Ravens, WR Nelson Agholor Agree To Deal
Nelson Agholor‘s Baltimore visit will produce a deal. The former first-round pick is signing with the Ravens, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reports (on Twitter).
While the one-year contract could max out at $6.25MM, Zrebiec adds the base value will come in at $3.25MM. The Ravens will be Agholor’s fourth NFL team. Agholor will reunite with Ravens assistant coach Tee Martin. While Martin is now the Ravens’ quarterbacks coach, he was USC’s wide receivers coach throughout Agholor’s time with the Trojans.
As expected, Agholor’s fourth NFL contract will not be worth anywhere near his Patriots pact. During an uncharacteristic 2021 spending spree, the Pats gave Agholor a two-year, $22MM deal. At the time, the 2015 first-rounder was coming off a bounce-back Raiders season that featured career-high receiving yardage (896) and touchdown (eight) numbers. Agholor was unable to replicate that showing in New England.
Agholor, who will turn 30 in May, did not match that 2020 Las Vegas yardage or touchdown total in two Patriots seasons. He topped out at 473 yards and five touchdowns in New England, which had Jakobi Meyers in place as its lone reliable wide receiver over the past two seasons. Meyers has since joined the Raiders on an $11MM-per-year deal, while the Patriots have brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster for slightly less.
This Ravens deal can be categorized as a flier for a team perpetually in search of receiver help. Agholor joins 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman as the biggest names in Baltimore’s receiving corps, though last year’s No. 2 wideout — Devin Duvernay — is under contract for one more season. Both Bateman and Duvernay suffered season-ending foot injuries last year. The Ravens added DeSean Jackson last year as well, but the 36-year-old deep threat is no longer under contract.
Agholor has earned the inconsistent label attached to him, but he has done well for himself financially and made impacts for successful squads. The 6-foot wideout combined for 1,504 receiving yards and eight TD catches for the Eagles from 2017-18. He came through during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII upset, hauling in nine Nick Foles passes for 84 yards. The time between then and this agreement limits that game’s reference material regarding Agholor’s current form, however.
The Ravens will see what the ninth-year veteran has left in the tank, though everything non-Lamar Jackson looms as a secondary matter until the franchise determines a resolution with its disgruntled quarterback.
Bills Interested In DeAndre Hopkins
Entering free agency with rumored receiver interest, the Bills have added two depth pieces (Deonte Harty, Trent Sherfield) to their pass-catching equation. They appear to be considering a much bigger swing.
The Bills are interested in trading for DeAndre Hopkins, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports (on Twitter). Buffalo joins Kansas City as teams believed to be in on the Arizona wideout, but Wilson adds Baltimore is not part of this pursuit. Hopkins appears to have heard Bills rumors as well (audio link). Extensive Hopkins interest exists, but his contract is an obvious impediment.
[RELATED: Hopkins Trade Market Accelerating?]
The Cardinals are believed to want a second-round pick and an additional asset for the 11th-year veteran, but Albert Breer of SI.com hears that type of return is not expected to be in the cards. No contract adjustment has occurred, though it should be expected. Hopkins is open to that. As of now, however, Hopkins is tied to a $19.45MM base salary ahead of his age-31 season. While Breer adds Hopkins should fetch the Cardinals more than the Texans obtained in their Brandin Cooks pick-swap deal with the Cowboys — one that sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth to Houston — he expects the return to be closer to the Cooks price than what the Cardinals are seeking.
Connected in trade rumors since before the 2022 deadline, Hopkins now no longer has a no-trade clause. Due to language in the former All-Pro’s contract, his 2022 PED suspension voided it. The Bills would seemingly appeal to veteran wide receivers, given the presences of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Hopkins and Diggs were traded on the same day in March 2020. Hopkins has not been viewed as a No. 2 wideout since his early days with Andre Johnson in Houston; he would certainly be classified as such in Buffalo.
It would undoubtedly take a contract adjustment for Hopkins to land on the Bills’ cap sheet. Diggs is tied to a $24MM-per-year deal. Only the Chargers have two receivers earning at least $20MM per year, and each is tied to $20MM-AAV deals. Buffalo’s No. 1 target is tied to a long-term extension; Hopkins’ 2020 Cardinals re-up runs through 2024. His $27MM-per-year contract calls for $19.4 and $14.9MM base salaries over the next two years. The Bills have more than $9MM in cap space, though the team did add guard David Edwards earlier today.
