Minor NFL Transactions: 6/26/24
Today’s only minor transaction:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: WR Tayvion Robinson
Aside from re-signing veteran Nelson Agholor and drafting North Carolina’s Devontez Walker in the fourth round this year, the Ravens have opted not to make any big additions to their wide receiving corps after watching Odell Beckham Jr. and Devin Duvernay walk in free agency. Instead, they opted to sign a number of undrafted free agent receivers with the potential to strike gold and find a role player.
Robinson was the definition of a strong role player in college. In three years at Virginia Tech and two at Kentucky, Robinson was productive in every year of play. While he consistently found himself on teams without any stars in the receivers room, he was always a main part of the contributions. The career lows of his freshman year were still an impressive 31 receptions for 404 yards and a touchdown. That said, he never rose significantly past that. He had career highs of 44 receptions (2021), 592 receiving yards (2020), and five touchdowns (2021).
Over his five years in college, all his stats stayed consistently between those numbers. Still, he was able to lead the Hokies in receptions and yards in 2020 and receptions and receiving touchdowns in 2021. He’s a proven contributor who may still be offered a chance to play elsewhere in the NFL.
Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley Addresses Pay Cut, Playing Future
Throughout the 2023 season, Ronnie Stanley dealt with a lingering knee injury which kept him from playing at full health and added further to his missed time. The longtime Ravens left tackle faced an uncertain future entering free agency, but he agreed to a contract revision to remain in Baltimore for 2024. 
Stanley and the Ravens agreed to a restructured pact in March, with the 30-year-old reducing his base salary and lowering his cap hit in the process. Incentives and bonuses are present to allow him to recoup that money, but the deal also included making 2024 the final non-void season of the pact. As a result, Stanley enters the coming campaign as a pending free agent. When speaking about his situation, he addressed his mindset regarding the pay cut.
“I just wouldn’t have personally felt good about leaving Baltimore on that note,” Stanley said of potentially being a cap casualty when speaking with The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (subscription required). “I want to play here my whole career, but even if I’m saying I’ll play one more year for a lot less, it’s because, if this is my last year, I want to go out on a high note. I want to play at the level that I know I can play at. The time that I missed, it would be something that I would have regretted.”
A key factor for the Ravens’ new-look offensive line will be the play of Stanley, a Pro Bowl and All-Pro performer in 2019. He has missed considerable time since then due to ankle and knee injuries, something which has left the Ravens shorthanded on the blindside and led to questions about their long-term plans at the position. Baltimore selected Roger Rosengarten in the second round of this year’s draft, and he could take on the starting right tackle role as early as Week 1 of his rookie season. In the event Stanley were to depart on the open market next spring, Rosengarten – who protected southpaw quarterback Michael Penix Jr.‘s blindside in college – would be a candidate to replace him on the left side. Stanley does not see 2024 as his final NFL campaign, however.
“No, 100 percent, I want to keep playing,” the Notre Dame alum added. “There’s no doubt in my mind. For personal reasons, I view it as a [key] year. I want to personally refuse to have a year like last year… It’s not because it’s the last year on my deal. It’s more because as a competitor, I don’t like not playing to my capability.”
A healthy season from Stanley – who noted his knee has continued to improve this offseason – would help his free agent stock either on a new Ravens pact or a deal sending him elsewhere for the first time in his career. Given the turnover Baltimore has experienced up front, a consistent presence on the blindside would help the team take a step further from last year’s AFC title game loss.
Ravens Eyeing Increased Role For TE Isaiah Likely
Mark Andrews missed significant time in 2023, and his absence left the Ravens without their top tight end option. It also opened the door to increased playing time for Isaiah Likely, however, and he showed considerable potential. 
In total, Likely racked up 411 yards and five touchdowns on 30 catches in 2023, his second year in the league. Much of that production came when Andrews was sidelined, but Baltimore’s offense could look to include both on the field moving forward. That has been showcased by the many roles Likely has seen time in this spring.
The 24-year-old indicated (via Ryan Mink of the team’s website) he has taken snaps in several spots on offense this offseason. Doing so will allow offensive coordinator Todd Monken to find ways to have both Andrews and Likely on the field together. Baltimore rarely used two tight end sets in 2023, but putting the latter in a variety of spots could change that this season.
