OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Could a cellphone be hiding under the Baltimore Ravens' goalposts at offseason practices?
That's certainly a possibility after the Ravens signed wide receiver Joe Horn Jr. to their 90-man roster on Tuesday after an impressive tryout at rookie minicamp earlier this month.
Horn is the son of the former Pro Bowl wide receiver from the New Orleans Saints who famously celebrated a touchdown in 2003 by pretending to make a call, using a cellphone that had been hidden underneath a goalpost.
Joe Horn Sr., who ranks third in receiving yards in Saints history (7,622), broke the news of his son signing with Baltimore.
Proud of my son for officially signing a professional contract. I don't give a damn if it was a 1 day 2 months whatever .He's officially a Raven in my heart. Congrats son😭😭✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/OQvq1OjDYE
— Joe Horn (@JoeHorn_87) May 14, 2019
This is a surprising move considering Horn Jr. had an underwhelming season for Division II Missouri Western last season. He caught 15 passes for 246 yards and no touchdowns in 11 games.
But the 5-foot-10, 180-pound undrafted rookie showed a burst getting off the line and drew praise from Ravens coach John Harbaugh earlier this month.
"Joe Horn Jr. looked really good," Harbaugh said during rookie minicamp. "I guess the thing that struck me about him was he looked like Joe Horn. His son looks like him -- quick, fast, really good hands, in and out of breaks.
"You can tell he's worked with his dad a lot on technique. I just thought he looked excellent."
During one practice, Horn Jr. was praised by wide receivers coach David Culley for how he ran a comeback route to the sideline.
"Joe, your dad would be proud of you on that play," Culley said.
Horn Jr. is the latest addition to what is an extremely young wide receiver group in Baltimore. He is one of nine receivers on the roster who have yet to catch an NFL pass and is among six rookie wideouts who will catch throws from Lamar Jackson.
This isn't the first time the Ravens had the son of a former great wide receiver at rookie minicamp. Five years ago, Jerry Rice Jr. had a tryout with Baltimore but was ultimately not signed.
To make room for Horn Jr., the Ravens released outside linebacker Ejuan Price.