Buffalo rosters Gabe Davis as well, but the former fourth-round pick is going into a contract year. Davis and the since-released Isaiah McKenzie battled inconsistency last season. Hopkins’ PED suspension and his injuries over the past two years have injected unreliability into his career path, one that previously had the contested-catch maven entrenched as one of the NFL’s steadiest stars. Hopkins ripped off three straight first-team All-Pro seasons (2017-19) and topped 1,000 receiving yards six times in seven years. He has not surpassed 800 in a season since 2020; the ban and injury trouble limited him to nine games in 2022.
The Ravens are not in too much worse cap shape than the Bills are, sitting at just more than $7MM. But they also must factor in the chance of needing to match a monster Lamar Jackson offer sheet, which could feature the second-most fully guaranteed money in NFL history. Baltimore does need receiving help far more than Buffalo or Kansas City do, seeing Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay each go down with injuries.
Kansas City has been connected to both Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. The Bills hosted Beckham on a visit in December but have not been linked to him this offseason. The Chiefs have lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency, seeing each head to the AFC East (Patriots, Jets). The Bills hold one draft choice in each of the first five rounds and carry two in the fifth. They obtained a fifth from the Cardinals in last summer’s Cody Ford swap and sent their own to the Colts for Nyheim Hines. The Chiefs are in slightly better shape, holding an extra fourth-round pick due to their Tyreek Hill trade.
While Diggs and Davis’ presences would make Hopkins a bit of a luxury item for the Bills, they have seen the Chiefs impede their Super Bowl pursuits. Hopkins as an additional weapon would add more intrigue to this rivalry. The Bengals have now leapfrogged the Bills in the AFC hierarchy as well, and the AFC East figures to be stronger in 2023 thanks to Jalen Ramsey and, most likely, Aaron Rodgers entering the mix. As the competition intensifies, the Bills are seeing what it will take to add a proven pass catcher.
Ravens Host WR Nelson Agholor, To Meet With S Adrian Amos
Adrian Amos is considering a homecoming. The Baltimore native who has spent his entire career in the NFC North is visiting the Ravens on Thursday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
The Ravens are fairly set at safety, rostering Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, but the team rolled out three-safety looks last season. The third man in those sets, Chuck Clark, has since been traded to the Jets.
Additionally, the Ravens have Nelson Agholor on their radar. The free agent wide receiver met with the team this week, Field Yates of ESPN.com adds (on Twitter). Agholor played out his two-year, $22MM Patriots contract. The former first-rounder’s uneven performance in New England will not make him a candidate for a similar deal this time around.
The Packers gave Amos a four-year, $36MM contract in 2019, and the former Bears draftee played out that deal. Amos, who will turn 30 next month, would provide his next team with plenty of experience. He has started 122 career games. Amos’ role in Vic Fangio‘s No. 1-ranked Bears defense catapulted him into free agency, and the former Day 3 draftee did well to play out a four-year second contract. He joins the likes of John Johnson and Eric Rowe as safeties seeking a third contract this offseason.
Pro Football Focus viewed Amos as declining in 2022, ranking the Penn State alum as a bottom-10 safety after slotting him in the top 20 at the position in each of his first three Packers slates. The advanced metrics site graded Amos as the league’s second-best safety in 2020, behind only Jessie Bates. The new Falcons safety lapped the field in terms of earnings among free agents this offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $64MM deal. Bates’ ex-Bengals teammate, Vonn Bell, landed $7.5MM per year on his third NFL deal. Amos is unlikely to command that at this stage of his career, but the Ravens will see if their terms align with the hometown defender’s hopes during his second free agency stay.
One of the league’s more maligned wideouts, Agholor has still done well financially. He tacked on that $22MM to his first-round rookie contract. The former Eagles and Raiders pass catcher, however, did not top 500 receiving yards in either of his Patriots years. In 2022, the former Super Bowl starter caught just 31 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns. To be fair, it was not a good year to be a Patriots offensive player; dysfunction on that Matt Patricia-run unit produced steady scrutiny. But Agholor, 29, being unable to build on his 896-yard Raiders contract year has reduced his value.
