HEADLINES

Will Hill

Ravens Notes: Rice, Shanahan, Kubiak, Hill

January 17th, 2015 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens and Ray Rice reached a settlement yesterday regarding the running back’s grievance against the team. Team president Dick Cass released a statement regarding the situation, and he insisted that the organization was ready to move forward. Via Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun…

“The Ravens agreed to resolve the grievance with Ray Rice. It’s time to turn the page, and we’re moving forward. We will continue to focus on being the best partner we can be with our community, and that includes our work with the House of Ruth and One Love Foundation on the issue of intimate partner abuse. We wish Janay and Ray Rice the best.”

While details of the settlement haven’t been released, sources tell Wilson that the deal was “fair.”

Let’s check out some more notes out of Baltimore…

  • Following news that Kyle Shanahan could be a candidate for the Ravens offensive coordinator opening, Wilson writes that the coach was a finalist for the position last season (the job ultimately went to Gary Kubiak). Still, the former Browns coordinator made an impression on head coach John Harbaugh, possibly explaining the organization’s interest.
  • Offensive tackle Eric Winston played under Kubiak in Houston, and the current Bengals lineman believes the opportunity with the Broncos is likely the only gig the veteran coach would consider leaving Baltimore for. “It did seem like he was going to stay with the Ravens, but this is probably the only situation he was willing to look at this year,” Winston said (via Wilson and Jeff Zrebiec). “It’s a crazy league. You never know what’s going to happen. The coaches all understand it and we, as players, all understand it, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”
  • A third violation of the league’s drug policy resulted in Will Hill‘s release from the Giants last season. The safety had a bounce-back year in Baltimore, and his head coach is confident that the player’s issues are behind him. “We’re challenging him for the next three or four months,” Harbaugh said (via Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com). “Are you going to come back a better player than you were when you left here in January, and is that slate going to be clean? We fully expect it to be.”

North Notes: Rice, Ravens, Shanahan

November 30th, 2014 at 8:38am CST by Rory Parks

Four teams have expressed interest in former Ravens running back Ray Rice, writes ESPN’s Adam Schefter. One of those four teams, the Colts, have recently stated that they are not interested in signing the newly-reinstated Rice at this time. The Saints were the other team identified in Schefter’s report–the other two clubs said to have interest were unnamed–but SportsCenter staff, citing Schefter, later tweeted that the Saints, like the Colts, are not expected to pursue Rice.

Those who believe Rice will not play again this season, if at all, most frequently support their position by citing the obvious public relations ramifications that a team signing Rice would have to face. However, as Schefter points outs, there is also a sizable on-field concern to consider. One AFC running backs coach, speaking to Schefter’s colleague Josina Anderson, noted that the speed with which Rice would pick up a new offense could pose a problem. The coach said:

“Some guys learn faster than others. They just do. I don’t know what kind of shape he’s in. There are a bunch of different things. He’s going to have to get into shape, clearly because he hasn’t been hitting this year. You would think there would be some carryover … but he is a good player. He is a good player.”

So while it still seems more likely than not that Rice will not suit up in 2014, the recent interest in his services suggests that there could still be a match between Rice and a playoff contender.

Now for a few more items from the league’s north divisions:

  • Although we took a look at this mailbag from ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley yesterday, one item of note that should be passed along is Hensley’s belief that the Ravens will reward surprise contributors Justin Forsett and Will Hill with two- or three-year deals with a modest bonus during the offseason.
  • Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com writes that Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will garner at least some interest from the six (or more) teams that will likely be looking for a new head coach after this season. Although it may take another year or two of interviews before Shanahan lands a head coaching job, it does appear that he will make that leap in fairly short order.
  • Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel, in anticipation of today’s much-anticipated matchup between the Packers and Patriots, describes the different approaches that those two clubs take to roster construction and notes that Green Bay is relying on the type of players that New England head coach Bill Belichick may have already given up on.
  • Ben Goessling of ESPN.com believes left guard is the spot on the Vikings offensive line where a change is most likely.

AFC North Notes: Pettine, Stewart, Steelers

October 25th, 2014 at 7:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

Browns‘ head coach Mike Pettine’s history as a high school coach might be the reason he likes the success of undrafted free agents, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi notes that Pettine has often felt looked down upon because of his unheralded past, and sees a kinship with the underappreciated talents.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • The Browns have taken criticism for a lack of depth on the offensive line, but Grossi believes the injury to Alex Mack was an unforseen setback. He notes that the team’s linemen have rarely missed practice or game time, and that the timing of the injury was unfortunate with Nick McDonald getting back into game shape.
  • Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com doesn’t necessarily see Darian Stewart sticking around after this season. The safety signed a one-year, $1.3MM deal with the Ravens in the offseason and if he wants to come back, it’ll probably be in a bench role. Baltimore will go with either Terrence Brooks or Will Hill at free safety next year. Stewart might balk at that idea or he may be okay with it given his history with secondary coach Steve Spangnuolo.
  • Two key contributors for the Steelers have struggled with consistency this season in cornerback Cortez Allen and linebacker Sean Spence. Allen was benched in favor of Brice McCain, but Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that the move was more to send a message to allen and reward McCain for positive performance in practice. Spence has not lost his starting spot, but that might only be because Vince Williams cannot cover anyone at linebacker.

Minor Moves: Saturday

October 18th, 2014 at 6:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with recent updates added to the top of the list:

  • Defensive back Lowell Rose has been promoted to the Dolphins‘ 53-man roster, replacing defensive tackle Deandre Coleman, who was waived, the team announced today (Twitter link). Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter) that the return of defensive lineman Derrick Shelby and a hamstring injury to safety Jimmy Wilson likely spelled doom for Coleman.
  • The Saints have released tight end Tom Crabtree and promoted linebacker Todd Davis to the active roster, according to the team’s official Twitter page.
  • The Lions have placed linebacker Travis Lewis on the IR and promoted tight end Jordan Thompson from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Redskins have activated Stephen Bowen off the PUP list, reports Chris Russell of ESPN Radio 980 in Washington D.C. The team has placed linebacker Akeem Jordan on IR to make room, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • The Ravens have added safety Will Hill to the 53-man roster, and placed defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi on IR to make room, reports Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
  • The Seahawks activated tight end RaShaun Allen off the practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). They also promoted safety Steven Terrell off the practice squad, and placed Cassius Marsh on IR to make room, reports Brian McIntyre of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Panthers have waived safety Robert Lester and promoted linebacker Adarius Glanton from the practice squad, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton. Lester, a former standout at Alabama, had 21 tackles in 12 appearances last season.
  • The Browns have signed defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel from their practice squad and have waived tight end Gerell Robinson, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Robinson has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2012. He played in his first career game against the Saints in Week 2.
  • The Titans have signed tight end Brett Brackett from the practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Brackett will replace injured tight end Craig Stevens, who was placed on the injured reserve.
  • The Cowboys have signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. To make room, the team released their seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft, defensive tackle Ken Bishop. Archer notes in a following tweet that he expects Bishop to return if he clear waivers.

 

Minor Moves: Tuesday

October 14th, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday is typically a busy in-season day for NFL transactions, so we expect to add several more moves from around the league to this list as the day goes on. For now, here are the the day’s minor transactions relating to clubs’ 53-man rosters:

  • For now, to replace linebacker Danny Trevathan, the Broncos will promote Shaquil Barrett from their practice squad, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • The Seahawks have tweaked the back of their roster, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has cut safety Steven Terrell and signed defensive end Greg Scruggs.
  • With the roster opening created by Ventrone’s release (noted below), the 49ers have re-signed quarterback Josh Johnson, who was cut a few days ago, the club announced today in a press release.

Earlier updates:

  • The Browns have placed defensive lineman Armonty Bryant on injured reserve, signing another defensive lineman, Sione Fua, to take his spot on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Fua was signing with the Browns.
  • The Ravens have a roster exemption for previously-suspended safety Will Hill, which will last until next Monday, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. By that point, Baltimore will have to either waive Hill or cut someone else on the roster, creating space for the safety.
  • A week after re-signing him to their active roster, the 49ers have released defensive back and special-teamer Bubba Ventrone, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Ventrone spent last season on San Francisco’s roster, but was cut prior to the 2014 regular season.
  • Having lost cornerback Trumaine McBride during Sunday night’s game against the Eagles, the Giants are set to promote cornerback Chandler Fenner from their practice squad to the active roster, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Fenner, cut in July by Seattle, has shuffled back and forth between New York’s practice squad and active roster since the regular season began.

Extra Points: Jets, Bush, Idonije, Hill

September 16th, 2014 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets‘ erratic play is sending mixed signals, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Gang Green looked great in the first 20 minutes against the Packers and produced more than 400 yards of offense against the Raiders in their opener. However, they blew an 18-point lead against Green Bay and their mistakes allowed the Raiders to stay in the game for longer than they should have. Here’s more from around the league..

Ravens Cut Derek Cox, Dominique Franks

August 30th, 2014 at 3:56pm CST by Ben Levine

3:56pm: The Ravens have announced their last few moves, which are as follows:

Cut:

Placed on reserve-PUP list:

Placed on reserve-suspended list:

1:15pm: The Ravens have waived two more players:

9:37am: After letting go of offensive lineman Reggie Stephens yesterday, the Ravens have cut two more offensive lineman this morning. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that lineman A.Q. Shipley has been released while NFL.com’s Aditi Kinkhabwala tweets that Ryan Jensen has been released. Below is a running list of the team’s moves:

Ravens Sign Will Hill

July 25th, 2014 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

2:14pm: Hill’s one-year deal is worth the minimum salary, with no signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

9:33am: Shortly after learning that cornerback Aaron Ross tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the 2014 season, the Ravens have waived-injured Ross and replaced him on the roster with another defensive back. The team has signed former Giants safety Will Hill, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Per Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter), it’s a one-year contract.

Hill, 24, started 10 of the 12 games he appeared in for the Giants last season, and played well, compiling 77 tackles and creating a handful of turnovers (two INTs, two forced fumbles, one recovery). Pro Football Focus’ grades ranked Hill as the league’s second-best safety in 2013, behind only Devin McCourty (subscription required), but off-field issues and character red flags have always cast a shadow over his on-field performance.

In fact, Hill is facing a six-game suspension to start the 2014 season, which makes Baltimore’s decision to sign him an interesting one. Although the ex-Giant will still be able to practice with the club and play in preseason contests, he won’t be able to play in a regular season game until mid-October. It’s Hill’s third suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

While Matt Elam is locked in as one of the Ravens’ starting safeties, the other spot isn’t set in stone yet, with Darian Stewart looking like the likely starter. Hill should provide more depth and experience at the position, though one could argue it’s not necessarily a good look for the Ravens to sign another player facing a suspension when the team is already under some scrutiny for having five players arrested this offseason.

Extra Points: Kaepernick, Chiefs, Adams, Hill

June 6th, 2014 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Speaking to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, former NFL agent Joel Corry suggests that he thinks the Chiefs could push for a similar structure to Colin Kaepernick’s deal when they try to extend Alex Smith, though he doubts agent Tom Condon would go for it. “If you ask me to take my agent hat off, I don’t think this deal is going to have any real impact on Alex Smith’s negotiation,” Corry said of Kaepernick’s extension. “It’s two different (situations). The problem is, the Chiefs still aren’t going to want to want to pay him in that Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo, Jay Cutler range.”

  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (Twitter links) posits that the bottom line on Kaepernick’s deal is that he would have put himself in line for the Joe Flacco extension if he had a big walk year but he instead protected himself against injury.
  • Wide receiver Joe Adams, who was drafted by the Panthers in the fourth round in 2012, has been released by the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • There was some speculation that an undated press release from the Arena Football League’s Arizona Rattlers indicated that former Giants safety Will Hill had signed with the AFL club. However, Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger says that’s not the case, suggesting that perhaps Hill was activated off the AFL’s suspension list, creating some confusion.

East Notes: Eagles, Finley, Cowboys, Dolphins

June 3rd, 2014 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Jason Kelce was one of the first Eagles to tweet out a message in support of the organization when the club released DeSean Jackson earlier in the offseason, but as he explained on Monday (link via Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com), his comments weren’t intended as a shot at the former Philadelphia wideout.

“I really have no personal problems with DeSean. Never did when he was here,” Kelce said. “All I was trying to say is, ‘Listen, this team has been going in a great direction this whole offseason, let’s not lose focus on what we’ve been trying to do the entire offseason. This one instance gets blown out of proportion when really the entire offseason we’ve had great direction, we’ve had great focus by our coaching staff and our organization, let’s have trust in that.”

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Jermichael Finley’s free agent visit to the Patriots, which was reported yesterday, was “exclusively for medical evaluation of his spinal fusion surgery,” tweets ESPN.com’s Ed Werder. The tight end has been medically cleared by his personal doctor, but team doctors will want to perform their own evaluations.
  • The NFLPA has been convinced that Sean Lee‘s ACL injury was not the result of contact with Zack Martin and that the Cowboys didn’t break any OTA rules, a source tells Werder (Twitter link).
  • Middle linebacker is an area of concern for the Dolphins, and while Miami missed out on adding a free agent like D’Qwell Jackson in March, the team is hoping that Koa Misi can make the transition to the inside, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald outlines.
  • In the view of Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, the Giants did Will Hill a favor by cutting him, since the troubled safety could use a change of scenery. We’ll find out soon whether Hill, who is facing a six-game suspension, will be claimed off waivers or become an unrestricted free agent.