Minor NFL Transactions: 5/27/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Ravens have signed sixth-round wide receiver/return man Keenan Reynolds, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Earlier today, United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter gave Reynolds permission to defer his obligations with the Navy to play in the NFL in 2016. Reynolds had a stellar four-year playing career at Navy, where he served as a dual-threat quarterback and accounted for 119 touchdowns (88 rushing, 31 passing).
- The Browns announced the signing of fourth-round defensive back Derrick Kindred. Kindred played in 50 games during his time at TCU, including 30 starts. In that span, Kindred recorded 235 tackles, 15 passes defensed, eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles. With Kindred in the fold, the Browns have now signed eight of their 14 draft picks.
Navy Permits Keenan Reynolds To Play In 2016
United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has cleared Ravens rookie and Navy product Keenan Reynolds to play in the NFL in 2016, the Ravens announced on Friday. Reynolds, who was listed as a return specialist in addition to wide receiver, issued the following statement: 
“It is a blessing to hear the news from Defense Secretary Carter today,” Reynolds said. “I am truly excited to proudly serve my country while having the ability fulfill my dream of playing for the best organization in the NFL. I would like to thank the Navy for allowing me to represent them while taking advantage of this unique opportunity. I would also like to thank Mr. Bisciotti and the Ravens organization for believing in me and giving me this chance.”
Reynolds is obligated to serve in the military as per his agreement with the United States Naval Academy, but he has received special clearance to defer his service. The Navy likely sees tremendous upside in the good PR that will come from Reynolds playing in the NFL.
Leading up to the draft, the Patriots were heavily connected to Reynolds. The Ravens reportedly had what they considered “reliable information” that the Patriots would try to draft Reynolds in the sixth round. With that in mind, Baltimore beat New England to the punch by nabbing Reynolds with the 182nd overall selection. New England has shown an affinity for Navy alums in the past and Reynolds’ ability to be used as a wide receiver, kick returner, or even a quarterback appealed to coach Bill Belichick.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Disciplined by NFL, Lose Week of OTAs
Following an NFL investigation into the Ravens‘ use of full pads during their rookie minicamp, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley reports that the team has been forced to cancel a week of organized team activities. The organization was fined $343,057, while coach John Harbaugh was fined $137,223.
Ravens Notes: Smith, Orr, Ramsey
At the league meetings in March, the Ravens presented a proposal that would allow most plays to be reviewed by replay, with the exception of just eight judgment calls. However, for one reason or another, they are backing off of that suggestion, as CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Clifton Brown writes. The Ravens were robbed of a win over the Jaguars in 2015 and their proposal was likely fueled by that fateful call.
Here’s more out of Baltimore:
- The Ravens did not draft an inside linebacker after Daryl Smith was released in March. Now, it’s unclear who will start at inside linebacker next to C.J. Mosley, Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. Zachary Orr is the favorite to replace Smith as the starter, but it remains to be seen whether he can make the leap from special teams ace to starter. If nobody steps up at inside linebacker early in camp, Brown wouldn’t be surprised if the Ravens look into signing a veteran inside linebacker to compete for a starting job.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun if he feels that the Ravens caught a break by not trading up to get Jalen Ramsey. After what the Ravens went through last season with Breshad Perriman, the team is surely cautious when it comes to knee injuries. However, Zrebiec argues that Ramsey is extremely talented and his injury could turn out to be rather minor. All in all, it’s far too early to say whether the Ravens lucked out when Dallas said no to their trade offer.
- Last week, the Ravens agreed to terms on a deal with free agent cornerback Jerraud Powers. Powers, 28, spent the first four years of his NFL career in Indianapolis before making a move to Arizona in 2013. He spent the last three seasons with the Cardinals. Having started 82 of his 87 career regular-season games, the former third-round pick was one of the more accomplished cornerbacks still available on the free agent market.
NFL Doesn't Believe Ravens' Explanation For Padded Workout; Stanley Could Play Guard
- The NFL does not appear to buy the Ravens‘ company line of not being aware rookie-camp practices fell under the no-pads policy that veteran offseason workouts do, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Baltimore is under investigation for suiting up rookies in pads during a non-contact punt-protection drill, and the league viewing the team as attempting to skirt the rules — albeit for a stretch that amounted to five minutes — could result in a loss of practice time.
- Although John Urschel remains the favorite to replace Kelechi Osemele at left guard for the Ravens, Ryan Jensen, Alex Lewis and the newly signed Vlad Ducasse could challenge the 2014 fifth-rounder for the job, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports. However, if the Ravens opt to keep Eugene Monroe, No. 6 overall pick Ronnie Stanley becomes the favorite to succeed Osemele at left guard, Zreibec writes. Monroe has three years left on his deal, one that pays him between $8.7-$8.95MM in each season, but has missed 15 games the past two seasons. Cutting Monroe this year would saddle the Ravens with $6.6MM in dead money.
Sheldon Price Signs ERFA Deal
- The Ravens announced that cornerback Sheldon Price, an ERFA, has agreed to his one-year contract with the team. Price, who went undrafted out of UCLA in 2013, previously spent time on the Colts’ taxi squad.
