Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Dontae Strickland
- Waived: CB Ryan Pulley, TE Jerome Washington
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, G Patrick Vahe
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
- Signed: RB L.J. Scott
- Released: RB Devante Mays
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Bug Howard, OL Nathan Jacobson, DL Deyon Sizer, DL DeShawn Williams
- Released: TE Temarrick Hemingway, DL Caushaud Lyons, OL Brian Wallace, DL Jaylen Johnson
New York Giants
- Re-Signed: DL John Jenkins
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: RB Nico Evans, QB Luis Perez
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Parker Hesse, WR Cody Hollister
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.
Ravens Eyeing Significant Role For Rookie QB
- Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley is currently slotted in as the Ravens‘ third quarterback behind Lamar Jackson and Robert Griffin III, but the team may have bigger plans for the rookie. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes that the team is envisioning him playing a similar role to Taysom Hill on the Saints. McSorley is expected to take a few reps at quarterbacks, get a handful of carries, contribute on special teams, and perhaps make a few cameos at safety.
- Zrebiec also believes the Ravens will make a push to sign defensive lineman Ezekiel Ansah. The organization already met with the free agent several weeks ago, and it was rumored that the 29-year-old would wait to sign a contract until he wasn’t attached to a compensatory pick. Ansah appeared in just seven games for the Lions last year before his shoulder took him out of action. However, Ansah has shown serious potential in the past with two 12+ sack seasons. As recently as 2017, Ansah profiled as one of the best edge rushers in the game.
[SOURCE LINK]
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/6/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Aaron Adeoye, CB Terrell Bonds, OT Darrell Williams
- Waived: DB Robertson Daniel, S Evan Worthington, OL C.J. Toogood
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles, DE Jalen Dalton
- Cut: DB Adarius Pickett, DE Lawrence Marshall
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Jhavonte Dean, RB Travon Gray, LB Willie Harvey
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed: WR Jawill Davis
- Signed: WR Darrius Shepherd, CB Chandon Sullivan
- Released: RB Lavon Coleman
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reserve/non-football injury list: DE Tim Ward
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Bryce Hager
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Terrance Alexander, DE Stacy Keely, DB Isaiah Wharton
New England Patriots
- WR Xavier Ubosi
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Kenny Bigelow Jr., RB Devine Ozigbo, CB Jordan Wyatt
New York Giants
- Signed: G Austin Droogsma
New York Jets
- Waived: QB Brandon Silvers
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: P A.J. Cole, DT Ronald Ollie
- Waived: P Drew Kaser, OL Jamar McGloster
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed: OL Willie Beavers,
- Signed: LB LaRoy Reynolds, RB Austin Walter
- Waived: RB Matthew Dayes, DL Ryan Delaire
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/4/19
We’ll keep track the latest late-round draft pick signings here:
- The Ravens announced the signing of sixth round quarterback Trace McSorley. After signing three picks yesterday, the Ravens have now locked up all their Day 3 picks, and are just waiting on their first three picks to sign. McSorley set records at Penn State, but was widely viewed as being too small and inconsistent with his accuracy to be a top rated passer. The Ravens took a flier with the 197th pick, and they might experiment with him. McSorley played safety in high school, and he was by far the fastest quarterback at the combine. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has mentioned the possibility of using him on special teams and as a gadget player, and it sounds like McSorley could play a similar role with Baltimore as Taysom Hill does with the Saints. He should be fun to watch no matter where the Ravens end up using him.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/3/19
We’ll keep track the latest late-round draft pick signings here:
- The Ravens announced the signings of running back Justice Hill (fourth round), guard Ben Powers (fourth round), cornerback Iman Marshall (fourth round), and defensive tackle Daylon Mack (fifth round). With that, the Ravens have just four stragglers left to go.
- The Giants inked defensive back Julian Love (fourth round), tackle George Asafo-Adjei (seventh round), and defensive tackle Chris Slayton (seventh round).
- The Packers, as of this writing, have four draft picks under contract – sixth-round cornerback Dexter Williams and seventh-round linebacker Ty Summers signed their deals, following the lead of the club’s first round picks.
