Ravens Interested In QB Aaron Murray
Earlier this week, coach John Harbaugh told reporters that the team is casting a wide net as it looks into the possibility of adding another quarterback. While he and GM Ozzie Newsome are reportedly pushing team owner Steve Bisciotti to add Colin Kaepernick, the team is also looking into some less-heralded options as well. The Ravens have interest in bringing in quarterback Aaron Murray, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com. 
[RELATED: Harbaugh, Newsome Want To Add Kaepernick]
Murray, the Chiefs’ fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft, was cut loose by KC before the 2016 season. Since then, he has had stints with the Cardinals, Eagles, and Rams, but he has yet to throw a pass in an NFL game and has been out of work since his release from L.A. in May.
The attention being paid to Murray will certainly irk those who would rather see the Ravens take a look at Kaepernick. On Tuesday, Murray signed on with CBS to work as an announcer on college football games, so it’s not even clear whether Murray is 100% committed to continuing his playing career.
Ravens Coach, GM Pushing For Kaepernick?
Both Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and GM Ozzie Newsome support the idea of signing quarterback Colin Kaepernick, sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Russini hears they have met resistance from owner Steve Bisciotti, but Newsome issued a statement on Wednesday to try and counter those claims:
“We are going through a process, and we have not made a decision. Steve Bisciotti has not told us we cannot sign Colin Kaepernick, nor has he blocked the move. Whoever is making those claims is wrong,” the unusual statement read.
Recently, Bisciotti and team president Dick Cass publicly acknowledged their trepidation in signing Kaepernick, with Bisciotti adding that he wasn’t sure the QB would help the team “win games.” The team’s coach and GM apparently feel that Kaepernick can be a difference maker.
Recently, some of the team’s locker room leaders also voiced their support for adding Kaepernick.
“Hell yeah, if he’s going to help us win,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We have no issues. Not in the locker room. Hell yeah, we want him.”
The Ravens are taking a hard look at their backup quarterback situation as Joe Flacco deals with a back injury and Ryan Mallett struggles in practice. There is some good news on that front, however. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT that he is feeling better, with the “arrow [pointing] up.”
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Eagles Notes: Matthews, Revis, Flowers
The latest from Philly:
- Although wide receiver Jordan Matthews is entering the final season of his rookie deal, the Eagles haven’t made any progress towards an extension with the former second-round pick, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Matthews was reportedly dealing with knee tendinitis and didn’t practice much during the spring, but some in the Eagles organization believe Mathews sulking about his contract, per Bowen. Last week, Matthews was fully cleared to participate in training camp, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and declined to elaborate on the status of his knee. However, he did tell Tim McManus of ESPN.com that he would “literally never” sit out due to contract concerns. Entering his age-25 campaign, Matthews is scheduled to earn $1.095MM for the upcoming season.
- Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com ran down ten cornerbacks that the Eagles could trade or sign for. The list includes Darrelle Revis, even though the former shutdown corner has clearly lost a step or three. Although Revis was bad in 2016, he wasn’t quite as bad as the Eagles’ cornerbacks in the writer’s estimation. Revis gave up three touchdowns last year, which was still less than Eagles No. 1 cornerback Leodis McKelvin‘s seven surrendered TDs. Brandon Flowers, Sam Shields, and Leon Hall are among the other veteran possibilities highlighted.
- Wide receiver Marcus Johnson is a legit contender for the Eagles‘ roster now that he is healthy, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. Johnson, 23 on Saturday, joined the team as an undrafted free agent last year but did not have a chance to see live action thanks to a quad injury he suffered in camp. His arrow is now trending upwards as he looks to fill a spot behind receivers Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor, and rookie Mack Hollins.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Rams’ Dominique Easley Done For Season
Rams defensive lineman Dominique Easley has suffered another a torn ACL, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He will be out for the 2017 season and placed on injured reserve. 
[RELATED: Rams DT Aaron Donald Does Not Report To Camp]
Easley was carted off the field during practice on Tuesday and a Wednesday morning MRI has confirmed the team’s worst fears. It’s an awful blow for Easley on a personal level as he had seasons cut short in both 2011 and 2013 after suffering torn ACLs. It’s typically challenging to come back from one ACL tear. Returning after three separate ACL tears will be a trying feat for the 25-year-old.
Waived after only two seasons with the Patriots, Easley found a home with the Rams last year. He turned in a strong 2016 as he recorded 3.5 sacks and finished out as the league’s No. 30 interior defender among 125 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. This year, the Rams were planning to give him an increased workload. Now, they’ll have to look elsewhere for reinforcements on the defensive line.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Hyde, Seahawks
Although the 49ers have several key players, including safety Eric Reid and running back Carlos Hyde, entering their respective contract seasons, it doesn’t as though San Francisco has extension offers lined up for free agents-to-be, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
“I would say that we’re always having internal discussions, Kyle (Shanahan) and myself and our staffs,” general manager John Lynch said. “And, we really try to be forward thinking looking out, not just this year but three to five years and saying, ‘OK, let’s look at the construct of our roster.’ But, our priority was let’s provide competition at each and every position. And so, that’s why we were so active this year to go out and to be able to really judge this and judge those guys in particular. There’s going to be a little more urgency with some of them, but we’re going to let this play out a little bit and see how they fit with what we want to do.”
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- The Seahawks gave former Philadelphia first rounder Marcus Smith a one-year, $690K deal with zero guarantees, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The deal carries a maximum value of $1.44MM. Smith hasn’t done much in his three NFL seasons so far, but the Seahawks are hoping to get something out of him as a reserve.
