Ravens Withdraw ERFA Tender On RB Ty’Son Williams
Ty’Son Williams is now a free agent. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Ravens have withdrawn the tender on the running back, meaning he’s now free to sign with any team.
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Williams was hit with an exclusive rights free agent tender at the beginning of the offseason, but the RB never inked his one-year deal. The Ravens weren’t locked in to their tender, so they withdrew the offer after adding a number of running backs.
Williams went undrafted out of BYU in 2020, but he ended up spending much of his rookie campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad. Following a long list of RB injuries heading into the 2021 season, the 25-year-old found himself atop the depth chart. Williams collected 187 yards from scrimmage through his first two games, but he managed only 82 more yards for the rest of the season.
After adding Tyler Badie in the sixth round of the draft and Ricky Person Jr. as an undrafted free agent, the Ravens signed veteran running back Mike Davis earlier today. The trio will join J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill, with each of those holdovers still recovering from season-ending injuries in 2021. The Ravens are also rostering veteran running back Nate McCrary.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Chicago Bears
- Reverted to IR: LB Ledarius Mack
Detroit Lions
- Waived: LB Tavante Beckett, OLB Rashod Berry, CB Parnell Motley, TE Jared Pinkney (injury settlement), TE Matt Sokol
Indianapolis Colts
- Released: T Shon Coleman, LB Malik Jefferson
- Waived: TE Farrod Green, TE Eli Wolf
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: QB Anthony Gordon, RB Brenden Knox, OT Gene Pryor, DT Darius Stills
New York Giants
- Waived: LB Omari Cobb, TE Jake Hausmann, TE Rysen John, OL Wes Martin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: LB Tegray Scales, LS Rex Sunahara
- Waived-injured: CB Isaiah Johnson
Ravens Eyeing WR Jarvis Landry
The Ravens continue to seek wide receiver help, and their search has led them to a former AFC North foe. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Ravens are interested in adding veteran wideout Jarvis Landry (via NFL.com’s Grant Gordon).
[RELATED: Door Shut On Jarvis Landry Browns Return?]
The organization shocked many when they dealt top wideout Marquise Brown during the draft, leaving them with an inexperienced depth chart. The Ravens front office also passed on the wide receiver position during the draft, although they did recently add six undrafted wideouts to their roster. The team’s search also recently featured former Packers receiver Geronimo Allison, who auditioned for the organization last week.
At the moment, the Ravens’ non-rookie WR depth chart consists of Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche, Tylan Wallace, Binjimen Victor, and Jaylon Moore. General manager Eric DeCosta recently said that the team “will add players to the mix” at wide receiver, so a move is likely coming.
Landry would be a logical fit if the organization is focused on adding a veteran to Lamar Jackson‘s receivers corps. The 29-year-old WR put up career-lows in receptions (52), yards (570) and touchdowns (two) across 12 games last season, but he’s only two years removed from a 2019 campaign where he collected 83 receptions for 1,174 yards en route to a Pro Bowl selection.
The 29-year-old wide receiver was released by the Browns in a cost-cutting move earlier this offseason. For some time, it seemed like Landry would land back in Cleveland, but a report from earlier today indicated that the door appears to be closed on a return to the Browns. The Saints were also connected earlier this offseason, but it’s uncertain if their first-round selection of Chris Olave has changed things.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB Jaylan Alexander, S Amari Carter, WR Landon Lenoir, LB Ledarius Mack, RB Master Teague
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Kobe Jones
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: LB Justin March
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Dylan Cantrell
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Derrick Kelly
- Waived: TE Brandon Dillon, WR D.J. Montgomery
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Greg Mabin
WR Geronimo Allison, DT Marcell Dareus Trying Out For Ravens
The Ravens will have two notable names among the tryout players at rookie minicamp. According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (on Twitter), wide receiver Geronimo Allison and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus are among those competing for a potential contract.
Allison made a name for himself while paired with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. The 28-year-old ended up spending four seasons with the Packers, collecting 1,052 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. He signed with the Lions back in 2020 but ended up opting out of that season.
