NFL Draft Rumors: Vander Esch, Steelers, Bills
The latest NFL Draft news:
- Linked to Leighton Vander Esch for several weeks this offseason, the Steelers met with the Boise State outside linebacker on Monday night, Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst reports. Pittsburgh has used first-round picks on either inside or outside ‘backers in four of its past five drafts. Three of those players remain on the team, but only two will be able to play this season. Ryan Shazier has been declared out as he attempts to recover from his frightening spine injury. Pauline wrote in March that Vander Esch won’t get past Pittsburgh at No. 28.
- Next up for Vander Esch met the Cowboys on Wednesday morning, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. After that, he has the Cardinals and every team picking between No. 12 to No. 24, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Aside from the aforementioned clubs, the teams picking from No. 12-24 are the Bills (twice), Redskins, Packers, Ravens, Chargers, Seahawks, Lions, Bengals, Bills, Patriots, and Panthers.
- LSU pass-rusher Arden Key met with the Saints and Lions before his pro day on Wednesday and will visit with the Bengals on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Due to injuries, key only started in eight games last year, but he still finished out with 33 tackles, 5.5 for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble. He is widely projected to be a first round pick later this month.
Ravens Sign QB Robert Griffin III
The Ravens have signed quarterback Robert Griffin III to a one-year deal, the club announced today. It’s a $1MM deal with a small signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Baltimore has reportedly had interest in Griffin for some time, as the team nearly signed the former No. 2 overall pick last season. Griffin also turned down an offer from the Cardinals, and eventually sat out the entirety of the 2017 campaign. The Ravens recently brought in Griffin for a workout, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, and a subsequent visit led to a deal that was hammered out on Tuesday night.
RG3, of course, was at one time among the most dynamic talents in the NFL. As a Redskins rookie in 2012, Griffin posted 3,200 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions, and added another 815 yards and seven scores on the ground. That performance helped Washington to a postseason berth and led to Griffin being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Injuries and ineffectiveness took a toll on Griffin over the next two seasons, however, and the Redskins ultimately benched him in favor of Kirk Cousins. Washington declined to allow Griffin to see the field at all in 2015, as a serious injury would have triggered an expensive guarantee on his fifth-year option. A two-year, $15MM deal brought RG3 to the Browns in 2016, but health issues limited him once again, and he appeared in just five games before being released last spring.
Griffin is now slotted in as the Ravens’ backup quarterback behind starter Joe Flacco, and his addition almost surely means Baltimore will not re-sign former No. 2 signal-caller Ryan Mallett. Flacco has been extremely durable during his decade-long career, so there’s no guarantee that Griffin will see any action during the regular season.
Titans To Host WR Michael Campanaro
The Titans are expected to meet with free agent wide receiver Michael Campanaro, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
Tennessee is searching for a new slot receiver, as 2017 slot man Eric Decker is currently a free agent. The Titans are also expected to host Jordan Matthews, and while he and Campanaro are very different receivers, they’ve both spent most of their time inside. At present, Tennessee’s wideout depth chart is topped by Rishard Matthews and 2017 first-rounder Corey Davis, with Taywan Taylor, Tajae Sharpe, Darius Jennings, and Zach Pascal in reserve.
Campanaro, 27, had managed only 12 total receptions during his first three years in the league, but topped that total alone with the Ravens in 2017. Not only did Campanaro post 19 receptions for 173 yards, but he served as Baltimore’s primary punt returner, averaging 10.8 yards per return while adding one touchdown. The Titans, for their part, used first-round rookie Adoree’ Jackson as a punt returner last season, but it’s possible Campanaro could take over that role if Tennessee wants to give Jackson a breather.
The Titans have been speaking with Campanaro’s agent for several weeks, but they aren’t the only club with interest in the wideout, per Zrebiec (Twitter link). The Ravens are still open to re-signing Campanaro, while “a few” other unidentified teams have also checked in, according to the Baltimore Sun scribe.
Ravens High On Cameron Meredith
- Having brought in several UFA or RFA wideouts for visits recently, the Ravens may have a favorite among these pass-catchers. Baltimore is believed to be particularly high on Cameron Meredith, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports. Given the low-end tender by the Bears, Meredith joined fellow RFA Willie Snead and UFA Michael Floyd in trekking to Maryland for visits this month. Meredith’s met with the Colts and Saints as well, doing so after missing the entire 2017 season. The 25-year-old former UDFA, though, broke out with 888 receiving yards for the 2016 Bears. The Bears have $27.5MM in cap space compared to the Ravens’ $10.7MM figure, for offer-matching purposes.
Ravens Work Out WR Willie Snead
The Ravens auditioned wide receiver Willie Snead on Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Snead participated in the same workout as fellow wideout Michael Floyd. 
Snead is a restricted free agent of the Saints at the lowest level tender, meaning that New Orleans has the option to match any offer sheet he signs. If the offer sheet is not matched, the team will not have to forfeit any draft compensation.
