Ravens Waive Chase Ford
- The Ravens (on Twitter) announced that they have waived tight end Chase Ford. Ford inked his restricted free agent tender just a few weeks ago but his $1.671MM salary was non-guaranteed. It’s possible that Ford has been removed from the roster to make room for Dennis Pitta, who is attempting to return to football in 2016. Pitta and Baltimore agreed to a restructured deal earlier today.
Dennis Pitta Plans To Continue NFL Career
9:51am: Pitta is expected to remain with the Ravens, and the two sides should agree to a restructured contract soon, perhaps as early as today, sources tell Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
8:12am: After consulting with doctors this offseason, Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta has decided to continue his NFL career, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). There had been some uncertainty about whether Pitta, who has undergone multiple surgeries to address hip issues, would ever be able to get back on the field.
Back in February, Pitta said he “definitely” wanted to play again, but cautioned that he would rely heavily on the advice of medical professionals before making any final decision. The veteran tight end was advised by doctors last November that he could not take the field in the 2015 season. Although Pitta hoped to return anyway, Ravens officials and the coaching staff urged him to follow the advice of those doctors, to avoid risking re-injury.
Assuming Pitta is determined to see his comeback attempt through, it will be interesting to see how the Ravens handle the situation. The 30-year-old is owed a $5MM base salary this season and has an overall cap hit of $7.2MM. However, that salary is non-guaranteed, so Baltimore could create $5MM in cap savings by cutting him after June 1st.
Still, I suspect that the Ravens would prefer Pitta makes his comeback attempt in Baltimore rather than elsewhere, given that the team has observed first-hand the struggle he has gone through in recent years. So perhaps the two sides will be able to agree to reworked contract that significantly reduces that cap number and allows Pitta the opportunity to earn back some of the money via playing-time and/or performance incentives.
A former fourth-round pick, Pitta had his best season in 2012, when he set career-highs with 61 receptions, 669 yards, and seven touchdowns. He has not seen game action since September of 2014.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Meet With Jones, Lee
- LSU linebacker Deion Jones has already visited the Saints, Ravens, and Jets, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones is now set to visit the Eagles and Colts this week. He also had solo workouts with the 49ers, Dolphins, Titans, Lions, Falcons, and Panthers (link).
- Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee has visits lined up with the Ravens, Browns, and Seahawks plus private workouts for the Patriots, Cowboys, Lions, Seahawks, and Jaguars, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
Connor Cook Ravens
Cook will have a busy schedule this week, according to La Canfora, who writes that the QB is visiting the Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos, and 49ers. Cook will also visit the Jets and Bears, and work out for the Rams. He has previously visited the Ravens and Bills, and met with the Browns.
Brown: Ezekiel Elliott May Not Be Best Choice For Ravens
- Unless the Ravens are convinced Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott can be a 1,200-yard rusher, Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writers that it would be a mistake to select the back with the sixth overall pick. Brown cites the team’s holes on defense, as well as the team’s depth at running back.
[SOURCE LINK]
Cyrus Jones To Visit Ravens
- Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones joined Davis in working out for the Patriots on Friday, a league source told Aaron Wilson of NFPost.com. The Steelers will host Jones this weekend, and he also has visits scheduled with the Bills, Ravens and Saints. He visited the Eagles earlier this week.
Ravens Interested In Su'a Cravens, Joe Dahl
- The Ravens think highly of USC safety Su’a Cravens and could pick him if they trade down from sixth overall to the back half of the first round, per Pauline. Cravens will visit both the Colts and Lions next week, Pauline tweets.
- Washington State offensive lineman Joe Dahl, a possible second-day pick, has a heavy workout/visit schedule forthcoming, Pauline writes. The Jets, Patriots, Buccaneers, Eagles, 49ers, Chargers, Panthers, Ravens, Vikings and Colts are all interested in Dahl.
[SOURCE LINK]
Ravens Waive WR Cam Worthy
- The Ravens have waived wide receiver Cam Worthy, the team announced today (via Twitter). The 24-year-old didn’t see any regular-season action in Baltimore, having spent the entire 2015 campaign on injured reserve due to a foot injury.
Chris Matthews Signs ERFA Tender
- Ravens wide receiver Chris Matthews has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, the club announced today (via Twitter). The signing ensures that Matthews remains under contract with Baltimore on a one-year, minimum salary deal.
Ravens Host Ronnie Stanley, Robert Nkemdiche
The Ravens hosted Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and West Virginia safety Karl Joseph today, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley was also in Baltimore visiting the Ravens today, per Breer (via Twitter). Stanley is considered by most to be a top-10 lock, but not all teams agree, as Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net recently reported. Some scouts have concerns about Stanley’s apparent lack of athleticism.