Ravens sign Wallace to 2-year deal
The Baltimore Ravens added more speed and a familiar foe to their passing game Tuesday, signing wide receiver Mike Wallace to a two-year contract.
Released by the Minnesota Vikings on March 8, the 29-year-old Wallace joins his third team in as many years after beginning his career with Baltimore’s AFC North rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It feels weird being on the other side, but I’m all for it,” Wallace said. “I’ve just got to switch my whole mentality. I used to hate purple; now, I love purple.”
Wallace caught 39 passes for a career-low 473 yards and two touchdowns in 2015, but he should provide strong-armed quarterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens the outside speed they’ve been lacking.
“This is a team where you have a quarterback who can really sling the ball,” Wallace said. “That’s what I need to get back to, being able to have opportunities.”
He added: “I want to get back to what I do and that’s stretching the field and making some plays. I just want to be with a good quarterback, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback right here.”
Wallace posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons for the Steelers in 2010 and 2011, but he has failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark in any year since.
“It’s going to cause people some problems,” coach John Harbaugh said. “You’ve got some considerations back there on defense if you’re going to put your defense over one guy or another guy and leave some pretty talented guys open on the other side. That’s going to create some problems for defenses.”
Drafted in the third round of the 2009 draft by Pittsburgh, Wallace has caught 414 passes for 6,307 yards and 49 touchdowns in seven years. Before joining the Vikings, he spent two seasons with Miami.
Bengals re-sign ‘Pacman’: The Bengals signed Adam “Pacman” Jones to a three-year deal, keeping their top cornerback in an offseason of transition.
Jones was Cincinnati’s top cornerback in a 12-4 season which ended with a playoff loss to Pittsburgh. Jones’ personal foul for bumping an official helped set up the Steelers’ winning field goal in the closing seconds.
The secondary is one of Cincinnati’s main concerns. The Bengals signed starting safety George Iloka to a five-year, $30 million deal last week, their first significant move in free agency. Cornerback Leon Hall and starting safety Reggie Nelson remain free agents. Cincinnati’s defense allowed the second-fewest points in the league.
Cardinals acquire Jones from Patriots: The New England Patriots traded defensive end/outside linebacker Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals for guard Jonathan Cooper and a second-round draft pick.
The acquisition of Jones would fill the Cardinals biggest need – someone to rush the passer off the edge.
The 26-year-old Jones ranked fifth in the NFL last season with 12 ½ sacks. Cooper was Arizona’s first-round pick, the seventh selection overall, in the 2013 draft.
He missed his rookie season with a broken leg and never reached the level of play the Cardinals envisioned for him.
Seahawks agree to deal with Webb: The Seattle Seahawks continued to address their offensive line by agreeing to a $6.25 million, two-year contract with J’Marcus Webb.
Webb started all 16 games last season for Oakland as a guard, but has played tackle in the past and could be an option for Seattle at that position depending on what happens with free agent Russell Okung.