Ravens Notes: Pitta, Allen, Arrington
Dennis Pitta, who has suffered two serious hip injuries, believes that he’ll be back on the field in 2015. “I’m optimistic,” the Ravens tight end said, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. “I feel good. But obviously it’s a process. I have an idea in mind of where I’d like to be in a couple months, but at the same time you don’t know. I know what it felt like to do this one time. I’ve never known what it felt like to do it twice.” Recently, coach John Harbaugh said that Pitta has a chance to play this season, depending on how his surgically-repaired hip holds up. More on the Ravens..
- It’s too early in the offseason to know anything for sure, but Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com took a stab at projecting the Ravens’ 53 man roster. At wide receiver, Hensley can see sixth-round pick Darren Waller getting bumped in favor of DeAndre Carter if he wins the team’s kick returner job. Meanwhile, former second-round pick Arthur Brown could be on the bubble with four talented inside linebackers ahead of him.
- Hensley feels that Ravens rookie Buck Allen has the potential to be a starting running back in the NFL. The USC product has the ability to catch the ball as well as run it and that’s key in Marc Trestman’s offense.
- Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com looked at the Ravens‘ cornerback situation following the addition of Kyle Arrington.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- To make room for Kyle Arrington on the 90-man roster, the Ravens released undrafted rookie linebacker Andrew Bose, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bose’s stay in Baltimore wasn’t long as he was just signed on Monday.
- Seahawks have waived defensive tackle Tory Slater with the injured designation, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Seattle signed the West Georgia product as one of their twelve UDFAs earlier this month.
Ravens Sign Kyle Arrington
2:33pm: Per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), Arrington’s contract has a base value of $7MM, with a max value of $8.5MM. The deal includes $800K in first-year salary guaranteed, in addition to the cornerback’s $2MM signing bonus.
THURSDAY, 1:15pm: Arrington has passed his physical and officially signed a three-year deal which averages $2.5MM per year and features a $2MM signing bonus, tweets Wilson.
WEDNESDAY, 6:50pm: Arrington’s three-year deal is expected to average about $2.5MM annually, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
5:47pm: The Ravens have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with former Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington, the team announced today (via Twitter). Arrington, released by New England on Monday, will officially sign with Baltimore after taking a physical.
A starter for most of his time with the Patriots, Arrington saw his role reduced last year following the arrivals of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner to New England. Arrington played just 576 defensive snaps in 2014, recording 49 tackles and returning a fumble for a touchdown. Despite the 28-year-old’s relative lack of playing time, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him second among Patriots cornerbacks, behind only Revis.
A lack of guaranteed money on his $3MM salary for 2015 resulted in Arrington’s release, as the Patriots continue to overhaul the group of cornerbacks that helped them win the Super Bowl mere months ago. Revis and Browner signed as free agents with the Jets and Saints respectively, while Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard were both cut this month.
For the Ravens, the arrival of Arrington allows the team to upgrade a position that had been a weakness in 2014, providing some stability and depth at corner. Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb still figure to start on the outside, assuming they stay healthy, but Arrington looks like a good bet to see plenty of action in the slot.
The Ravens had been repeatedly linked to Arrington since he hit the open market on Monday, and the move to Baltimore will reunite him with defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who was still the DC in New England when Arrington first joined the Pats in 2009. Besides Baltimore, the Panthers were also mentioned as a potential suitor for Arrington.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Bowers, Cowboys, Eagles
A second-round pick just four years ago, Da’Quan Bowers hasn’t generated much interest on the free agent market this offseason — or at least not much that has been reported. However, with veteran free agents no longer tied to draft pick compensation after May 12, the former Buccaneers defensive end may soon find a home.
According to Jayson Braddock of ESPN 97.5 Houston (Twitter link), Bowers is paying a visit to New Orleans to meet with the Saints this week. Previously, Braddock reported (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old had narrowed his options down to the Lions and Dolphins, so it’s not clear whether those teams remain in the mix, or if they’ve moved on.
As we wait for an update on Bowers, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL….
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed today that restructuring Brandon Carr‘s contract is a priority for the team this offseason, but no work has been completed yet on that front (Twitter link via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News). Meanwhile, Jerry’s son Stephen Jones said that the Cowboys’ meeting with Orlando Scandrick and agent Ron Slavin was productive, but he wouldn’t say whether the two sides will reach a new contract agreement (link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com).
- The Eagles have announced in a press release that former Bears executive Dwayne Joseph has been hired as the team’s director of pro scouting, while Louis Clark has been promoted to senior director of pro personnel. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who reported Joseph’s hiring earlier today, notes that the Bears tried hard to keep their associate director of pro personnel, but he chose to seek a better opportunity in Philadelphia.
