Marcus Applefield - Pro Football Rumors

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are noted below.

Additionally, as of today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Baltimore Ravens

Signed to practice squad:
- DE Aaron Adeoye
- OL Marcus Applefield
- CB Maurice Canady
- FB Christopher Ezeala
- WR Sean Modster
- LB Donald Payne
- OL R.J. Prince
- TE Charles Scarff
- DE Zach Sieler
- RB De’Lance Turner
- WR Antoine Wesley

Cincinnati Bengals

Claimed:
- WR Pharoh Cooper
- RB Samaje Perine
Waived:
- RB Josh Malone
- LB Hardy Nickerson
Signed to practice squad:
- TE Moritz Böhringer
- CB Anthony Chesley
- LB Noah Dawkins
- HB Jordan Ellis
- TE Jordan Franks
- S Trayvon Henderson
- WR Stanley Morgan
- TE Mason Schreck
- G Keaton Sutherland

Cleveland Browns

Claimed:
- WR KhaDarel Hodge
- LB Malik Jefferson
- TE Ricky Seals-Jones
Waived:
- S Juston Burris
- DT Trevon Coley
Placed on IR:
- OL Drew Forbes
Signed to practice squad:
- DT Brandin Bryant
- TE Stephen Carlson
- WR Shelton Gibson
- LB Willie Harvey
- S J.T. Hassell
- CB Robert Jackson
- DB Tigie Sankoh*
- WR Derrick Willies
- C Willie Wright

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed to practice squad:
- S Marcus Allen
- RB Trey Edmunds
- OL Derwin Gray
- WR Tevin Jones
- S Trevon Mathis
- DL Henry Mondeaux
- OL Patrick Morris
- TE Kevin Rader
- TE Christian Scotland-Williamson
- LB Robert Spillane

* = International Pathway Program player

Ravens Move Down To 53

August 31st, 2019 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens minced their roster to 53 players, parting ways with UDFA Gerald Willis to get there. Baltimore also placed Tavon Young and Kenneth Dixon on IR.

Young suffered a neck injury recently and will miss a full season for the second time in three years. While Baltimore boasts a deep cornerback corps, losing its slot man again will not help the high-end defense’s cause. Dixon will head back to IR. The Ravens placed him on IR in September 2018 but used an IR-return slot on him. That will not be an option this year, which doubles as the running back’s contract slate.

Character concerns caused Willis, viewed as a high-Day 3-type prospect out of Miami, to go undrafted. He is now on the waiver wire.

Here are Baltimore’s cuts:

Aaron Adeoye, DE
Marcus Applefield, T
Terrell Bonds, DB
Maurice Canady, DB
E.J. Ejiya, LB
Tyler Ervin, RB
Christopher Ezeala, RB
Willie Henry, DT
Cole Herdman, TE
Bennett Jackson, DB
Stanley Jean-Baptiste, DB
Sean Modster, WR
Cameron Nizialek, P
Donald Payne, LB
R.J. Prince, G
Charles Scarff, TE
Zach Sieler, DE
Brynden Trawick, DB
Antoine Wesley, WR
Gerald Willis, DT

Placed on IR:

Randin Crecelius, T
Kenneth Dixon, RB
Alvin Jones, LB
Fish Smithson, DB
Tavon Young, DB

Ravens Sign Gerald Willis, 16 Other UDFAs

May 3rd, 2019 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Stationed on ESPN’s “best available” graphic for hours on Day 3 of the draft, Gerald Willis found a home in Baltimore. The Ravens made the defensive lineman part of their UDFA contingent. Here is the rest of the team’s 17-man group:

Otaro Alaka, LB (Texas A&M)
Marcus Applefield, T (Virginia)
E.J. Ejiya, LB (North Texas)
Cole Herdman, TE (Purdue)
Markus Jones, LB (Angelo State)
Patrick Mekari, G (Cal)
Sean Modster, WR (Boise State)
Kalil Morris, DT (Kent State)
Mike Onuoha, LB (Texas A&M-Commerce)
Matthew Orzech, LS (Azusa Pacific)
Charles Scarff, TE (Delaware)
Jaylen Smith, WR (Louisville)
Silas Stewart, LB (Incarnate Word)
C.J. Toogood, C (Elon)
Antoine Wesley, WR (Texas Tech)
Gerald Willis, DT (Miami)
Evan Worthington, S (Colorado)

Rated as the No. 76 overall prospect on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board, Willis earned second-team All-American honors by finishing with 18 tackles for loss and four sacks last season. However, character issues likely led to his slide. Florida dismissed the talented defender earlier in his career, and some Miami coaches were skeptical of his NFL future.

The Ravens are continuing their rookie-heavy approach to staffing their wide receiver spots, this trio following Marquise Brown and third-round pick Miles Boykin. Smith, who had his best college season (a 60-catch, 980-yard, seven-touchdown 2017) when playing with Lamar Jackson, will rejoin the developing passer. Wesley’s 1,410 receiving yards ranked third in Division I-FBS last season.