NFL Investigates Ravens for Pad Use at Minicamp
- The NFL will investigate the Ravens use of full pads at a recent rookie minicamp, reports ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. While one team official said they were unaware of the reports, they did note that rookies used pads for a “non-contact punt protection drill,” which would seemingly contradict the collective bargaining agreement. However, the team official said the organization believed those rookie minicamp rules did not apply to OTAs.
- Ravens star Terrell Suggs‘ pre-trial conference for his March one-car accident in Arizona was held today, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- Ravens outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith will now be represented by SportsTrust Advisors, according to Liz Mullen of SBJ (on Twitter).
[SOURCE LINK]
Ravens Sign Josh Johnson, Vlad Ducasse
The Ravens have signed quarterback Josh Johnson and guard Vlad Ducasse, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. 
Johnson, who turned 30 on Sunday, was on and off of the Colts’ roster early in 2015 while Andrew Luck was sidelined. In October, Johnson signed on with the Bills to help provide some insurance behind Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel. Johnson did not see the field in Buffalo, however. In his six NFL seasons, Johnson has started only five games. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be on the roster in Baltimore by September, but he can certainly provide another arm in practice while Joe Flacco recovers from a torn ACL.
Ducasse spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jets before joining the Vikings in 2014 and signing on with the Bears in 2015. Selected out of UMass in the second round of the 2010 draft, Ducasse never lived up to his draft pedigree, starting just five games during his time with New York. He topped that number in ’14 alone, starting six contests in Minnesota while playing at both guard positions. In 2015, he appeared in 15 games and started 11 of those contests.
In 2014, Ducasse played in 13 games, totaling 417 snaps, but graded as the league’s No. 61 guard among 78 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus. Last year, PFF rated Ducasse as the 47th best guard in the NFL out of 81 qualified players.
The Ravens also announced that they have signed rookie free agent Sam Brown, a defensive back from Missouri Western State.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens, Jerraud Powers Agree To Deal
3:54pm: Powers’ new one-year deal with the Ravens is worth $1.75MM, tweets Ian Rapoport.
1:58pm: The Ravens have agreed to terms on a deal with free agent cornerback Jerraud Powers, reports Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter). It will be a one-year deal for Powers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Ravens sign Ronnie Stanley]
Powers, 28, spent the first four years of his NFL career in Indianapolis before making a move to Arizona in 2013. He spent the last three seasons with the Cardinals. Having started 82 of his 87 career regular-season games, the former third-round pick had been one of the more accomplished cornerbacks still available on the free agent market.
In 2015, Powers started 13 games for the Cardinals, picking up an interception to go along with 50 tackles, nine passes defended, and a pair of fumble recoveries. However, Pro Football Focus wasn’t overly high on his play, ranking him 79th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks, assigning him mediocre grades for both his pass coverage and run defense.
During the legal tampering period in March, Powers told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that he’d like to sign a three- or four-year deal, and hoped to join a title contender. While he visited the Giants and Cardinals, Powers didn’t see his market develop as he hoped, and has now had to settle for a one-year pact with a team hoping to rebound in 2016.
From the Ravens’ perspective, it’s no surprise that the team would wait until now to add a veteran cornerback like Powers. Baltimore has always prioritized gathering as many compensatory draft picks as possible, and as of Thursday, teams can sign veteran free agents without it affecting the comp-pick formula for 2017.
The Ravens re-signed Shareece Wright earlier in the offseason, and still have Jimmy Smith penciled in at one of their starting cornerback spots, but with Lardarius Webb making the move to safety, the team had been on the lookout for another corner to fortify the position.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Sign Ronnie Stanley
The Ravens are the latest team to lock up their first-round pick from this year’s draft, announcing today (via Twitter) that offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley has signed his rookie contract. More than half of 2016’s first-rounders are now under contract, with 17 signed and 14 still unsigned.
Stanley, who was the first offensive tackle off the board this year, was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Ravens. There was speculation that if a video showing Laremy Tunsil smoking marijuana out of a gas-mask bong had not been leaked just before the draft, Baltimore would have drafted the Ole Miss tackle over Stanley, but both players were very high on the team’s board, and the Ravens are happy to have a potential long-term left tackle to protect Joe Flacco‘s blind side.
According to Over the Cap’s data, Stanley will be one of six rookies who receives a four-year contract with a total value exceeding $20MM. The Notre Dame alum’s deal is set to be worth $20.484MM, with a signing bonus of about $13.098MM. Baltimore will also have a team option for Stanley’s fifth season in 2020, which the team can exercise or decline in 2019.
As our tracker shows, the Ravens have now secured nine of their 11 draftees, with only third-round edge defender Bronson Kaufusi and sixth-round QB/WR Keenan Reynolds not locked up yet.
The Ravens also announced a few more roster moves today, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, who tweets that the team has cut wide receiver Marlon Brown, defensive end Nordly Capi, and defensive backs Jermaine Whitehead and Nick Perry. Brown received a failed physical designation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.