HEADLINES

Kyle Arrington

Ravens Release CB Kyle Arrington

June 5th, 2017 at 1:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Brandon Boykin signing isn’t the only shakeup to the Ravens cornerback depth chart today. The Ravens announced that they’ve also signed Al-Hajj Shabazz, and they subsequently released veteran cornerback Kyle Arrington on a failed physical designation. ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley points out that releasing Arrington will save the organization around $2.1MM in cap space.

Kyle ArringtonArrington will finish his tenure with the Ravens having played in only 15 games over two seasons. Following six seasons with the Patriots, the former undrafted free agent out of Hostra joined Baltimore on a three-year deal. He started four of his 15 games during the 2015 season, compiling 28 tackles and one forced fumble. However, the 30-year-old was forced to sit out the entire 2016 campaign recovering from a concussion.

Shabazz has spent time with the Colts, Buccaneers, Steelers, and Texans since going undrafted in 2015. He played in eight games between Houston and Pittsburgh last season, compiling a single tackle.

When you consider these moves, the Boykin signing, and the fact that Tavon Young is now out with a torn ACL, the Ravens cornerback depth chart looks drastically different than it did only a week ago. Boykin and Shabazz will presumably be competing with Lardarius Webb and Maurice Canady for the team’s nickel corner spot.

Extra Points: Pats, Browns, Saints, Mixon

April 7th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There have been conflicting reports over the past couple months on whether the Patriots will consider trading backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. The latest update, via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, indicates the Pats “do not want to deal” Garoppolo, even though he could hit free agency next year. No team has shown more interest in Garoppolo this offseason than the Browns, but they’ve seemingly given up hope on acquiring him, per Rapoport, who adds that the Pats regard the 25-year-old as a franchise-caliber passer. New England already has an all-world option under center in Tom Brady, of course, but the five-time Super Bowl champion is set to play his age-40 season in 2017.

One of Garoppolo’s New England teammates, cornerback Malcolm Butler, has also been a prominent part of trade rumors this offseason. While the Patriots’ intention is to keep Butler, according to owner Robert Kraft, Larry Holder of NOLA.com anticipates that they’ll ultimately deal him to the Saints (video via NFL.com). New Orleans has chased Butler, a restricted free agent, and has reportedly had productive long-term contract discussions with him. The Saints aren’t willing to give up the No. 11 overall pick for Butler, but they could dangle the 32nd selection, which they acquired from the Pats in the Brandin Cooks trade.

More from around the sport:

  • Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon will rack up 15 visits with teams prior to the beginning of the draft on April 27, his agent, Peter Schaffer, told Michael Gehlken of Pro Football Talk. “(This many visits) is clearly not efficient and (consumes) a lot of time,” said Schaffer. “But at the same time, it’s important to have it. It’s a blessing for any player to get considered for the draft. Along with that blessing comes hard work.” Many of the clubs Mixon has met with are willing to forgive him for his checkered past, which jibes with a report that he could go as high as the second round. “Everyone who has brought him in has remarked how remorseful he is about what he did when he was 18 … and that he’s deserving of a second chance,” Schaffer revealed.
  • Former NFLers Greg Hardy, Ahmad Bradshaw, Kellen Winslow, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Ben Tate and Ricky Stanzi have reported to West Virginia to partake in the Spring League, relays Mike Florio of PFT. The league, which isn’t affiliated with the NFL, will play a six-game season from April 15-26. Its participants won’t receive pay – only lodging and meals during the season – writes Florio. Some pro scouts will be on hand, though, giving the players an opportunity to stand out and earn either a first NFL shot or, in the cases of the aforementioned six, a repeat chance(s).
  • The expectation is that the Ravens will eventually release cornerback Kyle Arrington, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The Ravens would first like Arrington to pass a physical, notes Zrebiec. Arrington suffered a concussion during the preseason last summer and landed on injured reserve at the end of August. Cutting the 30-year-old would save Baltimore $2.1MM, against just under $667K in dead money.

