Ravens Sign Second-Round LB David Ojabo
The Ravens have finally wrapped up their draft class. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (on Twitter) that Baltimore has inked linebacker David Ojabo to his rookie pact. Ojabo is the last 2022 draft pick to sign his rookie contract.
[RELATED: Info On David Ojabo’s Holdout]
After sitting out his entire freshman year and collecting one tackle in six games during his sophomore campaign, the Michigan product had a breakout season in 2022. In 13 games, Ojabo compiled 35 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. The linebacker suffered a torn Achilles during his Pro Day, but despite the injury, the Ravens still selected him in the second round (No. 45) of the 2022 draft.
Ojabo remained unsigned through the start of training camp, forcing him to stage a holdout as he pursued guaranteed money on the third year of his contract. It will be interesting to see who prevailed in that stare down, but today’s signing will allow the Ravens to proceed with other transactions. Since the linebacker is likely to be sidelined for most (if not all) of his rookie season, he’ll likely be placed on Baltimore’s non-football injury list in the coming days.
The Ravens now have their entire 2022 draft class under contract:
Round 1: No. 14 Kyle Hamilton, S (Notre Dame) (signed)
Round 1: No. 25 (from Bills) Tyler Linderbaum, C (Iowa) (signed)
Round 2: No. 45 David Ojabo, OLB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3: No. 76 Travis Jones, NT (Connecticut) (signed)
Round 4: No. 110 (from Giants) Daniel Faalele, OT (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 4: No. 119 Jayln Armour-Davis, CB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4: No. 128 (from Cardinals) Charlie Kolar, TE (Iowa State) (signed)
Round 4: No. 130 (from Bills) Jordan Stout, P (Penn State) (signed)
Round 4: No. 139 Isaiah Likely, TE (Coastal Carolina) (signed)
Round 4: No. 141 Damarion Williams, CB (Houston) (signed)
Round 6: No. 196 (from Dolphins) Tyler Badie, RB (Missouri) (signed)
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Devin Jones
- Waived: WR Andrew Parchment
Chicago Bears
- Activated from NFI: DB Dane Cruikshank, DB Michael Joseph, WR Tajae Sharpe
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: WR Isaiah Weston
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: C Alex Mollette
- Placed on IR: WR John Hurst, G/T Carter O’Donnell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: OL Chris Glaser
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Jalen Elliott, S Brad Hawkins, LB Nate Wieland
New Orleans Saints
- Suspended six games: WR Kawaan Baker
New York Giants
- Reverted to IR: CB Jarren Williams
Cardinals Extend LT D.J. Humphries
After extending quarterback Kyler Murray last month, the Cardinals have now locked up his left tackle. According to Darren Urban of the team’s website, offensive tackle D.J. Humphries has agreed to a contract extension. The lineman inked a new three-year deal that will keep him in Arizona through the 2025 season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the extension is worth $66.8MM, including $34MM guaranteed.
Humphries was set to hit free agency following the season. The lineman signed a three-year, $45MM deal back in 2020, and he was attached to a $19.3MM cap hit for the 2022 campaign. Per Urban, there’s a good chance the player’s new contract will reduce that cap hit for the upcoming season.
The Cardinals selected Humphries in the first round of the 2015 draft. He’s started each of his 75 games since entering the NFL, and he made his playoff debut this past season. After being inactive for every game of his rookie season, the lineman proceeded to miss 21 games between the 2016 and 2018 seasons. However, over the past three years, Humphries has only missed a single game (last season due to COVID).
The 28-year-old earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2021 after starting each of his 16 games. He’s yet to practice during training camp thanks to “a gastrointestinal issue,” leading to the team adding offensive lineman Rashaad Coward earlier today.
As Urban writes, there’s plenty of uncertainty surround the future of the Cardinals offensive line, so it was especially important for GM Steve Keim to extend his LT. Even with Humphries extended, the front office still has to account for the expiring contracts of Justin Pugh, Will Hernandez, and Kelvin Beachum. Plus, as Urban notes, Rodney Hudson could consider retirement when the season is over.
Cardinals Activate WR Marquise Brown
Hollywood made his debut at Cardinals training camp today. The team announced that they activated wide receiver Marquise Brown from the non-football injury list this morning. The Cardinals also signed offensive lineman Rashaad Coward and cut wide receiver Christian Blake.
[RELATED:Extension Candidate: Marquise Brown]
The offseason acquisition injured his hamstring in the middle of July, and he landed on NFI as training camp opened. Coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters that Brown won’t be a full participant right away. He’ll participate in walk-throughs over the next few days, with the hope that he’ll be able to take part in individual drills by the end of the week and be a full participant next week.
“That’s our timetable,” Kingsbury said (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss). “We want him to get the walk-throughs, get those mental reps so he feels comfortable when he’s out there.”
