Latest On LB Zach Orr’s Comeback
After announcing this morning that he’s mulling a comeback attempt, linebacker Zach Orr has drawn the interest from at least eight NFL clubs. Orr plans to meet with each and every one of those teams before making a decision on where (and possibly if) to sign, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Lions were the first club to reach out to Orr, per Birkett, so he’ll take his first visit with Detroit.
Here’s more on Orr as he ponders whether to make a return to the NFL:
- Orr’s search for “dissenting medical opinions” was not new, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), and the former Ravens ‘backer finally “found a doctor who told him what he wanted to hear,” a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Baltimore’s doctors wouldn’t clear Orr after a congenital spine condition was discovered, and it’s unclear if another club’s physicians will have a differing view. Initially, doctors told Orr that he was at risk of death or paralysis if he continued his career.
- The Ravens opted not to use a restricted free agent tender on Orr because they assumed he was retiring, meaning Orr can now choose his next team unfettered. It’s possible another player could attempt to “escape” the restricted free agent process by feigning retirement, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. That’s not to insinuate Orr’s retirement was anything but genuine, as his serious medical condition is clearly limiting. But another player could use Orr’s situation as a template to hit free agency on his own terms in the future (although a club could simply tender said player at the cheapest level, allowing the team to hold the player’s rights).
- Now that Orr returning to the NFL is a viable possibility, his former Ravens teammates are lobbying for Orr to re-sign with Baltimore, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. The Ravens haven’t added a free agent or draft pick to replace Orr’s 932 defensive snaps, and currently have 2016 second-round pick Kamalei Correa penciled in to play opposite fellow middle linebacker C.J. Mosley. Given that it was Baltimore’s doctors that failed to medically clear Orr in the first place, it seems unlikely he’ll end up back with the Ravens.
Lions To Host Zach Orr On Visit
Well, that didn’t take long. The Lions have scheduled a visit with linebacker Zach Orr, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter), just hours announced that he is mulling a comeback. In addition to the Lions, seven other teams have already reached out to the 25-year-old.
[RELATED: Zach Orr Considering Comeback]
Orr was a restricted free agent with the Ravens, but they did not tender him a deal after he elected to retire in January. Months later, Orr has gotten new opinions regarding his congenital spinal condition and the doctors he has consulted with say he can play. The Ravens reportedly doubt their own doctors would clear him for action, so we’ll have to wait and see whether doctors for the Lions will give him a thumbs up.
Last year, Orr finished out with a team-leading 130 tackles and earned second-team All-Pro honors. From a football perspective, the Ravens would probably like to have him back on the field, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll be pursuing a new deal based on what GM Ozzie Newsome had to say Wednesday.
“I spoke with Zach yesterday and he informed me that he would like to continue to play football,” Newsome said in a statement. “He is a free agent.”
Zach Orr Considering Comeback
Linebacker Zach Orr retired from football in January due to a congenital spinal condition. Surprisingly, the former Ravens standout says that he is now thinking about a return to football. 
“I had my mind made up. I was like man, the doctors told me I was done,” Orr said on NFL Network Wednesday morning. “This is a serious issue. So I’m going to leave it alone. But I just kept hearing that from multiple people and some were telling me to just go check out and seek out some more opinions and things like that and come to find out my condition, it is rare — .01 percent of the people have what I have — but there’s no actual evidence or facts that I’m at a higher risk than any other player. And it’s actually been documented that a college player who had the exact same thing that I have that returned to play with no problems.”
The Ravens had the option of controlling Orr through 2017, but they did not use the restricted free agent tender on him before the window expired. The 25-year-old is now a free agent and he could be an interesting option for teams if he is in fact healthy enough to play.
People from the Ravens organization have been in touch with Orr, Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. They love him as a player and as a person, but they seriously doubt their doctors would pass him on a physical. It’s possible that other teams will have similar reservations about Orr, despite his optimism about playing.
Orr’s condition, which affects less than 1% of people, was thought to be serious enough to end his career. Initially, doctors told Orr that he was at risk of death or paralysis by playing with the condition. However, other doctors have since given him the green light to play. Those experts said their only concern would be if Orr played with herniated discs. Fortunately, the herniated discs he suffered last season have corrected themselves.
The former undrafted free agent became a starter for the first time in his career in 2016. As the replacement for Daryl Smith, Orr appeared in 15 games and played the most defensive snaps of any Baltimore ‘backer. All in all, Orr recorded 89 tackles, three interceptions, and five passes defensed.
