Ravens Re-Sign OT Andre Smith
The Ravens have re-signed offensive tackle Andre Smith, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The new one-year add-on will take him through the 2020 season. 
[RELATED: Former Ravens S Eric Weddle Retires From NFL]
Smith, 32, saw his latest stint with the Bengals come to an unceremonious end when he was cut in November. In January, the former top-10 pick hooked on with the Ravens as they geared up for the playoffs. After backstopping starters Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown, he’ll get an opportunity to stick around as a depth option this year.
Smith boasts 90 career starts, but he’s well past his prime at this point. To his credit, he did start much of the 2018 season with the Cardinals before his mid-season release.
In total, the 33-year-old has appeared in 116 games during his career, but he’s been slowed since 2016 thanks to injuries.
Eric Weddle Retires From NFL
On Thursday, Eric Weddle announced that he has reached the end of his extraordinary career. After 13 years, the legendary safety will move on to new endeavors and spend more time with his family.
Weddle’s journey began in 2007 with the Chargers. There, he forged a reputation as one of the league’s most imposing and hard-nosed safeties, collecting three Pro Bowl nominations and two First-Team All-Pro selections over the course of nine seasons. He also became one of the franchise’s main faces. Weddle became synonymous with San Diego, and he did not make the move to L.A. with his longtime club.
Unable to come to terms on a new deal, Weddle moved on to the Ravens before the 2016 season. His second chapter brought more memorable moments, including three consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl and 220 total tackles.
When the Ravens cut him loose last year, he hooked on with the Rams on a two-year pact. After tallying 108 tackles (good for second on the team) and four passes defensed, Weddle expressed uncertainty about whether he’d return for another season and attempt to play through chronic shoulder and knee pain. It also wasn’t clear whether the Rams had him in their plans – Weddle was set to count for a $4.75MM cap charge in 2020, and all but $500K could have been erased with his release.
Towards the end, Weddle’s declining speed and mounting list of ailments started to show. Regardless, he leaves the game with more accomplishments than we can list, but we’ll list a few more of them here – 1,179 total tackles, 29 interceptions, 98 passes defensed, 9.5 sacks, and five All-Pro nods (counting second- and third-team). We here at PFR wish Weddle the best in retirement.
49ers Sign DL Willie Henry, Four Others To Futures Deals
After passing along the names of seven players that signed futures deals with the 49ers yesterday, including CB Teez Tabor, we have five more to report today. One of those players is DL Willie Henry, a former fourth-round pick of the Ravens.
Baltimore selected Henry, a Michigan product, in the 2016 draft. After sitting out his entire rookie campaign, he was a key piece of the club’s D-line rotation in 2017, appearing in 14 games (three starts) and compiling 33 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and five passes defensed. But an umbilical hernia limited him to just three games in 2018, and the Ravens cut him prior to the 2019 season.
His past performance made him a very popular man on the workout circuit in 2019, but he did not sign with anyone. Perhaps he can carve out a role for himself as a member of the 49ers’ stout defensive front.
Here are the other players who signed futures deals with San Francisco today:
Panthers Re-Sign DB Cole Luke
The Panthers have re-signed exclusive rights free agent CB Cole Luke to a one-year deal, the team announced. Luke finally got his first taste of regular season action last year, appearing in eight games for Carolina.
Luke, a Notre Dame product, hooked on with the Panthers as a UDFA in 2017. He spent most of his rookie season on IR with an ankle injury, and he was on he club’s practice squad for the entire 2018 campaign.
He got bumped up from the taxi squad halfway through the 2019 season, though most of his work came on special teams. He played just 15 defensive snaps against 117 special teams snaps, and he recorded two total tackles.
Still, the Panthers are in something of a transition period, and corners James Bradberry, Ross Cockrell, and Javien Elliott are all eligible for unrestricted free agency. While Carolina will almost certainly bring back Bradberry, there could be an opportunity for Luke to climb the depth chart in 2020.
Raiders To Re-Sign Jalen Richard
The Raiders are keeping Jalen Richard. On Wednesday, the club agreed to re-sign the running back to a brand new deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The new contract will pay him $7MM over two years, with the potential to earn up another $1MM through incentives. He’ll also see a full guarantee of $4.6MM.
