Free agent Jadeveon Clowney signs with Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens signed free agent edge defender Jadeveon Clowney to a one-year deal Friday, just one day removed from agreeing to terms with veteran cornerback Ronald Darby.
Source: Free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney is signing with the #Ravens.
The 3x Pro Bowler has 43 career sacks, 90 TFLs and 13 FR. pic.twitter.com/qLHiiAYQLL
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 18, 2023
The Ravens will be Clowney’s fifth team as he enters his 10th season in the NFL. He spent the past two years with the Cleveland Browns, where he racked up 82 total pressures and 41 defensive stops over 26 games.
Clowney has been a productive player over the course of his career, finishing with an overall grade lower than 74.9 in just one season. His veteran presence will be a welcomed addition behind Odafe Oweh (24 years old), David Ojabo (23 years old) and a Ravens’ defensive line unit PFF's Zóltan Buday ranked 26th coming into the season.
QB Malik Cunningham a potential dual-threat option for the Patriots
New England Patriots quarterback Malik Cunningham is gaining steam as a potential Taysom Hill-type option in the offense.
Malik Cunningham could end up playing a Taysom Hill role for the Patriots this year, taking snaps at receiver and quarterback. https://t.co/jUpkXUrJ2D
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 18, 2023
Cunningham signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent back in May. He played 26 snaps in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans, 16 at quarterback and 10 at wide receiver. Last year, New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill was the only player in the NFL who played double-digit snaps at multiple positions in the same game.
As a passer last week, Cunningham led the Patriots to their lone touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, completing three of his four passes in the process. His only incompletion was a perfectly placed big-time throw to the end zone that was dropped by Tre Nixon.
Cunningham will be a name to watch this weekend as the Patriots travel to take on the Green Bay Packers Saturday night.
Veteran OT Jason Peters plans to play in 2023
Free agent offensive tackle Jason Peters said Friday that he plans to play this season, which would be his 20th in the NFL.
Nine-time Pro Bowl OT Jason Peters, who is a free agent, said today he still plans to play this season in what would be his 20th NFL season. Peters started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in 2004 in Buffalo.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2023
While not the dominant, every-down player he was in his prime, Peters has still been effective when called upon in recent years. He earned a 70.2 overall grade with the Dallas Cowboys last season, allowing one sack across 152 pass-blocking snaps.
Peters’ resume speaks for itself: nine Pro bowls, six All-Pros, a Super Bowl ring and a spot on the 2010s All-Decade team. It seems more likely than not that Peters will play this season, given the lack of quality offensive line depth across the league.
RB Zamir White remains at the top of Raiders’ depth chart
Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White “will be acting as the starting running back” as long as Josh Jacobs is away, according to the Athletic’s Tashan Reed.
White was the starting running back in the Raiders’ preseason win over the San Francisco 49ers last week. The second-year back out of Georgia played 20 snaps, turning 13 carries into 43 yards and a touchdown.
It is still unclear if Josh Jacobs (91.6 overall grade last season, first among 60 qualifying running backs) will return to the team for the start of the regular season. If he doesn’t, White would be in line to play a true bell-cow role, something he never had the opportunity to do at college. White averaged 3.6 yards after contact per attempt in 2021 and displayed an elite combination of size and explosiveness that can translate to the NFL level.