Ravens Place Jaleel Scott On IR
The Ravens placed fourth-round wide receiver Jaleel Scott on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. To take his place on the roster, they brought back Robertson Daniel, a cornerback who has spent parts of the last two seasons on the practice squad.
As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes (on Twitter), the Ravens have never cut a rookie fourth-round pick before the season opener, but that was a possibility for Scott after he struggled mightily this offseason. However, the undisclosed injury rendered that issue moot.
Scott, a product of New Mexico State, hauled in 76 catches for 1,079 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Despite his athleticism and strong hands, he was unable to get the hang of things in practice. He’ll now focus on his recovery before trying again in 2019.
With Scott fully out of the picture, Jordan Lasley, Tim White, Janarion Grant, and Breshad Perriman will compete for the final wide receiver spot(s) on the roster. The top four WR jobs have been secured by Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead, and Chris Moore.
Latest On Rams, Aaron Donald
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but the Rams and Aaron Donald are still on the verge of completing an extension. Despite the lack of updates in recent days, the two sides are still on course for a deal that will make Donald the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
[RELATED: Texans Sign Ex-Rams CB Kayvon Webster]
There has been talk of a deal coming together soon, but head coach Sean McVay also recently denied that a deal is around the corner. Despite the misdirection, the deal still seems to be something of an inevitability. Even though the Rams gave their defense the Hollywood treatment this offseason, they recognize Donald’s value and will likely find a way to give him a history-making contract.
When all is said and done, it is expected that Donald’s deal will average about $22MM/year with up to $80MM guaranteed overall. Of course, the overall guarantee is different from the fully guaranteed amount at signing, and that will be a key metric in evaluating the deal.
Texans To Sign CB Kayvon Webster
The Texans are set to sign cornerback Kayvon Webster, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Ram will receive $2MM on a one-year deal.
Webster worked out for the Texans on Sunday afternoon and it did not take long for a deal to come together. The 27-year-old was also set to meet with the Bills, and Lions this week, but those visits have been 86’d.
Webster spent the first four years of his career as a reserve with the Broncos, but signed a two-year deal with the Rams last spring. The reunion with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips did not go as planned. He started eleven games, but his season ended in December thanks to a torn Achilles.
Although Pro Football Focus ranked Webster in the bottom half of its cornerback grades, Webster finished 31st among 81 CBs in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he was effective at stopping wide receivers short of the sticks. FO also charted Webster with allowing 6.8 yard per pass, 38th among cornerbacks.
Webster joins a Houston cornerback depth chart that includes Johnathan Joseph, Aaron Colvin, and Kevin Johnson, where he’ll add depth in the secondary and on special teams. If he is fully recovered from his Achilles injury, the deal could prove to be a tremendous value for Houston.
Bears To Release OL Earl Watford
The Bears are releasing offensive lineman Earl Watford, who was reportedly the subject of trade talks, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). 
The former fourth-round Cardinals pick signed with the Bears in April and was expected to have a shot at the starting lineup. Unfortunately, things did not pan out that way for him, despite Kyle Long‘s injury history and the departure of Josh Sitton.
Watford started nine games for the Cards last season and eleven in 2016. Pro Football Focus has graded Watford as one of the worst full-time blockers in the game over the past two seasons, however, but the 28-year-old has made 22 starts over the past three years in spite of that.
The Bears project to start Charles Leno, James Daniels, Cody Whitehair, Long, and Bobby Massie on the front line in Week 1.
AFC Notes: Browns, Taylor, Bryant
Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor has dislocated the pinky on his non-throwing hand, as Andrew Gribble of the Browns’ website tweets. While his left hand is bruised and sore, head coach Hue Jackson says “he’s going to be fine.”
It sounds like Taylor will be alright for the season opener, so we won’t be seeing Baker Mayfield out there – at least, not yet.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- It’s unlikely that the Ravens will make a second run at Dez Bryant or another veteran receiver, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes. Chris Moore has nailed down his spot as the Ravens‘ fourth wide receiver behind Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead, so the Ravens appear to be set at the top of the order. There’s uncertainty beyond that, but Zrebiec feels the Ravens will not be motivated to get for a veteran WR unless one of their top three guys gets hurt.
