Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers moves are noted below.
Baltimore Ravens
Signed to practice squad:
- T Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, DB Thomas Graham, OLB Malik Hamm, QB Tyler Huntley, DB Keondre Jackson, RB D’Ernest Johnson, WR Keith Kirkwood, ILB Chandler Martin, WR Anthony Miller, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, DT C.J. Okoye, G Jared Penning, DB Marquise Robinson, DE Kaimon Rucker, C Nick Samac, RB Lucas Scott, DL Brent Urban
Cincinnati Bengals
Signed to practice squad:
- RB Gary Brightwell, T Devin Cochran, T Andrew Coker, CB Jalen Davis, LB Joe Giles-Harris, G Jaxson Kirkland, CB Bralyn Lux, C Seth McLaughlin, RB Kendall Milton, WR Jordan Moore, LB Maema Njongmeta, DE Isaiah Thomas, WR Isaiah Williams, S Russ Yeast
Reverted to IR:
-
T Caleb Etienne, TE Tanner McLachlan, G Cordell Volson
Cleveland Browns
Claimed:
- CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse (from Jets), RB Raheim Sanders (from Chargers)
Waived:
- TE Brenden Bates, CB Dom Jones
Signed to practice squad:
- TE Sal Cannella, WR Kaden Davis, S Christopher Edmonds, DT Ralph Holley, CB LaMareon James, DT Sam Kamara, RB Ahmani Marshall, DE Julian Okwara, RB Trayveon Williams, QB Bailey Zappe
Pittsburgh Steelers
Signed to practice squad:
- DL Kyler Baugh, CB Beanie Bishop, DB Sebastian Castro, OL Dylan Cook, TE JJ Galbreath, WR Max Hurleman, DB D’Shawn Jamison, OL Steven Jones, DL DeMarvin Leal, RB Lew Nichols, CB James Pierre, DB Daryl Porter, RB Trey Sermon, LB Julius Welschof, WR Ke’Shawn Williams, WR Robert Woods
Ravens Sign 17 UDFAs
Going stride-for-stride with the Seahawks in competition for the league’s largest rookie crop, the Ravens, much like Seattle, have signed 17 undrafted free agent rookies to join their 11-man draft class. The newest additions to Baltimore’s 28-man rookie class are:
- Jahmal Banks, WR (Nebraska)
- Diwun Black, OLB (Temple)
- Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, T (Oregon State)
- Xavier Guillory, WR (Arizona State)
- Jay Higgins, LB (Iowa)
- Reid Holskey, G (Miami [OH])
- Ozzie Hutchinson, T (Albany)
- Desmond Igbinosun, S (Rutgers)
- Keondre Jackson, S (Illinois State)
- Jayson Jones, DT (Auburn)
- Reuben Lowery, CB (Tennessee-Chattanooga)
- Marcus Major, RB (Minnesota)
- Chandler Martin, LB (Memphis)
- Sone Ntoh, RB (Monmouth)
- Jared Penning, G (Northern Iowa)
- Sam Pitz, TE (Minnesota-Duluth)
- Marquise Robinson, CB (Arkansas)
The Ravens are notorious for finding undrafted free agents who have potential to make the 53-man roster. That will be a tall task for this year’s group as 17 of them compete with the 11 draft picks. That goes double for the several small school signees like Hutchinson, Jackson, Lowery, Ntoh, Penning, and Pitz, who will have to show what they can do in camp after playing inferior competition in college.
Christian-Lichtenhan certainly stands out as a possible contender for a roster spot. After the Ravens entered the draft needing to add bodies at tackle, Christian-Lichtenhan has volunteered his 6-foot-8, 315-pound frame for the job. After graduating from Colorado with a degree and 19 starts at left tackle to his name, Christian-Lichtenhan transferred to Corvallis, where he started all 12 games as the blindside blocker for the Beavers.
In Higgins and Martin, the team brings in two inside linebackers, a position at which Baltimore usually harbors hard-working UDFAs for their special teams value. Higgins was projected to be a late-Day 3 pick but just slipped out of the draft. In his two years as a starter (out of five total with the Hawkeyes), Higgins notched 295 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles, 14 passes defensed, and five interceptions. After his only season as a starter at East Tennessee State, Martin leveraged a strong year into a transfer to Memphis. For the Tigers, Martin started two seasons, tallying 206 tackles, 33.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, nine passes defensed, and three interceptions. Both are undersized backers who display sideline-to-sideline ability and strong coverage abilities.
Jackson stands, perhaps, the strongest chance to make the roster from the small schools. Jackson started three of his five seasons in Normal. His final two years (172 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 11 passes defensed, and four interceptions) were his strongest. His versatility earned him first-team All-MVFC honors, and he was recognized at the Senior Bowl as the National team’s Top DB. His versatility gives him a strong chance to compete for a roster spot.