HEADLINES

Michael Campanaro

Extra Points: McCullers, Ravens, Jets

June 24th, 2017 at 12:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday morning…

  • Steelers defensive tackle Dan McCullers has only compiled 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks since being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. As Chris Adamski of TribLive.com writes, the 24-year-old isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, and his coaches seemingly echoed that sentiment. “Dan McCullers, he’s got to grow up,” said defensive line coach John Mitchell. “It’s time to make a move right now. This is going to be his fourth year. And usually in this league, after about four years, you have got to make a move. Or, either, you move somewhere else.” An injury to starter Javon Hargrave opened up first-team reps, but McCullers was reportedly passed in favor of L.T. Walton.
  • Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes there are several Ravens players who have to prove themselves this season if they want to stick around the NFL. The writer specifically points to a pair of fourth-year players, wideout Michael Campanaro and tight end Crockett Gillmore. Preston doesn’t believe the players need to become “superstars,” but they need to at least prove that they can contribute in some capacity.
  • It has already been an offseason of changes for the Jets, who let go of veterans like Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold, and David Harris. Darryl Slater of NJ.com takes a look at seven current Jets who could be released or traded over the next 12 months, including cornerback Buster Skrine, defensive ends Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, offensive guard James Carpenter, running backs Matt Forte and Bilal Powell, and defensive tackle Steve McLendon.
  • Ben Swanson of DenverBroncos.com caught up with Vance Joseph to learn more about the new Broncos‘ head coach, including his hobbies and favorite foods. Notably, when asked which of his former players would make the best NFL head coach, Joseph pointed to Lions (and former Texans) safety Glover Quin.

Ravens To Re-Sign Michael Campanaro

April 6th, 2017 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens will bring back backup wide receiver Michael Campanaro, who could return to a receiving corps more in need of his services. Baltimore’s pact with Campanaro could be worth as much as $2MM, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports.

This deal will replace the $1.79MM original-round tender the Ravens offered the then-RFA last month. The 26-year-old wideout will receive a $250K signing bonus and a $250K roster bonus, per Zreibec. With the $2MM figure being reachable only through incentives, this deal will save the Ravens approximately $600K.

Campanaro has mostly seen special teams work in his three years with the Ravens. The Wake Forest alum and Maryland native has 12 career catches for 137 yards. Although, the Ravens lost Steve Smith to retirement and Kamar Aiken to the Colts via free agency defection. So, it’s possible Campanaro sees a bigger role on the 2017 team.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/17

March 7th, 2017 at 7:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:

RFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

ERFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/16

December 13th, 2016 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Seahawks have made a series of roster moves, announcing that they’ve signed running back Kelvin Taylor and cornerback Ronald Powell to their 53-man roster while placing running back Troymaine Pope and fullback Will Tukuafu on IR. Tay is the son of former NFL great Fred Taylor.
  • The Bears have signed tight end MyCole Pruitt off the Vikings‘ practice squad, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispacth, while Chicago announced that it has cleared a roster spot by waiving defensive back De’Vante Bausby. Pruitt, a 2015 fifth-round pick, has played in 18 games over the past two years.
  • The Packers will sign linebacker Jordan Tripp, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tripp, primarily a special teamer, was recently waived off Seattle’s IR.
  • John Hughes won’t be staying home alone any longer, as the Buccaneers announced that they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive tackle. Hughes, 28, has already played in three games for Tampa this season.
  • The Ravens announced that they’ve placed running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on injured reserve and signed linebacker Lamar Louis to the active roster. Taliaferro, a 2014 fourth-round, hasn’t been able to get on the field in Baltimore, as he’s managed only 14 carries over the past two seasons. The Ravens are also promoting WR Michael Campanaro, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Rams have signed cornerback Troy Hill from the practice squad and placed tight end Cory Harkey on injured reserve, the team announced today. Hill had been waived following a DUI arrest, but has now earned a second chance on the roster.
  • The Bills signed safety Shamiel Gary and offensive lineman Michael Ola to the active roster, per a club announcement. Linebacker Bryson Albright has been waived in a corresponding transaction.
  • The Redskins announced that they’ve promoted linebacker Nick Moody from the practice squad to the active roster and placed defensive end Anthony Lanier on injured reserve. Lanier, 26, has 25 games of NFL experience under his belt since entering the league as a San Francisco draft pick in 2013.
  • The Cardinals have swapped out punters once again, announcing that they’ve waived Drew Butler in favor of Matt Wile, who was promoted from the practice squad. Arizona also signed quarterback Zac Dysert off the taxi squad.
  • The Falcons have re-signed cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, the team announced today. BWW had just been waived last week in order to clear a spot for wide receiver depth.
  • The Browns announced that they’ve promoted DL Gabe Wright from the practice squad to active roster. Wright, a former Detroit draft pick, was claimed by Cleveland earlier this year.