“It’s being a chess piece, being anywhere ‘Monk’ needs me to be in this offense – whether it’s in the slot, in-line, in the backfield, split out wide by myself,” Likely said of the experiments with his positioning. “The more you know, the more you can stay on the field.”
Likely showed his pass-catching potential as a rookie, and his success when thrust into a starting role in Year 2 will lead to high expectations. The Coastal Carolina product is not known for his run blocking, so giving him looks not only in the slot but on the perimeter would be sensible. Baltimore’s receiving core is led by Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor and fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker. Running back addition Derrick Henry does not have a track record of notable production in the passing game, and that should not be expected to change in 2024.
Of course, Henry (along with quarterback Lamar Jackson) being in the fold means the Ravens will remain a run-heavy offense moving forward. Likely’s play to date has garnered interest in a increased workload, though, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out during training camp this summer. Two years remain on his rookie contract, so a strong campaign in 2024 could set him up for an extension.
Ravens G Ben Cleveland Seeing Time At Tackle
We’ve covered the situation surrounding the Ravens’ offensive line position battles in depth already, but with three starting positions alongside center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Ronnie Stanley completely open for competition, the updates are sure to continue rolling in. Our most recent update highlights a disappointing development for a perceived favorite to take a starting job. 
According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, three of the players competing for starting roles this offseason saw time at both guard and tackle during the team’s organized team activities. Daniel Faalele, newcomer Josh Jones, and Ben Cleveland are the three big men who have shuffled around on the line this spring.
Faalele is a massive human (listed at 6-foot-8, 380 pounds) who has one start in 32 game appearances over his first two years in the league. He has struggled to be effective as a backup tackle, sometimes filling in for the oft-injured Stanley. Moving Faalele inside could make an intimidating run defense even more formidable. Jones was brought in especially because of his versatility on the line, so his shuffling around is no surprise. If Jones doesn’t earn a starting job, he could be another valuable sixth man like the Ravens already have in Patrick Mekari.
Hearing that Cleveland is working outside of his natural guard position is not a great sign. A massive human in his own right (6-foot-6, 370 pounds), the former third-round pick out of Georgia has started seven of 37 game appearances in his three years with the Ravens but has never displayed a true starting ability.
While some viewed him as an early favorite to fill one of the open starting jobs at guard in 2024, Zrebiec now reports that Cleveland’s stock is trending down after he failed to get the first-team snaps that other candidates for the starting jobs got in OTAs. Seemingly falling behind Andrew Vorhees, Malaesala Aumavae-Laula, Jones, Mekari, and potentially even Faalele, Cleveland is now getting shifted out for looks at tackle.
Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, if Cleveland is going to make an impact, it’s now or never. If Cleveland can’t find a way to contribute in 2024, it’s going to be difficult to justify re-signing the former SEC standout. Decision-makers in Baltimore insist that Cleveland is still in the mix for the guard jobs, and perhaps they’re just trying different methods of motivation to pump Cleveland up for training camp, but trying him out at tackle sends an interesting message.
At tackle, Cleveland won’t likely be in contention for the starting job over second-round selection Roger Rosengarten out of Washington. Even if Rosengarten fails to earn the starting job, Mekari and Jones both have ample starting experience over Cleveland. Cleveland will need to utilize the next two and a half months to prove he’s worthy of not only a pivotal role this year but also a second contract in the future.
Ravens’ Malik Cunningham Standing Out In Move To WR
In late May, we were made aware that the Ravens had officially changed the position of Malik Cunningham on their roster from quarterback to wide receiver. A long-time admirer of starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, Cunningham initially held the same headstrong attitude towards a position conversion that Jackson once held. According to Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink, Cunningham has changed his mindset, opting to buy in and embrace his new role with the team. 
Over his first year in the league, Cunningham has had no shortage of appropriate mentors for his situation. Despite neither player being an active Patriot at the same time as Cunningham, the undrafted quarterback out of Louisville was able to speak with former Patriots wide receivers Julian Edelman and Jakobi Meyers, who both made the conversion from quarterback to receiver at some point in their careers. Reportedly, both veterans told Cunningham that the quarterback instincts don’t abandon you once you switch positions.