Details On Jeremy Maclin’s Ravens Contract
When Jeremy Maclin‘s two-year, $11MM contract with the Ravens was first announced, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports indicated the deal didn’t contain much “funny money,” suggesting the accord was a fairly straightforward pact. While that’s true, the structure of the contract will still allow Baltimore to escape the deal after the 2017 campaign with little dead money accelerating onto its cap.
Maclin received a $5MM signing bonus, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, meaning $2.5MM will be prorate onto the Ravens’ salary cap in both 2017 and 2018. For the upcoming season, Maclin’s base salary will be only $1MM, meaning he’ll take home $6MM in year one of his new contract. In 2018, however, Maclin’s salary will increase to $4MM, $2MM of which is guaranteed for injury, per Hensley. Additionally, Baltimore holds a $1MM roster bonus on Maclin that must be exercised by the third day of the 2018 league year.
In sum, Maclin’s cap charges will be $3.5MM and $7.5MM over the next two seasons. If the 29-year-old struggles again in 2018 as he did with the Chiefs in 2016, the Ravens could move on relatively easily. Assuming he’s healthy, Baltimore could cut ties after the 2017 season with only $2.5MM in dead accelerating onto its cap (against a savings of $5MM).
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Drug Charges Against Matt Elam Dropped
Former Ravens safety Matt Elam has been cleared of drug charges stemming from his February arrest, according to ESPN.com. After also recently being cleared of theft and battery charges, Elam is now free of all the criminal charges that were hanging over him this offseason. 
[RELATED: Theft, Battery Charges Against Elam Also Dropped]
Police said that Elam had 126 grams of marijuana and three grams of oxycodone in his possession when he was arrested in Miami this winter. He was charged for possessing upwards of 20 grams of cannabis, possession of cannabis with the intent to sell/deliver, and possession of a controlled substance. Now, he’s off the hook for each of those.
Legally speaking, Elam is in the clear, but NFL teams will be thinking long and hard before getting into business with the safety. Even before the two arrests, the former first round pick didn’t do much for the Ravens. Elam struggled in his first two NFL campaigns and he missed the entire 2015 campaign thanks to a biceps tear in training camp. After losing much of last year to a knee injury, Elam didn’t do much in his nine games on the field.
It also seems likely that Elam will face discipline for the league office for his missteps.
Preston: Campanaro, Gillmore Need To Take Next Step
- Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes there are several Ravens players who have to prove themselves this season if they want to stick around the NFL. The writer specifically points to a pair of fourth-year players, wideout Michael Campanaro and tight end Crockett Gillmore. Preston doesn’t believe the players need to become “superstars,” but they need to at least prove that they can contribute in some capacity.
[SOURCE LINK]
Could Ravens Add Anquan Boldin?
Could the Ravens still sign Anquan Boldin? People are naturally speculating that Baltimore could bring Boldin back to the fold, but Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun gets the sense that the Ravens are content with what they have at wide receiver. The Ravens want to give Breshad Perriman lots of playing time while also getting Chris Moore involved and a Boldin signing would hurt both of those efforts. Baltimore is also looking to use its remaining cap space to bolster the offensive line.
Latest On Ex-Ravens S Matt Elam
Some good news for former Ravens safety Matt Elam as the grand theft and domestic battery charges against him have been dropped (Twitter links via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). The charges stemmed from an incident back in May. 
According to court documents, there was insufficient evidence exists to prove the charges against Elam. Apparently, the victim did not cooperate with the state’s investigation and there was a lack of independent evidence to verify the allegations.
Elam is not out of the legal woods yet, however, as he is still facing charges from his February arrest in Miami. Elam was cuffed while allegedly holding 126 grams of marijuana and three grams of oxycodone. He was charged with possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis, possession of cannabis with the intent to sell or deliver, and possession of a controlled substance.
Elam struggled as a starter in his first two NFL seasons and he missed the entire 2015 campaign thanks to a biceps tear in training camp. After losing much of last year to a knee injury, Elam showed very little in the nine games that he did appear in. The Ravens made no attempt to re-sign the safety for the 2017 season and everyone else in the league stayed away from him following the arrest for drug-related charges.
Even if Elam is found not guilty for the remaining charges against him, he is still not off the hook in the eyes of the league office. The free agent may receive a suspension from the NFL, which will further hurt any efforts to return to football.
Ravens Notes: Pitta, Webb
Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, the first pick in this year’s draft, suffered a left foot injury Wednesday that left him in “obvious pain,” reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland. A day later, Garrett sat out practice as team doctors evaluated his foot, a club spokesman announced. The Browns won’t provide further details on Garrett’s ailment, per Cabot, who relays that the injury likely isn’t serious. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Garrett should be “fine.” Foot issues are nothing new for Garrett, who dealt with soreness throughout organized team activities and battled a high ankle sprain during his final year at Texas A&M last season. Fortunately, though, it looks as if he and the Browns will escape relatively unscathed in this instance.