Perpetually in search of receivers to play in their run-focused offense, the Ravens bottomed out at the position in 2022. Both Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay suffered season-ending foot injuries, with Bateman’s coming early in the year. The Ravens, who have Lamar Jackson‘s $32.4MM franchise tag salary clogging their cap, have not made any additions at the position thus far in free agency.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/23
We will keep track of today’s minor moves right here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: LB Jordan Kunaszyk
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LS Jake McQuaide
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: LS Trent Sieg
Washington Commanders
- Retired: TE Eli Wolf
CB Rock Ya-Sin To Visit Ravens
The top cornerbacks on this year’s market have agreed to deals, but there are a few other higher-end veteran options still available. Rock Ya-Sin is one of them, and he will explore a relocation soon.
Ya-Sin will meet with the Ravens, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The former second-round pick spent last season with the Raiders, who showed some interest in bringing him back. But the former Colts draftee will look for a job elsewhere.
Marcus Peters is a free agent, and Ya-Sin, at 27, is three years younger. The Ravens have Marlon Humphrey signed to a big-ticket extension but are in need of more help at the spot. Peters, who is going into his age-30 season, was up and down during his return from a summer 2021 ACL tear. The Ravens ranked in the top 10 defensively in 2022, rebounding after a tough start. But Baltimore’s run defense bettered its pass coverage; the playoff-bound team ranked 26th against the pass, seeing the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence lead fourth-quarter comebacks.
The Colts traded Rock Ya-Sin straight up for ex-Raven Yannick Ngakoue in 2022, sending the three-year starter to Las Vegas ahead of Josh McDaniels‘ first season in the desert. Pro Football Focus slotted Ya-Sin as the league’s No. 50 overall corner during his contract year, one interrupted by a knee injury that ended up sending him to IR. Ya-Sin missed six games last season. He allowed a career-low 82.6 passer rating as the closest defender in 2022, though his completion percentage yielded ballooned from from 53.3% in 2021 to 60.9% last year. PFF graded Ya-Sin as a top-30 player at the position in 2021.
The Raiders brought back Brandon Facyson, who played for the team during Gus Bradley‘s DC season, but seemingly still have a need for at least one starter-caliber outside corner. This year’s cornerback market has featured three of the top names — Jamel Dean, James Bradberry, Jonathan Jones — staying put, while Byron Murphy left for the Vikings and Cameron Sutton defected from the Steelers to the Lions. The rest of the cornerback-seeking teams have undoubtedly looked into Ya-Sin, though this Baltimore trip points to the Temple product’s market not coming in where he hoped it would.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/23
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: LS Nick Moore
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: CB C.J. Goodwin
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: S P.J. Locke
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: FB John Lovett
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: LS Joe Cardona
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, DT T.Y. McGill
There’s some long snapper news to pass along! Cardona will be returning to New England for his ninth season with the organization, making him the Patriots’ second-longest tenured player (behind Matthew Slater). Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Cardona got a four-year deal with a $1MM signing bonus, with that latter value being “an important marker” for the veteran to clear.
Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Moore will be getting a two-year, $2.5MM deal. The long snapper was non-tendered by Baltimore yesterday but ultimately re-upped with the team on a multiyear deal. Per Zrebiec, Moore received interest from other teams but wanted to stick around Baltimore. The 30-year-old has been with the Ravens since 2020 and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2022.
Ravens To Re-Sign S Geno Stone
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley was the only member of the Ravens’ group of restricted free agents to be tendered yesterday. That briefly left safety Geno Stone‘s future in the air, but he will remain in Baltimore for the 2023 season. 
Stone is re-signing with the Ravens, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter link). Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that the new contract is one year in length. Applying the right of first refusal tender would have cost the Ravens $2.63MM, so this new pact will presumably come in at a lower rate.
The 23-year-old has primarily been with the Ravens for three seasons, spending time on both the practice squad and 53-man roster. He played almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie, something which influenced the team’s decision to waive him in December 2020. The Texans claimed him, but he didn’t see any game action in Houston before ultimately returning to Baltimore.
The former seventh-rounder saw a jump in playing in 2021, as his defensive snap share rose to 23%. He took on a even larger workload this past season, with that figure spiking to 41% as the Ravens employed a number of different looks in the secondary. A midseason injury to free agent signing Marcus Williams allowed Stone to register seven starts and compile 38 tackles, a new career-high, while maintaining his special teams role.