- Offensive lineman Austin Wentworth, who joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and was cut earlier this month, must end his playing career because of blood clots in his leg, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. While the 25-year-old is currently walking with a limp, and will have to wear a brace for the rest of his life, he’s expected to walk normally eventually, according to Tomasson. Wentworth is currently on Minnesota’s reserve/non-football illness list.
- Former Iowa State defensive end Cory Morrissey had agreed to terms on a three-year rookie contract with the Ravens as a UDFA, but ultimately decided to walk away from football instead, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun details.
- Elsewhere at the Baltimore Sun, Jeff Zrebiec takes a closer look at what this week’s roster moves and decisions mean for the Ravens.
Eight Teams Placed Claims On Swearinger
The Buccaneers, the team with the top waiver priority this offseason, were awarded D.J. Swearinger on waivers yesterday after the safety was cut on Monday by the Texans. A report earlier today indicated that the Jets also submitted a waiver claim for Swearinger, but Tampa Bay and New York were far from the only clubs involved.
According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a total of eight teams placed a claim on Swearinger. In addition to the Bucs and Jets, the Jaguars, Raiders, Falcons, Bills, Steelers, and Ravens all put in claims for the former Texan, says Yates. The Browns were also believed to have interest in Swearinger, but they – and perhaps other potential suitors – must have been hoping he’d clear waivers and become a free agent.
Since Swearinger was a second-round pick in 2013, his rookie contract still has two years left on it, and is fairly reasonable, featuring base salaries of about $722K and $881K for 2015 and 2016, respectively. That’s an affordable flier for virtually any NFL team to take, which explains why so many clubs placed waiver claims rather than waiting for Swearinger to become a free agent.
Presumably, those eight teams that put in claims were fonder of Swearinger’s performance in 2014 than Pro Football Focus was, or at least view him as a player who has the potential to improve. According to PFF (subscription required), Swearinger allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 99.2 passer rating to go along with five touchdowns on 59 passes into his coverage last season. Overall, he ranked as the league’s 78th-best safety out of 87 qualified players.
While Swearinger drew plenty of interest on waivers, it doesn’t appear that any of those teams were willing to give up anything of real value for him, since the Texans reportedly tried to trade the safety before cutting him.
Free Agent Notes: Arrington, Conner, Davis
It’s not clear if the Browns or Falcons put in a waiver claim for D.J. Swearinger, but both clubs had interest in landing the former Texans safety before he was claimed by the Buccaneers yesterday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. One team that did put in a claim was the Jets, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). None of those clubs could get to Swearinger, however, as Tampa Bay had the No. 1 waiver priority and used it.
While Swearinger didn’t make it to the open market, we have a few updates on players who are currently free agents, or who recently signed contracts with new teams:
- As the Ravens explore the possibility of adding a cornerback, recently released ex-Patriot Kyle Arrington is “clearly” their top target, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees that the Ravens are in the mix for Arrington, adding that the Panthers are another team to watch.
- Having already signed Jerome Felton this offseason, the Bills shouldn’t necessarily be in the market for another fullback, but the team is hosting John Conner for a visit today, according to a report from Draft Diamonds. Conner has had multiple stints with the Jets under Rex Ryan, who is fond of his blocking ability and would consider adding “The Terminator” to the roster as a complement to Felton.
- Tight end Fred Davis, who was a free agent – and serving a suspension – for over a year before signing with the Patriots this week, received a $20K workout bonus and $60K in per-game roster bonuses on his one-year, minimum salary deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Davis’ contract doesn’t include any guaranteed money.
- As NFL communications rep Randall Liu notes (on Twitter), unrestricted free agents who didn’t receive contract tenders from their former clubs are now free to sign with new teams without having an impact on that team’s compensatory draft pick formula. The NFL moved up this cutoff date from June 1 to May 12 this year, allowing unsigned players a better opportunity to find new homes earlier in the spring.
Harbaugh, Newsome On Ravens’ Offseason
In a conference call with personal seat license ticket holders, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that GM Ozzie Newsome is still looking to add players to the secondary, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets. When asked if Kyle Arrington could be a player of interest, however, Newsome kept things vague. Here’s more from this afternoon’s conference call..
- Harbaugh said that tight end Dennis Pitta has a chance to play this season, though it’ll depend on how his hip is holding up, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
- Newsome said Marshal Yanda and Justin Tucker are still targets for extensions, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets. “If we don’t get it done, we’ll move on to the next.”
