HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Ravens Sign Marshal Yanda To Extension

April 11th, 2019 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

Maybe this won’t be Marshal Yanda‘s final season after all. On Thursday, the Ravens reached agreement on a one-year extension with the seven-time Pro Bowl guard that will keep him under club control through the 2020 season, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 

A seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro, Yanda has long been one of the best offensive lineman in the league. The Ravens have some uncertainty at left guard and center in advance of this month’s draft, so Yanda is especially important to the club moving forward.

Yanda has dealt with some health concerns in recent years, including a broken ankle that ended his 2017 season after just two games. He is owed $7MM this year, a relative bargain. Financial terms of his new year are not yet known.

Prior to the deal, the 34-year-old (35 in September) was set to enter the final year of his four-year, $32MM contract. With the new deal, Yanda will likely finish out his career in Baltimore, unless he wants to push into his late 30s.

Recently, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta indicated that he wanted Yanda in the fold beyond 2019. With the new deal, they’ve likely accomplished that goal.

“In regards to Marshal, we love Marshal, and we’d love Marshal to continue to play for us for years,” DeCosta said earlier this month. “He’s a great player. He’s still playing at a high level. He’s a Raven. You can define a Raven and put a picture of Marshal Yanda up there, and that’s him.”

Thanks in part to Yanda, the Ravens managed 141.9 per game, good for second in the league. The Ravens hope to hit a similar mark this year as quarterback Lamar Jackson continues to make plays with his legs.

New deals for kicker Justin Tucker, outside linebacker Matthew Judon, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor, and defensive tackle Michael Pierce could be on deck for the Ravens, as ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley writes.

NFL Draft Rumors: Brown, Harry, Cardinals

April 11th, 2019 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

This week’s combine re-checks produced very positive news for Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Brown, who has been out of a boot for weeks, was given the thumbs up on his surgically-repaired foot.

Despite the injury, the 5’9″ receiver is widely projected as a first round pick. Last year, Brown put himself on the NFL radar with 75 catches for 1,318 yards and ten touchdowns.

Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz:

  • Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry will work out for the Cardinals on April 20 at ASU, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss (on Twitter). Head coach Kliff Kingsbury, GM Steve Keim, and president Michael Bidwill will be among those on hand for Harry’s only private NFL workout. Harry isn’t a contender for the No. 1 overall pick, but he could be a candidate for the Cardinals’ first pick of the second round (No. 33 overall)
  • The Rams are meeting with Clemson defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell on campus, Rapoport tweets. Both players are expected to go in the first round, but the Rams may be out of range at No. 31 overall.
  • Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams will visit the Jaguars on Thursday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
  • Houston cornerback Isaiah Johnson will work out for the Falcons on Thursday, Rapoport tweets. The converted wide receiver came away with two interceptions in each of the last two seasons and could go as high as the second round.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Patriots, Draft

April 11th, 2019 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC East:

  • The Dolphins are looking to add multiple edge rushers over the next three months, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. The Dolphins took one step in that direction this week when they signed Jayrone Elliott, one of the best pass rushers from the defunct AAF, but it sounds like they’ll also scour the later waves of free agency and the draft to find defensive ends and outside linebackers.
  • Duke quarterback Daniel Jones visited with the Patriots on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. At No. 32, they’d probably have to move for him, though they have the firepower to advance up the board if they want to. The Patriots have 12 picks in this year’s draft, tied with the Giants for the most in the league. After No. 32, they own two second round picks at Nos. 56 and 64 overall.
  • The Patriots also met with West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, Rapoport tweets. Unlike Jones, Grier figures to be available in the middle rounds due to his age (24) and iffy mechanics. However, he put up monster numbers at WVU, including 3,864 yards and 37 touchdowns against eight interceptions in his final season on campus. Lauded for his leadership, Grier could be groomed to take over for 42-year-old Tom Brady while sitting behind backup Brian Hoyer.

Raiders Re-Sign RB Jalen Richard

April 10th, 2019 at 6:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have re-signed running back Jalen Richard, according to a team announcement. The Raiders cuffed Richard with a second-round tender earlier this offseason, but the new deal will supersede that placeholder. The terms of the fresh pact are not yet known. 

Last year, Richard led the team with 68 receptions and set a new high with 607 receiving yards. He also added 55 carries for 259 yards and one touchdown. This year, he figures to fill a similar role behind Isaiah Crowell and the team figures to add at least one other traditional ball carrier to the mix.

Still, Richard could see an uptick in touches – he offers a career 5.3 ypc average, albeit in a limited sample size.

