HEADLINES

Shane Ray

Bears Work Out Shane Ray, Noah Spence

September 17th, 2019 at 7:22pm CST by PFR Staff

The Bears worked out edge defenders Shane Ray, Noah Spence, Nate Orchard and Dekoda Watson on Tuesday, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

A former first-round pick of the Broncos back in 2015, Ray was among the Ravens’ final cuts this past summer after signing a $1.2MM deal with $200K guaranteed shortly after this past May’s compensatory deadline. After having 12 sacks in his first two seasons, Ray missed large portions of the next two seasons due to injury and was looking forward to having a bounce back campaign in 2019.

Spence, a former second-round pick of the Buccaneers back in 2016, most recently worked out with the Redskins after not making the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster. Orchard, who was recently released by the Dolphins, and Watson, who was among the Broncos’ final cuts, are both looking to continue their careers after bouncing around to a number of teams over the past couple of years.

Behind starters Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, the Bears feature Aaron Lynch and former UDFA Isaiah Irving. Tuesday’s workout contingent each boasts at least three years of NFL experience.

Ravens Release Shane Ray

August 30th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have released linebacker Shane Ray, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens added Ray shortly after May’s compensatory deadline and gave him a $1.2MM deal with $200K guaranteed, but he won’t fly with them in September.

The Ravens had a glut of edge rushers, even after losing Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith in the offseason. The numbers crunch, ultimately, pushed Ray out.

Ray posted 12 sacks in his first two NFL seasons, but injuries have held him back ever since. In the last two years, he’s had just two sacks across 29 games.

Shane Ray On Ravens’ Roster Bubble?

August 8th, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brought in along with Pernell McPhee after the draft, Shane Ray does not have a comfortable path to the Ravens’ 53-man roster. The former first-round pick is squarely on Baltimore’s bubble.

Ray is behind five other Raven edge defenders at present, with Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic noting (subscription required) the four-year Broncos cog will need a strong preseason to make the team.

The fifth-year pass rusher has flashed in practice, but Zreibec notes McPhee is ahead of him among the veteran contingent. So are 2017 second- and third-round picks Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams With the Ravens unlikely to keep six edge defenders, Ray has his work cut out for him entering the team’s preseason slate.

The Ravens added Ray shortly after May’s compensatory deadline and gave him a $1.2MM deal with $200K guaranteed. But vying with McPhee and recent Ravens Day 2 picks, with Matt Judon and rookie Jaylon Ferguson locks to make the team, made this an uncertain proposition from the start.

While he was a rotational presence on Denver’s Super Bowl champion team and registered eight sacks in 2016, Ray has not lived up to his first-round billing yet. He finished his Broncos tenure on a shaky note, being a healthy scratch at the conclusion of last season.

Ravens To Sign Shane Ray

May 17th, 2019 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have agreed to sign Shane Ray, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The edge rusher’s deal is pending a physical, which may be more than a formality given his history. 

Ray has missed 13 games over the last two seasons with the Broncos due to various injuries. The LB/DE, who turns 26 on Saturday, hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft pedigree, but he has shown flashes of promise. The former first-round pick amassed four sacks as a reserve in his rookie season and tallied a career-high eight sacks in 2016.

Despite the setbacks, Ray drew interest from a handful of other teams this offseason, including the Seahawks, Colts, and Raiders. The Ravens arguably needed him more than any of those clubs after losing 2018 sack leader Za’Darius Smith to the Packers and all-time franchise sack leader Terrell Suggs to the Cardinals.

Compensatory Pick Formula Ends Today

May 7th, 2019 at 8:51am CST by Zachary Links

Starting at 4pm ET/3pm CT, any unrestricted free agent that signs with a new team will not count towards the 2020 compensatory draft pick formula, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This should quickly accelerate the market for several free agents of note, including:

Compensatory picks are given to teams that lose a greater number of compensatory free agents (or, a greater quality of free agents) than they acquire. The complicated formula that dictates how the picks are dispersed is not disclosed to the public, but teams are wary of signing even lower impact UFAs while it is in effect.

But, when the formula is turned off, veteran free agents should start flying off of the board.

Shane Ray To Visit Seahawks

May 2nd, 2019 at 5:34pm CST by Rory Parks

Now that the draft is over, the Shane Ray free agency tour can resume. The free agent edge rusher will meet with the Seahawks tomorrow, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

Seattle is clearly on the lookout for pass rushing help after trading Frank Clark prior to the draft. The Seahawks hosted Ziggy Ansah earlier this week, and although they added TCU defensive end L.J. Collier in the first round, they are still a bit undermanned on the edge.

Ray, whom Denver selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft pedigree, but he has shown flashes of promise. The 25-year-old (26 in May) amassed four sacks as a reserve in his rookie season and tallied a career-high eight sacks in 2016. Injuries have derailed him somewhat, however, as he has just two sacks in the last two years combined.

But he would have a good chance to get his career back on track in Seattle. He has also met with the Colts and Raiders, so teams are obviously interested in seeing what he can do.

Raiders Host Shane Ray

April 9th, 2019 at 4:39pm CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders hosted free agent edge rusher Shane Ray, as ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. The club recently signed another former Broncos defender, Brandon Marshall, and Ray could follow suit.

Ray, whom Denver selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft pedigree, but he has shown flashes of promise. The 25-year-old (26 in May) amassed four sacks as a reserve in his rookie season and tallied a career-high eight sacks in 2016. Injuries have derailed him somewhat, however, as he has just two sacks in the last two years combined.

