Ravens To Sign QB Joe Callahan
The Ravens are expected to sign quarterback Joe Callahan, a source tells NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). Callahan may face long odds of making the roster, but he has familiarity with offensive coordinator Greg Roman thanks to their time together at Holy Spirit High School in 2008. 
With RG3 sidelined, the Ravens needed another quarterback to move them through camp. The hope is that Griffin will be ready for Week 1, but it’s possible that he’ll need extra time to recover. In either event, the Ravens will have Callahan to support Lamar Jackson and rookie Trace McSorely.
Prior to signing Callahan, veteran Josh Johnson rejected an offer from the Ravens.
Josh Johnson Turns Down Ravens
It wasn’t meant to be. Quarterback Josh Johnson has turned down a contract offer from the Ravens, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Johnson would have been a logical fit for the Ravens given his history with the club and the team’s need for another arm in camp. However, RGIII will likely return when the season begins, so Johnson didn’t feel it was the right opportunity. Instead, he’ll presumably wait for another camp injury and a better opportunity to make someone’s 53-man cut.
Johnson has toured much of the NFL over the course of his career, but went many years without actually taking a snap. At the age of 33, Johnson is probably tired of the add/drop game and is looking for something stable. This season will mark Johnson’s 12th in professional football.
Ravens To Work Out QB Josh Johnson
The Ravens are set to work out quarterback Josh Johnson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Johnson could provide depth in Baltimore following the injury to RGIII. 
Griffin will miss four to eight weeks after suffering a hairline fracture in his right thumb Saturday night and there’s some fear that he could miss regular season time. Johnson, meanwhile, could backstop the QB room behind starter Lamar Jackson and sixth-round Penn State product Trace McSorely.
Last year, Johnson made three starts for the Redskins and finished out three touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 1-2 record. Prior to that, he hadn’t thrown a regular season pass since 2011.
AFC North Notes: Josh Johnson, Ravens, Kareem Hunt
With the news that Ravens backup quarterback Robert Griffin would miss time with a fractured bone on his thumb, the team worked out free agent quarterback Josh Johnson, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted.
A journeyman signal-caller over the last decade, Johnson has suited up in the regular season with five teams — Buccaneers, Browns, Bengals, 49ers and Redskins — but has been a part of numerous others. He received an extended look under center with Washington in 2018, when he started three games and threw for 590 yards and three touchdowns.
A mobile QB, Johnson fits Baltimore’s run-heavy attack and has worked under Harbaugh in the past. Johnson reportedly had ankle surgery in March, so assuming he receives a clean bill of health during his workout, the veteran makes plenty of sense to work under second-year signal-caller Lamar Jackson.
Here’s more from around the AFC North:
- Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam addressed the media about Kareem Hunt, stating that talks are still ongoing with the league and players association regarding the team’s attempt to have Hunt remain with the team through the upcoming eight-game suspension, the Akron Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich tweeted, Dee Haslam also noted Hunt has to work really hard to be a part of the Browns and that it’s up to him, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweeted.
- Sticking in Cleveland, second-year defensive end Chad Thomas gave the middle finger to a fan who heckled Thomas to hustle on Sunday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Coach Freddie Kitchens addressed the incident, saying that if the two of them had a conversation it would stay between them. “Of course, Chad Thomas, as you guys see, he is very emotional, a passionate guy. I want those guys to play with passion, but he is also a young guy so he has to understand and develop a sense of when to move on. I think he will learn.” Since it was not done during a game, the Browns instead of the NFL will handle any type of punishment.
- Steelers safety Sean Davis suffered a finger injury that could possibly be a dislocation, coach Mike Tomlin said [Tweet via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler]. Davis has started 31 of a possible 32 games the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, registering four interceptions and 15 pass breakups.
