Breshad Perriman, Four Others On Ravens’ Radar
With less than three weeks left before the NFL Draft, the Ravens are doing their due diligence on some potential mid-to-late round prospects and one possible first-round option, and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has been keeping tabs on who they have met with and who is left on their visit list.
Picking 26th overall in the first round, and with a need at receiver following the loss of Torrey Smith, the Ravens will bring in burner Breshad Perriman of the University of Central Florida. Perriman has a chance to be off the board somewhere in the top 15 picks, and in the PFR Mock Draft 1.0 the Chiefs scooped him up before the Ravens get to the podium. In that mock, the team settles for another receiver at No. 26.
Here are a few other prospects set to meet with or work out for the Ravens:
- Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney is on the team’s visit list. McKinney has drawn interest from a number of teams and has been projected to come off the board towards the end of the first round or the beginning of the second.
- The team expects Towson cornerback Tye Smith to attend the local prospect day. Smith has good size and speed that translates to the NFL despite coming from a small-conference school, and projects as a late-round pick.
- Oklahoma State linebacker Josh Furman will also attend the local prospect day, working out for the Ravens as a safety. Furman graduated from local Old Mill High School, as a standout two-way player on a state championship team. He played in 32 games at Michigan before transferring to Oklahoma State.
- The Ravens have already met with Boise State running back Jay Ajayi, who is considered to be one of the better runners in the draft. Ajayi has been projected as a potential second-round pick, and could be in play for the Ravens after meeting with the team last week.
Jason Campbell Considering Retirement
Veteran quarterback Jason Campbell is reportedly leaning towards retirement, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. According to the writer, the 33-year-old has rejected “multiple opportunities to sign a contract” for next season, including apparent offers from the Ravens and Bengals.
The former first-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with Washington, tossing 55 touchdowns to only 38 interceptions. The team’s acquisition of Donovan McNabb made Campbell expendable, and he was shipped to the Raiders prior to the 2010 season. Since then, the veteran has bounced around to the Bears, Browns and Bengals.
Serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup last season, Campbell completed 11 of 19 pass attempts for 74 yards. His last starting gig came in Cleveland in 2013, when he threw for 2,015 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games. Throughout his ten-year career, Campbell had thrown for 16,771 yards, 87 touchdowns and 60 interceptions.
Draft Notes: Parker, Holliman, Roberts, Bucs
Let’s take a look at the latest regarding a handful of prospects as the 2015 NFL Draft draws nearer:
- Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker has pre-draft visits lined up with the Patriots, Ravens, Jets, Saints, Rams, Titans, 49ers and Panthers, according to Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko (Twitter link). In a mock draft posted earlier today, our own Rob Dire has the highly touted Parker going 11th overall to the Vikings.
- Safety Gerod Holliman, Parker’s teammate at Louisville, tweeted that his workout with the Dolphins was a “success.”
- Marshall cornerback Darryl Roberts visited the Chiefs this week, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and Baltimore Sun. Roberts previously had private workouts with the 49ers and Packers.
- Stony Brook receiver Adrian Coxson is scheduled to visit the Packers, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Buccaneers are expected to take a quarterback – either Florida State’s Jameis Winston or Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – with the first overall pick, but Wilson tweets that a a lesser-known QB, West Georgia’s Austin Trainor, impressed the team at its local prospect day. Trainor was the only signal caller in attendance.
- In other Bucs news, South Florida kicker Marvin Kloss had a “strong workout” for the team Friday, per Wilson. Kloss hit 9 of 10 field goals, including a 55-yarder, and three of his four kickoffs went for touchbacks.
North Rumors: Browns, Steelers, Price
With two picks for the second straight year and reported interest in Marcus Mariota, the Browns have a complex Round 1 itinerary. Today, they will visit with two players who will almost certainly be first-rounders in DeVante Parker and Danny Shelton, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
ESPN’s No. 9 and 10 prospects overall comprise two of the Browns’ 30 allotted player visits, but there’s a possibility neither could be there when they pick at No. 12. Cleveland also owns the 19th selection.
Elsewhere around the league’s North divisions …
- The Steelers brought in several prospects for visits Friday, including Central Florida wideout Breshad Perriman, according to ESPN’s Scott Brown on Twitter. Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy and South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton joined Perriman on visits, per Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Mark Kaboly (via Twitter). Perriman is Scouts Inc.’s No. 21-rated prospect.
