Following the acquisition of UDFA quarterback Diego Pavia, Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter spoke on the reasoning behind the signing.
The Baltimore Ravens may have shocked many on Tuesday, as the team signed two undrafted free agent quarterbacks. Heisman runner-up and Vanderbilt signal caller Diego Pavia was signed to a three-year deal, as was UConn passer Joe Fagnano.
Both may or may not end up on the roster, but they will get a chance to play alongside Lamar Jackson and potentially carve out a third-string role on the team. Following the signing of Pavia, head coach Jesse Minter offered some clarity on the situation.
Signing a quarterback as an undrafted free agent is not rare at all, but to sign two to three-year deals may be a bit confusing. That is especially true for Pavia, who has been surrounded by drama.
The Vanderbilt prospect has made headlines for multiple "character concerns" including allegedly urinating on a competitor's field, being viewed as arrogant, and generally coming off as a player that may be tough to work with.
Regardless, Pavia was second in Heisman Trophy votes, as he put together an impressive 2025 season of 3,539 yards, 29 touchdown, and eight interceptions.
Pavia led the SEC with a 70.6 completion percentage, touchdowns, a 9.4 yards per attempt average, and a 170.4 passer rating.
Initially, Pavia was invited to the Ravens rookie mini camp, but a short time thereafer, he was signed to a three-year deal. Now, Minter has offered clarity on the signing, and also publicly indicated that he would speak with the rookie about some of the drama surrounding him and "how to handle" things better.
"This guy is a force multiplier at Vanderbilt ... this guy made everyone in the building better. He's one of the first people in, one of the last to leave, he's a really hard worker. We'll certainly have some talks about maybe how to handle things certain things a little better. But any rookie undrafted free agent, come in and work, let what you do on the field and by your actions show who you really are. We'll let him come in what a bit of a clean slate," Minter said.
Minter's words did indicate a few things. The first is that he understands the work ethic and type of player that Pavia is.
Secondly, he seems to allude to the off-the-field drama that has surrounded the signal caller and he would have conversations about the standard that he should be held to while in the NFL.
Third, he also points to giving the young prospect the chance to have a "clean slate" and to come in and show who he is through his play. Even if Pavia does not land on the Ravens roster, they are a no-nonsense organization that can certainly help guide him to the next step.
Baltimore needs a third-string emergency quarterback, as Jackson and Tyler Huntley are the only two on the roster. Pavia and Fagnano will now presumably battle it out.
There is a chance that neither make the 53-man roster, or at least one of them does. For now, both will enter rookie mini camp on equal footing and a chance to impress Minter and the rest of the Ravens coaching staff.