- Nine teams are spending more than $50MM per year on their top three players, and the Steelers are one of three clubs in that group to have made the playoffs last season, Jason Fitzgerald of OTC writes. With $53.4MM carved out for Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and LeVeon Bell, the Steelers have found success with a top-heavy structure.
- The Bengals parted ways with defensive tackle Chris Baker.
Latest On Browns WR Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon‘s status for the season opener remains unclear, but the wide receiver is about to take an important step forward. Gordon will begin participating in the Browns’ walkthrough portion of practice, coach Hue Jackson told reporters on Friday. 
[RELATED: Dez Bryant Rejects Browns’ $5MM Offer]
Recently, Jackson expressed optimism that Gordon will be ready to go for Week 1. Gordon’s walkthrough participation guarantees nothing, but it’s an indicator that he is not far off from full participation in practice and, eventually, the season opener against the Steelers.
Gordon returned to the Browns last week after taking part in a health and treatment plan. While the league is monitoring his progress, they have not placed any restrictions on when Gordon can get resume all football activities with the club.
Gordon is an integral part of the Browns’ offense and the Browns are desperately hoping that he’ll get on the right path this year. The uncertainty surrounding Gordon led the Browns to consider Dez Bryant, but a deal seems unlikely, so having Gordon in uniform is now more important than ever.
Dez Bryant Rejects Browns’ Offer
The Browns offered Dez Bryant a deal, but it was not to his liking. The proposed contract was worth less than $5MM, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
By virtue of extending the deal, we know that the Browns are in fact interested in signing Bryant. However, that interest is not necessarily being reciprocated. Some in league circles believe that Bryant is waiting for an offer from a better team, Florio writes.
There could be any number of reasons for Bryant’s potential unwillingness to sign with the Browns. The wide receiver could be looking for a winning situation, which is less than assured with a team that has gone 1-31 over the lsat two years. Bryant may also have reservations about joining a stacked receiver group that includes Jarvis Landry, promising rookie Antonio Callaway, and (hopefully) Josh Gordon. Whatever the reason is, evidence is mounting that Bryant is hesitant about going to Cleveland.
While the sub-$5MM offer was not suitable for Bryant, no one knows exactly what the wide receiver is looking for. And, barring an injury to a star wide receiver, he might not get an opportunity to top that elsewhere.
Former Browns TE Randall Telfer Retires
Randall Telfer is calling it a career. On Friday, the free agent tight end announced his retirement via Twitter.
Telfer, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Browns in 2015. After losing his would-be rookie season to injury, he appeared in 30 games for the Browns over the next two years, but recorded only 40 yards in total.
Telfer may be best known to PFR readers for the 2018 offseason trade that should have sent him from Cleveland to Kansas City. Unfortunately, Telfer failed his physical with the Chiefs, meaning that linebacker Dadi Nicolas was never shipped to the Browns (In case you were wondering, Nicolas is now pushing to make the Redskins’ final cut.)
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/18
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: DT Tenny Palepoi
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived/Injured: CB Sojourn Shelton
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL JoJo Wicker
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Brandon Banks
- Waived/Injured: WR Matt Hazel
Raiders Release S Obi Melifonwu
The Raiders have waived/injured safety Obi Melifonwu, according to a press release from the team. The move will help create room for the signing of cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. 
Per league procedure, Melifonwu will be placed on injured reserve if he clears waivers on Friday. Given Melifonwu’s inability to stay healthy, that may be the likely outcome. After that, the Raiders will probably work out an injury settlement to terminate his deal, making him a free agent.
Melifonwu was looking to carve out a role on Jon Gruden‘s team this year, but he has so far been unable to bounce back from hip surgery. Earlier this offseason, Gruden indicated that he wasn’t very optimistic about the UConn product’s outlook
“It doesn’t look close at all,” the head coach said of the 2017 second-round pick. “I’ll leave it at that. He doesn’t look close, to me, at all...I haven’t seen much of Obi except in the training room.”
The good news is that the Raiders have plenty of other options at safety, including Karl Joseph, Reggie Nelson, and Marcus Gilchrist. It’s also possible that DRC will be asked to contribute in the middle of the field.
Melifonwu appeared in just five games last year and finished out with just seven total tackles. That’s a far cry from his 118 tackles as a college senior.