Giants Meet With Claiborne, Liuget

April 10th, 2019 at 6:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants hosted former Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne and former Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget on Wednesday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link). Both players have lost some luster in recent years, but would represent solid additions at this stage of free agency.

Claiborne spent the past two seasons with the Jets and has played on one-year deals for the past three seasons. The Jets appear set to move on from Mo, who last played at a high level in 2016 with the Cowboys. Last year, Claiborne graded out as just the No. 75 CB in the NFL out of 112 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus.

Liguet missed the first four games of the 2018 season after being handed a four-game performance enhancing-drug suspension. After coming back, Liuget managed five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while earning a 66.9 grade from PFF, a mark that would have ranked him as a middling defensive tackle if he had enough snaps to qualify.

Jets Meet With Ware, Montgomery

April 10th, 2019 at 6:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets met with running back Spencer Ware on Wednesday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Then, on Thursday, the club will host fellow free agent running back Ty Montgomery, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 

Ware previously met with the Colts and Lions, but left town without signing with either club. Ware first made noise in 2015 when he ran for 403 yards with the Chiefs and averaged 5.6 yards per carry in a limited sample. In 2016, he was the Chiefs’ starter and amassed 921 yards with a 4.3 yards-per-tote average. His usage fluctuated over the course of three healthy years in KC, but the 27-year-old’s career 4.7 YPC shows promise.

Ware could be a solid backup for Le’Veon Bell and the same goes for Montgomery, who came out of nowhere in 2016 to average 5.9 yards per carry for the Packers. Montgomery’s production, understandably, dropped after that, and the Packers dropped him from the roster with an October trade last year after his late game fumble cost them a chance at beating the Rams.

Either veteran could back up Bell, but the Jets could also find supporting RBs in this month’s draft.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/10/19

April 10th, 2019 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Waived: G Parker Ehinger, DT Aziz Shittu

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Giants, Sterling Shepard Agree To Extension

April 10th, 2019 at 4:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have finalized a four-year, $41MM extension with wide receiver Sterling Shepard, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Prior to the extension, Shepard was set to hit the open market after the 2019 season. 

[RELATED: Latest On Giants, Josh Rosen]

Shepard, the team’s longest-tenured receiver, is now the club’s highest-paid player at the position. It’s a larger than expected deal for Shepard, especially since his skill set mirrors that of new acquisition Golden Tate.

By the same token, the Giants will be relying on Shepard even more now that Odell Beckham is out of the picture. He’ll look to build off of a career year in 2018 when he hauled in 66 receptions for 872 yards and four touchdowns. The 26-year-old spent most of the year in the slot, though he also lined up outside towards the end of the year while OBJ was sidelined.

The former 2016 second-round pick and Tate are set to headline the Giants’ WR depth chart with support from the recently re-signed Russell Shepard, Corey Coleman, Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer, and others.

Bills Sign Eli Harold

April 10th, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have signed free agent pass rusher Eli Harold, according to a team announcement. Harold, 25, played last season for the Lions after being traded from the 49ers. 

Harold was utilized as an outside linebacker and a situational pass rusher with Detroit last year, but the Bills’ press release refers to him as a defensive end. At 6’3″, 243 pounds, Harold may not have ideal DE size, but he could be an option for the club’s No. 4 DE role.

Harold started for most of his final two seasons with the Niners, but spent the entire year as a reserve in Detroit. Still, Harold managed a career-high four sacks, including takedowns against Tom Brady in the club’s early-season upset over the Patriots.

Between now and September, Harold will push to make the roster as a supporting member behind bookends Jerry Hughes, Trent Murphy, and Shaq Lawson.

Redskins Cooling On Josh Rosen?

April 10th, 2019 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Many have speculated that the Redskins are the leading suitor for Josh Rosen, but that might not be the case anymore. The Redskins are “not actively chasing” the Cardinals quarterback, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). He adds that their interest is not serious at this stage and, furthermore, does not believe that Rosen will be moved at all between now and the draft. 

For the time being, the Redskins are focused on QBs in this year’s rookie class, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. This jibes with what we’ve heard before, and furthermore, the Redskins will not offer its No. 15 overall pick for Rosen. Based on the latest news, it doesn’t sound like the Redskins would fork over their second-round pick (No. 46) either.

The Redskins were the first team connected to the UCLA product this offseason, but their recent acquisition of Case Keenum complicates matters. They’re not sold on Chosen Rosen, but they could revisit talks if they don’t get their desired prospect later this month. With just $6.24MM left on Rosen’s contract through 2021, he would be a good cap fit for a club that still has Alex Smith‘s deal on the books through 2022.

The Dolphins, Chargers, and Giants have also checked in on Rosen’s availability, but their level of interest is unclear.

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