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Jeremy Zuttah

Ravens Rework Jeremy Zuttah’s Contract

October 13th, 2015 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have created a little more breathing room under the cap by reworking Jeremy Zuttah‘s contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Yates reports that the team has converted $1,628,824 of Zuttah’s remaining base salary for the season into a signing bonus, prorating over four years, and creating an extra $1,221,618 in cap room.

Zuttah, the Ravens’ starting center, had been set to earn a $3MM salary for the season, with a $3.7MM overall cap number. By restructuring his deal, Baltimore reduces his cap hit to about $2.478MM, increasing his $4.2MM charges for 2016, 2017, and 2018 to about $4.607MM annually.

According to Over the Cap’s data, the Ravens were among the teams with the least amount of cap space left in 2015, with only about $2MM remaining. Baltimore has been hit hard by the injury bug this season, and the more players that land on injured reserve, the more new players the team has to add to its roster, increasing the need for cap flexibility.

In all likelihood, the Ravens don’t have a particularly trade or signing in mind for the extra cap room created by reworking Zuttah’s deal. That space will simply help the team make it through the rest of the season.

Ozzie Newsome Reflects On Ravens Offseason

June 27th, 2014 at 12:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Most team executives feel pretty good about themselves following an eventful offseason, and Raven general manager Ozzie Newsome is certainly included in that bunch. The Hall of Fame tight end talked to Kevin Byrne, the team’s Senior Vice President of Public and Community Relations, about some of his transactions. Here are a few of the notable tidbits…

His assessment of the current roster and where it’s most improved:

“We feel pretty good right now. We could tweak the roster a little between now and the start of the regular season, but, overall, we accomplished a lot since the end of last season.

We’ll be better on offense. I really like Gary (Kubiak’s) schemes. It’s very precise. It’s physical. I think we’ll run the ball better, we’ll keep the ball more and we’ll have big plays. You can tell the players, especially guys like Joe (Flacco), like it – and they can see that we have a good chance to be a lot better.”

On the contract extension for linebacker Terrell Suggs and the status of Haloti Ngata‘s contract talks:

“We wanted two things from these contracts. The first is to create some cap room and the other is to try and make sure these two players remained Ravens forever. We got ‘Sizzle’ done and we’re still hopeful with Haloti.”

On losing cornerback Corey Graham and defensive end Arthur Jones:

“We lost Corey when we thought we could get him, but (the Bills) paid a premium. We knew we couldn’t sign Arthur Jones. He earned a huge salary and the Colts gave it to him. We couldn’t go there and sign other players we needed. The $10 million increase in the salary cap helped us get the others done.”

Thoughts on team’s additions at wide receiver and offensive line:

“We landed Steve Smith, who is not your typical aging player. He’s a special competitor, driven to show everyone he can play at a high level. You saw him during the camps. He’s going to help.

“Getting Jeremy Zuttah was a bonus. He wasn’t on the front burner at the beginning of the offseason. But, like Steve Smith, he was on a list we’ve developed of guys who are late in their contracts and might be available. We asked the question and they (the Buccaneers) were willing to move him. He’s a good player.”

Ravens Notes: Harbaugh, Zuttah, Jensen, Rice

May 31st, 2014 at 10:16am CST by Matt Feminis

The Ravens organization is “exasperated, as it should be, after receiving too many middle-of-the-night phone calls,” says BaltimoreRavens.com Columnist John Eisenberg, who passes along an “ominous warning shot” to his players: “…when the negativity over-balances your ability to help our football team, you’re not going to be here anymore. Or if we can’t trust your character anymore, then you can’t be a part of what we’re doing anymore.”

In other Ravens news and notes…

  • The Ravens have shifted Ryan Jensen, a 2013 sixth-rounder out of Colorado State-Pueblo, from guard-center to right tackle, reports Aaron Wilson in the Baltimore Sun. Jensen started 44 games as a college left tackle, but suffered a broken foot during training camp and did not play in any games last season. He will provide competition/insurance at right tackle, where Ricky Wagner appears to have the inside track on the starting job. The Ravens have a history of successfully converting offensive line prospects, as their starting interior — center Jeremy Zuttah and guards Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele — is comprised of players who were college tackles.
  • Speaking of Zuttah, early reports suggest he’s fitting in very well after signing a five-year, $18MM deal, writes Wilson. Harbaugh praised the 27-year-old for his intelligence and maturity, while former NFL executive Louis Riddick said, “Jeremy’s a perfect fit for them. Based on what Gary Kubiak wants to do… that all plays right to Jeremy’s strengths. He’s very athletic… He can do all the things that won’t allow him to get exposed one-on-one as he did at times in the Tampa scheme.”
  • In terms of depth, A.Q. Shipley‘s roster spot “is probably more in jeopardy” than Gino Gradkowski‘s, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
  • Ray Rice has had a tumultuous offseason, but perhaps lost in the shuffle is his weight change. According to Wilson (via Twitter), the veteran running back has shed 20 pounds.
  • In a minor move, the team signed undrafted outside linebacker D.J. Roberts, who tried out during rookie minicamp. To make room, quarterback Nick Stephens was cut, reports Wilson.