Then, late into his rookie season, Cunningham found himself getting signed off New England’s practice squad to join his former Louisville predecessor in Baltimore, joining a backup group that included Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson. Before the draft, though, the team came to Cunningham and asked him if he would make a full-time change to wide receiver. This move likely influenced the team’s decisions to draft a quarterback in the sixth round and only draft one wide receiver.
Cunningham took time to consider the decision, initially disappointed to once again be asked to move from quarterback. When he had departed from New England, several teammates had sent messages of support to Cunningham encouraging him to continue pursuing his goals of playing quarterback in the NFL. After careful deliberation, Cunningham gave his reply: “I’m all in.”
Cunningham was able to put aside his initial disappointment and focus on what he can do to help the team. He was immediately thrust into the battle for the reserve wide receiver spots and, per Mink, has been a standout at organized team activities and minicamp. Much like Edelman and Meyers told him, his quarterback instincts have helped him to see the field in a different way.
As a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, Cunningham has the potential to become a surprise contributor for the Ravens in 2024. After swallowing his pride and buying in to the team’s vision for his role on the offense, Cunningham has put himself in the best position to snatch a roster spot to open the season.
Ravens WR Tylan Wallace On Roster Bubble?
For the second-straight season, Tylan Wallace finds himself on the Ravens roster bubble. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, the Ravens wide receiver will once again be competing for one of the final spots on the roster.
This isn’t the first time Wallace has found himself competing for his roster spot. Just last year, it seemed like the former fourth-round pick wasn’t going to last in Baltimore. After all, the organization had invested heavily in the position, adding veterans Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor along with first-round wideout Zay Flowers. With Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay also sticking around, there didn’t seem to be a clear spot for Wallace.
However, the wideout ended up pushing his way on to the opening day roster with a strong training camp and preseason. Unfortunately, that roster spot didn’t lead to production, as Wallace was limited to a single catch during the 2023 campaign. This followed his first two years in the NFL where he hauled in only six total catches.
Considering his lack of production, it’s not a shock that the 25-year-old once again finds himself on the roster bubble. This time around, Wallace doesn’t face as much competition. Beckham Jr. and Duvernay are no longer on the roster, and the team’s most notable addition at the position was fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker.
When we checked in on the position last month, we heard that Wallace could be a candidate to replace Duvernay as a returner. Wallace filled in for Duvernay briefly during the 2023 campaign, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring a game-winning punt return touchdown. Zrebiec shares a similar sentiment about the player’s special teams prowess, especially with former All-Pro returner Deonte Harty away from OTAs and minicamp while dealing with a personal matter. Zrebiec notes that Wallace was an OTA standout for a second-straight year, with the writer estimating that the player led the Ravens in practice receptions.
With only a year remaining on Wallace’s rookie contract, the Ravens may simply opt for a younger player at the position. If that ends up coming to fruition, Wallace will surely get another chance based on his collegiate track record alone. The Oklahoma State product finished his college career having earned a pair of All-American nods.
Ravens S Kyle Hamilton Underwent Minor Surgery
One of the newest defensive stars to wear the purple and black, young Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton recently underwent a minor surgical procedure, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The purpose of the surgery was to remove some “loose bodies” from the first-team All-Pro’s elbow. 
Hamilton has a bit of injury experience in his short NFL career but not anything that has held him out for too long. Twice, knee injuries have flared up on a knee that bothered him at Notre Dame, as well. He also underwent surgery following his rookie season for an injury to the hand and wrist area. He missed a single game as a rookie as well as the final two games of the team’s most recent campaign, at which point Baltimore’s postseason qualification was already determined.
After a rookie season that saw Hamilton rank as the NFL’s top safety, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Ravens made Hamilton a major focal point of their 2023 defense. He started at safety alongside Geno Stone as Marcus Williams spent six of the team’s first nine games injured.
