Pierre

Desir

Desir was cut in the middle of last season by the Jets and signed on with the Ravens practice squad, appearing for just five defensive snaps in December. The fact that he couldn’t latch on to Seattle’s roster past round two of cuts is not a particularly great sign for his NFL future. Desir, 31 in September, hasn’t posted a PFF coverage grade above 58 since 2018.

Desir opened the 2020 season with the Jets but was waived by New York after nine weeks. He recorded eight pass defenses for Gang Green before being waived. Desir was picked up by Baltimore shortly after his stint with the Jets ended but he only appeared in three games for the Ravens. He did not earn a start and played primarily on special teams. At 30 years old, Desir is a solid depth signing for Seattle but may not be a consistent starter for them.

It is a bit surprising the Jets waited through their bye week to make the move, but this always felt like a possibility following Desir’s awful Week 9 against the Patriots, where his attempt at “tackling” led to a long Damiere Byrd gain. Desir has been up and down all season but had been operating as an every-down player for Gang Green. Although he’s now on the wrong side of 30, Desir’s seven years of experience will surely draw him looks on the waiver wire, especially since he is game/conditioning ready. The Jets will move forward with Brian Poole, Bless Austin, Bryce Hall, Corey Ballentine and Lamar Jackson at cornerback.

Desir was just one season into a “three-year deal” in Indianapolis before he was cut on Saturday. The 2014 fourth-rounder dealt with multiple injuries in 2019, appearing in only 12 games. He still managed to record three interceptions and 11 PBUs. Going on 30, Desir will probably be limited to one-year deals from here on out.

The Colts are cutting ties with Desir after just signing him to a three-year extension last offseason. Desir took a step back from his breakout 2018 and missed four games last year, though he still managed three interceptions on 683 snaps. 29-year-old Desir isn’t going to get the $7 million he was owed from Indy but should have a free-agent market. Desir’s release locks Rock Ya-Sin into a starting role.

Desir’s absence would cause further problems for a secondary that is already in for a long afternoon. Michael Thomas has 16 games with double-digit receptions since entering the league in 2016. Antonio Brown (11) is the only other player with at least 10-such games. Currently averaging the 11th-most PPR per game in a single season among all WRs over the past 50 years, Thomas earned matchup-proof overall WR1 treatment a long time ago.

Desir hasn’t played since the team’s last meeting against Houston on October 20th and was technically “limited” for Monday’s walkthrough. His presence would be a huge boost for Indy’s defense since he’s been responsible for shadowing DeAndre Hopkins in recent years. Quincy Wilson would likely jump back into game action if Desir’s scratched.

He was upgraded from doubtful. That gives Desir a chance to play after sitting last week, though his status will likely go to game-time. Desir’s presence would be a downgrade for JuJu Smith-Schuster’s matchup.

Desir had a breakout season for the Colts in 2018, and it earned him a three-year contract this offseason. Desir and the Colts’ defense has been stout against the Titans through three quarters.

Desir signed a prove-it, one-year deal with the Colts last offseason and ended up having a big season, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 12 cover corner out of 123 qualifiers. He fit extremely well into DC Matt Eberflus’ zone scheme. Desir picked off one ball and broke up eight passes. He and Kenny Moore formed a good, not great, tandem. Defensive help should be on GM Chris Ballard’s to-do list. They could use more bodies at cornerback.