HEADLINES

Vlad Ducasse

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 Sign Josh Johnson, Vlad Ducasse

May 16th, 2016 at 10:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have signed quarterback Josh Johnson and guard Vlad Ducasse, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. "<strong

Johnson, who turned 30 on Sunday, was on and off of the Colts’ roster early in 2015 while Andrew Luck was sidelined. In October, Johnson signed on with the Bills to help provide some insurance behind Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel. Johnson did not see the field in Buffalo, however. In his six NFL seasons, Johnson has started only five games. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be on the roster in Baltimore by September, but he can certainly provide another arm in practice while Joe Flacco recovers from a torn ACL.

Ducasse spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jets before joining the Vikings in 2014 and signing on with the Bears in 2015. Selected out of UMass in the second round of the 2010 draft, Ducasse never lived up to his draft pedigree, starting just five games during his time with New York. He topped that number in ’14 alone, starting six contests in Minnesota while playing at both guard positions. In 2015, he appeared in 15 games and started 11 of those contests.

In 2014, Ducasse played in 13 games, totaling 417 snaps, but graded as the league’s No. 61 guard among 78 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus. Last year, PFF rated Ducasse as the 47th best guard in the NFL out of 81 qualified players.

The Ravens also announced that they have signed rookie free agent Sam Brown, a defensive back from Missouri Western State.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Saints, Patriots, Jaguars

March 10th, 2016 at 4:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors:

  • The Saints have expressed an interest in bringing safety Rafael Bush back to the team, Sean Fazende of FOX 8 tweets.
  • Bears free agent cornerback Sherrick McManis is visiting the Patriots, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Earlier today, it was reported that McManis was visiting an AFC East team and we now know that club’s identity. The Jaguars are also interested in him, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter).
  • Quarterback Luke McCown visited the Colts today, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweeted.
  • Danny Trevathan, who just signed with the Bears, offered up an interesting answer when asked if the Packers reached out to him. “No, they didn’t. I wish they would have, but they didn’t,” the linebacker said (Twitter link via NFL Network).
  • Defensive end Frank Kearse is visiting the Patriots, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Ravens hosted guard Vlad Ducasse on a visit today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ducasse started 11 of 16 games for Chicago in 2015. Ducasse began his career with the Jets, a team that was high on his raw talent but never got to see him put it altogether on the field.

Bears Sign Vlad Ducasse

March 16th, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse, the club announced on Twitter. Ducasse will receive $80K in guarantees, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link), meaning that the 27-year-old probably signed for the minimum salary benefit.

Ducasse spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jets before joining the Vikings in 2014. Selected out of UMass in the second round of the 2010 draft, Ducasse never lived up to his draft pedigree, starting just five games during his time with New York. He topped that number in ’14 alone, starting six contests in Minnesota while playing at both guard positions. In total, Ducasse played in 13 games last season, totaling 417 snaps, but graded as the league’s No. 61 guard among 78 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

In Chicago, Ducasse will presumably act as a backup to both former Jets teammate Matt Slauson at left guard and Kyle Long at right guard. The Bears might not be done adding offensive line help, as recent reports have indicated they’re interested in free agent center Samson Satele.

NFC North Links: Packers, Vikings, Bears

September 26th, 2014 at 11:10pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Lions have a lot going on as they prepare to face the Jets this Sunday, but the rest of the NFC North teams are not just waiting for their games. The Packers and Bears have a huge divisional matchup coming up, and the Vikings are ready to usher in a new era, with Teddy Bridgewater‘s first start against the Falcons.

Here are some links to some stories from NFC North teams:

North Notes: Carr, Ravens, Bears, Flynn

March 28th, 2014 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

On a busy Friday for NFL signings (Maurice Jones-Drew, LeGarrette Blount) and cuts (DeSean Jackson), let’s check out some of the latest headlines from around the league’s two North divisions….

  • Derek Carr‘s private workout with the Browns is scheduled for Monday, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
  • In a round-up of Ravens notes, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says he gets the sense from talking to people around the team that Corey Graham was the toughest free agent departure this month. Zrebiec also writes that that if Baltimore doesn’t draft a quarterback, the club could wait until after the draft to see if a team that does take a QB jettisons one of its veterans.
  • As Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune details, Bears head coach Marc Trestman has a number of traits he’s looking for in a No. 2 quarterback.
  • It appears likely that the Packers will ultimately end up re-signing Matt Flynn to compete with Scott Tolzien for the team’s backup job, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • As Nick Fairley heads into the 2014 season without the security of the Lions picking up his fifth-year option for 2015, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com says the team shouldn’t reward Fairley with a lucrative contract next year even if he has a strong ’14.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the details on a pair of new contracts: Vlad Ducasse inked a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal with the Vikings that includes a $65K signing bonus, while Domata Peko‘s two-year extension with the Bengals includes a $4.4MM roster bonus for 2014 and is worth $9MM in total.

