Minor NFL Transactions: 4/23/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: P Jack Fox (ERFA tender)
No Talks Yet For Browns, Baker Mayfield
In a relatively easy decision, the Browns chose to pick up Baker Mayfield‘s fifth-year option on Friday. However, the Browns have not rushed to kick off extension talks with the quarterback, Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer hears. 
[RELATED: Browns Pick Up Baker Mayfield’s Option]
“I think you know me well enough that I’m not going to talk on that in this setting. I just don’t think it’s appropriate,’’ Browns GM Andrew Berry said earlier today. “But obviously you know both of those players [Mayfield and Denzel Ward] are extension-eligible.”
It’s not necessarily a bad situation for Mayfield, who may prefer to wait for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson, who is representing himself, recently started chatting with Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta about his next deal. Jackson could easily land a five-year deal in excess of $210MM, putting him just behind Patrick Mahomes‘ league-leading average annual value. Mayfield would command less than the Ravens QB, but Jackson’s deal could push his ask above $35MM/year.
Chiefs To Hold On Orlando Brown Extension
Orlando Brown got his wish on Friday as the Ravens traded him to a team that will happily deploy him at left tackle. However, he won’t get the brand new contract he wanted — at least, not right away. There’s no immediate extension as a part of the deal, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: Ravens Trade Brown To Chiefs]
For now, Brown will play out the final year of his deal, which will pay him just under $3.4MM in 2021. After that, the Chiefs will have the ability to deploy the franchise tag, which would keep him from the open market at the top-five average for offensive tackles. Brown, ideally, would like to lock up his pay day sooner, but he’ll be in great shape if he reprises his 2020 performance. Filling in for Ronnie Stanley, Brown graded out as one of the 25 best tackles in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.
Brown, who stands at an imposing 6’8″, will eventually shoot for something in the neighborhood of $18-22MM per year to join the likes of Ronnie Stanley, David Bakhtiari, and Laremy Tunsil. For now, he’ll have to stay patient, but he’s undoubtedly happier than he was just 24 hours ago.
Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order: Round 1
The Ravens sent Orlando Brown to the Chiefs on Friday, shuffling the first-round order of the NFL Draft once again. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams to hold multiple first-round picks, joining the Jaguars (Nos. 1 and 25), Jets (Nos. 2 and 23), and Dolphins (Nos. 6 and 18). In turn, Chiefs no longer have a top-32 choice, joining the Seahawks, Texans, and Rams.
As we look ahead to Thursday, here’s how the first round currently stands:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from SF via MIA)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from KC)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ravens Trade Orlando Brown To Chiefs
The Ravens have agreed to trade Orlando Brown to the Chiefs (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). As a part of the deal, the Ravens will receive the Chiefs’ No. 31 overall choice in next week’s draft while sending their No. 58 pick to KC along with Brown. 
Chiefs Receive:
- OT Orlando Brown
- 2021 second-round pick (No. 58 overall)
- 2022 sixth-round pick
Ravens Receive:
- 2021 first-round pick (No. 31 overall)
- 2021 third-round pick (No. 94 overall)
- 2021 fourth-round pick (No. 136 overall)
- 2022 fifth-round pick
Brown, a 2018 third-round choice, moved from right tackle to left tackle last year to fill in for Ronnie Stanley. After turning in a strong year at LT, Brown told the Ravens that he didn’t want to go back to the other side. The Ravens have kept mum on the situation, but they’ve been listening on offers for the last few months.
The difference between left tackle and right tackle can amount to tens of millions of dollars over the long run. However, the Oklahoma product says his preference stemmed from his late father’s wishes.
“He always told me, ‘Don’t settle for playing right tackle. Make sure that when it comes time and you get to every level, you’re playing left,” the younger Brown said recently.
It’s not immediately clear whether the Oklahoma product will receive a new contract from the Chiefs straight away. For now, he has one more year to go on his rookie deal. After that, the Chiefs will have the option of using the franchise tag to cuff him for 2022.
The Ravens are now armed with two first round picks — their original No. 27 plus the No. 31 pick. That should give them ample ammo to trade for a new tackle, though they may circle back to Alejandro Villanueva instead, allowing them to address other needs late in the first round. Ultimately, the Ravens were facing two major issues with Brown. 1. They couldn’t unseat Stanley to put him on the left side and 2. A top-of-the market deal for him would have created a serious numbers crunch down the road, especially with Lamar Jackson‘s upcoming payday.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have scored a top-flight young blocker — one that’s far better than any of this year’s Tier 2 options. Brown will help to fill the void left by the departures of starting tackles Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher, who were released for financial and health reasons. Now, the Chiefs project to have Brown, Joe Thuney, Kyle Long, Austin Blythe, and the returning Laurent Duvernay-Tardif up front.
