North Notes: Ravens, Wootton, Manziel
By signing wide receiver Breshad Perriman on Monday, the Ravens set a new mark for the earliest that they have ever inked a first-round draft choice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets. It’s no surprise that the Ravens got a deal done quickly with the UCF speedster and that’s partially because of how easy the current CBA has made signing rookies. Here’s a quick look at the AFC and NFC North..
- The Lions worked out defensive lineman Corey Wootton today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The veteran tried out for the Jaguars and Titans earlier in the offseason and visited with the Saints in April.
- Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) believes that cornerback Kyle Arrington makes a lot of sense for the Ravens. Arrington, who signed a four-year, $16MM contract with the Patriots in 2013, was let go by the Patriots earlier today.
- If the Browns see anything worthwhile out of Johnny Manziel they should slot him in as the starter, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com writes. He reasons that the Browns need to find out where they stand with Manziel in 2015 rather than stagnate with Josh McCown.
Ravens To Sign Breshad Perriman
The Ravens have signed wide receiver Breshad Perriman, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). After signing the No. 26 overall pick, the Ravens have now inked their entire 2015 draft class.
Per the terms of his draft slot, Perriman will receive $8.7MM over the course of his four-year deal. That pact includes a healthy $4.6MM signing bonus. Perriman, 22 in September, impressed at the combine with his speed as he ran a 4.26 second 40-yard dash. The UCF star’s father, Brett Perriman, enjoyed a 10-year career in the NFL.
Here’s a rundown of the players in the Ravens’ draft class, all of whom are now under contract:
- Round 1: Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
- Round 2: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
- Round 3: Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
- Round 4: Za’Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky
- Round 4: Javorius “Buck” Allen, RB, USC
- Round 4: Tray Walker, CB, Texas Southern
- Round 5: Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware
- Round 5: Robert Myers, OG, Tennessee State
- Round 6: Darren Waller, WR, Georgia Tech
AFC North Notes: Browns QBs, Whitworth
Many have already given up on Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel after a rookie season consisting of on- and off-the-field problems, but new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo still has high hopes for the 22-year-old.
“All I know is Johnny the football player, and he’s been awesome,” DeFilippo said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. “He’s been working hard, very hard with myself and (quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell), and doing what we want him to do on the field.”
DeFilippo believes there are obvious strengths to Manziel’s game, also stating that the offense will be tailored to his skillset if he beats out likely starter Josh McCown for the No. 1 job.
“I think Johnny has a lot of traits that good quarterbacks in this league have. It’s just a matter of getting better at them,” said DeFilippo. “I’m the last guy – the last guy — that’s going to take Johnny Manziel’s athleticism away from him. I will not do that.”
While DeFilippo seems bullish on Manziel, Browns coach Mike Pettine declared McCown the favorite to start earlier this week. DeFilippo is familiar with McCown from the pair’s time in Oakland in 2007 (DeFilippo was the Raiders’ quarterbacks coach). Cabot writes that McCown mainly signed with the Browns to work with DeFilippo again. As he did with Manziel, DeFilippo spoke glowingly of the 35-year-old McCown.
“Josh has been the total guy we thought he was going to be. He has taken command of this offense and he has taken command of the room,” said DeFilippo.
Here’s more on the Browns and a couple of their AFC North rivals:
- Cleveland didn’t draft a quarterback this year because no prospects other than Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are seen as capable of stepping in and starting by 2016, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi believes the Browns will ride out 2015 with McCown and hope to land a QB in next year’s draft, when as many as four passers could go in the first round.
- Although the Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth has been one of the best offensive tackles in the league over the past few years, the team used its top two picks on fellow OTs Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher in last week’s draft. That didn’t sit well with Whitworth, who is a year from free agency and who has pushed for a contract extension. However, he did say that he would help his two new teammates adjust to the NFL game, and still hopes to remain with the club long term, according to an Associate Press article in USA Today.
- Browns fourth-round pick Vince Mayle will undergo surgery to repair his broken right thumb after rookie camp, writes Cabot. Mayle, who sustained the injury at the Senior Bowl in January, should be ready to go by training camp, according to Pettine. “We wanted him to come out, just see how it was, test it,” said Pettine. “Found out real quick yesterday that there’s still some lingering pain there. So, we’re going to go ahead and get it corrected.”
- Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says that undrafted defensive back Julian Wilson will remain with the team despite being lost for the year with a broken leg, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Tryout Notes: Ravens, Falcons, Cowboys, Steelers
The Ravens invited a handful of undrafted players in to their rookie minicamps to tryout for the team, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Among those players are USC safety Gerald Bowman (link), Rhode Island linebacker Andrew Bose (link), Maryland center Sal Conaboy (link), Eastern Kentucky fullback Channing Fugate (link), Maine defensive back Khari Al-Mateen and Maryland defensive end Andre Monroe (link). All links come via Twitter.
Here are some other tryouts from around the NFL:
- The Falcons have brought in Georgia State offensive lineman Tim Wynn for a tryout, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter).
- The Cowboys have added a receiver to their list of tryouts in Rice’s Dontay Moore, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
- The Steelers have brought Akron cornerback Martel Durant in for a tryout to replace Mario Rowson, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).
North Notes: Manziel, Erving, Barrett
Johnny Manziel‘s chances of claiming the Browns‘ starting quarterback job in his second season are already starting to fade. Josh McCown will take the first-team repetitions in minicamp, and coach Mike Pettine expects him to do so in training camp, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Cabot added Manziel has little chance of pressing McCown, signed this offseason after a disappointing year with the Buccaneers, for the job in the foreseeable future. The second-year coach prefers to see Manziel work on becoming a professional quarterback, essentially. Pettine is not concerned with McCown’s 1-10 record in Tampa last year, calling it an “aberration.”
McCown completed just 56.3 percent of his passes last season, leaving the Browns with one of the league’s worst quarterback situations.
“We’re not going to start talking competition. Josh, like I said will more than likely be the starter going into camp and in the foreseeable future I don’t see that changing,” Pettine told Cabot.
Here is some other news from the North divisions.
- Cameron Erving will begin his NFL career at right tackle, per Cabot, but will move around before the team slots him at a position. Although Erving was the No. 1 center in the draft, Cabot envisions the Florida State product starting his career on the right side, with Alex Mack locking down the snapping job this season. Mitchell Schwartz and John Greco occupy Cleveland’s top spots at right tackle and right guard, respectively.
- Undrafted Ravens rookie safety Julian Wilson broke his leg in minicamp and will miss the season, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Aaron Wilson categorized Julian Wilson as one of the Ravens’ most heavily recruited rookies, snaring a $9K signing bonus.
- Assigning rookie Quinten Rollins No. 24 doesn’t close the door on a Jarrett Bush return, coach Mike McCarthy told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The soon-to-be-31-year-old special teams stalwart remains an unrestricted free agent seemingly without a spot, considering the Packers matched Sean Richardson‘s Raiders offer to keep the younger safety in Green Bay.
Draft Signings: Falcons, Cowboys, Ravens
Here are some of the signings of players selected between the third and seventh round of the draft that took place today.
- Third-round pick Carl Davis agreed to a contract with the Ravens, Wilson reports. The defensive tackle’s deal is for four years and worth $2.95MM with a 625K signing bonus. First-rounder Breshad Perriman is the team’s only unsigned player from this year’s class.
- The Cowboys inked linebacker Mark Nzeocha and defensive end Ryan Russell to deals, reports ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. A fifth-round selection, Russell will receive a signing bonus of nearly $203K. Nzeocha, taken in the seventh round, claimed a $64K bonus.
- The Falcons have signed fifth-round defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to his four-year rookie deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. As Over the Cap’s data shows, Jarrett’s contract will be worth about $2.528MM in total, including a $248K signing bonus.
- Washington continues to agree to terms with its rookies, reaching a deal with sixth-round safety Kyshoen Jarrett today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jarrett will formally sign his contract when he gets into town on Sunday.
- The Steelers have started locking up their draft picks, signing sixth-round defensive tackle L.T. Walton to his rookie contract, the club announced today (Twitter link). The first of two players drafted in the sixth round by the Steelers, Walton is in line for a signing bonus worth nearly $117K.
Draft Signings: Bears, Ravens, Pats, Giants
A number of mid- to late-round draft picks have agreed to terms with their respective teams so far today. Here’s the list of draftees who have been locked up by their teams, along with four-year contract information, via Over The Cap:
- Baltimore Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, DE/OLB (fourth round). $2.763MM, including signing bonus of $483K (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Carolina Panthers: Cameron Artis-Payne, RB (fifth round). $2.446MM, including signing bonus of $166K (Twitter link via David Newton of ESPN.com).
