Ravens, WR John Brown In Talks
The Ravens may have found the speedy wide receiver they’ve been looking for. John Brown is “pretty far down the road” in negotiations with Baltimore, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). 
Brown is coming off the worst season of his NFL tenure, as injuries limited him to just ten games. During that time, Brown managed only 21 receptions for 299 yards and two scores. As recently as 2015, however, the now 27-year-old Brown put up 65 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, and he’s reportedly healthy.
The Ravens, at one point, were connected to Jarvis Landry. Brown represents a cheaper, though less accomplished option for the slot. One could argue that he’s also quicker out of the gate.
Ravens In Mix For Jimmy Graham?
Jimmy Graham has drawn interest from both the Packers and Saints, but the Ravens are also believed to be pursuing the former All-Pro tight end.
Graham is on the Ravens’ radar, but Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun tweets they are likely not the favorites and could be fighting an uphill battle. This is presumably due to the Ravens’ cap situation compared to the Packers’ and Saints’.
The 31-year-old tight end has drawn interest from the Drew Brees– and Aaron Rodgers-centered teams and would make for an interesting component for two franchises with stacked offenses. Baltimore’s setup is less certain, and the Ravens do not have nearly as much cap space as their reported Graham competitors do.
Despite Graham having not quite been as good for the Seahawks as he was for the Saints, he was still a top-tier red zone option last season. He caught 10 touchdowns — his fourth season with double-digit scores — but averaged a career-low 9.1 yards per catch. But it appears the ninth-year pass-catcher still has a competitive market as a first-time UFA.
Baltimore has cycled through tight ends over the past few years, with injuries playing a key role in that rotation. Graham would represent a clear upgrade from the incumbents.
Ravens Exercise CB Brandon Carr’s Option
The Ravens are picking up cornerback Brandon Carr‘s option, a source tells Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Carr signed a four-year deal with the Ravens last offseason, but really it’s a contract with a series of options. The Ravens had the choice to hit the eject button this offseason, but declined.
Carr, 31, is now scheduled to earn a base salary of $4.5MM and a roster bonus of $1.5MM in 2018. All told, he’ll count for $7MM against the Ravens’ salary cap. Had Baltimore declined Carr’s option, it would have created $4MM in cap space.
In his first campaign with the Ravens, Carr started all 16 games for the tenth consecutive season. An extremely durable player, Carr ranked as the No. 69 cornerback among 121 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Carr finished a respectable 34th in Football Outsiders’ success rate while posting four interceptions, the latter of which tied a career-high.
While Carr is sticking around, the Ravens have parted ways with running back Danny Woodhead and offensive tackle Austin Howard earlier today.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/18
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:
RFAs
Tendered at original round level ($1.907MM):
- Cardinals: DL Xavier Williams
- Jets: S Rontez Miles (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- Saints: WR Willie Snead (story)
- Steelers: LB Anthony Chickillo (via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Non-tendered:
- Saints: CB Delvin Breaux (story)
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: TE Nick O’Leary, DE Eddie Yarbrough, TE Logan Thomas, CB Lafayette Pitts (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Browns: FB: Dan Vitale, C Austin Reiter (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
- Buccaneers: RB Peyton Barber (story)
- Jaguars: WR Shane Wynn (story)
- Packers: QB Joe Callahan, T Adam Pankey (reports via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com),
- Ravens: RB Alex Collins, TE Vince Mayle, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
Non-tendered:
- Bears: TE Daniel Brown, LB John Timu
Ravens To Release RB Danny Woodhead
The Ravens will release running back Danny Woodhead, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Woodhead inked a three-year deal with Baltimore last offseason, but he’ll only make a third of the way through that contract. By releasing the veteran back, the Ravens will pick up $1.8MM in cap space while incurring $1.5MM in dead money. That extra cap space is critical for Baltimore, who currently have roughly $6MM in available funds.
Woodhead, 33, suffered a hamstring injury on the first drive of his Ravens career, and subsequently spent the first half of the season on injured reserve. After coming back, Woodhead managed 33 receptions for 200 yards while rushing for 56 yards on the ground.
In other Ravens news, Baltimore has elected to decline Austin Howard‘s option. Howard should find a strong market for his services given the dearth of quality tackles available.