- Boise State running back Jay Ajayi is visiting the Cowboys local pro day today, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The All-American who totaled 2,300+ yards from scrimmage last season met with Ravens officials last week, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Recently signed Browns tight end Rob Housler knows fans aren’t expecting him to replicate what Jordan Cameron did in his brief stint as the Cleveland tight end but noted his Cardinals numbers were more a reflection of the scheme than his ability, reports Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Housler topped out at 454 receiving yards in 2013, the year he scored his only touchdown despite starting in 28 games in four seasons. “The production was a direct reflection of the opportunity, and I just went out there and did what they asked me to do,” Housler told Ulrich. “It was a blue-collar mentality. It wasn’t pretty. I can see the stats, and they’re not pretty.”
- The Browns are on the lookout for a return specialist after a shaky year in that department, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Tom Reed. Beyond lower-round draft targets like Tyler Lockett or Jamison Crowder, Justin Gilbert and Taylor Gabriel are in-house options for a team that ranked 28th on punt returns last season, adds Reed.
- Vikings 2014 seventh-round pick Jabari Price had his December charge for suspicion of drunken driving reduced to careless driving, reports Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Used mostly on special teams as a rookie, Price remains subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Draft Notes: Bucs, Fowler, Mariota, Bears
As previously reported, Dante Fowler Jr. visited the Buccaneers, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht “really likes” the Florida pass rusher. However, Fowler himself seems to recognize that he’s unlikely to land with the Bucs, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times details.
“They’re going with a quarterback,” Fowler said. “I feel like there’s no need for them to talk to me and waste my time unless something happens with Jameis [Winston] or Marcus [Mariota] or something like that. They know where they’re going. I understand that.”
While the Bucs cover all their bases, Mariota appears to be doing the same thing — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said Thursday on ESPN 1000 in Chicago that the Oregon signal-caller recently paid a visit to the Bears. Mariota is considered the favorite to come off the board at No. 2, and may not be available when Chicago’s No. 7 overall pick rolls around, but as our Rob DiRe laid out this morning in PFR’s first 2015 mock draft, there are scenarios in which Mariota is still in play at that point. It sounds like both he and the Bears are doing their due diligence.
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and the Baltimore Sun has updates on several more draft prospects for us this morning, so let’s round those up….
- Cameron Artis-Payne (RB, Auburn): Met with the Patriots and Browns (link).
- Adrian Coxson (WR, Stony Brook): The Giants were “very impressed’ with him at their local prospect day (Twitter link).
- Tyler Murphy (QB, Boston College): Visiting the Steelers today (link).
- Nick Perry (S, Alabama): Had private workouts for the Patriots and Colts (link).
- Tray Walker (CB, Texas Southern): Visits with the Ravens, Chiefs, Packers, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Falcons, plus private workouts with the Cardinals and Texans (link). Had a previously-reported visit with the Raiders.
Extra Points: Nicks, Ravens, Miles, Draft
Outside of a visit to the 49ers, free agent receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t garnered any known interest on the open market. But the 27-year-old insists he’s not done in the NFL. “I’m nowhere near finished, man, and I want to prove that to the world and everybody,” Nicks told Mike Garfolo of FOX Sports. “That’s definitely my mentality, but I don’t even want to talk about it. I feel like I got into that situation last year talking about it. I’m about to just go out there and prove it.”
Here’s more from around the league…
- The Ravens have stayed in touch with safety Jeromy Miles, but there’s no deal between the two sides at this time, according to Aaron Wilson of The Balitmore Sun (via Twitter).
- Arizona State safety Damarious Randall will visit the Buccaneers on Sunday, and already had a private workout with the club, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
- Nebraska receiver Kenny Bell worked out for the Texans recently, and he’ll meet with the Colts on Wednesday, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
- Defensive end Marcus Rush already worked out for the Bengals and Raiders, and the Michigan State product will also take a visit with Cincinnati, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
- The Lions will take a look at Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams on Monday, while the Cardinals will meet with him later in the week, says Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse will take a predraft visit with the Packers on Friday, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
- Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com spoke with the general managers of two clubs — the Ravens and the Steelers — who usually pick near the end of the first round of the draft, and gauged each team’s strategy for acquiring value while picking in the 20s.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL, with any additional minor transactions added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Texans have re-signed reserve guard Cody White, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. White spent the 2014 season on injured reserve after tearing his Achilles.
- Packers offensive lineman Don Barclay has formally signed his restricted free agent contract tender to remain with the team, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Barclay, who missed the entire 2014 campaign after tearing his ACL, received the low-end tender from the team, so he’ll make $1.542MM in 2015.