Ravens Release Devin Hester

December 13th, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

One of the greatest kick returners of all-time is out of work. The Ravens announced that they have released Devin Hester. Michael Campanaro will be promoted from practice squad and serve as the team’s new returner. The Ravens also placed running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on injured reserve and signed inside linebacker Lamar Louis. "<strong

[RELATED: Falcons Promote WR Nick Williams]

Hester was a late addition to the Ravens’ roster, joining the club on Sept. 4. The 34-year-old averaged 24.5 yards per kick return and 7.2 yards per attempt on punt returns. Lately, however, he has struggled to field kicks. Last night, he made a costly decision to not field a punt and it would up resulting in a safety.

The veteran could be a fit for the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) speculates.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/16

November 7th, 2016 at 5:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans

  • Signed: TE RaShaun Allen

New England Patriots

San Diego Chargers

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/16

September 12th, 2016 at 7:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • Cornerback Cody Riggs is now back with the Titans after being waived last week, as Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com reports (Twitter link). To create a roster spot, Tennessee has waived third quarterback Alex Tanney, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
  • The Cowboys announced that they’ve waived cornerback Dax Swanson, who signed with the club in June.
  • The following players have been released from their respective teams’ injured reserve list with an injury settlement (all Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless noted): Buccaneers TE Kivon Cartwright (link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times), Cardinals LB Tristan Okpalaugo (link), Colts CB D’Joun Smith (link), Jets WR Kenbrell Thompkins (link), Giants T Jake Rodgers (link), Packers C Kyle Steuck (link), Texans C Dalton Freeman (link via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com).
  • The Ravens also released wide receiver Michael Campanaro with an injury settlement, but they expect to re-sign him for the second half of the season, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun.

Ravens Get Roster To 53

September 3rd, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens have announced the moves that take their roster to 53:

Placed On IR:

Lewis-Moore, the Ravens’ sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2013, had a tough beginning to his professional career, landing on IR in each of his first two seasons with the club. He finally made cracked the 53-man roster last year, appearing in five games for the Ravens. Baltimore has always liked his upside as a pass rusher, but he found himself squeezed out of a deep defensive line group this season.

Cutting Brooks was a bit of a surprise, as the former third-rounder was playing well early in the preseason. There was some optimism that Brooks would be able to leapfrog former first-rounder Matt Elam on the depth chart, but the 25-year-old was unable to carve out a role during his two years (plus preseason) on the team.

Zach Links contributed to this post

Ravens Acquire Chris Givens From Rams

October 3rd, 2015 at 5:20pm CST by Ben Levine

5:20pm: Givens did not fetch much in this trade, with the Ravens set to send the Rams a seventh-round pick in 2018, ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley reports (on Twitter).

9:20am: The Ravens have announced (via Twitter) that they’ve acquired Givens and placed Campanaro on the IR.

9:02am: The Ravens have acquired wide receiver Chris Givens from the Rams, reports ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the Rams will receive a future seventh-round pick in return. St. Louis will also presumably have an open roster spot for the time being.