More from the NFL’s North divisions:
- Unsurprisingly, it appears injured tight end Dennis Pitta‘s release from the Ravens last week will bring an end to his career. When speaking with reporters Thursday, Pitta didn’t announce his retirement, but he conceded, “I’m not delusional” (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). Hip problems limited Pitta to seven games from 2013-15, but he returned last season to post a 16-game campaign and catch a team-high 86 passes. The soon-to-be 32-year-old suffered a hip dislocation earlier this month, though, leading the Ravens to cut ties after seven seasons.
- In his first meeting with the Detroit media on Thursday, newly acquired Lions offensive tackle Greg Robinson called the trade that sent him from Los Angeles to the Motor City “a big surprise,” per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Robinson busted with the Rams, who selected him second overall in 2014, and acknowledged that things “haven’t really went the way I would like” to this point. The 24-year-old expects to jump-start his career in Detroit, however. “I plan on benefiting from (my fresh start) tremendously,” Robinson declared. “It’s really refreshing and I plan to make the most out of it.”
- Browns quarterback Brock Osweiler has been “very happy” with his performance this spring, and the ex-Texan explained Wednesday why his play has improved from his disastrous 2016 in Houston. “The best part is I’m getting coached hard on my fundamentals,” Osweiler said, via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. “And I believe firmly that when your fundamentals and your feet are right as a quarterback, you’re going to make great decisions and you’re going to throw accurate footballs.” Osweiler added that his “fundamentals slid” last year, but he declined “to go into great detail” on why. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk interprets Osweiler’s remarks as a shot at the Texans’ coaching staff, particularly Bill O’Brien, who didn’t get along well with the signal-caller last season.
- Defensive back Lardarius Webb experienced a “tepid market” during his month of unemployment before re-signing with the Ravens in May, as Zrebiec details. The only club known to have expressed interest in the 31-year-old Webb was the Vikings, although Baltimore reportedly had interest in bringing Webb back almost instantly after releasing him. The Ravens saved $5.5MM in cap space by originally cutting ties with Webb, who has since inked a new three-year deal worth $6.3MM (with another $1.4MM available annually via incentives).
- Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer indicated Wednesday that both kicker Kai Forbath and punter Ryan Quigley will have to fight for their jobs this summer, telling reporters that “there’s an open competition” at both spots (via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune). Forbath, whom the Vikings signed last November after releasing Blair Walsh, made all 15 of his field goal attempts with Minnesota in 2016 but will battle second-year man Marshall Koehn to stay with the club. “He’s got the stronger leg,” Priefer said of Koehn. “This kid is coming on strong. It’s a great competition.” Quigley, an April signing, will try to fend off another second-year player, Taylor Symmank, after averaging a career-worst 41.6 yards per punt on 34 attempts with the Cardinals last season.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Ravens Unlikely To Sign Another WR
After signing Jeremy Maclin this week, the Ravens are focused on upgrading their offensive line rather than adding another wide receiver such as Eric Decker or Anquan Boldin, franchise owner Steve Bisciotti told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
“If I don’t get an offensive lineman, somebody is going to start shooting at me. If I have one bullet left in that gun, I better save it for an offensive lineman,” Bisciotti said. “I think right now, we have a lot of confidence in Chris Moore to be our fourth wideout and let the competition begin with the fifth and sixth wideout. [Michael] Campanaro, as you know, has to stay healthy and Keenan Reynolds is developing. Chris Matthews is doing some nice things in camp and did nice things last year in camp.
I’d say that I don’t think that we have room for a starter at wide receiver now and I do think there’s going to be some talent out there that could challenge for a starting position on our offensive line. I think I’m going to save that last punch for an offensive lineman.”
Baltimore currently boasts Maclin, Mike Wallace, and former first-round pick Breshad Perriman as its top three wideouts, but that group certainly comes with question marks. Before releasing him, the Chiefs were reportedly concerned Maclin, who signed a two-year deal with the Ravens, had “lost a step”, as Zrebiec writes in a separate piece. Like Maclin, Perriman has dealt with injuries in the recent past, as he missed his entire rookie campaign before posting 33 receptions a season ago.
As Bisciotti alludes to, Baltimore could use another lineman (especially on the interior), and one free agent to whom the club has been linked — former Jets center Nick Mangold — is still available. The two sides are reportedly in a holding pattern, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com suggested last month that Mangold may want more money than the Ravens are willing to offer.