Ravens Notes: Moncrief, Jensen, Campanaro
- Pending Colts free agent wide receiver Donte Moncrief could be a fit for the Ravens, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Baltimore could certainly use help at wideout, as the club ranked 26th in passing DVOA a season ago and could be poised to lose several contributors over the coming weeks. Mike Wallace is scheduled to hit free agency next Wednesday, while fellow veteran pass-catcher Jeremy Maclin has been mentioned as a candidate for release. Moncrief, meanwhile, has been limited by injuries over the past two seasons, but is only 24 years old and managed a 64/733/6 line as recently as 2015. Per Rapoport, Moncrief is likely to sign a one-year deal, which makes sense given his limited record of recent production.
- Speaking of the Ravens, center Ryan Jensen is expected to garner a “nice” deal in free agency, and it’s unclear if Baltimore will be able to re-sign him, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun writes. Jensen is one of the top free agent centers on the market, but he only has one full season of starting experience. Still, his youth (age 26) should allow him to land a multi-year pact in a free agent market short on interior lineman. Meanwhile, receiver Michael Campanaro has already generated interest around the NFL based on his route-running and special teams prowess, per Zrebiec.
Ravens Re-Sign DE Brent Urban
The Ravens are keeping at least one of their free agents. On Tuesday afternoon, the Ravens announced a new one-year deal for defensive end Brent Urban. 
Urban was slated to start in 2017, but a Lisfranc injury shut him down after just three games. Injuries, of course, were a common theme for Baltimore in 2017. At the time, Urban became the 17th Ravens player to hit the injured reserve list. The injuries continued to pile up from there, but the Ravens still nearly made the playoffs and finished out with a 9-7 record.
The Ravens have other free agents to address in the coming days, including wide receiver Mike Wallace, tight end Benjamin Watson, and running back Terrance West. Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome has indicated that the team will shake up its WR group, which may not bode well for Wallace’s future in Baltimore.
Military Official Cautioned Ravens Against Colin Kaepernick?
The Ravens were reportedly interested in signing quarterback Colin Kaepernick before the 2017 campaign, but a high-ranking U.S. military official may have been part of squashing the club’s plans to meet with the signal-caller, according to TMZ Sports. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh consulted with several friends while his team was discussing Kaepernick, and one such friend — the unnamed official — “cautioned” Harbaugh about the former 49ers signal-caller. While the official did not tell Harbaugh not to sign Kaepernick, he did indicate the Ravens should give Kaepernick a “set of specific guidelines to follow” in order to remain employed. Kaepernick, of course, was the progenitor of kneeling for the national anthem as a form of silent protest. After passing on Kaepernick, Baltimore went on to sign journeyman Thad Lewis to serve as depth behind starter Joe Flacco.
Ravens Inquiring About Jarvis Landry
Count the Ravens among the teams now connected to Jarvis Landry. The franchise-tagged wideout has been given permission to facilitate a trade and will sign his franchise tender to do so, and another receiver-needy suitor has emerged.
The Ravens join the Bears and at least three other teams among those to have discussed a potential deal with Landry’s agent, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
No agreement is imminent, but the Ravens being involved signifies they’re inquiring about the successful slot target as a potential solution amid a receiving corps rebuild. Ozzie Newsome indicated in Indianapolis the team is looking at a rebuild of its wideout cadre.
Baltimore does not have a reliable young talent on its roster. Its Breshad Perriman investment has not worked out. Mike Wallace is also a free agent and will turn 32 before next season. Soon to be 30, Jeremy Maclin has one year remaining on his contract after a disappointing season.
Landry’s tag is expected to be worth $16.2MM, and the Bears — the team most linked to Landry thus far — have far more cap space than the Ravens at $63MM-plus. The Ravens’ cap situation is again unenviable. As of Sunday night, they stand to possess $9MM-plus in cap space and have among the least in the league.
Maclin could be cut to save $5MM, but $2.5MM in dead money would come with that move. A Brandon Carr cut has a $4MM-$3MM cap savings-dead money outcome, with an Austin Howard release saving $3MM but tagging the Baltimore cap with $2MM.
But Baltimore is inquiring and would presumably be ready for an extension to reduce Landry’s 2018 cap hit.
Ravens Notes: Smith, Wideouts, Draft, Humphrey
The Ravens “continue to get positive reports” on cornerback Jimmy Smith‘s recovery from a torn left Achilles tendon. The veteran suffered the injury in a December win over the Lions. While there’s uncertainty if Smith will be ready in time for the start of the regular season, the defensive back has still been rehabbing the injury at the team facility “on a regular basis.”
“I see Jimmy. He’s there because he’s rehabbing. I see him in the building. He’s telling me he’s doing very well,” said general manager Ozzie Newsome (via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). “I spoke with Drew [Rosenhaus] earlier in the week and Drew indicated that he just spent some time with Jimmy and Jimmy was doing well.”
Before his injury, Smith had compiled 28 tackles, nine passes defended, and three interceptions. The 2011 first-round pick has spent his entire seven-year career with the Ravens.
Let’s check out some more notes out of Baltimore…
- Newsome previously said that the team is expected to reset the wide receiver position this offseason, and Zrebiec tweets that the sentiment “doesn’t bode well” for the returns of wideouts Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace. The duo combined for only 92 receptions, 1,188 yards, and seven touchdowns last season. Maclin has one year remaining on his contract (along with a $7.5MM cap hit), while Wallace is an unrestricted free agent.