Ravens To Decline Austin Howard’s Option
The Ravens are not picking up the option for right tackle Austin Howard, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Howard is not a world-beater, but as Rapoport notes, he is entering a very thin right tackle market and he started all 16 game last year. 
Howard joined the Ravens on a three-year, $16.5MM free agent deal last year. Baltimore, who is right up against the salary cap, will now create $3MM in savings by parting ways with Howard. The club has opened up nearly $5MM by getting rid of Howard and running back Danny Woodhead today.
Howard, who has also spent time with the Eagles, Jets, and Raiders, graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 36 offensive tackle during his first season with the Ravens. Overall, Baltimore’s offensive line was extremely effective, grading as top-five unit in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate.
Because his option was declined (and he wasn’t actually released), Howard will still count towards the 2019 compensatory pick formula.
Ravens Release Lardarius Webb
For the second straight March, the Ravens made the decision to release their longest-tenured defensive back.
The franchise cut Lardarius Webb again on Monday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), and there might not be an immediate path back onto the roster for the nine-year Ravens starter.
Webb was used mostly off the bench last season, but he’s made 85 starts with Baltimore and suited up for 127 regular-season games. The Ravens, who are up against the cap, will save $1.75MM by making this move.
The Ravens brought Webb back last year at a reduced rate but may not do the same for what will be the defender’s age-33 season.
He saw action in six playoff games, starting four, for the franchise. Although, an injury prevented him from suiting up during the Ravens’ four 2012 playoff contests. However, in Baltimore’s near-Super Bowl run during 2011, Webb intercepted eight passes (five in the regular season, three in those playoffs).
Ravens Re-Sign OL James Hurst
The Ravens and James Hurst have agreed to a four-year deal to keep the offensive lineman in Baltimore, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Hurst’s deal will be worth $17MM in total and he’ll receive $8MM guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) opines that the money in Hurst’s deal signals that the Ravens plan on transitioning him into a starting role. He also speculates as to what the deal could mean for right tackle Austin Howard, who the Ravens signed to a three-year deal last offseason and started all 16 games this past year.
Hurst, 26, has served in mostly a backup role during his first four seasons with the Ravens but started all 16 games last season at left guard due to injuries on the team’s line. Zrebiec wonders whether the team will opt to keep Hurst at left tackle and shift former fourth-round pick Alex Lewis, who missed all of his sophomore season due to a shoulder injury, to right tackle rather than starting Howard.
The Ravens signed Hurst as an undrafted free agent in 2014 out of North Carolina. They’re set with Ronnie Stanley at left tackle and Marshal Yanda at right guard but have several other question marks remaining in regards to how their line will shake out.
Hurst, Lewis and Howard are all under contract but center Ryan Jensen and backup Luke Bowanko are both due to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. The Ravens also have Nico Siragusa back at guard after taking him in the fourth round last year and missing the entire season with a torn ACL.
Rams To Release Tavon Austin
Tavon Austin‘s two-year Rams extension did not end up working out to the franchise’s liking, and less than two years after authorizing it, the Rams are moving on from the wideout.
The Rams plan to release Austin, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter).
While the Ravens would seem like a logical landing spot, given their pursuit of now-Browns wideout Jarvis Landry and the fact Austin is from Baltimore, La Canfora reports an Austin/Ravens agreement isn’t likely.
Despite the Rams reigniting their offense under Sean McVay after finishing as the league’s worst passing attack a year earlier, Austin managed just 13 receptions for 47 yards last season. However, the gadget weapon did rush for 270 yards and a score.
Austin will hit the Rams with a $5MM dead-money charge thanks to a fully guaranteed roster bonus — due whether he’s on the team or not — but no additional dead money remains on the 26-year-old’s deal. And by cutting him before March 16, the Rams save $3MM against their 2018 cap.
Austin signed a four-year, $42MM deal in the summer of 2016. That contract does contain offset language, so the Rams would potentially be off the hook for some of that dead money. But given what’s happened in the former No. 8 overall pick’s career, it’s hard to see a team adding Austin for much more than the league minimum.
Ravens Interested In Donte Moncrief
- Donte Moncrief is likely to exit Indianapolis, and the Ravens are interested, La Canfora hears. The Ravens, as of now, possess less than $5MM in cap space. But with Moncrief perhaps in line for a one-year deal after an inconsistent Colts tenure, La Canfora writes Baltimore is in the mix for the athletic target.