- Lance Dunbar was signed to serve as the backup to running back Todd Gurley, but given that the former Cowboy is on active/PUP and has no timetable to return from injury, Malcolm Brown is taking the lion’s share of work as the Rams‘ No. 2, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com writes. Brown, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Texas, has managed only 22 carries in two pro seasons, but new Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay has been “pleasantly surprised” by Brown’s training camp work, per Gonzalez. The Rams could still look at external options — they’ve talked with free agent Rashad Jennings — but for now, Brown is on track to take over the backup role.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Saints Release OL Orlando Franklin
Orlando Franklin‘s time with the Saints is over after less than one week. The Saints released him on Tuesday afternoon, per the NFL’s transactions wire (Twitter link via Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune). 
Franklin, 29, signed a deal with New Orleans on Thursday. It’s not clear what exactly went wrong, but the team quickly realized that he would not be cut out to make the 53-man roster.
The veteran played in all 16 games last season – something he didn’t do in the previous year – but he also graded out as one of the seven worst qualified guards in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. He was released by the Chargers in May and sat on the market until his late July deal.
Meanwhile, the Saints are presumably still on the hunt for offensive line help. Left tackle Terron Armstead and center Max Unger are both currently injured, meaning New Orleans may not reconfigure its front five to include rookie Ryan Ramczyk.
Raiders, Lee Smith Agree To New Deal
The Raiders and tight end Lee Smith have agreed to a revised contract, as Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. The new deal will give Smith more guaranteed money while reducing his base salary. The new deal also includes playing time incentives that will protect the team against injury. 
Initially, Smith was slated to make a $2.75MM base salary. He’ll now make $1MM along with a $1MM roster bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Smith suffered a broken bone in his lower leg in the team’s fourth game of the season last year, ending his season in October. Before 2016, the blocking specialist was largely healthy, but the Raiders still wanted some protection in the event that he missed time again this year.
The Raiders signed Smith to a three-year, $9MM deal prior to the 2015 season, so he’ll be eligible for free agency in the spring of 2018.
At the time of his injury last year, Pro Football Focus rated Smith as the No. 5 run blocking tight end in the NFL.
Extra Points: Ravens, Kaepernick, Seahawks
After talk of the Ravens considering Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III dominated the news cycle, coach John Harbaugh is trying to reel everything in.
“I would pay attention to every quarterback that isn’t signed,” Harbaugh said (via PFT). “They’re all options for us right now.”
For what it’s worth, RG3 has reportedly fallen off of the team’s radar after the team considered giving him a tryout. The possibility of adding Kaepernick, meanwhile, still looms large after the Ravens’ owner and team president both confirmed their interest in him. The Ravens are looking carefully at their backup quarterback situation in light of Joe Flacco’s back injury, but they’re also dealing with an increasingly dire situation at tight end.
While the Ravens scramble for answers on offense, here’s a look at the latest from around the NFL:
- Seahawks cornerback DeShawn Shead recently had another knee cleanup surgery, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. That’s not necessarily bad news though as coach Pete Carroll says the procedure could accelerate his return. Shead is not expected to be ready for Week 1, but the team is hoping to have him back in action as soon as possible.
- Seahawks rookie defensive lineman Malik McDowell is reporting to the team on Tuesday, but his status for the 2017 season is still up in the air, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes. McDowell suffered head injuries in an ATV accident two weeks ago and he is dealing with a multitude of injuries as a result. The team will take a closer look at him this week to get a handle on his situation. The good news is that McDowell has said his injuries are not career- or life-threatening.
- The Steelers are looking for depth at running back while Le’Veon Bell stays away from the team. On Tuesday morning, Pittsburgh auditioned former Louisville running back Brandon Radcliff, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Redskins TE Jordan Reed Suffers Injury
Redskins tight end Jordan Reed went to Charlotte to see a specialist about his toe injury, head coach Jay Gruden announced. There is currently no timetable for his return. 
[RELATED: Redskins Sign RB Kenny Hilliard]
When he’s on the field and mostly healthy, Reed is one of the game’s most dynamic tight ends. Unfortunately, injuries have set Reed back throughout his career. Most notably, the 27-year-old has dealt with concussion issues as well as a separated shoulder that sidelined him late in the 2016 season. The team was hoping that his toe issue would clear up quickly, but one can’t help but wonder if this latest ailment could cost him time in 2017.
Reed earned his first Pro Bowl nod last year as he recorded 66 catches for 686 yards and six scores. The Redskins are counting on him more than ever this year after losing both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson to free agency.
The Redskins have depth at tight end, but Vernon Davis and Niles Paul do not offer the same kind of elite athleticism as the 6’3″, 237 pound Reed. The presence of fifth-round pick Jeremy Sprinkle also gives the team some additional padding, but they’ll be at a distinct disadvantage if they are without Reed to start the season.
Ravens’ Crockett Gillmore Done For Season
Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore had surgery on his MCL and is likely going to miss the season, the team announced. Gillmore’s recovery timetable is five months, meaning that he cannot realistically think about getting back on the field until 2018. 
[RELATED: Ravens No Longer Considering RG3?]
The Ravens were hoping that Gillmore would only need a “trim” to his meniscus rather than a full repair. A trim could have allowed Gillmore to return mid-season, but the severity of his tear left him with only one option.
The Ravens signed former Giants tight end Larry Donnell earlier this week, giving them a bit of extra padding at tight end. So far this offseason, the position has been ravaged by injuries and other events. Dennis Pitta was cut after suffering a likely career-ending injury and Darren Waller is suspended for the full season. Maxx Williams and Ben Watson, meanwhile, are recovering from injuries of their own.
Gillmore, 25, had 33 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 2015. Last year, back and knee injuries limited him to just seven games.