HEADLINES

Anthony Averett

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/23

August 17th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Trevor Reid

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: WR Tyler Adams

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Released from IR: WR D.J. Turner

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Players placed on injured reserve during training camp or the preseason can’t be activated during the 2023 campaign. However, if they’re released from IR (often via an injury settlement), they’re free to sign and play elsewhere. For instance, Anthony Averett will surely be a player who can catch on with a new squad. The cornerback has seen time in 51 games (27 starts), collecting 114 tackles, three interceptions, and 23 passes defended. He had a career season in 2021 with the Ravens, starting all 14 of his appearances while chipping in 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and three picks. He spent the 2022 season with the Raiders, starting six of his seven appearances while dealing with a pair of IR stints. He caught on with the 49ers earlier this month.

Among today’s signings, Davion Taylor is an intriguing addition to the Bears linebackers room. The former third-round pick spent the first two seasons of his career with the Eagles, including a 2021 campaign where he started six of his nine appearances while compiling 41 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. A knee injury ended that breakout campaign early, and he spent most of the 2022 season on the Eagles’ practice squad.

49ers, CB Anthony Averett Agree To Deal

August 3rd, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

An injury to one depth cornerback has resulted in the signing of another in San Francisco. The 49ers have agreed to a deal with Anthony Averett while placing Terrance Mitchell on IR, per a team announcement.

Averett spent the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens, seeing a notable jump in playing time with each passing campaign. The former fourth-rounder served as a full-time starter in 2021, and he posted career-highs in tackles (54), interceptions (three) and pass deflections (11) that year.

Those numbers only earned him a one-year contract on the open market, though, and Averett spent the past season with the Raiders. The 28-year-old was limited to just seven games in his lone Vegas campaign, with thumb and toe injuries leading to IR stints. Averett put up lackluster numbers as part of a Raiders secondary which struggled throughout the season, leading to his lengthy stay on the open market this time around.

The Alabama product will now join a 49ers defense which is among the league’s best in the hopes of carving out a depth role. San Francisco has Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir in place as starters on the boundary, where Averett has spent the majority of his career. His 27 career starts would give the team notable experience if Averett is called into action, presuming he manages to cement a spot on the 53-man roster over the next several weeks.

Mitchell has seen time with six different teams during his eight years in the NFL, including the Titans last season. He was in position to add further to that list in San Francisco, but by being placed on IR he will sidelined for the entire 2023 campaign. The 31-year-old will turn his attention to rehab in advance of next year’s free agent period.

Dolphins To Sign CB Eli Apple

July 29th, 2023 at 3:26pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Bengals cornerback Eli Apple‘s long wait on the free agent market has come to an end. Days after star cornerback acquisition Jalen Ramsey underwent surgery for a knee injury, the Dolphins have reached out for veteran starting experience, signing Apple to a one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Miami lost Ramsey this week to a knee injury that required a full meniscus repair. It was originally reported that Ramsey may just miss the start of the season, but more recent reports have delineated a timeline that doesn’t see Ramsey return until December. Ramsey was obviously a big part of the team’s plan in the secondary moving forward. The Dolphins immediately started looking for options to attempt to negate his absence, also working out veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau and Anthony Averett before ultimately signing Apple.

It looked like a starting duo of Ramsey and Xavien Howard would shape up to be one of the league’s best, with strong young talent like Kader Kohou, Keion Crossen, and rookie second-round pick Cam Smith rotating in. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio also had plans of working Ramsey at nickel more often, based on his recent success in that role with the Rams. In this situation, Kohou, Crossen, Smith, or Nik Needham would come on when the team needed extra defensive backs on the field and play on the outside while Ramsey shifted in. Apple’s consistent presence on the outside changes that plan.

First, let’s start with what Apple does bring to the table. A former first-round selection taken five picks after Ramsey in 2016, Apple has been a consistent starter over his career, starting 78 of the 88 games he’s appeared in. He’s struggled with injuries in the past, having never played every game of a given season, but in every season but two, he’s been available for at least 14 games. Not only does he have starting experience, but he’s got playoff experience, as well.

