The Ravens take their recruiting and signing of undrafted rookie free agents extremely seriously, with coach John Harbaugh personally attempting to convince players to sign.
It's an exercise coordinated by scouts, including Joe Douglas and Mark Azevedo, that has led to wide receiver Marlon Brown and kicker Justin Tucker signing with the Ravens after the draft during the past few years, along with previous free agents like Priest Holmes, Bart Scott, Mike Flynn and Will Demps.
Here's a look at the Ravens' undrafted free-agent class this year, which includes Middle Tennessee State cornerback Sammy Seamster, who chose the Ravens over multiple competing offers, and highly regarded North Carolina offensive tackle James Hurst:
Middle Tennessee State CB Sammy Seamster
Size: 6 feet, 200 pounds
Background: Seamster visited the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds and had a 35-inch vertical leap and a 10-4 broad jump. Seamster recorded 33 tackles, with an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a senior.
North Carolina OT James Hurst
Size: 6 feet 5, 300 pounds
Background: A former blue-chip recruit who chose the Tar Heels over Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and Notre Dame, Hurst was once projected as a potential third-round draft pick. However, he broke his left fibula in a bowl game and was unable to work out at the NFL scouting combine. He wasn't back to 100 percent by his campus Pro Day workout, consequently running the 40-yard dash in 5.59 seconds. Hurst's medical outlook is good, and he started a school-record 49 games at left tackle. He was known for his aggressiveness and ability to finish blocks and block downfield.
Temple DT Levi Brown
Size: 6-foot-2, 310 pounds
Background: Brown played in 43 games for the Owls, finishing his career with 72 tackles, including 41 solos, one sack and one forced fumble. He was a team captain last season who had 17 tackles, two for losses, Brown visited the New York Giants prior to the draft. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.22 seconds at his campus Pro Day workout and bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times. Brown had a 28.5-inch vertical leap and a 9-4 broad jump. As a junior, Brown had 28 tackles, 3.5 for losses, and a half-sack while starting eight of 11 games at nose guard.
Montana Tech LB Ryan Jones
Size: 6-foot-3, 249 pounds
Background: He had 83 tackles, 8.5 for losses, five sacks and one interception last season. He finished his career with 127 tackles and 10.5 sacks. Jones ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds and bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times at his Pro Day workout. He had a 10-0 broad jump and a 34-inch vertical leap.
Texas A&M CB Tramain Jacobs
Size: 5-foot-11, 182 pounds
Background: Jacobs played in 26 games in two season. He recorded 55 tackles, 39 solos, two interceptions and 13 pass deflections. He played two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where he recorded 34 tackles, two interceptions and 13 pass deflections.
North Carolina A&T CB Deji Olatoye
Size: 6-foot-1, 198 pounds
Background: In 21 career games, Olatoye recorded 78 tackles, 55 solos, five interceptions, 18 pass deflection and two fumble recoveries while playing both cornerback and free safety. He's a transfer from Colorado where he played in 10 games in 2010 on special teams. He played 48 snaps on defense for Colorado with seven tackles.
Albany State (Ga.) S Dexter Moody
Size: 6-foot-1, 217 pounds
Background: Moody agreed to a contract after initially accepting an invitation to try out for the Seattle Seahawks. Moody has run the 40-yard dash between 4.4 and 4.5 seconds at Pro Days this spring. He bench presses 225 pounds 19 times with a 34-inch vertical leap and a 9-10 broad jump. He had 45 tackles, 6.5 for losses, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a blocked punt. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the SIAC football championship game. The all-conference selection had seven interceptions as a junior. Moody also played centerfielder as a standout for the baseball team at Albany State after transferring from Georgia State. Was recruited by Georgia out of high school, but they revoked his scholarship due to a school suspension and academic issues. He enrolled at Ft. Scott Junior College in Kansas before attending Georgia State where he became a starter and was later dismissed from the program due to an arrest for underage drinking and fighting at an Atlanta bar, charges that were later dropped. He had no known off-field issues at Albany State. Moody was a SuperPrep All-American in high school.
Oregon CB Avery Patterson
Size: 5-foot-8, 191 pounds
Background: Patterson played in 50 games for the Ducks, piling up 198 career tackles, including 114 solos, 21 pass deflections, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and seven interceptions, returning three for touchdowns. He had six interceptions over the past two seasons. He moved to cornerback from free safety as a sophomore.
Western Kentucky LB Xavius Boyd
Size: 6 feet 1, 240 pounds
Background: Boyd was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year after recording 103 tackles, 15.5 for losses, 8.5 sacks and one forced fumble last season. He had two sacks and three tackles for losses against Kentucky, and a sack and 13 tackles (two for losses) against Tennessee. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.80 seconds at his Pro Day workout with a 32-inch vertical leap and bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times.
Utah State DT A.J. Pataiali'i
Size: 6 feet 2, 311 pounds
Background: A second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection, Pataiali'i ran the 40-yard dash in 5.09 seconds and bench pressed 225 pounds 29 times at his Pro Day. He had 42 tackles, 3.5 for losses and one sack last season, including a career-high seven tackles against Wyoming.