RGIII To Miss Four To Eight Weeks With Hairline Fracture In Thumb
Ravens backup QB Robert Griffin III will miss four to eight weeks after suffering a hairline fracture in his right thumb Saturday night, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Baltimore is optimistic that RGIII will be ready for Week 1, but if he cannot return on the early side of his recovery timeline, he will miss at least some regular season time. The Ravens will surely sign a free agent signal-caller in short order, as the only other QB on the roster behind starter Lamar Jackson is sixth-round rookie Trace McSorley. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic says Josh Johnson, who has been on Baltimore’s preseason roster before, makes the most sense (Twitter link).
Robert Griffin Fractures Thumb
- Green wasn’t the only notable AFC North player to go down on Saturday. Ravens backup quarterback Robert Griffin III “has a small fracture in his thumb,” sources told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’ll be sidelined for a while, but the team is “still optimistic he’ll be ready for Week One.” Griffin injured his thumb when it banged against a defender’s helmet toward the end of Baltimore’s practice, Zrebiec explained in a separate tweet. Starter Lamar Jackson and rookie Trace McSorley are now the only two healthy quarterbacks on the roster, so the Ravens will likely be adding another passer in the next day or two.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/19
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived/injured: WR Quincy Adeboyejo
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LS Dan Godsil
- Waived: WR Kermit Whitfield
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Fish Smithson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: T.J. Green
- Waived/injured: DL Kenny Bigelow, WR Chad Hansen
New York Jets
- Waived: DL Fred Jones
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: CB Alex Brown
- Waived/injured: OL Erik Magnuson
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: S Damon Webb
Washington Redskins
- Signed: RB Shaun Wilson
- Waived: T Brian Wallace
Harbaugh Spoke Up For Jackson Pre-Draft
The Ravens‘ Lamar Jackson interest began before his junior year at Louisville. It escalated a few weeks before the 2018 draft. During a disagreement among Ravens staffers regarding quarterback preferences going into a draft that would have five QBs taken in the first round, John Harbaugh pronounced his willingness to build a new offense around the dual-threat passer.
After choosing Jackson, the Ravens rode some of Greg Roman‘s Colin Kaepernick-based concepts to a division title. Harbaugh, Roman and then-OC Marty Mornhinweg considered going back to Joe Flacco when the Ravens’ offense stalled for much of their wild-card loss to the Chargers, but each of Harbaugh’s assistants agreed Jackson gave the team the best chance to win. As for the Ravens’ 2019 offense, it will feature similar run designs to what was used last season. But Pompei adds the passing attack was considerably revamped in the offseason.
Marquise Brown Nearing Return
- Ravens first-round WR Marquise Brown could be getting closer to completing his comeback from a Lisfranc injury. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports that Brown has passed his conditioning test and now needs to pass his physical (Twitter link). Hensley says it would not be surprising to see “Hollywood” on the field next week.
AFC North Notes: Bengals, Green, Ravens
Here’s a look at the AFC North:
- Tyler Boyd‘s new extension will impact the ongoing extension talks between the Bengals and A.J. Green, as The Athletic’s Jay Morrison writes. Still, for what it’s worth, director of player personnel Duke Tobin says that they are separate matters. “It’s not an either/or. It’s a both,” Tobin said. “And we’ll see where we can go with the other. We would like to retain both of them, and we will work to do that and see what we can get done as we go here. It’s nice when you are not the only good receiver on a football team, it helps you. Tyler has been great in that he’s really versatile for us, and he can play a number of different positions. They are different-style guys for our game, and they complement each other well. So whether (Boyd’s) No. 1 or No. 2 or whatever, he’s a good football player and he’s been rewarded for that.”
- Good news for the Ravens. According to the transactions wire, defensive tackles Michael Pierce and Daylon Mack and outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson have all passed their physicals. This means that they’re off the non-football injury list and available to practice when things get underway on Thursday. It should be noted that their NFI designation was different from the one that would have automatically ruled them out for a portion of the year, but it’s still a promising sign for the defense.
- The Browns met with the agent for disgruntled running back Duke Johnson this week.