The Cardinals acquired Brown earlier this offseason from the Ravens, teaming him up with his college quarterback, Kyler Murray. With DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six games of the 2022 season, Brown will be counted on to lead a receivers room that also includes A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, Andy Isabella, and Antoine Wesley.
Brown’s activation from NFI ultimately cost Blake his job. The wideout spent the first four seasons of his career in Atlanta before joining the Cardinals this offseason. In 41 games (three starts), Blake hauled in 28 receptions for 257 yards. He also collected eight special teams tackles.
Meanwhile, Coward was brought in to provide some depth. D.J. Humphries continues to be sidelined by “a gastrointestinal issue” (per the team website), so Coward will provide the coaching staff with an experienced option. The 27-year-old has started 15 of his 34 career games in stints with the Bears and Steelers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/22
We’ll keep track of today’s minor transactions here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: DE Matt Dickerson, TE David Wells
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Jordan Miller
- Released: CB Travon Fuller
Detroit Lions
- Activated from non-football illness list: OT Dan Skipper
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Darryl Williams
- Released: TE Naz Bohannon
Los Angeles Rams
- Reverted to IR: RB Xavier Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on reserve/retired list: G J.R. Sweezy (story)
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Alex Akingbulu, OT Rashod Hill
- Released: OL Beau Benzschawel
- Placed on reserve/retired list: LB Ryan Kerrigan (story)
Contract Details: Godchaux, Reiff, Alexander
Some recent deals and extensions have been signed around the NFL. We’ve provided some updates on those contracts below:
- Davon Godchaux, DT (Patriots): Two-year, $20.8MM extension, including $17.85MM guaranteed. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Godchaux got a $10.5MM signing bonus, and he’ll have a base salary worth $1.5MM in 2022. The extension reduced the defensive lineman’s cap hit from $10.25MM to $8.75MM.
- Riley Reiff, OT (Bears): One-year deal worth a maximum amount of $12.5MM ($10MM likely to be earned). Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Bears structured Reiff’s contract in such a way that it will count for just $3MM against the cap next season. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provides more details on Twitter, noting that the lineman will earn a $3MM base salary, and he’ll earn another $4.5MM if he’s on the field for 10% of his team’s offense snaps. There are also incentives tied to offensive categories and a playoff appearance.
- Kwon Alexander, LB (Jets): One-year deal. Contract is worth $1.12MM with a $152K signing bonus, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic (on Twitter). His cap hit will be around that $1.12MM mark for the 2022 campaign.
49ers DT Maurice Hurst Tore Biceps, Expected To Miss Season
Maurice Hurst‘s bad luck with the 49ers continues. The defensive tackle tore his biceps during practice on Friday and will have to undergo surgery, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter). The injury will likely sideline Hurst for the entire 2022 season, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Hurst was a fifth-round pick by the Raiders in 2018, and he ended up spending three seasons with the organization. After collecting 31 tackles and four sacks in 13 games (10 starts) as a rookie, Hurst only started seven games and compiled four more sacks in his final two seasons with the Raiders.
The 27-year-old caught on with San Francisco last offseason. Hurst started the season on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain during the preseason. He returned for a pair of games before nursing a calf injury the rest of the way. Hurst re-signed with the 49ers in March, inking a veteran salary exception worth a bit more than $1MM. The team later released and re-signed the defensive tackle to save a chunk of cash.
Heading into training camp, defensive tackle looked like an area of strength for the 49ers. Now, the team is down three players at the position. Besides Hurst, Hassan Ridgeway is dealing with a quad injury and is out of practice, while Arik Armstead‘s sprained knee will sideline him for a few weeks. Fortunately, Javon Kinlaw will return to practice after recovering from a knee sprain, but as Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets, the former first-round pick will be on a “pitch count” for at least the next few practices.
Cowboys WR Michael Gallup Unlikely For Week 1
As expected, Michael Gallup won’t be ready for the start of the regular season. Speaking to reporters, the Cowboys wideout said he’s still recovering from his ACL injury and said Week 1 isn’t a realistic return date.
“We got a little ways to go,” Gallup said (via Ed Werder on Twitter). “It’s gotta get a little bit stronger. … I’m ready to get back out there and help the team win.”
Gallup missed the first chunk of the 2021 season as he recovered from a calf injury. He ended up getting into nine games (eight starts) following his return to the field, hauling in 35 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns. Then, in Week 17, Gallup suffered a torn ACL, changing his plans for the offseason and the start of the 2022 season.
Despite the injury, the Cowboys were eager to pay the wideout, handing him a five-year, $62.5MM extension. Thanks to that new contract, there should be less pressure for Gallup to return to the field and prove his worth. Instead, he can assure he returns to full health with the goal of being a productive receiver for all five years of his extension.
Gallup predictably started training camp on PUP, but reports out of Dallas indicate that he’s looking good on the sideline. Head coach Mike McCarthy also gave a glowing review of the wideout, noting that the receiver “has not missed a target yet” and “hasn’t had a setback” (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter). Assuming Gallup indeed misses at least Week 1, the Cowboys could turn to the likes of James Washington, T.J. Vasher, Noah Brown, and third-round rookie Jalen Tolbert to play opposite CeeDee Lamb.
Latest On Jessie Bates, Bengals Extensions
The Bengals didn’t sign Jessie Bates prior to the extension deadline, and despite having little leverage to avoid playing on the franchise tag in 2022, the safety is still away from the team as training camp starts. Speaking to reporters, Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin acknowledged that the two sides “just didn’t come together” on a new deal and there are “no hard feelings” (via ESPN’s Ben Baby on Twitter).
[RELATED: Jessie Bates Absent From Training Camps]
Predictably, Tobin revealed that the front office would be willing to resume negotiations with Bates following the upcoming season. Bates has not yet signed his tender — which means that he cannot be fined for skipping training camp — but he will either need to sign it at some point or sit out the entire 2022 campaign, which seems highly unlikely. The most likely route sees Bates return to the field for the 2022 season and then hit unrestricted free agent next offseason. For what it’s worth, a trade isn’t expected.
Meanwhile, the Bengals front office will soon have to shift focus to extending their franchise quarterback. Speaking to reporters, team president Mike Brown made it clear that the Bengals want to keep Joe Burrow long-term.
“I can tell you that we couldn’t be happier with Joe Burrow,” Brown said (via Baby). “He’s everything you would wish for, especially for a quarterback in Cincinnati. Our whole focus is going to be on keeping him here.”
Burrow is entering the third year of his rookie contract, meaning there’s still plenty of time to negotiate a new pact. As Baby notes, the Bengals will also have to figure out how to proceed with an extension for wide receiver Tee Higgins, although Brown was clear that QB is the team’s priority.
“Right now, our obvious, most important issue will be with our quarterback,” Brown said. “It’s not quite ready or ripe yet, but it’s right down the track. We see the train coming.”
Injury Updates: Packers, Seahawks, Jaguars, Colts, Giants
Packers second-round wide receiver Christian Watson was placed on the PUP before training camp opened, and ESPN’s Rob Demovsky writes that the rookie could miss a chunk of training camp. Watson continues to recover from minor knee surgery that took place following minicamp.
“I think there was kind of a thought process [of] do you want to try to push through the season and finish this after the (2022) season or should we just go ahead and do it now?” said Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said. “And we just did it now. So he’ll miss a little bit of time in camp, but it’s nothing long term.
“When we invest what we invested in Christian, we’re obviously looking out for the long term. We always do. He’s a young player who’s got a big career ahead of him, so we want to make sure we protect that. It’ll be how he responds through the rehab. As soon as he’s ready, we’ll get him out there.”
The Packers used the No. 34 pick on the rookie wideout. This naturally led to high expectations for the wideout, especially with Davante Adams out of the picture. The rookie has had only three opportunities to practice with Aaron Rodgers, and the wideout will miss out on chances to click with his QB during the early parts of training camp.
More injury notes from around the NFL…
- Seahawks safety Jamal Adams underwent left shoulder surgery for the second-straight year, but he also underwent multiple finger surgeries during the offseason. Adams will be sidelined for “some time” while he gets his previously-injured hand checked out, coach Pete Carroll told ESPN’s Brady Henderson (Twitter link). “Yesterday his hand just wasn’t right, so he’s getting some opinions about it,” the coach said.
- Jaguars running back James Robinson didn’t start training camp on PUP, but he won’t be a full participant right away, tweets ESPN’s Michael DiRocco (on Twitter). The hope is that Robinson will be fully cleared to participate in games by mid-August, meaning he could be active for the start of the regular season. Robinson tore his Achilles in Week 16 of the 2021 campaign, putting his early-season availability in doubt. Meanwhile, DiRocco notes that linebacker Devin Lloyd tweaked his hamstring during a conditioning test and will be sidelined for a few days.
- Colts All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard (previously Darius Leonard) was placed on PUP following offseason back surgery. The intent of the procedure was to relieve pressure on nerves in his back, and there was hope the surgery would also improve “functionality issues” in his left leg. Fortunately, Leonard said he immediately noticed a positive difference following the operation, and he said he’s focused on his rehab as training camp starts. “I’m not putting a timetable on it, but when I’m ready, you’ll see me on the field after that,” Leonard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “I’m ready to continue with my rehab, I’m happy with where I’m at right now, and hopefully we’ll continue to go forward with this process.”
- Giants wideout Sterling Shepard was placed on PUP as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the goal is for Shepard to be ready for the start of the regular season, but it’s still unclear if the receiver will be ready by then. Offensive lineman Nick Gates is also on PUP as he recovers from a lower-leg fracture suffered last September. Duggan passes along that coach Brian Daboll was “surprisingly optimistic” about the status of the OL, revealing that there’s no guarantee that Gates will be forced to miss any time.