Ravens Place Watson, Arrington On IR

August 29th, 2016 at 9:07am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens took a big step towards getting their roster down to 75 today. The Ravens announced that they have placed veteran tight end Ben Watson and cornerback Kyle Arrington on injured reserve. Meanwhile, the team has also waived eight other players and cut one.

Both Watson and Arrington suffered their season-ending injuries during preseason. In the Ravens’ preseason opener against the Panthers, Arrington suffered a concussion that he has yet to recover from. Watson, meanwhile, tore his Achilles on Saturday night against the Lions.

The Ravens cut linebacker Kavell Conner and he’ll immediately hit the free agent market as a vested veteran. Meanwhile, the following eight players have been waived:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Chiefs, Bolts, Ravens, Titans

June 21st, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The fact that the Chiefs have running backs Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware in the fold could lead them to trade fellow rusher Knile Davis, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. As of late April, the Chiefs were shopping Davis, who requested a trade over the winter. Davis switched gears last month in expressing a desire to remain with the Chiefs, but even with Charles missing most of last season on account of a torn ACL, Davis only racked up 28 carries. West and Ware, meanwhile, combined for 232 attempts and subsequently netted contract extensions earlier this offseason. The writing seems to be on the wall, then, for the 24-year-old Davis, whom the Chiefs used a third-round pick on in 2013. The ex-Arkansas Razorback has amassed 232 carries and a paltry 3.3 yards-per-rush average during his three-year career.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • Chargers first-round defensive end Joey Bosa has a better chance at improving the payout of his ~$17MM signing bonus than getting guarantees without offsets, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) opines. Bosa, the third overall selection, is one of the last few first-rounders in this year’s class who hasn’t signed yet; however, Chargers president of football operations John Spanos doesn’t seem concerned.
  • The Ravens have a handful of notable veterans who will enter training camp on the bubble to make the roster, reports Clifton Brown of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Eighth-year cornerback Kyle Arrington, 2013 second-round linebacker Arthur Brown, 2014 third-round safety Terrence Brooks and fourth-round running back Lorenzo Taliaferro, and third-year receiver Michael Campanaro are all in jeopardy, per Brown.
  • Dennis Polian, son of Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, has resigned from his position as the Titans’ assistant director of football administration/pro scout to take a player personnel role with Texas A&M, according to Jason Wolf of the Tennessean.
  • Earlier Tuesday, the Jaguars signed third-round edge defender Yannick Ngakoue and have now locked up their entire seven-player draft class.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Ravens’ Kyle Arrington Accepts Pay Cut

March 9th, 2016 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

After restructuring Marshal Yanda‘s contract to create some additional cap flexibility, the Ravens have created a little more breathing room by reworking Kyle Arrington‘s contract. According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), the veteran defensive back has agreed to take a pay cut to remain in Baltimore.

Arrington, who signed a three-year, $7MM contract with the Ravens last year after spending most of his NFL career in New England, didn’t have a great 2015 campaign. Although he started 56 games for the Patriots, Arrington started just four of 15 contests for Baltimore, recording 28 tackles and no interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded him 80th out of 111 qualified corners.

Still, the Ravens apparently saw enough in Arrington that they wanted to keep him for the 2016 season. He had been scheduled to earn a $2.1MM bsae salary, with a cap number of $2.767MM, so his new agreement with Baltimore will reduce both of those numbers.

As Zrebiec notes (via Twitter), Arrington could be the frontrunner for the Ravens’ slot cornerback opening, with Lardarius Webb moving to safety.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Flacco, A. Mack, Bills, Titans

February 17th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders need to find a running back to complement Latavius Murray, opines Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Bair lists Chris Johnson, Tim Hightower, Matt Forte, James Starks and Ronnie Hillman as potential fits through free agency.

