in each knee during the off-season. I wonder how much of him being inactive so far is due to recovering from surgeries or struggling with the transition to a different defensive scheme, or both.

 

[Corsi]

From Oct 3:
 

Don't mistake Akeem Ayers' California cool for a guy who doesn't care.
 
Even if he doesn't show it, the Titans linebacker is a little hot under the shoulder pads after being one of the team's inactives three of the first four games of the season.
 
"Just because I am not walking around here ticked off and tearing everything up doesn't mean I am comfortable with my situation," Ayers said. "I am not comfortable with not playing. I want to play. I am a competitor, and I want to compete. So just because I am not carrying myself a certain way doesn't mean I don't care.
 
"But there is a way to handle everything, and I'm trying to handle things the right way."
 

 

"This is the first time I have missed this many games in my life. Having to watch from the sideline, you are hungry. You see the game from a different perspective and it makes you appreciate it even more," he said.
 
"My whole thing is to continue to work on the practice field. The last thing I want to do is miss a couple of games and start slacking and then it can really go downhill from there. I want to show I can continue to work through adversity and when the time is right, when they feel the opportunity is there to use me, I want to be ready."
 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/titans/2014/10/03/tennessee-titans-akeem-ayers-nfl-cleveland-browns/16664993/

 

[RedOctober3829]

Ayers also had surgery on both his knees in the offseason as well.
 




 

The Tennessee Titans stocked up on linebackers in free agency, importing Shaun Phillips and Wesley Woodyard, while restructuring Kamerion Wimbley's contract.




One of the reasons for that depth?
Akeem Ayers revealed Monday that he underwent offseason surgeries to repair the patella tendon in both knees.
"It started with my right knee and then when I injured the right knee," Ayers explained, via the Tennessean, "I started compensating for it a lot and eventually damaged the left knee."
Ayers said he played through the injury last season. He underwent surgery on the right knee in January and then on the left knee six weeks later.
Although he was hardly a liability, his numbers and playmaking ability took a hit with only one sack and a career-low in tackles (56).
The Titans are taking a day-to-day approach to Ayers' return in offseason practices. He's looking forward to being healthy in training camp, but that's no guarantee.
This could be a make-or-break year for Ayers' career.
The Titans had major expectations for him in Jerry Gray's 4-3 defense entering last season. It remains to be seen how his skill set will translate as an edge rusher in Ray Horton's 3-4 scheme.
 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000355224/article/titans-akeem-ayers-underwent-surgery-on-knees

 

[Corsi]

 

Ben Volin ‏@BenVolin  7s8 seconds ago
No-risk trade for the #Patriots. If they’re not pleased with Ayers’ knees, they’ll just fail his physical and nullify the trade
 

 

[pokey_reese]

Yeah, basically nothing not to like about this deal, given the Pat's injury situation.  If he is healthy he gives us a chance to upgrade the pass-rush and he is strong against the run, which is the biggest problem the NE defense has had recently.

 

[Corsi]

 

Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer  36s37 seconds ago
Rival exec says Ayers was "lost in the shuffle with new staff ... They hoped he could spark some rush for them, and he hasn't."
Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer  27s27 seconds ago
... More from exec on Ayers "above average athlete -- not real instinctive. Make it simple for him, he can be slightly above a 2nd rusher."
Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer  6s7 seconds ago
I wouldn't expect Ayers can do much of what Mayo does at all. More of an edge guy. If anything, just frees Hightower up to play more inside.

 

[Corsi]

 

Jim Wyatt ‏@jwyattsports  1m1 minute ago
Update: In the Akeem Ayers trade, the #Titans swapped their 7th round pick for the #Patriots 6th round pick
 

 

[Ed Hillel]

Maybe Nink moves back and Easley/Ayers take over his current role? I'd take that.

 

[Eck'sSneakyCheese]

LOVE Ayers. If his knees aren't shot he could be a huge lift for the LB core. Super athletic player. Good all around. Ok in coverage and was coming on as a pass rusher before the injuries. I really hope he stays.

 

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

Love this.  Just the fact that his resume includes "Can play linebacker in the NFL" is a huge lift for the Pats depth at the position.  Of all the potential flotsam and jetsam out there at this time of year to add depth at the LBer position, this had to be the option with the most potential for upside or at least league average performance. 

 

[Tony C]

He was definitely a binky of mine in that draft, and produced to show was worth it. Obviously 2 knee surgeries/being inactive doesn't bode well, though -- but what the hell, sometimes guys get buried so there's at least a shot he still has something to offer.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

He was definitely a binky of mine in that draft, and produced to show was worth it. Obviously 2 knee surgeries/being inactive doesn't bode well, though -- but what the hell, sometimes guys get buried so there's at least a shot he still has something to offer.

 
Now we need to trade for a DE with Jones out. Ugh.

 

[RIrooter09]

 
Now we need to trade for a DE with Jones out. Ugh.

 
Maybe we switch to mainly a 3-4 look until Jones is back with Nink and Ayers on the outside. 

 

[mascho]

 
Now we need to trade for a DE with Jones out. Ugh.

Michael Sam was released today.

Might be worth a look.

 

[JerBear]

 
Maybe we switch to mainly a 3-4 look until Jones is back with Nink and Ayers on the outside. 

I think so too. Easley can be a broke man's Seymour at this point.

 

[Corsi]

 

Ben Volin ‏@BenVolin  54s54 seconds ago
#Patriots formally announcing the Ayers trade means that he passes his physical this morning. Had surgery on both patellar tendons
 

 

[Corsi]

 

Doug Kyed ‏@DougKyedNESN  1m1 minute ago
The Patriots officially announced the LB Akeem Ayers trade. They released LB Ja'Gared Davis to make room for him.
 

 

[the1andonly3003]

they were saving all that cap space for this in-season trade

 

[lambeau]

 http://nesn.com/2014/10/akeem-ayers-alan-branch-will-help-patriots-run-defense-at-a-major-cost/
 
Detailed rundown by Doug Kyed on possible defensive alignments using the new personnel.

 

[lambeau]

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/columnist/david-climer/2014/11/26/titans-admit-mistake-cut-phillips/70113072/
Tennessee mourns Akeem Ayers; any interest in/room for Shaun Phillips when he clears waivers at noon?