With that being said, Apple has never been considered a top player at the position. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Apple has never ranked higher than 61st in the league. Last year, the site credited Apple with allowing a 99.8 passer rating in his coverage area. So, while Apple provides them with the starting experience, Miami may be hoping that they will still get some of their best play out of their incumbent corners.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald suggests that Apple’s experience will make him a top candidate to start outside opposite Howard. Apple’s main competition should be Kohou, who started 13 games as an undrafted rookie last year out of Texas A&M-Commerce. Jackson foresees a situation in which Kohou could take the role that Fangio envisioned for Ramsey, starting on the outside then shifting in to the slot when the team needs three cornerbacks on the field. If Apple can earn the starting spot on the outside, though, Kohou would become the immediate primary nickel cornerback.

Past that, much of the plan remains the same. A healthy Needham becomes a strong rotational piece as Crossen and Smith continue to develop in the early years of their careers. Thanks to the injuries that forced Kohou and Crossen into starting time last year, the Dolphins have a relatively deep group at cornerback that should absorb the temporary loss of Ramsey well. That’s not to say that this group won’t be significantly better once Ramsey returns, but while he’s gone, the addition of Apple combined with the capabilities of Miami’s younger defensive backs should hold the team over until Ramsey’s back.

Ravens Not Likely To Push For CB Marcus Peters

July 3rd, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

When veteran cornerback Marcus Peters‘s contract expired at the end of the season, the starting cornerback spot across from Marlon Humphrey became a big point of concern for Ravens fans. Aside from times when one or the other was injured, Peters and Humphrey have manned the boundary corner positions in Baltimore together since 2019. While not completely out of the realm of possibility, it’s not looking likely to continue into 2023, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

In a mailbag Q&A, Zrebiec fielded several questions from fans inquiring about the likelihood of Peters returning to Baltimore. Peters struggled a bit in his return from an ACL tear that held him out of the entire 2021 season. He still served as a starting-caliber cornerback that could limit damage, but his playmaking, shutdown defense was nowhere to be found in 2022. Now two years removed from seeing Peters playing his best football, the Ravens haven’t shown any sign of prioritizing the return of the 30-year-old.

Peters visited the Raiders in mid-May and has remained in close contact with the team, but as of yet, no deal seems certain. Zrebiec points out that there’s no risk in Peters waiting. Better offers or opportunities may still come his way and, until camps start, there’s truly no rush.

In Baltimore, the Ravens eventually addressed the hole in the roster by signing Rock Ya-Sin. Ya-Sin doesn’t have the resume that Peters does, but he’s younger and has shown better football more recently than Peters. Even with Ya-Sin on the roster, Baltimore still didn’t rule out the possibility of bringing Peters back. They know he fits in the locker room, but in order for him to return, he’s going to have to be realistic on his value.

In a market bereft of lockdown, star cornerback talent, Peters may be one of the top options, but he’s not so good that he’ll earn past his value. The Ravens could certainly still make a different addition to the room before training camp. Several veterans remain free agents, such as Ronald Darby, Byron Jones, Bryce Callahan, Casey Hayward, and former Raven Anthony Averett. If Peters isn’t willing to meet the Ravens halfway on a new contract, Baltimore has plenty of other avenues they can explore.

The team also seems to like what they have in house right now, even going so far as to move Brandon Stephens back to his rookie position of safety following a season at cornerback last year. They’re hoping to see big jumps in the sophomore seasons of Damarion Williams and Jalyn Armour-Davis and know they have serviceable depth pieces in Daryl Worley and Kevon Seymour. They also re-signed Trayvon Mullen and added Kyu Blu Kelly in the fifth round of the draft. They may want to bolster the room with a veteran who can slot in as CB3 still, but if they miss out on Peters because of value, they won’t beat themselves up too much over it.

So, for now, it appears most likely that Peters is Vegas bound. He appears to be waiting out the options, and the Ravens appear to be open to his return without pushing past their limits. A return to Baltimore isn’t impossible, but it will need to feel right with both sides.

Raiders Place CB Anthony Averett On IR

November 29th, 2022 at 4:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second time this season, Anthony Averett is on injured reserve. The Raiders moved the free agent acquisition to IR on Tuesday; a toe injury will send the fifth-year cornerback there this time.

Averett missed a chunk of the season due to a broken thumb sustained in Week 1. The Raiders used one of their injury activations to bring Averett back to their active roster in October. Turf toe will shut Averett down for at least another four games, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

This offseason’s IR rule change would allow for the team to activate Averett again, but he must miss at least four games, shelving him until Week 17. Activating Averett a second time would count toward the Raiders’ eight injury activations. The timeline here could well lead to an Averett shutdown.