The Iowa product could be in line for a more consistent role in 2023, after Baltimore traded away veteran safety Chuck Clark. That move was expected given the financial benefits it gave the Ravens, and their investment in not only Williams but also 2022 first-rounder Kyle Hamilton at the position. Those two are in line to start on the backend moving forward, but Stone should be able to secure a backup role behind them as he looks to play his way into a more long-term contract down the road.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/23
Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: CB Dane Jackson
- Patriots: CB Myles Bryant, OT Yodny Cajuste
Non-tendered:
- 49ers: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
- Lions: OL Tommy Kraemer, DB Bobby Price
- Panthers: QB P.J. Walker
- Rams: QB Bryce Perkins
- Ravens: C-G Trystan Colon-Castillo, LS Nick Moore, LB Del’Shawn Phillips, S Geno Stone, ILB Kristian Welch
- Saints: WR Marquez Callaway
- Seahawks: LB Tanner Muse
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Buccaneers: CB Dee Delaney
- Rams: DT Michael Hoecht, CB Shaun Jolly, LB Christian Rozeboom
- Titans: DT Naquan Jones
Ravens Place Low RFA Tender On QB Tyler Huntley; Team Involved In Free Agent Market
Lamar Jackson is the Ravens quarterback which is drawing the most attention as the new league year officially begins, but he is not the only Baltimore quarterback facing an uncertain future. Backup Tyler Huntley is receiving the low (right of first refusal) restricted free agent tender, as noted (on Twitter) by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. 
Doing so will lock him into a 2023 salary of $2.63MM, presuming he signs the tender. From now until April 21, however, the 25-year-old will be able to receive offer sheets from other teams. Signing one of them would give the Ravens seven days to match, which could force them to keep him at a more cumbersome cap number. Since Huntley was a UDFA, however, Baltimore would receive no compensation if he were to depart.
The Ravens could have used the second-round tender, valued at just over $4.3MM. That would have required a larger financial commitment, of course, but provided less of an incentive to interested teams to prepare on offer sheet. It also would have guaranteed compensation had the Utah alum elected to leave in search of a different opportunity. The likeliest outcome in this situation still remains, however, Huntley remaining with the Ravens for at least one more season.
Huntley has seen action in 13 regular season games over the past two years, filling in for Jackson following the latter’s in injuries. His play in 2021 earned him the low tender this past offseason, allowing him to remain in place in the N0. 2 role. His most notable action to date was his start in the Ravens’ wild card loss to the Bengals, in which he threw for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns and added 54 yards on the ground.
Turnovers in that contest, and generally underwhelming play in the 2022 regular season in particular, are likely to hinder the market for Huntley (though they, coupled with a multitude of other absences, allowed him to be named a Pro Bowler) and represent the ceiling of his potential. Still, his future is currently in the balance, as is that of Jackson, who is now eligible to negotiate with other teams on a new contract.
Amidst their uncertainty under center, the Ravens have been “involved” in the free agent quarterback market, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). Specifically, he names Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett as veterans Baltimore has inquired about. They have since agreed to deals with the Buccaneers and Commanders, respectively, but other cost-effective options still remain if the team is forced to replace Jackson. Regardless of what happens at the top of the depth chart, the Ravens should still have Huntley available as a depth and spot-starter option.
Ravens To Re-Sign RB Justice Hill
The Ravens have been idle to date in terms of making additions on the open market, but a familiar face in their backfield will remain in place. Baltimore is re-signing running back Justice Hill, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
This new pact will see the 25-year-old earn $4.5MM over two years. The contract has a maximum value of $5MM, marking a notable investment given Hill’s location in the Ravens’ running back pecking order. Baltimore already has J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards as their top options at the position, and quarterback Lamar Jackson has represented another key element of their rushing attack during his time in Charm City.
As a result, Hill has only received 119 carries in three seasons. Part of that total is owing to the Achilles tear which kept him sidelined for the 2021 campaign, one in which Dobbins and Edwards both missed the season in full as well. At least one of the latter two were unavailable for much of 2022, but Hill was able to play in 15 contests. He recorded 262 scoreless yards on the ground (at an average of 5.3 per carry), adding 12 catches for 58 yards.
While the Oklahoma State product’s tenure has been limited in terms of opportunities on offense, he also has experience on special teams. Hill returned kicks as a rookie, then did so again in 2022 after wideout Devin Duvernay was lost for the season due to injury. The latter has been floated as a potential trade candidate given his inflated cap number on the final year of his rookie contract and the team’s tight financial situation. Should Duvernay be moved, Hill could be in line to handle return duties full-time.
Edwards recently agreed to lower his 2023 compensation in a move which ensures that he will remain in the fold for the coming season. With Dobbins still on his rookie contract and Hill now on the books, the Ravens will have continuity in the backfield for at least one more season as they look to continue their strong ground attack under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.