[RELATED: Raiders To Pursue Tom Brady]
Richard lit up the stat sheet in Jon Gruden‘s first year at the helm by finishing 2018 with 68 catches for 607 yards, plus an average of 4.7 yards per carry in a limited sample size. Last year, the numbers weren’t quite as flashy, but he still showed value as a solid third-down running back with soft hands. Richard caught 36 passes for 323 yards in 2019 and added another 145 yards on the ground in 39 carries.
Last year, Richard earned roughly $3.1MM on a deal that he inked in April. This time around, he’s found security in a fresh pact far in advance of free agency.
As the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas, they’ll continue to feature Josh Jacobs as their primary tailback. As a rookie, the Alabama product amassed 1,150 yards in just 13 games while averaging 4.8 yards per tote.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/4/20
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: RB Reggie Bonnafon
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: WR Ricardo Louis
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/4/20
Here are today’s reserve/futures deals:
Arizona Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs
- WR Joe Fortson, DT Braxton Hoyett, TE Nick Keizer, DB Chris Lammons, DL Devaroe Lawrence, DB Elijah McGuire, QB Kyle Shurmur, LB Emmanuel Smith, RB Mike Weber
Dolphins Sign WR Ricardo Louis To Extension
The Dolphins re-signed wide receiver Ricardo Louis to a one-year extension to take him through the 2020 season, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Louis missed the last two seasons due to neck and knee injuries, but he won’t turn 26 until March and the Dolphins believe in his talent. 
Louis entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Browns back in 2016. As a rookie, he hauled in 18 grabs for 205 yards. In 2017, he took another step forward with 27 catches for 357 yards.
The Dolphins signed Louis as a free agent last April, but he never got the opportunity to suit up for his new team. He’ll get a shot to stick this year, though the competition will be fierce. Already, the Dolphins’ WR room has DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Allen Hurns, Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford, Albert Wilson, Gary Jennings, and Mack Hollins. On the plus side, the Dolphins recognize that they’re deeper at wide receiver than most other positions and they’re not planning on using a high pick to add another.
The Dolphins will, however, scope out a quarterback with their No. 5 overall pick. They’ve been linked to Tom Brady quite a bit in recent days, but it doesn’t sound like Tom Terrific will be taking his talents to South Beach.
49ers Add Teez Tabor, Six Others On Futures Deals
Teez Tabor will have a chance to continue in his development with the 49ers. The team will keep the former second-round cornerback around this offseason via reserve/futures deal, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter).
The 49ers initially added Tabor to their practice squad early this past season and will attempt to see if the Florida alum can carve out a spot in their cornerback rotation next season. Tabor, 24, did not see action for the NFC champions and has not played since the 2018 season.
The Lions cut the ex-Gator prospect just before the regular season began. Tabor played in 22 games with Detroit, making five starts.
Here are the rest of the 49ers’ reserve/futures deals thus far:
- LB Joey Alfieri
- G Kofi Amichia
- CB Jermaine Kelly
- G Ross Reynolds
- DB Jacob Thieneman
- WR Chris Thompson
Panthers DE Wes Horton To Retire
Wes Horton will be the latest long-term Carolina cog to depart the team this offseason. The seven-year Panthers contributor announced (via Instagram) he will retire.
A Panthers defensive end for most of Ron Rivera‘s tenure, Horton cited myriad injuries as one of the reasons he will leave the game at age 30. Horton played in 83 games for the Panthers since the 2013 season.
“I’ve been back and forth on my future playing football, and after coming to a conclusion, I will be stepping away from the game of football,” Horton wrote. “The little injuries I’ve accumulated over the years have finally caught up to me, and when weighing the risk, I’d rather preserve what’s left of my body.”
While Horton’s retirement will not register on the same level Luke Kuechly‘s did, his reasons are similar. Horton bounced on and off Carolina’s roster in recent years. In the past three even years, Horton operated as a full- or part-time starter. He started 15 games in 2014, 10 in 2016 and eight in 2018. The former UDFA out of USC signed with the Panthers in October 2016 and this past November. Although Horton signed with the Saints earlier in 2019, he only saw action for the Panthers in his career.
Horton will finish his career with 15.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He announced he will return to his high school alma mater, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) to coach the school’s defensive line.