- Newsome was complimentary of undrafted safety Nick Perry, saying, “He’ll be able to come in and compete with the guys that we have,” Wilson tweets. Meanwhile, Harbaugh predicted one undrafted rookie and “maybe more” will make the 53-man roster, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Ravens thought about taking cornerback Tray Walker in the third round, Harbaugh said, according to Hensley (on Twitter). The Ravens eventually took him in the fourth round.
North Notes: Johnson, Lions, Suh
New Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is signing the praises of offseason pickup Josh McCown, but it’s a rite of spring at this point for a Cleveland OC to speak highly of his QB, Bud Shaw of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Shaw contrasted Kyle Shanahan‘s comments on Johnny Manziel last year with DeFilippo’s comments on McCown this year and the two read pretty similarly. Of course, we know how things turned out with Manziel in 2014. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC North..
- UDFA safety Isaiah Johnson chose to sign with the Lions because of the chance that he could fill the void if James Ihedigbo doesn’t work out his contract dispute, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes. “(That) was in there a little bit,” Johnson said of his reasoning for picking Detroit. “Just looking at the opportunity. Everyone knows we’re coming in and trying to fight for theirs, and it’s just the game of football. It’s a business now. So I got to be a business.” Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that Johnson reportedly got a $12K signing bonus from the Lions, the highest sum of any UDFA on the team. Detroit must be high on the youngster, because that’s the same kind of financial commitment they made to LaAdrian Waddle, Cornelius Lucas and Joseph Fauria the last two years and all three of those players remain on the roster.
- After losing defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, and C.J. Mosley this offseason, the folks at Football Outsiders (ESPN Insider sub. req’d) are projecting that the Lions will finish with a 7-9 record for this year. Of course, it also doesn’t help that Detroit has one of the toughest schedules in the league this season.
- The Ravens will likely go with two quarterbacks – Joe Flacco and Matt Schaub – on the 53-man roster, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. After the release of Keith Wenning, Bryn Renner has the edge over undrafted rookie Jerry Lovelocke to get the No. 3 spot and go on the practice squad.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
We’ll use this space to round up Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The Ravens have waived quarterback Keith Wenning, tight end Phillip Supernaw, and outside linebacker Darius Allen, the team announced today in a press release. Wenning, a sixth-round pick in 2014, became expendable when Baltimore signed Matt Schaub to be Joe Flacco‘s backup. Meanwhile, the Ravens added three players to their roster, signing undrafted rookies Leon Brown (G), Daniel Brown (WR), and Andrew Bose (ILB).
- The Seahawks announced that they have signed Seahawks have signed defensive end Julius Warmsley and guard Kona Schwenke. Both players tried out for Seattle during the team’s rookie minicamp this past weekend. Schwenke, a Notre Dame product, signed as a UDFA around this time last year with the Chiefs and also saw time with the Pats, Jets, and Raiders.
- The Lions are signing former Wayne State running back Desmond Martin, who participated in the club’s rookie minicamp, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
- In addition to confirming the previously reported signings of tight end Will Tye and defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, the Giants also announced deals for running back Kenneth Harper and wide receiver Ben Edwards.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Kraft, Broncos, Ravens, Bills
As Ben Volin of The Boston Globe notes (on Twitter), Patriots owner Robert Kraft is one of three owners on the NFL Compensation Committee, which determines commissioner Roger Goodell’s pay. The other two owners on that committee are Arthur Blank and Jerry Richardson. One unidentified NFL owner told Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (TwitLonger link) that he thinks the relationship between Kraft and Goodell is “pretty much dead” in the wake of DeflateGate, so that will be an interesting situation to keep an eye on going forward.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Broncos are looking at tight ends in the wake of Jeff Heuerman‘s knee injury, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. Legwold could envision Denver signing a tight end this week, even as soon as today or Wednesday.
- The Ravens aren’t expected to be too active on the free agent market now that veteran signings no longer affect the compensatory draft pick formula, but sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking predict Baltimore will try to add a cornerback through free agency or a trade, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. One possible option for the Ravens could be former Patriot Kyle Arrington, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun outlines.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills‘ backfield, where the running back depth chart is getting crowded. While LeSean McCoy is locked in for a roster spot, the team figures to have to cut at least one player – and maybe two – from a group that features Fred Jackson, Boobie Dixon, Bryce Brown, and rookie Karlos Williams.
- Free agent wide receiver James Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) that he was really surprised the Raiders released him. Oakland let Jones go earlier this month.
Zach Links contributed to this post.