Ravens Meet With TE Will Tye
The Ravens met with free agent tight end Will Tye this week, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
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Tye, 25, was a serviceable tight end for the Giants from 2015-16, as he averaged 45 receptions, 430 yards, and two touchdowns per year during that span. Big Blue waived him during final roster cutdowns, however, and he went crosstown to the Jets. Tye didn’t last long with Gang Green, though, as the Jets cut him last week. Although he’s only been a free agent for one week, Tye has already drawn interest, as he met with the Chiefs on Friday.
Baltimore currently has four tight ends on its roster: Ben Watson, Nick Boyle, Maxx Williams, and wide receiver convert Vince Mayle. Watson and Boyle have played the majority of the offensive snaps for the Ravens, while Watson has been the club’s primary receiving threat with 18 receptions for 148 yards and one touchdown.
Both Watson and Williams have been affected by injury issues lately, which could explain Tye’s visit to Baltimore. The 36-year-old Watson didn’t practice early last week while he dealt with a calf ailment, but ultimately played in the Ravens’ contest against the Raiders. Williams, meanwhile, has been sidelined for Baltimore’s past two games with a ankle injury.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Big Ben, Ravens
Following yesterday’s five-interception against the Jaguars, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger offered a concise report of his performance. “Maybe I don’t have it anymore,” Roethlisberger told Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link). While Roethlisberger could have been hoping for levity after a brutal loss, the comments do call into question just how much longer Roethlisberger will play, especially given that he’s contemplated retirement on multiple occasions. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the idea of forfeiting bonus money could have swayed Roethlisberger into continuing his career in 2017, but that concept will continue in the next few years. If Roethlisberger hangs up it after this season, for example, he’d owe the Steelers $12.4MM in bonus money (of course, Pittsburgh isn’t obligated to collect that total).
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- Ravens running back Terrance West is expected to miss time after suffering a calf injury on Sunday, but he won’t facing a lengthy absence, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). West, 26, had been splitting carries with Javorius Allen and Alex Collins, and had managed 39 rushes for 138 yards and two touchdowns this season. With West sidelined, Allen figures to see even more work (he toted the ball 21 times on Sunday) while Collins could also see increased usage. But Baltimore may need to add a running back, as Allen and Collins are the only healthy runners on the roster. Practice squader John Crockett is a candidate for promotion.
- Tyler Boyd will also be out for a few weeks, as the Bengals receiver sprained his MCL in Week 5, tweets Rapoport. Boyd, who is facing a possible legal situation and was mysteriously a healthy scratch in Week 2, has been almost completely phased out of Cincinnati’s offense this season. The former second-round pick has been targeted only nine times, and managed just six receptions for 43 yards.
- The Ravens will be without yet another offensive lineman for the next several weeks, as guard Matt Skura suffered a sprained MCL and will miss two-to-four games, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Skura, who has started three games for the Ravens this season, will likely give way to rookie Jermaine Eluemunor at right guard. Baltimore has already lost front five players Marshal Yanda, Alex Lewis, and Nico Siragusa to injury.
- Free agent safeties Harold Jones-Quartey and Malik Smith, plus offensive tackles Korren Kirven and Victor Salako, worked out for the Browns, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Of that foursome, only Jones-Quartey has NFL experience, as the 24-year-old started 12 games for the Bears in 2016.
B.J. Daniels, Makinton Dorleant Suspended
Free agent running back/wide receiver B.J. Daniels has been suspended four weeks, and free agent cornerback Makinton Dorleant has been banned for one week, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter links).
Daniels, 27, was a collegiate quarterback at South Florida but has had a difficult time finding a home in the NFL, vacillating between running back and wideout. He hasn’t been able to stick with a club, either, as he’s spent time with six different teams since entering the league in 2013. Most recently, Daniels was thought to be in contention for the Falcons’ third running back job, but an injury ended that hope.
Dorleant, meanwhile, appeared in four games for the Packers in 2016 after going undrafted out of Northern Iowa. He’d spent most of the season on injured resrve prior to that, however, and was placed back on IR in January. Dorleant, whose arrest is most likely tied to a March arrest for public intoxication, has worked out for the Bills, Chiefs, and Jets over the past month.
Raiders DT Darius Latham Suspended
Raiders defensive tackle Darius Latham has been suspended four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the league announced today.
Latham, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Indiana, appeared in 14 games (two starts) for Oakland last season, but had seen limited action in 2017. Sunday, in fact, represented Latham’s first action of the year, as he’d been inactive in the Raiders’ first four contests. He played 14 total snaps against the Ravens in Week 5, managing two assists in the process. Latham will forfeit roughly $125K in salary due to his suspension.
Oakland runs a rotation along the interior of its defensive line, as Mario Edwards, Eddie Vanderdoes, Denico Autry, Justin Ellis, and Treyvon Hester have all played at least 100 snaps. Entering Week 5, the Raiders ranked 11th in adjusted sack rate and 20th in adjusted line yards.
Rams Waive DB Maurice Alexander
The Rams have waived safety Maurice Alexander in order to clear a roster spot for wide receiver Mike Thomas, the club announced today.