Pro Football Focus has viewed Brown as a top-25 tackle in each of the past two seasons, so he’ll be seeking a contract to match. Stanley, Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil have all elevated the left tackle market, which means that Brown could aim for something just shy of $22MM annually. At minimum, Brown’s camp will likely open talks by asking for $18MM per annum — that’s how much leading right tackle Lane Johnson makes per year.
Packers’ Chandon Sullivan Signs RFA Tender
It’s officially official. On Friday, Packers cornerback Chandon Sullivan announced that he has signed his restricted free agency tender for the 2021 season.
Sullivan, a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Georgia State, first entered the league with the Eagles. After appearing in five games as a rookie, he joined up with the Packers in 2019 and proceeded to appear in 16 games with 30 tackles, six passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.
Last year, Sullivan started ten times out of his 16 games, notching 41 stops, six passes defensed, and a pick-six. His worked earned him a solid performance-based pay bump. With a playing time rate of 77.4% on defense, Sullivan collected a cool $500K to lead the Packers, topping the payouts of wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, guard Lucas Patrick, and tight end Robert Tonyan.
Even with Sullivan in the fold, the Packers could still consider cornerbacks in next week’s draft. For now, Sullivan will return to a CB group that includes All-Pro Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, and Josh Jackson, who has yet to live up to his second-round billing.
Raiders Scouting First Round QBs
The Raiders have done extensive work on all the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). As RapSheet notes, this has been par for the course for the Raiders in recent years. However, if one of this year’s top passers slides past the top part of the order, Jon Gruden & Co. could be poised to make a move. 
Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are guaranteed to be long gone, and it’s expected that Mac Jones will follow them at No. 3 overall. Beyond that, there’s at least some chance of this year’s top-rated QBs sliding. Some expect the Falcons to select North Dakoka’s Trey Lance at No. 4 and it’s widely anticipated that Ohio State’s Justin Fields will hear his name called in the top ten. Still, draft day is always full of surprises, and the Raiders’ board of first-round worthy QBs could be longer than others in the NFL.
Barring a QB slide, the Raiders could use the No. 17 choice to give Gus Bradley a top-end linebacker like Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Then again, they could focus on other areas of need — like the offensive line — now that they have edge threat Yannick Ngakoue on board. It’s a situation we’ll be monitoring on Thursday night, along with Derek Carr.
Ravens To Wait On Alejandro Villanueva, Justin Houston, Other FAs
The Ravens met with Alejandro Villanueva and Justin Houston recently, but they won’t be signing them or any other free agent this week. Instead, the Ravens are planning to hold off on any additions until May 3 (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). 
[RELATED: Ravens Meet With Justin Houston]
By waiting until May 3, the Ravens can make a better assessment of their needs after the draft. That date also marks end of the compensatory pick formula, so the Ravens won’t be penalized for any veteran signings. As it stands, the Ravens are set to earn two fourth-rounders in 2022 based on free agent departures. has played out thus far.
Some believe that the Ravens are targeting Villanueva as an Orlando Brown Jr. replacement. It remains to be seen whether Ravens GM Eric DeCosta will give into his demands, however. Meanwhile, Houston would help Baltimore fill the void on the edge after losing Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue.
Browns Exercise Options For Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward
The Browns will pick up the fifth-year options of quarterback Baker Mayfield and cornerback Denzel Ward (Twitter links via Jake Trotter of ESPN.com and Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer). 
Mayfield will make $18.858MM in 2022 while Ward will earn $13.294MM. As a refresher, the fifth-year option year is now fully guaranteed. In the past, it was guaranteed for injury only. The values are also dependent on certain performance metrics, including playing time and Pro Bowl appearances.
Mayfield slogged through a brutal 2019 season, throwing 21 interceptions — the NFL’s second-most that year — and regressing after showing promise under Freddie Kitchens in 2018. However, Mayfield fared much better in Kevin Stefanski‘s offense last season. The former Heisman winner ranked 10th in QBR with a 72.2 mark — by far a career-high figure — and cut his interception total down to eight.
Ward, meanwhile, has battled health issues since he entered the league. He has missed at least three games due to injury in each of his first three seasons — not 2020’s COVID-19 absence. On the other hand, his performance between the lines has been everything the Browns could have hoped for when they made him the No. 4 overall pick in 2018. He earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season, and despite the missed time due to injury, he has tallied 40 passes defensed and seven interceptions — including one pick-six — in his young career.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/19/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: C Trystan Colon-Castillo (ERFA), LB Kristian Welch (ERFA)
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve-retired list: LB Jordan Mack; Mack opted out of the 2020 season
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: OT Matt Nelson (ERFA)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: RB Dare Ogunbowale (ERFA)
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DB Tyrique McGhee; McGhee received a five-game PED suspension earlier this month
New York Giants
- Re-signed: RB Sandro Platzgummer
New York Jets
- Re-signed: TE Daniel Brown, WR Jeff Smith (ERFA)
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: NT Bryan Mone