Ravens Sign Gerald Willis, 16 Other UDFAs
Stationed on ESPN’s “best available” graphic for hours on Day 3 of the draft, Gerald Willis found a home in Baltimore. The Ravens made the defensive lineman part of their UDFA contingent. Here is the rest of the team’s 17-man group:
- Otaro Alaka, LB (Texas A&M)
- Marcus Applefield, T (Virginia)
- E.J. Ejiya, LB (North Texas)
- Cole Herdman, TE (Purdue)
- Markus Jones, LB (Angelo State)
- Patrick Mekari, G (Cal)
- Sean Modster, WR (Boise State)
- Kalil Morris, DT (Kent State)
- Mike Onuoha, LB (Texas A&M-Commerce)
- Matthew Orzech, LS (Azusa Pacific)
- Charles Scarff, TE (Delaware)
- Jaylen Smith, WR (Louisville)
- Silas Stewart, LB (Incarnate Word)
- C.J. Toogood, C (Elon)
- Antoine Wesley, WR (Texas Tech)
- Gerald Willis, DT (Miami)
- Evan Worthington, S (Colorado)
Rated as the No. 76 overall prospect on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board, Willis earned second-team All-American honors by finishing with 18 tackles for loss and four sacks last season. However, character issues likely led to his slide. Florida dismissed the talented defender earlier in his career, and some Miami coaches were skeptical of his NFL future.
The Ravens are continuing their rookie-heavy approach to staffing their wide receiver spots, this trio following Marquise Brown and third-round pick Miles Boykin. Smith, who had his best college season (a 60-catch, 980-yard, seven-touchdown 2017) when playing with Lamar Jackson, will rejoin the developing passer. Wesley’s 1,410 receiving yards ranked third in Division I-FBS last season.
Ravens DT Michael Pierce Signs RFA Tender
Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Pierce will now earn $3.095MM for the 2019 season.
The deadline has already passed for NFL teams to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets, so Pierce didn’t have the ability to leave Baltimore. A rival club would have had to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Pierce, and while he’s an excellent player, the relatively low positional value for run-stuffing defensive tackles made such a scenario unlikely.
Pierce, 26, has appeared in 46 games for the Ravens since going undrafted in the 2016 draft. The 6’0″, 340-pounder played behind stalwart Brandon Williams on Baltimore’s interior defensive line last season, managing four tackles for loss on 389 total snaps. Pro Football Focus graded Pierce as the fifth-best defensive tackle in the league, and also ranked him 11th among interior defenders in run-stop percentage.
With Pierce now under contract, the only restricted free agents yet to sign their tenders are Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson, Rams linebacker Cory Littleton, and Rams cornerback Troy Hill.
Ravens Notes: Johnson, Willis
- The Ravens were attempting to sign Arizona defensive tackle P.J. Johnson to an undrafted free agent deal when he was selected by the Lions with the 229th overall pick, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “It was kind of funny,” Johnson said. “I tried to be as polite as possible,” Johnson said, “but get off fast: ‘Excuse me, but the Lions are calling. I’ve got to go.’ ” Baltimore did not have a selection after No. 197, so the club would have had to trade back up (using 2020 capital) in order to land Johnson.
- Miami defensive tackle Gerald Willis surprisingly went undrafted before reportedly inking a UDFA deal with the Ravens, and his fall was likely caused by a few off-field issues, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes. Willis allegedly got into an altercation with Skyler Mornhinweg (son of ex-Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg) before being dismissed at Florida, while some former Miami coaches also bad-mouthed Willis, per Zrebiec. The current Hurricanes staff, however, praised Willis.
Vikings Send No. 93 Pick To Ravens
More Vikings trade action. The Ravens enticed Rick Spielman to trade down, for the fourth time in Round 3.
While the Vikings just acquired a seventh-round pick for a one-spot Jets move, the Ravens will send them two choices — sixth-rounders, at 191 and 193 — for the right to climb nine spots in the third round. The Ravens used the pick to take Notre Dame wide receiver Miles Boykin.
Minnesota began its Round 3 odyssey at No. 81, then moved to 88, 92, 93 and now 102. At this rate, the Vikings will be busy on Day 3.
Boykin will follow Marquise Brown to Baltimore, with the Ravens using the draft to augment their aerial weaponry corps this year. With a developmental quarterback in Lamar Jackson, this strategy makes sense. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Boykin does offer a complementary skill set to the former Oklahoma deep threat.