Alexander, 26, started 14 games for Los Angeles in 2016 and had started four games for the club this season. The former fourth-round pick wasn’t playing all that well, however, as Pro Football Focus had graded Alexander as a bottom-10 safety in 2016. Alexander’s release is simply performance-based, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, who reports the Rams want to see more from young players Josh Johnson, Cody Davis, Blake Countess, Marqui Christian, and Isaiah Johnson.
Thomas, a sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft, was suspended four games for violating the league’s PED policy. A favorite of many in the draft community, Thomas managed only three receptions in 15 games during his rookie campaign, but also contributed on special teams. He joins a wide receiver group that also includes Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Tavon Austin.
Giants WR Brandon Marshall To Miss Time
The Giants are “bracing” for wide receiver Brandon Marshall to miss multiple games after suffering an ankle sprain on Sunday, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (Twitter link).
New York stunningly lost its top four receivers to injury in Week 5, and two of them — Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris — are now done for the season. Slot man Sterling Shepard, like Marshall, has an ankle sprain and is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks. The Giants signed wideouts Travis Rudolph and Tavarres King today, but have no interest in a possible reunion with free agent Victor Cruz.
Marshall, 33, signed a two-year, $12MM deal with the Giants this spring. He struggled in his first two games in blue, but had come on in Weeks 3 and 4, totaling 14 receptions for 112 yards in those two games. Marshall has yet to score a touchdown, however.
Texans To Work Out DE/LB Lamarr Houston
The Texans will audition defensive end/linebacker Lamarr Houston on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
The Buccaneers reportedly worked out Houston today, but the Texans have a far greater need along their front seven. Both J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus suffered season-ending injuries on Sunday, leaving the club without two of their top three pass rushers. While incumbent options such as Brennan Scarlett could see increased snaps, Houston would give the Texans another jolt in Mike Vrabel’s 3-4 scheme.
Houston, 30, was never able to stay fully healthy after inking a five-year, $35MM contract with Chicago prior to the 2014 campaign. In three seasons with the Bears, the 30-year-old Houston appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only 10 starts. He managed nine total sacks in Chicago, but eight of those came in 2015, his only healthy year with the Bears.
Jets Activate WR Jalin Marshall
The Jets have activated wide receiver Jalin Marshall from suspension, the club announced today. In a related move, New York has waived cornerback Marcus Williams.
Marshall, who was banned four games for PED use, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016. While he didn’t contribute much on offense (14 receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns), Marshall served as the Jets’ primary returner during his rookie campaign. He averaged 25.9 yards per kick return and 5.6 yards per punt return last season, and will likely continue in that role upon his return.
Williams, meanwhile, started 15 games during his first three seasons in New York but hasn’t started a contest in 2017. While he graded as the NFL’s No. 67 corner among 110 qualifiers last year, Pro Football Focus has assigned him poor marks this season. The Jets were reportedly shopping Williams earlier this year, and presumably did so before cutting him today, but couldn’t find any takers.
Texans Want To Keep LT Duane Brown
The Texans hope to retain left tackle Duane Brown — who is currently in the midst of a contractual holdout — and don’t intend to trade him, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, Houston could conceivably consider an “appropriate offer” for its starting blindside protector, per Florio.
Brown needs to play in at least eight games this year in order to accrue credit for his 2017 season. However, Brown will likely need to report following Week 6 in order to be safe, as Florio outlines. The Texans are expected to be granted a roster exemption for Brown that could last as long as three weeks. If Houston’s front office holds out Brown for that maximum timeframe, Brown won’t be able to be present for his needed eight contests.
Brown, 32, has been pushing for a new deal since at least May, and didn’t participate in Houston’s minicamp, training camp, or preseason. The Texans don’t seem inclined to work out a fresh pact with Brown, while Brown himself has indicated that he will in fact play at some point in 2017. As of September, general manager Rick Smith and Brown’s representatives weren’t talking.
Houston has turned to Kendall Lamm (one start) and Chris Clark (four starts) in the wake of Clark’s absence, but both players have offered sub-par performances. Specifically, Pro Football Focus ranks Clark as the No. 55 tackle among 72 qualifiers. While the Texans’ offensive line has played well in the run game, the unit is 31st in adjusted rack rate, according to Football Outsiders.
Brown is currently signed through the 2018 season, and is due non-guaranteed base salaries of $9.65MM and $9.75MM over the next two years.
Lions Release DE Armonty Bryant
The Lions have released defensive end Armonty Bryant, the club announced today. Bryant, who was coming off a four-game suspension, had to either be added to Detroit’s 53-man roster or released by today when his roster exemption expired.
Bryant, who was banned for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, has been suspended three times in the past year. The Lions claimed Bryant off waivers from the Browns last October, and while he appeared in just five games in 2016, he did tally an impressive three sacks during his short campaign. In the best season of his four-year career, 2015, Bryant totaled 14 appearances and 5.5 sacks.
Detroit ranks sixth in defensive DVOA, but that’s largely because of the club’s secondary, as the Lions’ defensive line is just 17th in adjusted sack rate and 28th in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders. Anthony Zettel, a 2016 sixth-round pick, has given the Lions incredible production (four sacks) and currently ranks as the league’s No. 9 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus. Ezekiel Ansah and free agent addition Cornelius Washington have been serviceable, as well, meaning Detroit has more depth than originally thought.