Ashland (Ohio) DT Jamie Meder
Size: 6 feet 2, 306 pounds
Background: The Division II All-American selection was a four-time all-conference selection, and he was twice named his conference Defensive Lineman of the Year. Meder had 88 tackles last season, 7.5 for losses, with three sacks and one forced fumble. Meder played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, drawing praise from former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian, and he tackled Arkansas fullback Kiero Small (Cardinal Gibbons) on a key fourth-down stop. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.22 seconds and bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times.
Iowa OT Brett Van Sloten
Size: 6 feet 5, 300 pounds
Background: Van Sloten was a second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection. He was a team captain and a four-time All-Big Ten Conference selection and an Academic All-American. He started every game at right tackle for an offensive line that allowed a Big Ten-low 15 sacks. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.23 second and bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times at his Pro Day workout.
Virginia Tech DT Derrick Hopkins
Size: 6 feet, 306 pounds
Background: A second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, Hopkins had 54 tackles, nine for losses and five sacks with one forced fumble and a fumble recovery last season. He started the past 40 games. He played 716 plays, 655 at defensive tackle, 54 on special teams and seven at fullback last season. He had 51 tackles as a junior, 10 for losses and 3.5 sacks. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.06 seconds and bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times at his Pro Day workout.
Tennessee-Martin WR Jeremy Butler
Size: 6 feet 2, 218 pounds
Background: Butler, who visited the Green Bay Packers before the draft, caught 141 career passes for 1,953 yards and 20 touchdowns. Butler ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds at his Pro Day with a 36-inch vertical leap and bench pressed 225 pounds 15 times.
North Texas LB Zach Orr
Size: 6 feet, 237 pounds
Background: An All-Conference USA selection and an All-Academic selection, Orr led North Texas with a career-high 123 tackles last season. He had 13.5 tackles for losses and four fumble recoveries. He finished his career with 365 tackles. Orr ran the 40-yard dash in 4.73 seconds at his Pro Day workout and bench pressed 225 pounds 14 times with a 33-inch vertical leap and a 9-8 broad jump.
Oklahoma State OT Parker Graham
Size: 6 feet 6, 308 pounds
Background: The All-Big 12 first-team selection played five games at left tackle and seven games at right guard last season. He was an honorable-mention selection as a junior. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.34 seconds at his Pro Day workout and bench pressed 225 pounds 29 times.
Houston P Richie Leone
Size: 6 feet 3, 211 pounds
Background: The All-Conference second-team selection and a Ray Guy award semifinalist averaged 43.1 yards per punt last season. He had 14 punts of more than 50 yards and four of more than 60 yards last season. He placed 52.4 percent of his punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and 22.2 percent inside the 10-yard line.
Northern Colorado WR Jace Davis
Size: 6 feet 1, 206 pounds
Background: He caught 44 passes for 673 yards and five touchdowns last season and 50 passes for 642 yards and three touchdowns as a junior. Davis finished his career with 162 receptions for 2,470 yards and 16 touchdowns. Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times and had a 35-inch vertical leap with a 9-10 broad jump.
NOTES: UNLV wide receiver Jerry Rice Jr. wrote on Twitter that he'll be attending the Ravens' rookie minicamp. Rice Jr. is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. Rice Jr. caught 11 passes for 86 yards in his lone season at UNLV, including his only college touchdown in his final game in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against North Texas.
Rice Jr. was a walk-on at UCLA who caught nine passes for the Bruins. At his Pro Day, Rice Jr. ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds, bench pressed 225 pounds nine times and had a 33-inch vertical leap with an 8-10 broad jump.
The Ravens didn't list the following players among their undrafted rookie free agent class:
Texas Tech LB Terrance Bullitt
Size: 6 feet 3, 230 pounds
Background: Bullitt started all but one game last season and recorded 37 tackles, three for losses with two sacks, nine pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. Bullitt ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at his Pro Day workout and had a 40-inch vertical leap and a 10-3 broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 14 times.
Update: Bullitt had a medical issue that prevented him from being signed after agreeing to terms on a deal that included a $5,500 signing bonus. "Although I passed my physical with the Baltimore Ravens I was told after further evaluations on my shoulder I was too high of a risk," Bullitt wrote on Twitter.
San Jose State C-G Ryan Jones
Size: 6 feet 3, 291 pounds
Background: Jones played left guard and was an honorable-mention All-Mountain West Conference selection. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds at his Pro Day workout and bench pressing 225 pounds 17 times.
Baltimore Ravens Insider
Update: Jones didn't pass his physical after flying into town Sunday, scuttling his deal. He had a foot surgery last year for a fracture.
Boston College FB-TE Jake Sinkovec
Size: 6 feet 4, 246 pounds
Background: Sinkovec started eight games at fullback and tight end last season and won the Independence Bowl Scholar-Athlete award and the Gridiron Club award. He caught 14 passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns last season. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds and bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times.
Invited to the rookie minicamp on a tryout basis: Georgetown strong safety Dustin Wharton (5-foot-11, 208 pounds, 4.64 speed, 34 reps of 225 pounds); Tennessee-Martin defensive end-outside linebacker D.J. Roberts (6-foot-1, 252 pounds), Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, Rutgers offensive guard Antwan Lowery and Marshall defensive end-outside linebacker Jeremiah Taylor (6-foot-4, 253 pounds).
awilson@baltsun.com
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