Earlier tonight, PFR’s Rory Parks previewed the Raiders’ offseason in depth and, like Bair, named RB as a position the club could address. Click here for the rest.

More from the AFC:

  • Reworking quarterback Joe Flacco‘s deal and cutting $9MM off his $28MM-plus cap hit for this year would go a long way toward helping the Ravens make improvements, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. As of Wednesday morning, the Ravens and Flacco haven’t discussed a restructuring.
  • The notion that Browns center Alex Mack has a clause in his contract preventing the team from placing the franchise or transition tag on him is untrue, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports. Corry notes (via Twitter) that Mack does have a no-trade clause, though. The 30-year-old is expected to opt out of his current deal in the coming weeks and become a free agent.
  • A pair of escalators affecting the Bills‘ salary cap have been triggered, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets (Twitter links). Tyrod Taylor‘s cap number this season has increased from $1.3MM to $3.3MM based on an escalator and how his ’16 playtime incentive is treated. Bills center Eric Wood also hit an escalator that increases his 2016 cap number by $650K.
  • Out of their pending free agents, the Titans are prioritizing nose tackle Al Woods and tight end Craig Stevens, Terry McCormick of Cover32.com reports. Woods made a career-high nine starts last season. Stevens has been a Titan since 2008 and is discussing a new deal with the team, per McCormick.
  • Chiefs backup quarterback Chase Daniel is scheduled for free agency, but the club has too many other needs to worry about investing a decent chunk of money in a reserve signal caller, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Teicher believes it’s time for either Aaron Murray or Tyler Bray to step up and take over for Daniel as Alex Smith‘s top understudy. Although the two have been Chiefs for a combined seven years, neither has appeared in a regular-season game.
  • In a Monday roundup of Ravens news and notes, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun discusses the possibility of the team trading down from the No. 6 pick, and reexamines the likelihood of cornerback Kyle Arrington being released.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Ravens Sign Kyle Arrington

May 14th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

2:33pm: Per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), Arrington’s contract has a base value of $7MM, with a max value of $8.5MM. The deal includes $800K in first-year salary guaranteed, in addition to the cornerback’s $2MM signing bonus.

THURSDAY, 1:15pm: Arrington has passed his physical and officially signed a three-year deal which averages $2.5MM per year and features a $2MM signing bonus, tweets Wilson.

WEDNESDAY, 6:50pm: Arrington’s three-year deal is expected to average about $2.5MM annually, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

5:47pm: The Ravens have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with former Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington, the team announced today (via Twitter). Arrington, released by New England on Monday, will officially sign with Baltimore after taking a physical.Nov 30, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington (25) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 26-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

A starter for most of his time with the Patriots, Arrington saw his role reduced last year following the arrivals of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner to New England. Arrington played just 576 defensive snaps in 2014, recording 49 tackles and returning a fumble for a touchdown. Despite the 28-year-old’s relative lack of playing time, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him second among Patriots cornerbacks, behind only Revis.

A lack of guaranteed money on his $3MM salary for 2015 resulted in Arrington’s release, as the Patriots continue to overhaul the group of cornerbacks that helped them win the Super Bowl mere months ago. Revis and Browner signed as free agents with the Jets and Saints respectively, while Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard were both cut this month.

For the Ravens, the arrival of Arrington allows the team to upgrade a position that had been a weakness in 2014, providing some stability and depth at corner. Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb still figure to start on the outside, assuming they stay healthy, but Arrington looks like a good bet to see plenty of action in the slot.

The Ravens had been repeatedly linked to Arrington since he hit the open market on Monday, and the move to Baltimore will reunite him with defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who was still the DC in New England when Arrington first joined the Pats in 2009. Besides Baltimore, the Panthers were also mentioned as a potential suitor for Arrington.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Notes: Arrington, Conner, Davis

May 13th, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

It’s not clear if the Browns or Falcons put in a waiver claim for D.J. Swearinger, but both clubs had interest in landing the former Texans safety before he was claimed by the Buccaneers yesterday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. One team that did put in a claim was the Jets, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). None of those clubs could get to Swearinger, however, as Tampa Bay had the No. 1 waiver priority and used it.

