Ravens To Sign Shane Ray

The Ravens have agreed to sign Shane Ray, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The edge rusher’s deal is pending a physical, which may be more than a formality given his history. 

Ray has missed 13 games over the last two seasons with the Broncos due to various injuries. The LB/DE, who turns 26 on Saturday, hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft pedigree, but he has shown flashes of promise. The former first-round pick amassed four sacks as a reserve in his rookie season and tallied a career-high eight sacks in 2016.

Despite the setbacks, Ray drew interest from a handful of other teams this offseason, including the Seahawks, Colts, and Raiders. The Ravens arguably needed him more than any of those clubs after losing 2018 sack leader Za’Darius Smith to the Packers and all-time franchise sack leader Terrell Suggs to the Cardinals.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/19

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: G R.J. Prince
  • Waived: G Kofi Amichia, TE Nick Keizer

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: D’Ernest Johnson
  • Waived: RB L.J. Scott

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Waived: WR Justin Sumpter

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: WR Bryant Mitchell
  • Waived: LS Dan Godsil

Tennessee Titans

Ravens Sign LB Pernell McPhee

The Ravens have agreed to sign linebacker Pernell McPhee, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll return to Baltimore on a one-year deal. 

The veteran spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore and owns 31 career sacks and six forced fumbles over the course of his eight years in the NFL. The 30-year-old (31 in December) hasn’t put up big numbers in a couple of years, but the Ravens believe that he’s still a capable disruptor.

McPhee was a 2011 fifth-round pick of the Ravens and was an oft-featured sub before moving on to the Bears in free agency. He entered and went out with a bang in Baltimore – McPhee notched six sacks as a rookie and tallied a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2014, his contract year. McPhee parlayed that success into a five-year deal, $38.8MM deal with Chicago, but injuries cost him 12 regular season games over a three-year stretch. Still, McPhee managed 14 sacks for the Bears.

The Ravens also met with Rams free agent Matt Longacre, but the McPhee signing may check the box for veteran edge rushers.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/19

oday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Waived/injured: C Connor Hilliard, S Rob Rolle

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: WR Joe Parker

Washington Redskins

Ravens Considering Pernell McPhee

The Ravens are considering a Pernell McPhee return, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (on Twitter). The Ravens have been on the hunt for veteran pass rush help and McPhee would offer familiarity with the club after spending the first four years of his career in Baltimore. 

The Ravens also met with Matt Longacre this week, but he left the facility without signing a deal. Longacre is less accomplished than McPhee, but he is three years younger and started in seven games last year, which is seven more than McPhee.

McPhee was a 2011 fifth-round pick of the Ravens and was an oft-featured sub before moving on to the Bears in free agency. He entered and went out with a bang in Baltimore – McPhee notched six sacks as a rookie and tallied a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2014, his contract year. McPhee parlayed that success into a five-year deal, $38.8MM deal with Chicago, but injuries cost him 12 regular season games over a three-year stretch. Still, McPhee managed 14 sacks for the Bears.

McPhee didn’t impress much in his reserve role with the Redskins last year, but he could view a Ravens return as an opportunity to get back on track.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/19

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: WR Joe Horn Jr.

Denver Broncos

  • Placed on IR: OL Nico Falah

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: DT Boogie Roberts

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Ravens To Meet With Matt Longacre

The Ravens will meet with edge rusher Matt Longacre on Monday, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). This marks the first known visit of the offseason for the 27-year-old. 

[RELATED: Ravens DT Michael Pierce Signs RFA Tender]

To date, Longacre has spent his entire four-year career with the Rams. On the verge of his age-28 season, he could be on the verge of changing conferences.

Last year, Longacre appeared in 13 games and made seven starts in the Rams’ star-studded front seven. He finished out with 17 tackles, one sack, and six QB hits.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/19

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: S Abraham Wallace, OL Garrett McGhin, DT Quindarius Thagard
  • Released: TE Jake Fisher, RB Keith Ford

Chicago Bears

  • Bears Signed: WR Jesper Horsted
  • Waived: G Tommy Doles

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

 

Staff Notes: Newsome, Panthers, Lions

Despite ceding his post as Ravens GM to longtime lieutenant Eric DeCosta, Ozzie Newsome remains a central presence in Baltimore’s front office. He played a key role in the Ravens adding Earl Thomas, despite not having an official title. He does now. Amid a staff shakeup, the Ravens revealed (via Pennlive.com) Newsome will serve as their executive vice president. The Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl-winning executive will continue to advise DeCosta. This should help a Ravens team in a bit of a transition, considering Terrell Suggs, Joe Flacco and C.J. Mosley are no longer with the franchise. Newsome, 63, sticking around will provide vital continuity.

Here is the latest on some front office situations around the league, staying first with more from the Ravens’ new-look staff:

  • The Ravens will now have co-directors of player personnel, moving former college scouting director Joe Horwitz and previous senior personnel assistant George Kokinis into the position. The Ravens brought in Kokinis in 2010, following a short stay as the Browns’ general manager. The Ravens promoted Mark Azevedo from his northeast area scout post to player personnel coordinator and made Chad Alexander their assistant director of pro and college personnel. Vincent Newsome will move from director of pro personnel into a senior player personnel executive position, and Nick Matteo will now oversee the Ravens’ salary cap. Matteo spent 10 years as an NFL management council exec.
  • While their staff changes were not as sweeping as the Ravens’, the Panthers have some key figures in new positions. A 22nd-year Panthers exec, Jeff Morrow will take over as Carolina’s player personnel director after heading the franchise’s college scouting department. Fourth-year Panthers staffer Eric Stokes will move into Morrow’s former role. Former Panthers wide receiver Mark Carrier, a ninth-year member of the team’s front office, will become executive director of the Panthers’ football staff.
  • Lastly, the Lions reshuffled a few roles. Dave Sears will rise from Detroit’s assistant director of college scouting to leading that department. Rob Lohman will make the same move on the pro side. Both Sears and Lohman have been with the Lions for 13 years.
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