Kyle

Emanuel

Emanuel played for seasons with the Chargers before abruptly retiring after the 2018 season. He stayed retired throughout thee 2019 season but chose to return to football this year. He signed with the Raiders near the end of camp but was not able to carve out a roster spot on such short notice. Emanuel started 32 games with the Chargers and is only 29 years old. He could draw some interest from other teams or choose to hang up the cleats a second time.

Rapoport added that Emanuel can sign immediately and should have significant interest. He started 33 games with the Chargers from 2015-2018 before abruptly retiring at just 27 years old. The former 2015 fifth-round pick likely won’t command a huge deal, but Emanuel is certainly capable of providing depth to a number of defenses around the league.

Emanuel had interest from the Lions and Raiders, but he decided to walk away in part because of injuries and concerns about his long-term health. A fifth-round pick in 2015, Emanuel played 63 games for the Chargers, recording four sacks and 133 tackles.

The Bolts are desperate on the inside after losing Manti Te’o to an Achilles’ tear and Jatavis Brown (knee) and Denzel Perryman (hamstring) to injuries in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos. Emanuel could end up being an IDP sleeper at the new position, where his tackle upside will increase. At the same time, this is good news for the fantasy Week 9 matchups of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry.

A fifth-round pick out of North Dakota State, Emanuel recorded a sack and two quarterback hurries in 25 snaps in the preseason opener. With Tourek Williams sidelined with a broken foot, Emanuel could emerge as a big part of the outside linebacker rotation opposite Melvin Ingram.

Emanuel (6'3/255) won the 2014 Buck Buchanan Award as D-IAA’s top defensive player, finishing his career with 41 sacks across 49 starts. Emanuel showed big-league athleticism at the Combine, running 4.77 with a 34-inch vertical and 10-foot broad jump. Although his burst and explosion off the snap are average, Emanuel possesses edge-bending ability and a non-stop motor. Emanuel may never be a dominant outside pass rusher, but could grow into a Rob Ninkovich or Kroy Biermann type as a sort of jack of all trades but master of none.