The Raiders added Averett on a one-year, $4MM deal and have turned to him as a starter. Trading Trayvon Mullen to the Cardinals on cutdown day, the Raiders installed Averett as a starter opposite March trade get Rock Ya-Sin. Averett has worked as a starter in six of the seven games he has played with Las Vegas. Pro Football Focus has not been particularly impressed with the ex-Raven, slotting him just inside the top 100 among corners this season.

Las Vegas has not been able to deploy its top three corners together for much of the year. Second-year cover man Nate Hobbs has been on IR for several weeks, though he is on the way back after being designated for return last week. A broken hand sent Hobbs to IR. This has affected the Raiders’ defensive capabilities. Patrick Graham‘s unit ranks 26th in points allowed and 27th in total defense.

To replace Averett on their active roster, the Raiders signed cornerback Tyler Hall from the practice squad. In his first season with the Raiders, Hall has played in two games, doing so in each of the past two weeks as a gameday elevation.

Raiders Activate CB Anthony Averett, Waive WR Albert Wilson

October 22nd, 2022 at 7:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders’ underwhelming pass defense has received a boost. Per a team announcement, cornerback Anthony Averett has been activated from IR.

[RELATED: Raiders Place Nate Hobbs On IR]

It was unknown during the week if Averett would be able to return in time for Vegas’ Week 7 contest, as he was designated to return just three days ago. The 27-year-old suffered a broken thumb in the season opener, essentially delaying his debut with the team for one month.

A fourth-round pick of the Ravens in 2018, Averett took on a larger workload with each passing season in Baltimore. His first year as a full-time starter was 2022, as he filled in for the injured Marcus Peters. Logging 808 snaps – by far a career-high – the Alabama alum notched 54 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. That earned him a one-year, $4MM contract in free agency.

Especially with fellow corner Nate Hobbs being sidelined for at least one month, Averett will immediately step into a large role in the Raiders’ secondary. He is likely to start opposite Rock Ya-Sin, another notable addition from the offseason, one in which the team made several moves at the position. A continuation of his 2022 form from Averett would be a welcomed sight, as Vegas currently ranks 23rd in passing yards allowed per game (256).

Albert Wilson, meanwhile, has been waived; he signed earlier this month, but initially joined the practice squad in doing so and had yet to make an appearance for the Raiders. The veteran suffered the same fate in the offseason with the Vikings, so he will now look to find a third home in 2022 following his three-year Dolphins stint. The team also confirmed on Saturday that undrafted wideout DJ Turner has been activated from IR; he played exclusively on special teams in his debut during Week 1 and will once again add depth to the Raiders’ WR corps.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/22

October 19th, 2022 at 5:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed off Chiefs practice squad: OLB Benton Whitley

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Raiders Place CB Anthony Averett On IR, Claim CB Javelin Guidry

September 12th, 2022 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Javelin Guidry has now ventured to both teams involved in last month’s Trayvon Mullen trade. The Cardinals claimed the young cornerback off waivers from the Jets after roster-cutdown day but waived him ahead of their Week 1 game. Guidry has since found a third 2022 employer.

The Raiders claimed Guidry off waivers Monday, but the addition comes after the team lost one of its starters to injury. Las Vegas placed cornerback Anthony Averett on IR. This transaction knocks Averett out for at least four games.

Averett suffered a broken right thumb against the Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The IR timetable lines up with Averett’s expected recovery timeline, with the former Ravens defender expected to be ready to return in around a month.

The Raiders have been impressed with Averett, to the point they felt comfortable unloading Mullen — a former second-round pick and three-season starter for the team — before setting their roster. The Raiders were planning to waive Mullen had the Cardinals not stepped in with a trade proposal. Averett entered the season alongside Rock Ya-Sin and Nate Hobbs as the Raiders’ top corners. The Raiders have Amik Robertson as a backup option, but the team is expected to add veteran slot defender Nickell Robey-Coleman on Monday as well. The Robey-Coleman signing, however, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.

A 14-game Ravens starter last season — one that saw Baltimore go the full campaign without Marcus Peters — Averett signed a one-year deal worth $4MM in March. The Raiders are guaranteeing the former fourth-round Ravens draftee $3.34MM. He played 34 defensive snaps Sunday, prior to going down with the thumb ailment.

