Extra Points: Pitta, Ravens, 49ers, Tedford
To the surprise of some, Redskins lineman Chris Baker won’t be suspended for his hit on Eagles quarterback Nick Foles on Sunday, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. “Baker didn’t do anything wrong with that hit,” NFL’s executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said. “When you look at the rule, he didn’t do anything illegal. People can say it’s a cheap shot and you can talk about whether it might fall under unsportsmanlike conduct. But when you know the rule and you look at the play, he didn’t hit him in the head. He didn’t hit him in the neck. We looked at it. I looked at it very closely. He’s not going to be fined for that.” Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Dennis Pitta‘s hip surgery was “successful,” a Ravens source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The tight end’s season is over after his unfortunate injury on Sunday.
- Multiple teams called to set up tryouts when Deonte Thompson cleared waivers but he was already in the process of re-signing with the Ravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Former 49ers linebacker Shayne Skov was in Tampa today where the Buccaneers are eying him for their practice squad, tweets Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com.
- Buccaneers offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford is taking an indefinite leave due to his medical situation, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Tedford underwent a coronary angioplasty prior to the season and had two stents placed in an artery near his heart.
Ravens Re-Sign Deonte Thompson
Wide receiver Deonte Thompson has rejoined the Ravens’ 53-man roster, signing a new deal with the team today, according to a press release. Baltimore had cut Thompson before this past Sunday’s game, replacing him on the roster with running back Fitzgerald Toussaint as insurance for the injured Bernard Pierce. With Pierce on the mend, Toussaint has been waived to make room for Thompson.
Thompson, 25, has spent his first two NFL seasons with the Ravens, and played well during training camp and the preseason this year, so the team didn’t want to let him get away. After he was cut this weekend, we heard that Thompson would likely be returning to Baltimore as long as he cleared waivers.
The Ravens currently have an opening on their practice squad, so Toussaint looks like a candidate to fill that 10th and final spot as long as he clears waivers.
Ravens Could Bring Back Deonte Thompson
Deonte Thompson, who was cut by the Ravens yesterday, could be brought back to the team next week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Thompson had an impressive training camp and preseason and there were rumors that the Ravens, who are fairly deep at wide receiver, were looking to trade him to a team intrigued by Thompson’s upside and return skills.
Baltimore cut Thompson in order to promote RB Fitzgerald Toussaint from its practice squad, as Bernard Pierce is unlikely to play in today’s contest against the Browns. However, as long as Thompson clears waivers, it looks as if he will remain in a Ravens uniform for the time being.
Minor Moves: Saturday
We’ll keep tabs on all of Saturday’s NFL transactions here, with the latest moves at the top…
- The Lions have cut veteran wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The move opened up room for practice squad cornerback Mohammed Seisay, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Raiders have signed linebacker Bojay Filomeatu from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The 49ers have promoted tight end Asante Cleveland to their active roster, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Josh Johnson to make room.
- The Dolphins have signed safety Brandian Ross from their practice squad to the active roster, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). They released defensive lineman Bruce Gaston to make room.
- The Ravens have cut wide receiver Deonte Thompson, and signed running back Fitzgerald Toussaint from their practice squad, according to the team’s official Twitter page.
Earlier updates:
- The Vikings announced that they have signed wide receiver Charles Johnson from the Browns practice squad. Johnson will take Adrian Peterson‘s spot on the roster.
- The Lions will sign cornerback Mohammed Seisay from their practice squad, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets that the Panthers have promoted running back Darrin Reaves from their practice squad to take Greg Hardy‘s roster spot.
- The Cowboys announced (via Twitter) that the team has waived defensive end Lavar Edwards and signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad. Edwards, a former fourth-round pick, was acquired from the Titans in late August. He’s only played 15 snaps in two games this season. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets that the release does not void the trade with Tennessee, noting that the Cowboys have to give up a seventh-rounder if Edwards stays on the roster for ten games. However, Archer also notes that Edwards will likely be back.
- The Jaguars have signed wide receiver Kerry Taylor from their practice squad, the team announced. To make room, the team waived rookie safety Craig Loston. Taylor has 22 career receptions for 229 yards and one touchdown. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that Taylor is injury-insurance for wideouts Cecil Shorts and Allen Hurns.
AFC North Links: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Steelers
When Anquan Boldin left the Ravens last offseason, it looked like former undrafted rookie Deonte Thompson could potentially step up and fill the void. However, the former Florida Gator struggled during his sophomore season. The wideout missed the first three games with a foot injury and was reportedly arrested in February (the case was dropped).
As a result, Thompson is trying to make up for lost time. With the odds stacked against him, the 25-year-old is hoping for a breakout season. Via Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com…
“It’s a big year,” Thompson said. “I’m motivated, man. I’m so motivated. You can’t take anything for granted out here. You have to give it your all.
“It’s going to be a great competition, man. No doubt. The cream always rises to the top, so the best will definitely stick out.”
