Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Ryan Pope
Atlanta Falcons
- Reverted to IR after clearing waivers: P Sterling Hofrichter
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Michael Dereus
- Waived: DL Chauncey Rivers
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Caleb Benenoch
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Doug Middleton
- Waived: FB Mason Stokke
Chicago Bears
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Eddie Goldman, LB Christian Jones, LS Patrick Scales, OT Elijah Wilkinson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Saivion Smith
- Waived/injured: OT Cody Conway; Conway suffered a torn ACL
Detroit Lions
- Released: LB Reggie Gilbert
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from active/PUP list: TE Josiah Deguara
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: G Jamil Demby
- Signed: G Jeremiah Kolone
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Adonis Alexander
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Andy Jones, TE Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: RB Mike Weber
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: S Brandon White
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on IR: DB DeMarkus Acy; Acy suffered a torn ACL
- Waived/injured: OT Anthony Coyle
Ravens Sign DE Justin Houston
9:52am: Houston has indeed joined the Ravens. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the veteran pass rusher is signing with Baltimore. It will be a one-year deal worth up to $4MM for the veteran, and Schefter reiterates that Houston turned down higher-paying offers from rival teams. Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Houston will earn a $1.075MM base salary and a $1MM signing bonus, and there’s an opportunity to ear another ~$2MM via Pro Bowl and sack incentives.
9:24am: Justin Houston is zeroing in on a suitor. Jason La Canfora reports (via Twitter) that the veteran defensive lineman recently reached out to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh “to convey a willingness to come to Baltimore.”
As La Canfora notes, the Ravens are Houston’s top choice, and it sounds like he’s willing to take a discount to make it happen. Houston is willing to sign for “considerably less than market,” and the player’s camp is ready to work with the organization with the understanding that the front office is dealing with cap constraints. As La Canfora tweets, the player had more lucrative offers on the table, but he ultimately turned down contracts from his many suitors.
We learned earlier this week that the pass rusher had a long list of potential suitors, with the Colts and Steelers mentioned as potential landing spots. Given Houston’s track record and newfound ability to stay healthy, it makes sense that he still has a market. The 32-year-old totaled 19 sacks in two Colts seasons, playing out a two-year, $23MM deal. His history with knee trouble notwithstanding, Houston did not miss a game as a Colt. Houston missed 26 games during his eight years with the Chiefs, but he was still plenty productive, collecting 78.5 sacks (including a 22-sack campaign in 2014).
The Ravens certainly have a need for a veteran pass rusher. The team lost Matt Judon, who led the 2020 squad with six sacks, in free agency, and the organization also lost the likes of Yannick Ngakoue and Jihad Ward.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB Kenji Bahar
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Krishawn Hogan
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: OL Dennis Kelly
Washington Football Team
- Reverted to IR: DE Jalen Jelks
Ravens To Sign Chris Smith
Chris Smith is making another stop on his AFC North tour. The free agent defensive end has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Ravens, his agent Drew Rosenhaus announced.
Smith has previously spent time with the Bengals and Browns over the past few years. Baltimore worked out a group of pass-rushers Monday, which also included former third overall pick Dion Jordan and Shilique Calhoun, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Smith apparently won that competition. The Arkansas product originally entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Jaguars back in 2014.
He played sparingly in Jacksonville, then was traded to Cincy before the 2017 season. He played solid in a rotational role, notching three sacks, four tackles for loss, and two passes defended. That earned him a three-year contract from the Browns, although he was cut after a season and a half.
He latched on with the Raiders last year, and bounced between their practice squad and active roster. Smith turned 29 back in February. Baltimore doesn’t have a ton at defensive end right now beyond Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Smith ends up making the team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on NFI list: OT Ja’Wuan James
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Cardinals): C Lamont Gaillard
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Jake Luton
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: RB Taquan Mizzell
- Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Kadarius Toney
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: S Curtis Riley
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/21
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on NFI list: TE Jacob Breeland, G Ben Cleveland
New England Patriots
- Placed on NFI list: S Joshuah Bledsoe, LB Cameron McGrone, RB Rhamondre Stevenson
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Jordyn Peters, RB Mike Weber
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed off waivers (from Rams): WR Nsimba Webster
Ravens Sign Brandon Stephens, Wrap Draft Class
That’s a wrap. On Wednesday, the Ravens inked third-round defensive back Brandon Stephens to his rookie deal. With Stephens taken care of, the Ravens now have their entire 2021 draft class in the fold.
Stephens began his collegiate career as a running back at UCLA. Then, he transferred to SMU, switched to the secondary, and put himself on the NFL’s radar. Last year, Stephens notched ten passes defensed to lead the American Athletic Conference and also came away with one interception. Between ’19 and ’20, he batted down 22 passes in total, showing the length and coverage skills needed to make it at the next level.
Stephens spent most of his time on campus as a cornerback, but the Ravens believe that he can play both corner and safety. As the No. 104 pick, he’s slotted for a four-year, $4.8MM deal. That sum includes an $840K signing bonus with escalating salaries from now through 2024.
With less than a week to go before rookies report for duty, here’s the full recap of the Ravens’ 2021 class:
- Round 1: No. 27 Rashod Bateman, WR (Minnesota) (signed)
- Round 1: No. 31 (from Chiefs) Jayson Oweh, DE (Penn State)
- Round 3: No. 94 (from Chiefs) Ben Cleveland, G (Georgia)
- Round 3: No. 104 Brandon Stephens, CB (SMU)
- Round 4: No. 131 Tylan Wallace, WR (Oklahoma State) (signed)
- Round 5: No. 160 (from Cardinals) Shaun Wade, CB (Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 5: No. 171 Daelin Hayes, LB (Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 5: No. 184 Ben Mason, FB (Michigan) (signed)
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 7/20/21
Here are today’s draft pick signings:
Baltimore Ravens
- OL Ben Cleveland (Georgia, third round)
Buffalo Bills
- OT Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa, third round)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- CB Tyson Campbell (Georgia, second round)
- OT Walker Little (Stanford, second round)
New England Patriots
- DE Ronnie Perkins (Oklahoma, third round)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- OL Kendrick Green (Illinois, third round)
The pair of Jaguars rookies are the most notable names on the list. The Georgia product rebounded from an injury-plagued 2019 campaign, finishing with 29 tackles, five passes defended, and one interception. The Jaguars selected Campbell with the first selection of the second round, and he should compete for a starting gig right away. Meanwhile, Little was selected with the 45th pick of the draft following a standout collegiate career that saw him earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He’ll likely have to work his way into playing time behind Cam Robinson and/or Jawaan Taylor.
Meanwhile, the Steelers’ signing of Green means the team has officially inked their entire draft class to rookie contracts.
Poll: Which Rookie Wide Receiver Will Finish With Most Receiving Yards?
This past week we asked you which rookie running back would finish with the most yards in 2021, and now we’re turning our attention to the wide receivers. This year’s wideout class was a great one, with three going in the top ten picks.
Two more then went later in the first round, and then five were off the board in the second. The crop included reigning Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, and LSU star Ja’Marr Chase who was reunited in Cincinnati with college teammate Joe Burrow.
Chase became the first receiver off the board when the Bengals nabbed him with the fifth overall pick. He should already have great chemistry with Burrow, so he’s got that working in his favor. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are still there, but the team moving on from A.J. Green this offseason means Chase should see plenty of opportunity right away. Will his rapport with Burrow and a potentially improved Cincy O-line be enough for him to seize the rookie receiving title?
The following pick, the Dolphins took Jaylen Waddle from Alabama at number six. Waddle is also reconnecting with an old college quarterback as he’ll re-team with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. His blazing fast speed gives him plenty of upside, although working against him is the fact that he missed a good chunk of the 2020 season due to injury. Will Fuller will have to sit out the first game of the 2021 season with a suspension, but DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki will also be competing for targets.
Smith *also* is getting paired back up with a familiar face under center. The Heisman winner played with Eagles second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts at Alabama. Despite winning the award for best college football player in the country, Smith was the third wideout taken. Will he use that as added motivation and come out with a chip on his shoulder? He certainly shouldn’t struggle for playing time with Philly’s receiving depth chart being thin as ever. Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, and Greg Ward Jr. are all he has to compete with.
The other two first-rounders were Kadarius Toney from Florida to the Giants at 20 and Rashod Bateman from Minnesota to the Ravens at 27. Toney surprised New York by skipping OTAs and apparently might begin the year in a gadget role as he’s buried behind Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton, and Evan Engram in the pecking order, so he’s got his work cut out for him. Bateman has a path to a breakout with Baltimore in desperate need of receiving help, but the Ravens’ passing game is going to be a wild card.
Elijah Moore was the next big name, with the Ole Miss product going to the Jets at 34. He’s also got upside, but has a few guys ahead of him and will have a rookie quarterback throwing to him. Rondale Moore (Purdue) to the Cardinals at 49, D’Wayne Eskridge (Western Michigan) to the Seahawks at 56, Tutu Atwell (Louisville) to the Rams at 57, and Terrace Marshall Jr. (LSU) to the Panthers at 59 round out the rest of the round two receivers.
So, what do you think? Which receiver will rack up the most yards in 2021? Who are the later-round candidates or UDFAs who can join these players as early contributors? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
2021 Cap Space For All 32 NFL Teams
There are still plenty of quality free agents left on the board as we look ahead to training camp. Cornerback Steven Nelson, tackle Russell Okung, and longtime Legion of Boom leader Richard Sherman headline the list, along with accomplished edge rushers like Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, and Olivier Vernon. That list will only grow larger, of course, as more teams shed veterans to redirect their funds elsewhere.
With that in mind, here’s a look at every NFL team’s cap situation, starting with the league-leading Jaguars:
- Jacksonville Jaguars — $32.7MM
- Denver Broncos — $28.9MM
- New York Jets — $28.5MM
- Cleveland Browns — $20.6MM
- Los Angeles Chargers — $19.9MM
- Detroit Lions — $17.9MM
- San Francisco 49ers — $17.8MM
- Cincinnati Bengals — $17.4MM
- Washington Football Team — $16.7MM
- Indianapolis Colts— $14.3MM
- Carolina Panthers— $14.3MM
- Minnesota Vikings — $13.5MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers — $13.1MM
- New England Patriots — $13.1MM
- New Orleans Saints — $11.4MM
- Arizona Cardinals — $11.3MM
- Buffalo Bills — $10.5MM
- Baltimore Ravens — $8.8MM
- Atlanta Falcons — $8.6MM
- Seattle Seahawks — $8.3MM
- Tennessee Titans — $8.3MM
- Kansas City Chiefs — $7.9MM
- Los Angeles Rams — $7MM
- Chicago Bears — $6MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $6MM
- Miami Dolphins — $5.3MM
- Green Bay Packers — $5MM
- Houston Texans — $5MM
- Las Vegas Raiders — $3.3MM
- Philadelphia Eagles — $3.2MM
- New York Giants — $2.4MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — $489K