Ravens re-sign center Zuttah after release from 49ers
Center was traded to the 49ers in March and then released last week
The Baltimore Ravens have signed center Jeremy Zuttah, who returns to the team that traded him to the 49ers in March.
Zuttah started every game last year and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate. He was dealt to the 49ers so Baltimore could save salary-cap space and move up 12 spots in the sixth round of the NFL draft.
Zuttah was released by San Francisco last week, and the Ravens signed him Friday to join a depleted offensive line in dire need of a veteran presence in the middle.
The Ravens were counting on John Urschel to play center this season, but he abruptly retired in late July. Ryan Jensen has been playing center, but he could move to guard to replace Alex Lewis, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
The 31-year-old Zuttah started 41 games in Baltimore over the past three years. PATS’ TOP PICK TEARS ACL >> The New England Patriots fear they have lost Derek Rivers for the season after the rookie defensive end suffered a torn ACL and sprained LCL, sources told ESPN on Friday. Rivers, who was New England’s top pick in the 2017 NFL draft as a third-round choice out of Youngstown State, returned to Boston on Thursday and had an MRI. He will get a second opinion to determine whether surgery is necessary. Rivers went down on a kickoff coverage drill Wednesday in a joint practice with the Houston Texans at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Head athletic trainer Jim Whalen examined Rivers’ left knee on the field. BELL NIXED DEAL BEFORE DEADLINE >> The Pittsburgh Steelers believed they were close to securing a longterm contract with Le’Veon Bell as July’s franchise-tag deadline ran down, but the star running back declined the team’s offer, sources told ESPN. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Friday that Bell nixed an offer “at the last minute,” even though team officials thought they had come to terms with his agent on a
contract paying more than $12 million annually over five years. BENNETT SITS DURING ANTHEM >> Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett sat during the national anthem for the second straight game of the preseason. Bennett was alone sitting on the Seahawks bench during the “StarSpangled Banner” before Friday night’s preseason game against Minnesota. But teammates showed support for Bennett with center Justin Britt standing alongside with his hand on Bennett’s shoulder. Defensive back Jeremy Lane also stood next to Bennett. GUN CHARGE DROPPED >> A gun charge against an NFL linebacker has been dropped because the man who said he gave him a weapon admitted he lied, the player’s attorney said. The charge against free agent Khaseem Greene was dismissed by a judge on July 17 after a request from prosecutors, NJ.com reported (http://bit. ly/2wVi04v) this week. His attorney, Joshua McMahon, provided an audio recording to NJ.com of the other man telling detectives he lied about Greene’s involvement in a shooting outside a nightclub in Elizabeth last December. SHEPPARD SIGNS WITH BEARS >> The Chicago Bears have signed veteran freeagent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard. The team announced the signing and also waived rookie linebacker Hendrick Ekpe.
Sheppard is entering his seventh season in the NFL. He had 50 tackles and made 11 starts for the New York Giants in 2016, a year after he had 105 tackles as a starter for Miami.