The Ravens have signed veteran tight end Jerell Adams to add to the competition for the third tight end spot.
Adams, 27, will vie with undrafted rookie Eli Wolf for the position left open after the trade of Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason.
Adams and Hurst were teammates in 2015 at South Carolina. Hurst replaced Adams as the Gamecocks' starter the following year when Adams was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round.
Adams caught 24 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown in his two seasons (29 games) in New York. He has spent the past two seasons on the Houston Texans' and New Orleans Saints' practice squads.
Standing in at 6-foot-5, 254 pounds, Adams also has impressive speed. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash of all the tight ends at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine. He could be a threat to stretch the seam of opposing defenses.
The Ravens' tight end corps will be led by Pro Bowler Mark Andrews and valuable blocking and receiving veteran Nick Boyle. But Hurst also saw a lot of action last year in a Ravens offense that loves tight ends, so the third spot is an important one.
Along with Wolf, the Ravens also have undrafted rookie Jacob Breeland, who has begun training camp on the non-football injury list after coming off a season-ending knee injury. A final determination has not been made on whether he will play this season.