Earlier updates:
- The Buccaneers have officially signed linebacker and special-teamer Larry Dean, the team announced today in a press release. Dean’s contributions come almost exclusively on special teams — over the last two seasons, he has compiled more special teams tackles (23) than defensive snaps (20).
- Backup offensive guard Jah Reid has officially signed a new one-year contract with the Ravens today, as first reported Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, Reid spoke to a few other NFL teams before deciding to return to Baltimore. His new deal has a minimum base salary, but includes some playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
Browns Sign Rob Housler
12:16pm: The Browns have officially signed Housler to a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), the deal is worth $1.76MM — the Ravens had only offered the veteran tight end a minimum salary.
11:27am: Free agent tight end Rob Housler has agreed to terms with the Browns, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Fowler, it’ll be a one-year deal for Housler.
Housler, 27, had a disappointing 2014 season, as he notched just nine receptions for 129 yards. However, he posted respectable numbers in 2012 and 2013, averaging 42 catches for 436 yards during those two seasons. The former third-round pick also received interest from the Ravens, Bengals, and Falcons this offseason, and was reportedly offered a contract by Baltimore.
The Browns had been in the market for a new tight end after seeing Jordan Cameron depart for the Dolphins. At one point early in free agency, it appeared that Cleveland had locked up Cameron to a new two-year contract, but he instead accepted a nearly identical deal from Miami. The Browns also had some interest in Charles Clay before he inked a five-year pact with the Bills.
AFC Links: Ravens, Welker, Raiders, Patriots
Eric DeCosta is one of the hottest up-and-coming general manager candidates in the league. The Ravens assistant GM was asked to interview with the Jets and Bears this offseason, but the 43-year-old declined, just as he had previously with the Seahawks and Raiders. Why refuse an opportunity to become a general manager just to remain an assistant? DeCosta answered that question earlier today (via Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun):
“I get a chance to work with my friends. Every day, I come in and work with my friends. I think it’s a relationship business. In the end, personal ambitions aside, all you have is really your reputation and your friends and your enjoyment in life. And I love Baltimore, the community.
“My wife is from Baltimore. I’ve been here 20 years, my kids go to school here. It’s great. I sit with these guys every day and give everybody a hard time, get a chance to play jokes on everybody every day, and it’s just fun. I enjoy work. I enjoy coming in here. We have a great owner, awesome stadium and best fan base in the country. So, what more do you want?”
There may be another reason for DeCosta to stay put, as Wilson says the executive is “[d]esignated contractually as the Ravens’ general-manager-in-waiting behind Ozzie Newsome.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the AFC…
- Wes Welker‘s visit with the Dolphins ended without a deal, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The 33-year-old spent three seasons in Miami prior to his tenure with the Patriots. He finished last season with 49 catches for 464 yards and two touchdowns, the lowest totals since his rookie campaign.
- While it doesn’t come as much of a surprise, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Vic Tafur confirms (via Twitter) that Michael Crabtree wrapped up his visit with the Raiders without a contract. The former first-round pick met with the organization on Monday.
- Stevan Ridley spurned the Dolphins and Washington to sign with the Jets earlier this evening. As the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe notes on Twitter, the Patriots didn’t make “a significant enough push” to retain their free agent running back.
Ravens Notes: Peters, DGB, Collins, Draft
Speaking to reporters today at the team’s pre-draft press conference, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome confirmed that Baltimore has hosted cornerback Marcus Peters and wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham on visits, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Both Peters and Green-Beckham were dismissed from their college teams, so despite last year’s Ray Rice saga – and a handful of other Baltimore players being arrested – it appears the Ravens aren’t removing players from their draft board solely based on potential character red flags.
Here’s more on the Ravens:
- According to Wilson (via Twitter), LSU cornerback Jalen Collins has visited the Ravens. Collins is considered a probable second-day selection.
- Discussing the possibility of trading up in the draft, Newsome didn’t sound overly enthusiastic about the idea, but also didn’t rule it out, suggesting that he doesn’t like to “pigeonhole” himself (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Newsome said today that the Ravens won’t hesitate to draft an offensive lineman, even though the team is already fairly deep at that spot, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The GM pointed out that Kelechi Osemele and Marshal Yanda are entering the final year of their respective contracts.
- Assistant GM Eric DeCosta echoed a comment made by John Harbaugh at the NFL meetings last month, indicating that drafting a wide receiver is a possibility for the Ravens in virtually any round (Twitter link via Zrebiec).
- Joe Hortiz, Baltimore’s director of college scouting, said today that this year’s tight end class is on the “lighter side,” but added that there are potential targets for the Ravens in the middle and late rounds (Twitter link via Zrebiec).