While Swearinger didn’t make it to the open market, we have a few updates on players who are currently free agents, or who recently signed contracts with new teams:

  • As the Ravens explore the possibility of adding a cornerback, recently released ex-Patriot Kyle Arrington is “clearly” their top target, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees that the Ravens are in the mix for Arrington, adding that the Panthers are another team to watch.
  • Having already signed Jerome Felton this offseason, the Bills shouldn’t necessarily be in the market for another fullback, but the team is hosting John Conner for a visit today, according to a report from Draft Diamonds. Conner has had multiple stints with the Jets under Rex Ryan, who is fond of his blocking ability and would consider adding “The Terminator” to the roster as a complement to Felton.
  • Tight end Fred Davis, who was a free agent – and serving a suspension – for over a year before signing with the Patriots this week, received a $20K workout bonus and $60K in per-game roster bonuses on his one-year, minimum salary deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Davis’ contract doesn’t include any guaranteed money.
  • As NFL communications rep Randall Liu notes (on Twitter), unrestricted free agents who didn’t receive contract tenders from their former clubs are now free to sign with new teams without having an impact on that team’s compensatory draft pick formula. The NFL moved up this cutoff date from June 1 to May 12 this year, allowing unsigned players a better opportunity to find new homes earlier in the spring.

Harbaugh, Newsome On Ravens’ Offseason

May 12th, 2015 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

In a conference call with personal seat license ticket holders, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that GM Ozzie Newsome is still looking to add players to the secondary, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets. When asked if Kyle Arrington could be a player of interest, however, Newsome kept things vague. Here’s more from this afternoon’s conference call..

  • Harbaugh said that tight end Dennis Pitta has a chance to play this season, though it’ll depend on how his hip is holding up, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Newsome said Marshal Yanda and Justin Tucker are still targets for extensions, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets. “If we don’t get it done, we’ll move on to the next.”
  • Newsome was complimentary of undrafted safety Nick Perry, saying, “He’ll be able to come in and compete with the guys that we have,” Wilson tweets. Meanwhile, Harbaugh predicted one undrafted rookie and “maybe more” will make the 53-man roster, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Ravens thought about taking cornerback Tray Walker in the third round, Harbaugh said, according to Hensley (on Twitter). The Ravens eventually took him in the fourth round.

AFC Notes: Kraft, Broncos, Ravens, Bills

May 12th, 2015 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

As Ben Volin of The Boston Globe notes (on Twitter), Patriots owner Robert Kraft is one of three owners on the NFL Compensation Committee, which determines commissioner Roger Goodell’s pay. The other two owners on that committee are Arthur Blank and Jerry Richardson. One unidentified NFL owner told Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (TwitLonger link) that he thinks the relationship between Kraft and Goodell is “pretty much dead” in the wake of DeflateGate, so that will be an interesting situation to keep an eye on going forward.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • The Broncos are looking at tight ends in the wake of Jeff Heuerman‘s knee injury, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. Legwold could envision Denver signing a tight end this week, even as soon as today or Wednesday.
  • The Ravens aren’t expected to be too active on the free agent market now that veteran signings no longer affect the compensatory draft pick formula, but sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking predict Baltimore will try to add a cornerback through free agency or a trade, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. One possible option for the Ravens could be former Patriot Kyle Arrington, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun outlines.
  • Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills‘ backfield, where the running back depth chart is getting crowded. While LeSean McCoy is locked in for a roster spot, the team figures to have to cut at least one player – and maybe two – from a group that features Fred Jackson, Boobie Dixon, Bryce Brown, and rookie Karlos Williams.
  • Free agent wide receiver James Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) that he was really surprised the Raiders released him. Oakland let Jones go earlier this month.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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