Realizing that they had three viable starters at safety, Baltimore began to take advantage of Hamilton’s versatility, deploying him all over the defense. According to PFF, Hamilton spent 301 snaps at safety, 465 in the slot, 236 in the box, five at cornerback, and even 58 snaps on the defensive line, very literally covering the gamut of defensive positions. With an increased responsibility, Hamilton still graded highly with PFF, ranking as the sixth-best player at his position in 2023.
With Stone now in Cincinnati, the Ravens may have to adjust how they utilize Hamilton this season. Hamilton and Williams will continue to start at safety. In order to deploy Hamilton how they did last year, though, the team will need to find another quality starter at the position. Fourth-year undrafted safety Ar’Darius Washington could be a solution. After two years in a mostly reserve role, Washington was expected to make a much bigger impact on the defense at nickelback in 2023, even earning his first career start before suffering a season-ending chest injury in Week 2 of the season.
After Washington, two rookies could potentially make an impact. The team drafted Sanoussi Kane out of Purdue in the seventh round of this year’s draft. While not too much of a ballhawk, Kane is a physical defender who can make an impact as a strong safety covering the run and tight ends.
There’s been more buzz, though, about undrafted rookie signee Beau Brade out of Maryland. Brade was projected to be an early Day 3 draft pick but somehow fell off the board altogether. Baltimore took advantage and signed him as a free agent. Brade boasts some versatility to be interchangeable at the safety and nickel positions and could push Kane and even Washington for a bigger role that allows Hamilton to roam like he did last year.
The recovery for Hamilton’s recent procedure is approximated at two to three weeks. While he’ll miss the remainder of any physical activities before the team’s summer break, the Ravens are confident that he’ll be back by training camp.
Commanders, Lions, Packers, Ravens Interested In K Jake Bates
As expected, Jake Bates‘ UFL season has generated NFL interest. A number of teams are in on the recent spring/summer league specialist, whose previous NFL path did not include any game action.
The Michigan Panthers kicker has received interest from the Commanders, Lions, Packers and Ravens, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. All four teams have requested meetings with Bates, per Wilson, and ESPN.com’s John Keim notes the Commanders will be the first team to host the young specialist. That meeting is set for today.
Washington’s kicker need formed recently, after the team released offseason pickup Brandon McManus after a lawsuit alleging sexual assault emerged. The Commanders have already signed kicker Ramiz Ahmed, but the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala notes the team is looking to hold a competition between the recent signee and another option. The team also auditioned Andre Szmyt on Tuesday, per Jhabvala. Szmyt kicked for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks this season.
With the UFL’s regular season ending, NFL teams are free to hold workouts. UFLers can be added next week, after the league’s weekend championship game. Considering the success the Cowboys have enjoyed with USFL players in recent years — including All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey, a summer 2023 addition — several of the new UFL’s top players will land opportunities to attend NFL training camps. Bates will almost definitely be one.
Bates, whom the Texans cut after barely a week during training camp last year, caught attention for making multiple 60-plus-yard field goals early this season. This included a 64-yarder. The long-range makes placed the Michigan kicker back on the NFL radar, and his second chance figures to feature a more thorough look. That said, Bates proved shakier down the stretch of the UFL season. He missed field goals five field goals over the Panthers’ final four games; that followed a two-miss performance in an April Michigan-Memphis matchup. Overall, Bates went 21-for-28 on field goals this season.
The Lions were connected to the in-state UFL team’s kicker early during the season, and the team used multiple kickers (Riley Patterson, Michael Badgley) in 2023. Detroit re-signed Badgley this offseason and added UDFA James Turner. But the team has been looking into adding another piece here, and Bates’ leg strength certainly caught attention.
Anders Carlson remains the frontrunner to kick for the Packers, but special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia mentioned a potential spring league addition (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) before training camp. Green Bay’s roster already houses two other kickers — Greg Joseph, Jack Podlesny — so a Bates addition would certainly be interesting from a roster-allocation standpoint ahead of training camp. Carlson went 27-for-33 last year but missed four extra points and then missed a kick in the Packers’ narrow divisional-round loss to the 49ers.