AFC Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Zuttah, Titans

March 31st, 2014 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

DeSean Jackson‘s release was the latest reminder that trades are tricky to work out in the NFL, even when it’s simply a matter of trying to swap a player for a draft pick. Player-for-player deals are even more difficult to finalize, but Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) has five suggestions for trades he thinks would benefit both sides, and four of them don’t include any picks. Among Yates’ suggestions: Ryan Mathews from the Chargers to the Titans for offensive tackle Michael Roos, and defensive lineman Jared Odrick from the Dolphins to the Patriots for offensive lineman Marcus Cannon.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • While it won’t have a real effect on teams’ cap situations for 2014, about $105MM in leaguewide deferred payments on bonus money are due today and tomorrow, tweets Brian McIntyre. As Yates writes in another ESPN.com piece, the Patriots are among the teams with a handful of payments owed, including $2.5MM each to offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer and cornerback Kyle Arrington.
  • Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he plans to speak to Dan Marino about a possible job within the organization, though he’s not sure yet what sort of role it would be, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
  • When the Ravens acquired Jeremy Zuttah in a trade last week, the team also worked out a five-year extension with the veteran center. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun now has the details on Zuttah’s new contract, tweeting that it’s worth $18MM with $6.5MM guaranteed. That includes a $3.5MM signing bonus, a $1MM guaranteed 2014 base salary, and $2MM of his $3MM 2015 base salary in guaranteed money. Wilson adds in a second tweet that the deal also includes playing-time and Pro Bowl escalators, and provides the full breakdown of annual base salaries and cap figures in two final tweets.
  • The base salaries on Shaun Phillips‘ two-year deal with the Titans are $1.5MM (2014) and $2.55MM (2015), tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • The Titans are hosting several players for pre-draft visits today, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (all Twitter links). According to Wyatt, the players visiting the Titans include tight end A.C. Leonard, offensive linemen Kadeem Edwards and Demetrius Rhaney, and defensive back David Van Dyke of Tennessee State, as well as former Vanderbilt kicker Carey Spear, cornerback Andre Hal, and safety Kenny Ladler.
  • Nearly three weeks after the free agent period began, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com resets the Browns’ roster, examining which positions still might be areas of need.

Ravens Acquire, Extend Jeremy Zuttah

March 27th, 2014 at 3:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

THURSDAY, 3:11pm: The new contract agreed to by Zuttah and the Ravens as part of the trade is a five-year deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

SUNDAY, 3:56pm: The Ravens will send a 2015 fifth-round pick to the Bucs, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

2:58pm: The team has officially announced the transaction on its website, with Ravens.com Garrett Downing writer opining that Zuttah could play either left guard or center.

2:47pm: The Ravens have acquired center Jeremy Zuttah from the Buccaneers in exchange for a 2015 mid-round draft pick, tweets Paul Schrager of FoxSports.com. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun was the first to report the rumors of the trade. Zuttah will get a new long-term contract that will alleviate the Ravens salary cap situation, reports Wilson (via Twitter). The Bucs will save $4.5MM in both cap space and cash, tweets Brian McIntyre.

Zuttah, 26, was a third-round-pick of the Bucs in the 2008 draft. He has started 46 games over the past three seasons, but became expendable when Tampa signed fellow center Evan Dietrich-Smith. In 2013, Zuttah graded out as just the 22nd-best center in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

However, that grade would be an improvement on the Ravens’ incumbent center, Gino Gradkowski, whom PFF rated as the worst center in football. Zuttah will add to a Baltimore offensive line that includes the recently re-signed Eugene Monroe and All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.

FA Links: Sanders, Allen, Hester

March 16th, 2014 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Before he signed with the Broncos, there were rumblings that receiver Emmanuel Sanders might end up with the Chiefs. There was so much to those rumors that even the team thought they were going to land the free agent, but it all ended up being a clever strategy by the former Steelers’ agent, Steve Weinberg. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, many executives around the league aren’t happy with how the Sanders talks were handled, with one team official saying the Weinberg broke “every rule in negotiations”. In his press conference today, Sanders said there was “no handshake” and “no kind of agreement” with the Chiefs.

More from around the NFL…

  • Jared Allen met with the Seahawks today, tweets Rapoport. In a subsequent tweet, Rapoport mentions that Allen will likely visit another team this week and that retiring is still an option for the 31-year-old.
  • Adding to reports that the Dolphins have interest in Devin Hester, the wide receiver has said that he would “love” to play for the team, writes Chris Perkins of the Chicago Tribune.
  • The Buccaneers will now listen to offers for offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah after having signed Evan Dietrich-Smith, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds (via Twitter) that the team is looking to revamp their offensive line but acknowledged that the team does value Zuttah’s versatility. La Confora suggests the Ravens, Colts and Giants as potential fits (from Twitter).

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Bell, Vikings, Bears

March 10th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys are interested in re-signing free-agents-to-be Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer, but Dallas isn’t the only team with interest in the defensive linemen. According to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, the free agent duo has at least seven interested suitors, including the Cowboys. Dallas is also interested in defensive tackle Henry Melton, according to Watkins (Twitter link), but the ESPN scribe cautions that there are no assurances of a deal, given the Cowboys’ limited cap space.

Here’s more from around the NFC, with free agency less than 24 hours away:

Zach Links contributed to this post.