Ravens Re-Sign James Hurst, Ryan Jensen, Chris Matthews
Wednesday’s minor NFL moves:
- Restricted free agent offensive linemen James Hurst and Ryan Jensen have signed their tenders with the Ravens, as has exclusive rights free agent wide receiver Chris Matthews. The Ravens tendered both Hurst and Jensen at the lowest level last month, meaning they wouldn’t have been entitled to compensation had either headed elsewhere by way of an unmatched offer sheet. Hurst, a tackle, is the more experienced of the two, having appeared in all 48 regular-season games and totaled 16 starts during his three-year career. Jensen has also been in the NFL for three years, but the interior blocker only has 19 appearances and nine starts to his name.
- The Raiders have announced the signing of kicker Giorgio Tavecchio, who was with the team in each of the previous three training camps. The Italy native, undrafted from Cal in 2012, has also spent time with San Francisco, Green Bay and Detroit, but he hasn’t seen any regular-season action yet.
- The Rams have waived defensive back Kevin Short, who spent time on their practice squad last year and then signed a reserve/futures contract in January. Interestingly, Short came to the pros directly from the JUCO level, having played at Fort Scott Community College (Kansas). He went undrafted in 2015, unsurprisingly, and suited up for the Chiefs’, Seahawks’ and Jets’ practice squads prior to joining LA’s taxi squad.
Ravens Draft Visits: Jordan Willis, Tyus Bowser
- Kansas State edge defender Jordan Willis was among the Ravens’ pre-draft visitors Tuesday, and Houston’s Tyus Bowser will meet with the team Wednesday, relays Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter links). Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks Willis as the 49th-best prospect in the 2017 class – right in the vicinity of the Ravens’ second-rounder (No. 47) – and rates Bowser an even better 36th.
Ravens Host Jabrill Peppers
- The Ravens hosted Michigan defender Jabrill Peppers on Tuesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Peppers expects to serve as a safety in the pros, as do most teams with which he has spoken, but one sees the likely first- or second-rounder as a linebacker and another believes he’s capable of lining up on offense.
Ravens Could Lose College Scouting Director To Rams
- Ravens college scouting director Joe Hortiz is the Rams’ top choice to take over the same position in Los Angeles, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (all Twitter links). The Rams have shown interest in Hortiz in the past, notes La Canfora, who adds that Baltimore wouldn’t be able to prevent him from leaving. Los Angeles started reshuffling its scouting department when it dismissed four evaluators on April 9.
Ravens To Meet With Corey Davis
- Corey Davis made a trip to Nashville, Tenn., today to visit with the Titans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Davis will meet with the Titans tonight and Monday before flying to Baltimore for a Monday-Tuesday Ravens summit, per Rapoport. The Titans recently met with fellow first-round wideout prospects John Ross and Mike Williams. The franchise holds two first-round picks (Nos. 5 and 18) and is believed to be targeting wideout help. Their aggressive Brandin Cooks pursuit made this rather apparent.
Ravens Potential Landing Spot For Marlon Humphrey
- The Saints “would love” to select Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster at No. 11, per Miller. Otherwise, New Orleans is a possible destination for one of Foster’s college teammates, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, as are the Titans and Ravens.
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Lardarius Webb Contract Details
- Safety Lardarius Webb‘s new three-year deal with the Ravens has a base value of $5.1MM, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). The pact comes with a $1.2MM signing bonus, while another $1.4MM is available annually via incentives. Those incentives are based on playing time, interceptions, fumble recoveries, punt return yards, and other statistical measurements, per Zrebiec. Webb, 32, played 95% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps in 2016, but his role could be reduced now that the Ravens have signed free agent safety Tony Jefferson.
CB Jerraud Powers Announces Retirement
Cornerback Jerraud Powers intends to retire from the NFL following an eight-year career, as Powers himself announced on Instagram. 
“With the 2017 season getting started and teams are preparing to be the best they can be, I think it’s time for me to walk away from the game,” Powers writes. “The last 8 years have been a joy and wonderful ride. Even though I can still compete and play at a high level, mentally, I’m ready for the next chapter of my life.”
As Powers alludes to, he almost certainly would have found a job at some point despite not having been linked to any teams thus far during the free agent period. In 2016, Powers appeared in 13 games for the Ravens (six starts), posting two interceptions and five passes defensed while grading as the league’s No. 67 cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus. PFR, meanwhile, ranked Powers as the sixth-best corner still available on the market.
Instead, Powers will hang up his cleats three months before he turns 30 years old. Originally a third-round pick, Powers played for the Colts and Cardinals before joining Baltimore on a one-year deal prior to 2016. All told, Powers played in 100 NFL games (88 starts), put up 13 interceptions, and scored one touchdown.
Ravens Notes: Foster, Robinson
- Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster has set up a busy predraft schedule, as he’s scheduled to meet with the Colts, Bengals, Lions, Titans, and Ravens, according to Josh Norris of Rotoworld (Twitter link). Foster has already met with a number of clubs, and his packed itinerary is unsurprising given that he’s considered the top off-ball linebacker in the 2017 draft. He will combine medical re-checks this week following shoulder surgery, but has already shown full range of motion, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Like Foster, fellow Alabama alum Cam Robinson has visited a number of clubs already in the draft process, and he has a meeting planned with the Giants, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. New York already has Ereck Flowers at left tackle, but the team has made no promises that Flowers is their long-term blindside protector. I sent Robinson to the Giants at No. 23 in PFR’s first 2017 mock draft. The Ravens have also hosted Robinson, per Wilson.
Kevin King To Visit Ravens
- University of Washington cornerback Kevin King will visit the Eagles, Raiders, Browns and Ravens this week, reports FOX Sports’ Charles Davis (on Twitter). King, a prospective first-rounder, received an invitation to the draft, adds Davis.