Thompson also touched on his disappointing 2013 season…
“Everything was going good and I felt like the sky was going to be the limit, then bam, I get hurt.
“When I got back, just catching back up and trying to get back in, the season’s already rolling and guys are plugged in. That really set me back.”
Thompson certainly has some competition for a roster spot. Besides shoo-ins Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Marlon Brown and Jacoby Jones, he’ll also have to compete with Jeremy Butler, Michael Campanaro and LaQuan Williams.
Let’s check out some more news from the AFC North…
- If Ray Rice is suspended, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley thinks that would “increase the chances” of veteran running back Justin Forsett making the Ravens.
- Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis and safety Taylor Mays are among the roster “bubble” players heading into Bengals training camp, writes ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey.
- If the Bengals decide to keep Green-Ellis, Harvey could see the team keeping James Wilder Jr. as a possible replacement. By redshirting Wilder, the team could then turn to the bruising running back when Green-Ellis’s contract expires at the end of 2014.
- Brandon Tate could be a notable cut by the Bengals, Harvey writes in his roster prediction. Adam Jones is expected to be more involved in the return game while Dane Sanzenbacher appears to be a better option at wideout. The presence of that duo could make Tate expendable.
- The Browns‘ 2013 third-round pick might not stick around for a second year. Leon McFadden could be the odd man out in the cornerback rotation, and ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon omits him from his theoretical roster.
- Depending on fourth-round pick Martavis Bryant‘s ability to contribute, Scott Brown of ESPN.com says that the Steelers could potentially hold on to six receivers. That final spot would likely go to veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey, who Brown currently has as the odd man out.
Extra Points: Landry, Thompson, Texans
Let’s have a look at some notes from around the league on this relatively slow news day:
- Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post takes a look at some of the most significant pro day workouts from this past week. LSU and Penn State were the major programs to host pro days, but smaller schools McNeese State and Bloomsburg also boast several draftable prospects.
- LSU WR Jarvis Landry will be an intriguing player to watch at next month’s draft. He carried a first-round grade into the combine, but performed poorly there, and though he showed improvement at his pro day this week, it won’t be enough to get him back in the first round. Gabriel expects him to be taken in the third or fourth round, but does note that Landry’s game tape is phenomenal and there are plenty of other top-flight receivers who have had mediocre workout numbers.
- BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy has had a number of official visits already, and he recently met with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Van Noy has received first- and second-round grades from draft analysts.
- In a separate piece, Wilson writes that the felony and misdemeanor drug charges that Ravens WR Deonte Thompson was facing have been dropped by Florida prosecutors. Thompson may be crowded out of the Ravens roster this year, as the team added to its receiving corps this offseason and expects to add at least one more receiver in the draft, but at least he no longer has legal troubles hanging over his head.
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, noting that the Patriots have a penchant for drafting highly-talented players whose stock has taken a hit for medical reasons, wonders if Clemson guard Brandon Thomas, who carried a second-round grade before tearing his ACL in a pre-draft workout last week, might be a target in the middle to late rounds of this year’s draft.
- The Patriots are still in the mix for free agent OLB/DE Will Smith, according to Christopher Price of WEEI.com.
- John McClain of the Houston Chronicle gives an excellent description of the dilemma the Texans, picking first overall for the third time in their young history, face in the 2014 draft.
AFC North Notes: Whitworth, Steelers, Hood
Earlier, we took a look around the AFC South, so let’s head north for a few more notes:
- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis hopes the questions about Andrew Whitworth‘s position along the offensive line end soon, according to ESPN.com’s Cole Harvey. “Too much has been made of it,” said Lewis. “Andrew Whitworth has said many times during the season he’ll play where he needs to play to make the football team win…” Whitworth, who has primarily been a left tackle throughout his career, moved to left guard as part of line shuffling due to injuries. He excelled at guard, and if the team re-signs Anthony Collins to play tackle, Whitworth could move there permanently.
- Though cornerback is thought to be the most pressing need on defense, the Bengals will not reach for one if a better player at a different position is available to them in the draft, new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther tells Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. Guenther also stated that the defensive scheme won’t change much, but he will employ multiple fronts in order to get better matchups.
- The increase in the salary cap could allow the Steelers to delve into the free agent market, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team usually shies away from spending on free agents; in fact, they haven’t signed a free agent starter since safety Ryan Clark in 2006.
- The Steelers have three free agents at defensive end, and Ziggy Hood is likely to draw the most interest from other teams, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The other two, Brett Keisel and Al Woods, could be easier to re-sign.
- Offensive lineman Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert, each of whom has struggled, could flourish under new offensive line coach Mike Munchak, says Scott Brown of ESPN.com in his latest mailbag.
- The Ravens are talking with linebacker Daryl Smith about a potential reunion, writes Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com.
- Receiver Deonte Thompson‘s arrest is just the latest in a line of recent gaffes by Ravens that have tarnished the team’s image, argues ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley.