Tim Williams

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/20

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/30/20

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed: G Deion Calhoun, LB Kendall Donnerson
  • Released: OT Josh Knipfel

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Seattle Seahawks

New Orleans Saints

NFL Workout Updates: 9/29/20

Here are some of the key developments from the NFL’s workout circuit as of Tuesday:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Football Team

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/21/20

We’ll keep track of today’s reserve/futures deals here:

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/19

Today’s practice squad updates:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/19

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: CB Marcus Sherels, RB De’Lance Turner (off Ravens’ practice squad)

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from PUP: G Phil Haynes
  • Waived: WR Gary Jennings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Packers Claim LB Tim Williams

The Packers have claimed edge rusher Tim Williams off waivers from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Green Bay has waived tight end Evan Baylis in a corresponding move, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

A highly-touted pass rusher coming out of Alabama, Williams fell to the third round of the 2017 draft and hasn’t produced since in the NFL. He’s barely played in Baltimore, appearing in just 19 games and on 312 defensive snaps over parts of three seasons, managing only two sacks in that time.

In Green Bay, Williams will join another former Ravens edge defender — linebacker Za’Darius Smith — in a talented Packers front seven. Green Bay already ranks sixth in adjusted sack rate, so the club doesn’t necessarily need any help on the edge. But Williams will give the Packers depth at linebacker while offering, potentially, a bit of upside.

Ravens To Waive Tim Williams

The Ravens are cutting ties with Tim Williams, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (on Twitter). The former third-round pick played just seven snaps on Sunday, an indication that he was no longer a big part of the team’s plans going forward. 

The Ravens, who have a storied history of incredible linebackers, are still working to get the right mix at the position. The shocking defections of Terrell Suggs and C.J. Mosley left the Ravens with a revamped group, one that is partially responsible for 40 points allowed against the Browns and a two-game losing skid.

Williams, 26 in November, was a third-round pick of the Ravens back in 2017. Since then, he has logged 19 total appearances in two-and-a-quarter seasons with just two sacks and 18 total tackles.

Per league rules, Williams will be subject to the waiver wire, giving the league’s 31 other teams to pick him up midway through his affordable rookie contract.

Shane Ray On Ravens’ Roster Bubble?

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.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/18/17

The latest draft signings from around the NFL:

  • The Bills have signed second-round wide receiver Zay Jones, who’s the fourth of their six draft picks to ink his rookie deal. Jones caught an FBS-record 399 passes, including a ridiculous 158 last season, in four years at East Carolina. That production helped lead the Bills to trade up for Jones, who should be the wideout-needy club’s No. 2 WR after Sammy Watkins in 2017. Jones is now dealing with a knee injury, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak, though it doesn’t seem particularly serious.
  • The Ravens have signed third-round linebacker Tim Williams (per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun), meaning they now have their entire seven-player draft class under contract. Williams, the 78th overall pick, is coming off back-to-back seasons with at least nine sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss at Alabama. The Ravens’ hope is that both Williams and second-rounder Tyus Bowser will beef up a pass rush that finished just 24th in the league in sacks last season.
  • The Cardinals have announced the signing of third-round receiver Chad Williams, a former Grambling State standout. The 6-foot-1, 204-pound Williams went 98th overall to Arizona, whose non-Larry Fitzgerald receivers didn’t offer much production in 2016. Moreover, the 2017 campaign could be Fitzgerald’s last, while John Brown will be a free agent next offseason. Therefore, it was imperative for the Cardinals to invest a relatively high pick in a wideout.
  • The Browns have inked third-round defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, per a team announcement. Ogunjobi, who went 65th overall after a strong career at UNC-Charlotte, might start immediately in Cleveland alongside fellow D-tackle Danny Shelton.
  • The Patriots have signed former Arkansas defensive lineman Deatrich Wise, a fourth-rounder who was the 131st overall selection. Wise underwhelmed as a senior with the Razorbacks last season, when he posted 3.5 sacks after totaling eight in 2015, notes Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. However, the 6-5, 274-pounder possesses “rare physical attributes,” Zierlein writes.
  • The Colts have announced the signing of fourth-round defensive tackle Grover Stewart. Formerly with Albany State, Stewart went to Indianapolis with pick No. 144. He has the makings of a developmental project, according to Zierlein.
  • Jets fifth-round tight end Jordan Leggett, the 150th selection, is now under contract. Leggett racked up a combined 86 catches and 15 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Clemson. Given both the Jets’ woeful tight end production last year and their lack of offseason upgrades at the position, Leggett could be in line to make an impact as a rookie.