The Ravens finished Thursday night’s contest with only three healthy receivers, so it’s not a surprise that they were looking to add more depth at the position. The Rams inclusion in the deal isn’t a surprise either, as Brian Quick is back in the picture for the Rams. ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner opines (via Twitter) that Givens could have been inactive going forward.

Givens, a fourth-round pick in 2012, had his best season as a rookie, compiling 42 catches for 698 yards and three touchdowns. Since then, the 25-year-old has caught 46 passes for 735 yards and one score, including only one seven-yard pass this season. While Givens returned 23 kickoffs in 2012, he’s only returned five in the past three seasons.

Regardless of the stats, the Wake Forest product will be welcomed in Baltimore. Despite reports that wideout Michael Campanaro would only be week-to-week with a herniated disk, Zrebiec tweets that the second-year player will actual be placed on the injured reserve.

Meanwhile, rookie receiver Breshad Perriman is out indefinitely following arthroscopic surgery on his PCL, while veteran Steve Smith‘s status is uncertain after he sustained a lower back contusion on Thursday.

Ravens Owner On Ngata, Yanda, Flacco

April 1st, 2015 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti hosted a conference call with season ticket holders and touched on a wide range of issues. Here’s a look at some of the highlights with all links going to Twitter..

  • Bisciotti didn’t rule out potential scenario of new Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata returning to the Ravens as a free agent in 2016, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Ngata is in the final year of his current pact. I can’t help but think that Bisciotti’s comments could lead to tampering accusations. Bisciotti added that Ngata rejected an extension offer that would have reduced his annual salary (link).
  • The owner identified cornerback and pass rusher as the two positions he’s looking at with the No. 26 overall pick, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The owner indicated that the Ravens can carve out more cap space by extending the contracts of Marshal Yanda, Jimmy Smith, and Justin Tucker, Hensley tweets. Yanda, who has started 78 of his 80 games with Baltimore over the past five years, is entering the final year of his deal and is set to earn $5.5MM in base salary in 2015.
  • Bisciotti is confident that the Ravens can make it a “win-win” for the team and Joe Flacco when it comes to getting a new deal done after this season, Hensley tweets. Even with the pending contract restructuring next season, he’s not concerned about Flacco’s future in Baltimore, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Bisciotti says he is still “praying” that tight end Dennis Pitta comes back from hip surgery, Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com tweets. That language doesn’t sound too encouraging when it comes to the veteran’s chances of getting back on the field.
  • The owner said that you can’t do it with two pass rushers anymore and knows that the team has a need there too, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. “I would be just as pleased with a pass rusher. Quietest need we have,” Bisciotti said. He’d like to see Baltimore take a pass rusher in the first round, but things are wide open at this stage (via Wilson on Twitter).
  • Bisciotti said domestic violence issues have changed the Ravens’ approach to who sign in free agency and who they draft, according to Hensley (on Twitter). He added that if the team had seen the Ray Rice video sooner, the running back likely would have been released earlier, according to Zrebiec (link).
  • Bisciotti said Lardarius Webb is a much better player than he showed in first half of last year and pointed to his lower back issues as a reason for his 2014 struggles, Wilson tweets. Webb reworked his deal with the Ravens this offseason in order to stay on board.
  • Bisciotti says he wants to see the Ravens acquire another Pernell McPhee type, Wilson tweets. McPhee, of course, joined up with the Bears on a five-year deal worth just under $40MM.
  • Bisciotti knows the Ravens need a corner but he’s not desperate for a wideout, Wilson tweets. The Ravens, he says, absolutely need a tight end but they’re not exceptionally desperate for a wideout (link). He identified in-house names like Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken, and Marlon Brown as players who could help fill that WR need from within.
  • Bisciotti also identified safety as an area of need, Zrebiec tweets.
  • The Ravens are more likely to take a tight end in the third or fourth round rather than the first or second round, Zrebiec tweets.
  • Biscotti added that the Ravens might target wide receivers in the third round, Zrebiec tweets.
  • Bisciotti said there’s not one issue in seven years that GM Ozzie Newsome and coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t come to a resolution on, even after disagreeing vehemently, Hensley tweets.