He was released by Detroit at the end of the 2021 preseason, but he eventually caught on with their practice squad. He ended up seeing time in three games with Detroit last season.
Dareus was the third-overall pick back in 2011. He’d spend six-plus years in Buffalo, earning one All-Pro nod and two Pro Bowl appearances while collecting 35 sacks in 91 games. He was traded to the Jaguars during the 2017 season and spend two-plus seasons with the team, starting 22 of his 30 appearances. He sat out most of the 2020 season while recovering from core muscle surgery, and he didn’t find a gig for the 2020 or 2021 seasons.
Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton Uncertain For Training Camp
The Chiefs have been busy adding cornerbacks recently, and for good reason. According to ESPN’s Adam Teicher (on Twitter), cornerback Rashad Fenton continues to rehab a shoulder injury.
Fenton is unlikely to participate in OTAs. The Chiefs are hoping the defensive back will be good to go for training camp, but it doesn’t sound like that’s any guarantee. It’s uncertain when Fenton originally suffered the injury. The 25-year-old missed a pair of playoff games with a back injury, but it doesn’t sound like that’s related to his current ailment. Fortunately, it sounds like the cornerback already went under the knife, so now it’s just a matter of overcoming rehab for him to return to the field.
Fenton was a sixth-round pick by the Chiefs in 2019. He’s taken on a larger role during each of his three seasons in the NFL, culminating in a 2021 campaign where he collected 49 tackles and seven passes defended in 14 games (eight starts).
The Chiefs ended up using three of their 10 draft picks on cornerbacks, including the No. 21 pick on Washington’s Trent McDuffie. The organization also drafted Fayetteville St. cornerback Joshua Williams (fourth round, No. 135) and Washington St. defensive back Jaylen Watson (seventh round, No. 243). The team also recently acquired cornerback Lonnie Johnson in a trade with the Texans.
Browns Could Release QB Baker Mayfield?
Baker Mayfield could ultimately be cut by the Browns. A league source told Josina Anderson that while their team has expressed interest in a trade for the former first-overall pick, talks ultimately cooled because the team didn’t want to meet Cleveland’s asking price (Twitter link). Further, suitors believe this could be heading toward a release, so inquiring teams aren’t interested in breaking the bank for a player they could potentially sign outright.
“No one’s trying to do the Browns any favors in this situation,” the source told Anderson.
We previously heard that the terms of Mayfield’s $18.9MM 2022 option led to the Browns-Panthers trade talks fizzling. Carolina wanted Cleveland to pick up most of that fully guaranteed salary. The Browns have remained unwilling to cut Mayfield, but the organization may not have another choice as they look to avoid an awkward situation. The Panthers, Seahawks, and Texans have been among the teams most recently connected to the QB.
Mayfield attempting to play through a torn shoulder labrum undoubtedly hurt his standing, though the Browns were reluctant to engage in extension talks before the start of the 2021 campaign. Prior to Mayfield’s injury, reports emerged indicating he was fine with playing out his fourth season absent an extension. But Mayfield’s value cratered in 2021, with the former Heisman winner’s completion percentage plummeting from an NFL-best 82% before his September shoulder injury to 58% in the games following the setback. The latter portion comprised most of the season, leading the Browns to an 8-9 record and pushing this situation to its present state.
Mayfield underwent surgery in January but contacted Amari Cooper about a potential throwing session in March. However, the Browns’ entrance into the Deshaun Watson mix — and the “adult in the room” comment — proved to be enough for Mayfield to request a trade. The 27-year-old passer requested to be dealt nearly two months ago, but the standoff persists.
Arrest Warrant Issued For FA S Earl Thomas
An arrest warrant has been issued in Austin, Texas for free agent safety Earl Thomas, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
The warrant, which was signed in late April, charges Thomas with a third-degree felony for at least two violations. A protective order from May 2021 stated that Thomas could only communicate with a woman “through a co-parenting phone app,” but the player has allegedly violated the order by sending “threatening messages to a woman about her and her children.”
The woman told police that Thomas recently threatened to “kick [her] ass” and bragged about the recent acquisition of two handguns. Thomas’s lawyer, who has been representing the player in his ongoing divorce, stated that his client was simply reaching out to the woman to coordinate visitation with their children.
This isn’t the player’s first run-in with the law. The Austin American-Statesman reports that Thomas was also arrested in February 2021 on a “a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon.” The player eventually forfeited the weapon and the charges were dismissed. Meanwhile, as Henderson writes, a woman named Nina Thomas was arrested in April 2020 for pointing a loaded handgun at the NFL player during a “heated argument.”
In nine years with the Seahawks, Thomas totaled 664 tackles, 28 interceptions and 67 pass deflections. A key member of the ‘Legion of Boom’, it was with Seattle that he made two straight Super Bowl appearances, including a title in 2013. Things didn’t end well for Thomas in the Emerald City, however. A contract dispute, coupled with a broken leg, marked the conclusion of his final campaign with the Seahawks. He signed a four-year, $55MM deal with the Ravens in 2019, leading to big expectations for himself personally and the team in general.
In what ended up being his lone campaign in Baltimore, the 2010s All-Decade member put up respectable, if unspectacular, numbers. He recorded a pair of interceptions and allowed a passer rating of just 24.2, leading to his seventh Pro Bowl nod. His overall understanding of the playbook and interaction with teammates, however, weighed those statistics down. Not long before the start of the subsequent season, Thomas was involved in an altercation with fellow safety Chuck Clark. Shortly thereafter, he was released by the Ravens. Speculation heated up regarding where his next destination would be, including, most notably, the Cowboys. No team came close to signing him, however, and he has remained on the sidelines for the past two seasons.
Thomas recently stated his desire to continue his NFL career.
Pete Carroll Doesn’t Envision Seahawks Trading For QB
The Seahawks continue to be mentioned as a suitor for one of the several available veteran QBs. However, coach Pete Carroll doesn’t envision the organization adding to the position, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson (on Twitter).
“I don’t see us making a trade for anybody at all,” Carroll told reporters. “I don’t see that happening.”
After trading Russell Wilson earlier this offseason, the Seahawks have been connected to a number of available quarterbacks, including Baker Mayfield (who mentioned the Seahawks himself) and Jimmy Garoppolo. The Seahawks make sense as a landing spot; after all, the team’s options at quarterback are currently Geno Smith and Drew Lock. The team is also rostering former Colts fourth-round pick Jacob Eason and recent UDFA addition Levi Lewis.
Lock, who was acquired in the Wilson trade, struggled during his three seasons in Denver. Despite his second-round pedigree, the QB went 8-13 as a starter while tossing 25 touchdowns vs. 20 interceptions. Smith stepped in for the injured Wilson midway through the 2021 campaign. In four total appearances (including three starts), he threw for 702 yards and five touchdowns, completing over 68% of his passes.
The organization was expected to address the position at some point this offseason. They didn’t end up adding a QB in the draft, so no matter what Carroll says publicly, the team will likely be connected to any available quarterbacks until the trade deadline (or until they end up making a move).
Patriots Waive LB Terez Hall
Terez Hall earned his walking papers today. The Patriots announced that they have waived the linebacker with a failed physical.
Hall joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri in 2019. After spending his entire rookie season on New England’s practice squad, he ended up having a somewhat regular role for the team in 2020. Hall ultimately got into eight games (four starts) that season, finishing with 50 tackles.
The linebacker spent the 2021 campaign on the reserve/physically unable to perform list thanks to offseason ankle surgery. It’s uncertain if today’s failed physical had anything to do with that injury.
With Hall out of the picture, the Patriots are still rostering seven inside linebackers: Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Cameron McGrone, Mack Wilson, Anfernee Jennings, Jahlani Tavai, and Harvey Langi.