But the Raiders are in dire need of pass rush help, and Ray makes plenty of sense as an upside play. Ray would likely serve as a defensive end in the club’s 4-3 scheme, and the top two DEs on the roster at the moment are Josh Mauro and 2018 third-rounder Arden Key, so if the two sides reach an agreement, Ray may have plenty of opportunity to rebuild his value.

Ray visited the Colts last month but left Indy without a deal.

Colts Meet With Shane Ray

March 22nd, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts hosted former Broncos edge rusher Shane Ray on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Colts added Justin Houston just yesterday, but it sounds like they’re not done bolstering their pass rush. 

[RELATED: Colts To Sign Justin Houston]

Ray didn’t live up to his first-round billing from 2015, but he has shown promise in the past. The 25-year-old (26 in May) amassed four tackles as a reserve in his rookie season and tallied a career-high eight sacks in 2016. Injuries have derailed him somewhat, however, as he has just two sacks in the last two years combined.

The Colts entered the free agent season with a major stockpile of available money, but have not spent much of it so far. After allowing Le’Veon Bell and other big names fall off the board, the Colts could get very active in the second wave of free agency with Ray and other low-cost additions.

West Notes: Rivers, Broncos, Rams

January 26th, 2019 at 2:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers have not made much of an effort to target Philip Rivers‘ heir apparent yet. Because the plan still appears to be a semi-long-term future with their current starter. Extension talks between the Bolts and their 37-year-old quarterback are set to commence. Rivers confirmed no such discussions have unfolded yet, but going through his 15th season did not change his mindset to avoid retirement for a while. The 2004 first-round pick gave the “year-by-year” answer during a radio interview with San Diego’s XTRA 1360 (via Pro Football Talk) before adding he believes he has a “handful” of seasons left. In the final year of his latest contract, Rivers is due an $11MM base salary and $5MM roster bonus in 2019. A $23MM cap charge is attached to this deal, and another re-up would bring that down. Los Angeles is projected to hold middle-of-the-pack cap space ($25MM-plus).

Here is the latest from the West divisions, moving to one of the Bolts’ top rivals:

  • Although Domata Peko‘s two seasons in Denver doubled as the Broncos‘ worst two-year stretch since the early 1970s, the veteran nose tackle rewarded the team’s modest investment. Again a free agent, Peko wants to continue his stay in Denver. “Of course I want to be back,” Peko said, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “I love it here, love these guys, you don’t know what they’re going to decide. But I feel good, like I can play.” The Broncos saw more improvement from Shelby Harris, an RFA who could be in line for a hefty raise. Harris could slide in and become Denver’s new starting nose, but Peko, at 34, may not cost too much to retain as a part-time player. Pro Football Focus slotted the longtime Bengals nose man as this year’s No. 42 interior defender.
  • Conversely, the Broncos’ half-decade run with Bradley Roby is expected to end, per Legwold. Neither Roby nor 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray are expected back in Denver next season. The Broncos have a solid glut of impending UFAs, with Matt Paradis and Shaquil Barrett joining Peko, Roby and Ray. While the Broncos have Von Miller and Bradley Chubb residing as one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing duos, their formerly formidable cornerback corps will be incredibly thin without Roby. All-Pro Chris Harris is still under contract, but for just one more season.
  • One of the workout circuit’s most popular players, free agent punter Brock Miller received a look from another team recently. The Rams employ All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker, but with the Patriots featuring left-footed punter Ryan Allen, Los Angeles brought in the left-footed-punting Miller for a look, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Miller has received several workouts like this but been more than a de facto scout-teamer, being part of the Giants’ practice squad last month.

AFC Notes: Browns, Ravens, Broncos, Jets

December 25th, 2018 at 5:50pm CST by Micah Powell

Few names have been hotter in coaching circles recently than Browns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, who was promoted to the role with Cleveland in Week 9 and has helped the squad since go 5-2. It should come as no surprise the Browns are interested in Kitchens returning to the role in 2019, but his name is starting to make the rounds in head-coaching rumors.

Any team wishing to tab Kitchens as an offensive coordinator is out of luck, as Cleveland can refuse any interview for the job. While some team might come sniffing for the innovative offensive mind, the Browns could make the move for Kitchens as their head coach according to ESPN’s Tony Grossi.

Grossi writes, “Like the Los Angeles Rams did with Sean McVay two years ago, the Browns could reasonably conclude that if Kitchens is on the fast track to be an NFL head coach, then it would be better to move him into that office a year too soon rather than lose him to somebody willing to take that gamble.”

Due to the team’s turnaround, interim head coach Gregg Williams is sure to get a long look for the position as well.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • The Ravens are expected to lost national scout Milt Hendrickson to a front-office role with the Packers, Jeff Zribiec of The Athletic writes. In the 2018 offseason, the Packers were denied by the Ravens in attempting to make the move. He served with the team since 2005. Hendrickson is good friends with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and lives in Wisconsin.
  • With the Broncos recording their second consecutive losing season for the first time since 1972, many expect John Elway to make big changes in the upcoming season. A few of those players expected to potentially be looking for a new job include Shane Ray, Su’a Cravens and Brandon Marshall, The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala writes. Though Marshall has two years remaining on his deal, none of that money is guaranteed and the team could move on from the veteran in favor of rookie Josey Jewell.
  • At 4-11, the Jets have plenty of areas to address in the upcoming offseason. The four biggest needs, however, include receiver, pass rusher, running back and offensive line, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY writes. Not surprisingly, three of those four needs revolve around giving first-year quarterback Sam Darnold some help on the offensive end. In addressing the running back situation, Vacchiano speculates the Jets could make a serious run at Le’Veon Bell with the team’s ample cap space.
Load More Posts