This Raiders move denied the Cardinals a chance to pass Guidry through to their practice squad. A former sprinter who finished sixth in the 60-meter dash at the 2019 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Guidry spent two seasons with the Jets. Guidry played 486 defensive snaps last season, spending time both outside and in the slot with the Jets. A Utah alum, Guidry is credited with forcing an four fumbles as a rookie in 2020.

AFC West Notes: Reed, Raiders, Chargers

June 24th, 2022 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Bradley Chubb and Von Miller suffering injuries at various points from 2019-21, the Broncos could rarely deploy their ideal edge-rushing combination. That led to extensive Malik Reed work. The 2019 UDFA has made 34 starts over the past three seasons and racked up 13 sacks over the past two. However, the Broncos have since signed Randy Gregory, drafted Nik Bonitto in Round 2 and moved 2021 inside linebacker starter Baron Browning to the edge. This creates a crowded depth chart, which features Chubb in his fifth-year option season. Reed is also going into a contract year, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold’s 53-man roster prediction leaves the Nevada product off the team. Reed’s status could depend on Gregory’s recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, per Legwold, with the Broncos potentially going with a special-teamer over Reed if Gregory is healthy. If the Broncos determine Reed is not on track to make their team, he would be a logical trade candidate. Reed is attached to a $2.43MM salary.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • The Raiders were active at defensive tackle this offseason. They re-signed Johnathan Hankins and brought in free agents Vernon Butler, Andrew Billings, Tyler Lancaster, Kyle Peko and Bilal Nichols. The team also used fourth- and fifth-round picks (Neil Farrell Jr. and Matthew Butler) on interior D-linemen. Of this group, Nichols projects as a starter, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed note (subscription required). Hankins, who has been a Raiders first-stringer for the past four seasons, should be ticketed to keep his starter gig under new DC Patrick Graham. Among the host of veterans brought in as free agents, Nichols’ contract (two years, $11MM) would point to him having the clearest starter path. The Raiders have been linked to Ndamukong Suh, but they might not be especially interested in signing him right now.
  • Despite the Raiders changing defensive schemes and letting Casey Hayward defect to the Falcons in free agency, they are unlikely to tinker with Nate Hobbs‘ job. The second-year cornerback practiced exclusively in the slot during Las Vegas’ offseason program and will still expected to be the team’s slot defender, per Tafur and Reed. Coming into the league as a fifth-round pick, Hobbs graded as a top-10 corner as a rookie, per Pro Football Focus. Trade acquisition Rock Ya-Sin and free agent signing Anthony Averett worked as Vegas’ slot corners this summer, with starter Trayvon Mullen on the mend after a May foot surgery. Mullen missed 12 games last season, with foot trouble at the root of the absence. The recent surgery makes Mullen’s status something to monitor during camp.
  • The Chargers have taken an aggressive approach to filling offensive line needs over the past two offseasons. They gave Corey Linsley a then-record center contract and also signed guard Matt Feiler. Those moves came before the Bolts drafted Rashawn Slater in Round 1. They selected Zion Johnson in this year’s first round, and he is expected to start at right guard. That leaves right tackle vacant, with 2020’s Bryan Bulaga signing not panning out. The Bolts used Storm Norton as their primary 2021 starter, but Trey Pipkins started a game apiece at left and right tackle — due to the starters’ COVID-19 contractions — last year. Those two starts elevated the former third-round pick’s status in the Chargers building, Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes. Pipkins’ progress will be put to the test when he battles Norton for the right tackle gig in camp.

Raiders To Sign CB Anthony Averett

March 16th, 2022 at 7:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after trading for Rock Ya-Sin, the Raiders have another new cornerback en route. They reached an agreement to add ex-Raven Anthony Averett, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.

Averett started a career-high 14 games for the Ravens last season, doing so in a year in which the team lost starters Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey. A former fourth-round pick, Averett boosted his value despite the Ravens’ collective step back.

The Alabama alum played 90% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps, allowing a 55% completion rate and 77.5 passer rating when targeted. Averett notched three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. Prior to 2021, Averett had started seven career games. The 6-foot cover man’s usage rate has steadily increased in each season, and he will have a chance to compete for regular work in Las Vegas.

Ya-Sin and Averett join a Vegas secondary in transition on the outside at corner. The team cut bait on 2020 first-rounder Damon Arnette and has standout Casey Hayward unsigned. Trayvon Mullen is going into a contract year. With new decision-makers taking over, the Raiders may not be done making changes at this spot.

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