Snead, 26 in October, didn’t do much last season. However, in the previous two campaigns, he averaged 70 catches for 940 yards and four touchdowns. The Saints’ decision to not use a second-round tender on Snead may be an indication that they won’t go far to retain him.
Last year, as an exclusive rights free agent, he pushed for an an new big money contract and didn’t get it. Snead is unlikely to hit the jackpot this time around, but he could position himself for a bigger payday if he does well on a one-year deal elsewhere.
Ravens Work Out WR Michael Floyd
The Ravens tried out former Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Ravens are the first known suitor for Floyd in free agency. 
Late last year, Floyd expressed a desire to return to Minnesota. But, so far, we haven’t heard much on that front.
“I would like to stay here, for sure,” Floyd said in December. “I love this place.”
Once regarded as the heir apparent to Larry Fitzgerald, Floyd slipped down the depth chart in Arizona. When he was cuffed for a DUI in December of 2016, that proved to be the last straw for the Cardinals. He was claimed off of waivers by the Patriots, but didn’t see much in the way of playing time. Last offseason, he hooked on with Minnesota, but was not much of a factor in their offense.
On the plus side, Floyd says he’s on the straight and narrow.
“The partying stopped,” he told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I was going out all the time and having fun. Now, I’m mostly focused on work and hanging out with my teammates. … I go out now, but I don’t drink.”
Ravens Meet With Derrius Guice
- Running back is not the Ravens‘ top need, but they did meet with LSU running back Derrius Guice on a predraft visit, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. It seems unlikely that Guice will be a fit for Baltimore for a few reasons. For starters, they currently pick at No. 16, which may be a reach for Guice. The Ravens also have a decent backfield group headlined by Alex Collins with Buck Allen and Kenneth Dixon in support. There’s room for someone who could be a solid rusher as well as a dynamic pass-catcher in the mold of Bell, but Saquon Barkley fits that profile much more than Guice. At LSU, Guice had only 32 receptions in three seasons.
Saints Sign TE Benjamin Watson
Tight end Ben Watson agreed to a one-year deal with the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This marks a return for Watson, who spent 2013-2015 with New Orleans. 
The Saints tried to facilitate a more ambitious tight end reunion this offseason by pursuing Seahawks free agent Jimmy Graham. That didn’t pan out, but they have managed to add experience at the position at a cheaper rate by signing Watson.
Watson had 61 catches for 522 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games with the Ravens last season, demonstrating that he’s still productive, even in his old age. The veteran turned 37 in December.
Watson’s 2015 season with the Saints was the best of his long career. In that campaign, he set career-highs in receptions (74), yards (825), and touchdowns (six) while catching passes from Drew Brees.
The 2004 draft product will now compete with Coby Fleener for the starting role and he may have the edge after Fleener managed just 22 catches last season. Josh Hill, Michael Hoomanawanui, and Garrett Grayson fill out the club’s tight end depth chart.
Ravens Interested In WR Allen Hurns
The Ravens are among the teams with interest in free agent receiver Allen Hurns, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Hurns certainly isn’t wanting for a market after being released by the Jaguars earlier this week. He’s already met with both the Cowboys and Jets, while the Browns, Bears, Bills, Saints, Texans, Raiders, and Panthers have all reportedly reached out to Hurns. Dallas hasn’t stopped its pursuit of Hurns even after reaching a deal with Deonte Thompson earlier toady, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Hurns is only 26 years old, but he hasn’t had much success since the 2015 campaign. During that season, Hurns served as the Jaguars’ No. 2 receiver behind Allen Robinson and posted a 64/1,031/10 line. Since then, Hurns’ role in the Jacksonville offense has been drastically scaled back, while injuries have also limited him. He failed to top 500 yards receiving in either 2016 or 2017.
Baltimore, meanwhile, has already reached agreements with wideouts Michael Crabtree and John Brown, but the club doesn’t seem to be ending its search for receivers. Since Wednesday, the Ravens have met with restricted free agent pass-catchers Willie Snead and Cameron Meredith, neither of whom would require a sacrifice of draft pick compensation.
Ravens Meet With Cameron Meredith
The Ravens will host Bears restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith on a visit, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The meeting will primarily take place on Thursday. 
Meredith took a visit with the Colts on Tuesday and the Ravens are now the second known team to meet with him. The Bears opted to use the original round tender on Meredith earlier this month, so a team can sign him to an offer sheet without fear of losing draft picks.
Meredith, 25, is coming off a torn ACL, but he can be a major value addition if he’s healthy. In 2016, Meredith caught 66 passes for 888 yards in just 10 starts.
The Ravens bolstered their wide receiver corps this offseason by signing Michael Crabtree and John Brown, but they’re still scouring the market for additions, including Meredith and fellow restricted free agent Willie Snead.