Vikings Sign Vlad Ducasse

March 27th, 2014 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 11:33am: The Vikings have officially signed Ducasse, the team announced today.

MONDAY, 10:25am: The Vikings have agreed to terms on a contract with offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Caplan, it’ll be a one-year deal for the former Jet.

A former second-round pick, Ducasse never saw much playing time during his rookie contract in New York. He opened last season as the Jets’ starter at right guard, but struggled mightily with penalties and pass blocking, and was benched in Week 5. Ducasse finished the season with just 331 offensive snaps, which nonetheless represented a career-high.

Ducasse, 26, visited the Vikings and Bengals after free agency opened, and also received some interest from his previous team, the Jets. We heard yesterday that the four-year veteran was expected to make a decision this week on where he’d sign, and it looks like he opted for Minnesota on a short contract.

Latest On Vlad Ducasse

March 23rd, 2014 at 6:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse will decide between the Vikings and two other teams this week, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. While Goessling hears that the interest between him and Vikings is mutual, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) hears that there’s no verbal agreement in place yet. Ducasse visited Minnesota to meet with club officials earlier today.

The Bengals are one of the teams in the mix along with a “mystery team,” according to Wolfson. We learned last week that the Jets have interest in retaining the guard but the Bengals and Vikings appear to be more likely. The Jets drafted Ducasse based on his upside and potential, not expecting much out of the football neophyte early on. Four years in, the former second round pick has yet to show that he can take a step forward towards being a reliable starter.

Extra Points: MJD, Britt, Smith, Jets

March 20th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Maurice Jones-Drew is currently looking for about $3.5MM per year on his next deal, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Even though the former Jaguars star has accomplished great things throughout his career, finding big money as an older tailback in this market could prove to be tough. More from around the NFL..

  • Don’t bank on the Cowboys signing Jared Allen, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). Breer’s understanding is that it was an either/or proposition when it came to Allen and Henry Melton, whom Dallas signed earlier this week. That could change if Allen’s asking price comes down, however.
  • The Bills and Panthers have expressed interest in wide receiver Kenny Britt and visits may be taking place with those teams, agent Pat Dye Jr. tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1 (via Twitter). Dye says a short-term deal for Britt, who has already checked in with the Redskins, Rams, and Patriots, is likely.
  • On SNY (via Manish Mehta of the Daily News on Twitter), Jets coach Rex Ryan gave Geno Smith quite the endorsement. “Make no mistake about it: Geno Smith is going to be hard to beat out. I don’t care who we add,” Ryan said.
  • The Jets have expressed a desire to re-sign guard Vlad Ducasse, but Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) sees him signing with the Bengals or Vikings.
  • In addition to the Jets, the Panthers and Raiders have also called the Eagles about DeSean Jackson, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There seems to be a healthy amount of interest in the 27-year-old.
  • Former Browns All-Pro safety T.J. Ward indicated via Twitter that Cleveland’s new brass really didn’t want him back. “Quotes get misunderstood all the time,” the new member of the Broncos wrote. “Just FYI. Cleveland offered me nothing. Boom! There u have it. #GoBroncos.”
  • The Panthers are working out receivers Kevin Cone, Lestar Jean, and C.J. Akins, tweets Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. Aikins spent time with the Rams in 2013.
  • Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he’s not done shopping just yet. “Free agency never closes. We’re always looking to add more players.“

FA Rumors: Hester, Melton, Harrison, Mack

March 18th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime return specialist Devin Hester is finally making his first free agent visit of the offseason, nearly a week after free agency officially began. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the ex-Bear is in Atlanta today meeting with the Falcons. As Field Yates of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter), the Falcons were one of four NFL teams in 2013 that didn’t have a punt return of more than 25 yards or a kick return of more than 50 yards, so targeting Hester makes sense.

Here’s more on some of the free agents still on the board:

  • Free agent defensive lineman Henry Melton is on his way to meet with the Rams, reports Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Melton, who left his visit in Dallas without a deal, remains in contact with the Cowboys, but plenty of teams are still in the mix. The Vikings, Raiders, Bears, and Seahawks all have some level of interest, depending on the 27-year-old’s price tag, says Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
  • Appearing on the NFL Network, free agent linebacker James Harrison, who was recently released by the Bengals, indicated that “everyone knows” he’d like to return to the Steelers (link via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explores why transition-tagged center Alex Mack has yet to generate much interest, and how Mack’s agents could ensure that he becomes an unrestricted free agent a year from now.
  • Running back Alfonso Smith has been informed he won’t be returning to the Cardinals, according to a tweet from the free agent himself. Smith had been eligible for restricted free agency this winter, but didn’t receive a tender offer from Arizona.
  • Former Jets cornerback Aaron Berry visited the Browns yesterday, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). As Costello notes, Berry played with Browns coach Mike Pettine in 2012 when Pettine was the Jets’ defensive coordinator.
  • The Vikings have confirmed that offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse visited Minnesota (Twitter link). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reported last week that the visit was expected to happen.