Ryan Grant emerged from Tuesday's legal tampering period of free agency as a huge winner when he agreed to sign a $29 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens after totaling fewer than 1,000 yards in his four-year career in Washington. But Grant likely won't emerge from free agency as a winner after what happened on Thursday, when Grant became a free agent again.
On Thursday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Grant failed his physical (ankle) with the Ravens, which nullified his lucrative contract with the Ravens. Grant is a free agent, and the Ravens still need help at receiver.
There is a holdup in the expected $29M deal between the #Ravens and WR Ryan Grant, source said. They found something in the physical that concerned them given the level of guarantees they committed to him. That is why he has not signed his deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
The #Ravens are set to give former #Redskins WR Ryan Grant $14.5M guaranteed for injury. With an issue with the physical, Baltimore has hit pause on the deal. It is not clear if Grant will even sign it now… or go elsewhere.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
WR Ryan Grant, who reached agreement with Baltimore on a $29 million deal, failed his physical and his Ravens deal is null and void, per sources. Grant will have to find another deal with another team willing to pass him on his physical.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2018
That's horrific news for Grant, who will have trouble finding a team willing to give him the kind of contract the Ravens offered him. In Grant's four-year career with the Redskins, he averaged roughly 21 receptions, 246 yards, and 1.5 touchdowns per season, which comes out to career totals of 84 receptions, 985 yards, and six touchdowns. It's difficult to envision a scenario that sees another team giving Grant that expensive of deal, especially after news of the ankle injury emerged on Thursday.
When the Ravens, who are embarrassingly short on playmakers, guaranteed him $14.5 million, it seemed like a massive overpay. Now they won't be forced to commit that kind of money to an unproven player and can instead focus on their pursuit of Michael Crabtree, who got cut by the Raiders earlier on Thursday after they signed Jordy Nelson. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported that the Ravens are "going hard" after Crabtree after missing out on Nelson while Schefter reported that Crabtree will visit Baltimore on Friday.
In his three-year run with the Raiders, Crabtree averaged roughly 77 catches, 848 yards, and 8.3 touchdowns per season. If he signs with the Ravens, he'll immediately become their best receiver a year after Mike Wallace led the Ravens' anemic offense with 748 receiving yards.
