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.
Saints WR Willie Snead Visiting Ravens
Saints restricted free agent wide receiver Willie Snead will visit the Ravens on Wednesday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Saints used the lowest tender on Snead, which grants them the right of first refusal on any offer sheet. However, the Ravens would not have to forfeit any draft compensation in the event of an unmatched offer sheet. 
Snead, 26 in October, wasn’t much of a factor in the Saints’ offense last year and missed the first three games of the season with a suspension. However, he averaged 70 catches for 940 yards and four touchdowns between 2015 and 2016.
The Ravens have upgraded their wide receiver stable by adding Michael Crabtree and John Brown this month. Neither Chris Moore nor Breshad Perriman did a whole lot last season, so the Ravens are looking to provide Joe Flacco with another weapon.
John Brown On Sickle Cell Trait
- New Ravens wide receiver John Brown was diagnosed with the sickle cell trait back in 2016, but he claims that’s not impacting his health. “I’m healthy. I’m feeling good,” said Brown, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal with Baltimore (link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “Sickle cell was never part of the problem.” Brown set career highs with 65 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns for Arizona in 2015, but has not reprised that performance in the last two years. Brown will team with fellow free agent addition Michael Crabtree to give Baltimore a new-look wide receiver corps in 2018.
AFC Contract Details: Crabtree, Williamson
Here are figures on some of the recent contracts signed around the NFL, with all links going to Twitter unless noted otherwise.
- Michael Crabtree, WR (Ravens): Three years, $21MM. $11MM guaranteed, $8MM guaranteed in 2018. $7MM signing bonus, $2.5MM performance-based incentives. $2MM roster bonus due in March 2019 (via Pelissero and NFL reporter Howard Balzer).
- Avery Williamson, LB (Jets): Three years, $22.5MM. $16MM fully guaranteed, $6MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $4MM, $6MM, $6.25MM, with the 2018, ’19 amounts being fully guaranteed. Cap charges: $6MM (2018), $8MM (’19), $8.5MM in 2020 (per Balzer and ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini).
- Matt Barkley, QB (Bengals): Two years, $3.35MM (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Preston Brown, LB (Bengals): One year, $4MM. $2MM signing bonus, $1MM workout bonus (via Rapoport and Balzer).
- Tyler Eifert, TE (Bengals): One year, $5.5MM (via Rapoport).
- Donte Moncrief, WR (Jaguars): One-year, $9.6MM. Fully guaranteed plus $2MM in incentives (via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).
- Caleb Sturgis, K (Chargers): Two years, $4.45MM. $1MM signing bonus (via Rapoport and Balzer).
- Johnson Bademosi, CB (Texans): Two years, $6.25MM. $3.25MM guaranteed, $1MM roster bonus. Fully guaranteed $1.25MM base salary in 2018, non-guaranteed $2.25M base in 2019, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Jarvis Jenkins, DL (Chiefs): One year, $880K. $500K guaranteed, $90K signing bonus (per Balzer).
- Travaris Cadet, RB (Bills): One year, $880K. $45K signing bonus, $790K base salary (via Wilson).
- Andrew DePaola, LS (Raiders): Four years, $4.27MM. $875K guaranteed, $580K roster bonus (per Balzer).
Ravens Notes: Crabtree, Ryan Grant, Free Agency
Baltimore made a big splash in free agency on Friday, signing veteran receiver Michael Crabtree a day after his release from the Raiders. The move potentially gives the team a go-to, possession receiver that it hasn’t had in a number of years.
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said as much after the completion of the three-year deal worth up to $21MM. According to the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec (Twitter link): “Michael has played very well against the Ravens, so we know firsthand the attributes he brings to the game. He is a smart, tough, physical receiver who battles for the ball.”
Newsome remembers well, as Crabtree has topped 80 yards in three out of four regular-season meetings with the Ravens and has posted five touchdowns. That included a three-score outing vs. the typically stingy defense in 2016.
Known for utilizing his big arm early in his career, quarterback Joe Flacco has worked closer to the line of scrimmage in recent years and has posted at least a 64% completion rate in each season in 2015. That is likely to continue with a reliable option like Crabtree joining the hold.
Here’s more from Baltimore:
- Despite signing both John Brown and Crabtree, Newsome hasn’t ruled out a return to the fold for Mike Wallace and Michael Campanaro, ESPN’s Jamison Hensley tweets. According to Hensley, the team has been in contact with both receivers.
- Newsome said the team would have pursued Crabtree regardless if the team signed Ryan Grant or not,” Zrebiec tweets. The team voided a contract with the former Redskins wideout after he failed a physical.
- Sticking with Grant, Newsome said via Zrebiec on Twitter: “I did not get the results of Ryan’s physical until about 4 o’clock yesterday.” He said the team consulted with many doctors around the country. “It’s not a football decision. It’s a medical decision that I had no control over.”
- Before news of the Crabtree signing hit, Newsome said the team could add two or three more quality football players, Zrebiec tweets. Recently, Pro Football Rumors listed Baltimore’s top three offseason needs and named adding receiver help, beefing up the pass rush and fortifying the secondary as the team’s top goals. It checked No. 1 off the board with the Crabtree move.
Michael Crabtree Signs With Ravens
It didn’t take long for Michael Crabtree to find a new home. Just a day after being released by the Raiders, the veteran receiver reached an agreement on a three-year deal to join the Ravens, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. 
The Ravens confirmed the deal in a followup, emoji-filled tweet moments later.
The deal is worth up to $21 MM and includes $11 MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
After long speculation, the Raiders decided to cut the nine-year wideout on Friday after it inked Jordy Nelson to a deal. Shortly after the move, the Ravens set up a meeting and were reportedly going hard to sign Crabtree.
In three seasons with the Raiders, Crabtree recorded 232 catches for 2,543 yards and 25 touchdowns. Despite having a down season in 2017, the Texas Tech product still managed to lead Oakland with eight touchdown grabs.
The Ravens have been looking for a go-to wideout for a long time and the team is hoping Crabtree can fill that role. Only three Baltimore receivers, and none since Torrey Smith in 2014, have recorded eight receiving touchdowns in a season, the amount Crabtree has logged in every season since 2015.
The team has been looking to upgrade its receiving options so far in the 2018 offseason. It added a deep threat with the addition of former Cardinals wideout John Brown earlier in the week. The team also thought it had a deal with former Redskins pass catcher Ryan Grant, but the deal was voided after he failed his physical. It was also reported the team was in the mix for Jimmy Graham and Eric Ebron.
[RELATED: Ravens Depth Chart]
Colts To Meet With WR Ryan Grant
Free agent wide receiver Ryan Grant is set to meet with the Colts, his agent tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Grant had an agreement to join the Ravens, but that deal was nullified on Thursday due to the results of his physical. 
While the Ravens’ doctors were not comfortable with signing Grant, agent Rocky Arceneaux says that his ankle is a non-issue. Arceneaux says his client has been working out and running routes without any issue. Grant’s ankle was cleared by famed surgeon Dr. Robert Anderson, the agent says, and he insists his client is ready to rock.
“If there were a game tomorrow, Ryan would be able to play,” the agent said.
Grant had a breakout season in 2017, notching 45 receptions for 573 yards and four touchdowns with Washington. The Redskins previously expressed interest in retaining Grant, so that could be another possibility for him if a deal doesn’t come together with the Colts.