It would obviously surprise if Bates ended up in Baltimore, given that the Ravens employ arguably the best to ever do it. Justin Tucker is going into his 13th NFL season. Bates, 24, stands to land somewhere soon. His Houston work last summer does not make it a lock he will be one of the 32 kickers in Week 1, but the UFL work will give him a shot.
Latest On Ravens’ Depth At Receiver, Guard
The Ravens haven’t done much to address the receiver position this offseason, as the team is set to return much of the same depth chart in 2024. As the coaching staff navigates the last few receiver spots on the roster, they could ultimately decide to add some reinforcement. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, “it’s not impossible” that the Ravens add a wide receiver before the start of training camp.
Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor are all but locked in atop the depth chart, and fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker will surely account for another spot. With Odell Beckham Jr. and Devin Duvernay out the door, the Ravens will likely have two more holes to fill at the position. Zrebiec points to Tylan Wallace and Deonte Harty as the most likely candidates for the role, especially considering their ability to replace Duvernay as a returner.
The Ravens have a handful of other notable players who will be competing for one of the receiver spots. Malik Cunningham is a former QB-turned-WR who the Ravens snagged off the Patriots practice squad last season. The team is also rostering Sean Ryan, the team’s lone 2023 UDFA who stuck around at the position.
The current grouping of unsigned veteran receivers isn’t very inspiring, with the likes of Michael Thomas, Hunter Renfrow, and Corey Davis leading the list. While Zrebiec hinted that the Ravens could look to add to the position prior to training camp, the organization could also await the assorted wideouts who will shake loose during the preseason.
Elsewhere in Baltimore, Zrebiec notes that the team is having an open competition with their two starting guard spots. While Ben Cleveland would be the favorite for one of the starting nods, Zrebiec believes the lineman will have to prove he can stay healthy and consistent. Zrebiec also believes former seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees will eventually work his way into the starting lineup, although the team could temporarily turn to a more experienced option like Josh Jones.
Giants TE Darren Waller To Retire
Throughout much of the offseason, the future of Darren Waller has been in question. The veteran tight end has been expected to retire for some time, though, and to little surprise that is the direction he has elected to move in.
Waller has informed the Giants he will hang up his cleats, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The 31-year-old made it clear he would make a final decision no later than the break between mandatory minicamp and training camp. With the final aspect of New York’s offseason program set to take place over the coming days, the team can now move forward knowing Waller will not be in the fold.
The former Pro Bowler faced major expectations upon his arrival with the Giants, which came about last offseason via trade. He was attached to a three-year, $51MM pact, but much of that will now come off the books given this decision. Waller’s retirement will create roughly $11.6MM in cap space while incurring a dead money charge of just over $2.4MM in 2024 and ’25. Given the nature of the free agent market at this time of year, of course, the team will be hard-pressed to find a starting-caliber replacement.
Plenty of snaps will be available to 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Bellinger once again. He served as New York’s starter as a rookie, but his role diminished last season with Waller in place. The Giants added Theo Johnson in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and he will aim to carve out at least a rotational place in the team’s offensive plans. Veterans Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz are also in the picture at the tight end spot.
Waller began his career as a sixth-round pick in 2015. His Ravens tenure consisted of sparse usage and a one-year suspension in 2017 for a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. After joining the Raiders, however, he saw a major uptick in production. During the 2019 campaign, the Georgia Tech product posted 1,145 yards. He followed that up with a 107-1,196-9 statline one year later, cementing his status as one of the top pass-catching options at the position around the league. Hamstring injuries became a problem over the past three years, however.
Over time, the missed action increasingly became an issue for the Raiders, and Waller’s injuries were a key factor in the decision to find a trade partner. The Giants paid only a compensatory third-round pick to acquire him last March, but Waller’s tenure in the Big Apple will go down as a notable disappointment. Injury consideration was a central component of his decision-making process with respect to attempting at least one more year in the league, something which would have seen him receive as much as $12MM.
Instead, Waller will call it a career after eight seasons and nine years in the NFL. With over $42MM in career earnings, he will now turn his attention to his post-playing endeavors. The Giants, meanwhile, will prepare for training camp with added financial flexibility but a vacancy on the TE depth chart.