NFL Notes: Packers, Raiders, Rams, Ravens

Packers

• Aaron Wilson reports that the Packers are visiting with rookie TE Emanuel Byrd.

Raiders

• According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, Raiders veteran CB Sean Smith was relegated to the second team with T.J. Carrie replacing him in the starting lineup.
• Smith hasn’t come close to living up to his four-year, $38 million contract and hasn’t looked all that sharp during the first week of training camp.
• According to OverTheCap.com, releasing Smith would free up $5.25 million of available cap space while creating $4.25 million in dead money so there’s a chance they could keep him around this year and wait until 2018 to part ways with him.

Rams

According to Rams HC Sean McVay, nothing has changed in regards to DT Aaron Donald and his holdout.

“Not to this point,” McVay said on Friday, via Pro Football Talk. “Kind of still same as. Hopeful and waiting for some day when we get that good news, but in the meantime we move on and like we’ve said before – confident that he’s working hard while he’s not here and trust that when we do get that worked out hopefully he’ll be ready to go and there won’t be any setbacks. It’ll be good to get him if we’re able to come to that decision and get that thing done.”

Ravens

• Jason La Canfora reports that the Ravens remain hopeful QB Joe Flacco will begin stepping up his workload early next week and progressing toward a full return to practice.
• According to La Canfora, a second opinion of Flacco’s back confirmed the initial diagnosis of a minor injury. The plan will be for him to gradually ramp up his workload moving forward.