The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free-agent defensive lineman Arden Key to a one-year deal worth up to $7 million on Wednesday, according to a source. Key chooses the Jaguars after visiting with the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. The 25-year-old had a career-high 6.5 sacks and 22 tackles (11 solo) and five tackles for loss and 17 QB hits in 17 games (no starts) in his lone season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. The former third-round pick of the Raiders in 2018 out of LSU will provide the Jaguars with versatility and defensive line depth, but he won't be on the IDP radar.
Free-agent defensive lineman Arden Key will meet with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. Key continues to make the rounds after visiting with the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars the last two days. Coming off a career-high 6.5 sacks for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021, the 25-year-old is drawing plenty of interest on the open market. Baltimore continues to look for upgrades to their pass rush after missing out on linebacker Za'Darius Smith, who eventually signed with the Minnesota Vikings. The Ravens also met with defensive lineman Rasheem Green on Wednesday. Key, a third-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2018, has 9.5 sacks in his four NFL seasons.
Free-agent defensive lineman Arden Key is meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday, according to a source. Key visited with the Detroit Lions on Monday, and it sounds like they are still very much in play, but Key is taking his pre-planned visits. The 25-year-old pass-rusher is coming off a career-high 6.5 sacks in his lone season with the San Francisco 49ers after working on his technique to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In four total NFL seasons (three with the Las Vegas Raiders), he has 71 tackles (45 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 43 QB hits, 9.5 sacks and three passes defensed in 54 games (10 starts).
Free-agent defensive lineman Arden Key will visit with the Detroit Lions on Monday, according to a source. Key is coming off 6.5 sacks with the San Francisco 49ers last season after working on his technique to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Before joining San Francisco in 2021, he had only three sacks in 37 career games with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 25-year-old could see more consistent playing time in 2022 if he continues to be a consistent pass-rusher. Key also had 22 tackles (11 solo), five tackles for loss, 17 QB hits and one pass defensed in his 17 games for San Francisco last season.
The San Francisco 49ers signed former Las Vegas Raiders pass-rusher Arden Key to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, according to a source. Key represents a low-risk depth signing for San Francisco. The 24-year-old was a third-round pick in the 2018 draft after a poor showing at the NFL combine. He suffered a broken foot in 2019 and played in only seven games. Though he didn't record a single sack last season, Key hit the quarterback on eight percent of his 282 pass rushes and looked the best he has since entering the league. In his three-year career to this point, Key has recorded 49 tackles (eight for loss), 26 QB hits, two passes defensed and three sacks in 37 games (10 starts).
Oakland Raiders defensive end Arden Key (foot) broke his foot in Week 9 against the Lions and is expected to miss the rest of the season. He will get a second opinion from Dr. Robert Anderson. Key was second on the team with two sacks this year. Although Key wasn't on the radar in IDP leagues, his loss will be notable for a defense that has only 15 sacks on the entire season. Needless to say, Oakland's defense/special teams won't be a favorable starting unit in Week 10 on Thursday night against the Chargers.
