The experimental AAF (Alliance of American Football) league is shutting down. While that’s a sad thing for the players, coaches and support staff involved with the league, there is a silver lining. Having showcased their skills on an actual football field, several players shined and could be in line for an NFL contract now that their AAF deals are null and void.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh had said the team was scouting AAF players previously. The Ravens would be foolish if they didn’t at least try to sign these three players to contracts right now.
WR, Charles Johnson:
It’s hard to hate the guy leading the entire AAF in receiving yards, regardless of whatever else is going on. Johnson’s 45 receptions for 687 yards and five touchdowns would be nice on Baltimore’s rather depleted wide receiver depth chart as it stands right now.
But Johnson has real talent behind that production that’s worth revisiting. His 4.39-second 40-yard dash (would have ranked 6th at the 2019 scouting combine), 7.03-second 3-cone drill (14th), 39.5-inch vertical jump (6th) and 133-inch broad jump (6th) show he’s physically capable. He listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds at his Pro Day, certainly making him big enough to play.
With only five wide receivers on the Ravens’ roster, it’s hard to hate on physical measurements like that. But with the production tied to it, Baltimore should already have a phone call out to Johnson offering him a deal and a real shot at seeing targets in 2019.
WR, Rashad Ross:
Surprise . . . another wide receiver on this list. Ross came in second on receiving yards behind Johnson but actually topped him in a number of ways. Ross caught 36 passes for 583 yards and seven touchdowns — offering nearly a full yard difference in their yards-per-reception averages.
A speedy wide receiver with a 4.36 40-yard dash, Ross can be the deep threat the Ravens lost when John Brown signed with the Buffalo Bills this offseason. Not to mention Ross has special teams experience as a return specialist, which is something Baltimore could use more of after fielding four different punt returners and five different kickoff returners last season.
OLB, Jayrone Elliott
Elliott had previously played in the NFL for three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, combining for four sacks over that span. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, his three sacks in 2015 are more than Tyus Bowser and nearly as many as Tim Williams have in two years with the Ravens.
It might be the reduced quality of blockers in the AAF but Elliott was unstoppable with the San Antonio Commanders. His 7.5 sacks led the AAF and would be a welcome addition on a Baltimore roster that has only three outside linebackers in total and huge question marks even with top rusher Matthew Judon’s consistency.
At only 27 years old, Elliott is at the peak of his career and has plenty left in the tank. He’ll likely draw plenty of attention from other teams but given Baltimore’s defensive dominance, it could be a dream landing spot with a real shot at seeing the field in 2019 for Elliott.