- Chicago Bears: Hroniss Grasu, OL (third round). $3.042MM, including signing bonus of $762K (Twitter link via Bears’ official account)
- New England Patriots: Tre’ Jackson, G (fourth round). $2.724MM, including a signing bonus of $444K (Twitter link via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal).
- New York Giants: Owa Odighizuwa, DE (third round). $3.021MM, including signing bonus of $741K (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post).
- Seattle Seahawks: Ryan Murphy, S (seventh round). $2.333MM, including signing bonus of $53K (Twitter link via agent Adam Snyder)
- Washington: Jamison Crowder, WR (fourth round). $2.826MM, including signing bonus of $546K (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
- Washington: Tevin Mitchell, CB (sixth round). $2.413MM, including signing bonus of $133K (Twitter link via Keim).
Ravens Sign 15 Undrafted Free Agents
With rookie minicamps getting underway around the NFL, teams continue to officially confirm which undrafted free agents have been added to their rosters in time for the weekend. The Ravens announced today in a press release that they’ve signed 15 UDFAs, and we’ve got the full list below, including known bonus information, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun:
- Darius Allen, OLB, Colorado State-Pueblo ($1K bonus)
- Darryl Baldwin, T, Ohio State ($9K bonus)
- Brennen Beyer, OLB, Michigan ($6K bonus)
- DeAndre Carter, WR, Sacramento State ($7.5K bonus)
- Blaine Clausell, T, Mississippi State ($10K bonus)
- Trey DePriest, ILB, Alabama ($5K bonus)
- Nick Easton, T, Harvard ($9K bonus)
- Kaleb Johnson, G, Rutgers ($6.5K bonus)
- Jerry Lovelocke, QB, Prairie View A&M ($5K bonus)
- Terrence Magee, RB, LSU ($3K bonus)
- Justin Manton, P, Louisiana-Monroe
- Nick Perry, S, Alabama ($5K bonus)
- De’Ondre Wesley, T, BYU
- Julian Wilson, CB, Oklahoma ($9K bonus)
- Cam Worthy, WR, East Carolina ($2.5K bonus)
Draft Signings: Dolphins, Jets, Ravens
Here at PFR, we’re giving individual posts to players from the first and second-round that sign with their respective clubs. You’ll find news on the guys from rounds 3-7 in the roundups. Here are the latest..
- The Ravens agreed to a deal with fourth-round running back Buck Allen, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- The Packers signed another sixth-round pick in tight end Kennard Backman, Silverstein tweets. Green Bay now has five picks under contract with three to go.
- The Giants announced the signings of fifth-round pick Mykkele Thompson and seventh-round choice Bobby Hart, according to Dan Graziano of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- The Dolphins have agreed in principle on a deal with fifth-round cornerback Bobby McCain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). McCain will receive roughly $2.5MM over the course of his four-year deal and a $228K signing bonus.
- Not long after that, the Dolphins wrapped up their entire draft class by signing fourth-round guard Jamil Douglas, fifth-round safety Cedric Thompson, and fifth-round wide receiver Tony Lippett, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
- The Jets announced that they have signed fifth-round offensive guard Jarvis Harrison, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
- The Ravens inked fifth-round tight end Nick Boyle, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Boyle also auditioned for the divisional rival Browns during the draft process.
- The Packers have signed Christian Ringo, a defensive tackle taken in the sixth round, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter).
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Vikings announced that they have waived safety Ahmad Dixon, running back Henry Josey, tight end Ryan Otten, offensive tackle Antonio Richardson, and guard Austin Wentworth.
- Ravens defensive end Steven Means has signed his $510K exclusive-rights tender, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Washington cut offensive tackle Xavier Nixon, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Washington originally acquired him off waivers from the Colts.
- The Eagles re-signed defensive end Frank Mays and cut wide receiver Will Murphy, Wilson tweets.
- The Cardinals released wide receiver Nathan Slaughter, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
- The Raiders announced (on Twitter) that they have signed former Fresno State wide receiver Josh Harper.
- The Patriots waived wide receiver Kevin Dorsey and defensive end Michael Buchanan, Doug Kyed of NESN tweets.
- The Seahawks waived Brendan Kelly, who signed as a free agent earlier this year, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.