- With the Ravens apparently seeking reinforcement at wide receiver, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that a reunion with Torrey Smith is a “very real possibility.” The Eagles are expected to decline the 29-year-old’s 2018 option. Smith started 14 games during his only season in Philly, hauling in 36 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns. The 2011 second-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career in Baltimore.
- Despite Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti‘s assertion that his team wouldn’t select a successor to Joe Flacco, La Canfora believes the team could still “invest a high pick” on a quarterback in this year’s draft. The Ravens haven’t been in the market for backup quarterbacks, and the team is “most likely” to select a wideout with their first-round pick. However, the reporter notes that the team is doing “considerable work” on the rookie passers, and they “very well could use a top pick on a quarterback if the right guy is there.”
- The felony robbery charge against cornerback Marlon Humphrey has been dismissed, reports ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The 2017 first-rounder was accused of stealing a phone charger from an Uber, but Judge Joanne Jannik ruled that there was no probable cause to prosecute. After being selected 16th-overall in last year’s draft, Humphrey filled in admirably for Jimmy Smith, compiling 34 tackles and two interceptions.
Could Ravens Pursue Tavon Austin?
- With the Rams reportedly set to move on from wide receiver Tavon Austin, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun wonders aloud if the Ravens could bring the former Dunbar star home. The Ravens need to overhaul their receiver corps this season with a particular emphasis on speed. The team has been widely connected to Jarvis Landry, but Austin would represent a much cheaper option in every sense of the word. The Dolphins hit Landry with the $16MM+ franchise tag in February with the hope of trading him, likely for draft compensation. Austin, meanwhile, seems likely to get released outright, even though the Rams would ideally like to recoup something for him. Because of the offset language in Austin’s contract, that means he could probably be had for the league minimum or close to it.
Salary Cap Rollover For All 32 NFL Teams
This week, the NFLPA updated its salary cap report to include the rollover amounts for all 32 teams in the NFL. The Browns, as expected, lead the league in $58.9MM in cap space rolled over from the previous season. Here is the full rundown of each team’s rollover amounts:
After the Browns, the 49ers ($56MM), Titans ($30.3MM), Jaguars ($27.8MM), and Jets ($17.3MM) boast the highest rollover amounts in the league. The Dolphins ($69K), Saints ($287K), Giants ($365K), Eagles ($514K), and the Seahawks ($547K) have the least amount of rollover. In total, teams carried over nearly $340MM from last season, good for an average of $10.6MM per club.
Ravens, Crockett Gillmore Have Mutual Interest
- The Ravens and tight end-turned-offensive lineman Crockett Gillmore have mutual interest in new contract, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Reports last week indicated Gillmore would transition to offensive line, and he’s apparently begun the change by packing on “considerable bulk” to aid the move. Baltimore, understandably, wants a “better gauge” of Gillmore’s physical condition, not solely due to his upcoming position switch, but because he missed the entire 2017 with a knee injury. Gillmore, 26, was always considered an outstanding blocking tight end while playing in the 250-pound range.
NFL Awards Compensatory Picks To 15 Teams
The NFL has awarded 15 compensatory draft picks to teams, as directed by the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The compensatory pick system provides additional picks to teams who lose more/better qualifying free agents in the previous year than gained.
This year, the 32 comp picks were dispersed to 15 different teams. Here is the complete rundown:
Round 3
- No. 97 overall – Cardinals
- No. 98 overall – Texans
- No. 99 overall – Broncos
- No. 100 overall – Bengals
Round 4
- No. 133 overall – Packers
- No. 134 overall – Cardinals
- No. 135 overall – Giants
- No. 136 overall – Patriots
- No. 137 overall – Cowboys
Round 5
- No. 170 overall – Bengals
- No. 171 overall – Cowboys
- No. 172 overall – Packers
- No. 173 overall – Cowboys
- No. 174 overall – Packers
Round 6
- No. 207 overall – Packers
- No. 208 overall – Cowboys
- No. 209 overall – Chiefs
- No. 210 overall – Raiders
- No. 211 overall – Texans
- No. 212 overall – Raiders
- No. 213 overall – Vikings
- No. 214 overall – Texans
- No. 215 overall – Ravens
- No. 216 overall – Raiders
- No. 217 overall – Raiders
- No. 218 overall – Vikings
Round 7
- No. 251 overall – Chargers
- No. 252 overall – Bengals
- No. 253 overall – Bengals
- No. 254 overall – Cardinals
- No. 255 overall – Buccaneers
- No. 256 overall – Falcons
The Bengals, Cowboys, Packers and Raiders lead the way in comp picks this year with four. The Cardinals and Texans each snagged three, the Vikings own two, and the Falcons, Ravens, Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots, Giants, and Buccaneers each have one.
Ravens’ Crockett Gillmore Moving To OL
Pending free agent Crockett Gillmore could be changing teams in 2018. He could also wind up changing positions. The tight end is looking to transition to the offensive line, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). 
Gillmore is training with former NFL player LeCharles Bentley, who runs an academy for offensive linemen. Gillmore has long talked about wanting to transition to the O-Line, according to Zrebiec, and has added “considerable bulk” in order to make the move.
Gillmore, 27 in November, had 33 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 2015. Unfortunately, injuries have hampered him ever since. In 2016, he appeared in only seven games thanks to back and knee issues. Then, last year, a July knee injury cost him all of 2017.
It’s not immediately clear how the position change will impact his status with the Ravens. Gillmore is slated to hit the open market on March 14, the first day of free agency.