Ravens Activate RB Gus Edwards, Place J.K. Dobbins On IR
Immediately following the news that their lead running back will be sidelined due to knee surgery, the Ravens are set to get another key member of their backfield in action. The team announced on Saturday that Gus Edwards has been activated from the PUP list. 
The former UDFA has put up nearly identical numbers across each of his first three seasons in the league. His yardage totals have ranged between 711 and 723, while averaging no fewer than 5.0 yards per carry during each campaign. That consistency led to expectations that he could emerge as one of the league’s premier backups last year, but a preseason ACL tear cost him the entire 2021 campaign.
The injury sidelined Edwards for the first of his three-year deal signed earlier that summer. Given the degree to which the Ravens were impacted by his absence, along with that of starter J.K. Dobbins, it came as no surprise that the team has proceeded with caution in bringing both of them back.
With the latter having just suffered a new knee injury, though, the wait for both he and Edwards to be on the field together will continue. Dobbins has been placed on IR, meaning that he will miss at least the next month. He flashed plenty of potential as a rookie, but had yet to take on a workhorse role in his four games upon return this season.
While Dobbins being sidelined will open the door to a number of carries for Edwards, it remains to be seen how many touches he will receive in his first game since the 2020 postseason. Veterans Kenyan Drake – who assumed RB1 duties last week after Dobbins’ injury occurred – and Mike Davis will be options in the backfield. Justice Hill is also expected to play on Sunday, after he missed the last two games.
Following even more turnover in their RBs room, the Ravens will look to maintain their lead in the AFC North in a divisional game against the Browns.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/22
Here are the league’s minor moves going into Week 7:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Cornell Armstrong
- Placed on IR: WR Jared Bernhardt
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: CB Daryl Worley
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Devon Kennard
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: C Pat Elflein
Cincinnati Bengals
- Activated from PUP: LB Joe Bachie
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Tyler Shelvin
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: DT Carlos Watkins
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Malik Davis, TE Sean McKeon
- Placed on IR: OL Matt Waletzko
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: WR Maurice Alexander
- Promoted from practice squad: K Michael Badgley, WR Brandon Zylstra
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Ethan Fernea, WR Dezmon Patmon
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from reserve/suspended by commissioner: LB Willie Gay
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Dicaprio Bootle, WR Marcus Kemp
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Javelin Guidry
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: WR Michael Bandy
- Promoted from practice squad: K Taylor Bertolet
- Placed on IR: RB Joshua Kelley
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: OL Brandon Shell
- Promoted from practice squad: S Verone McKinley III, DL Ben Stille
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: OLB Quincy Roche
- Promoted from practice squad: S Landon Collins, DE Ryder Anderson
- Placed on IR: OLB Azeez Ojulari
New York Jets
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Kenny Yeboah
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Bruce Irvin, CB Xavier Crawford
- Placed on IR: CB Isaiah Dunn
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: T Josh Wells
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Anthony Chesley, S Nolan Turner
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Joe Schobert, WR Mason Kinsey
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: FB Alex Armah, WR Kyric McGowan
J.K. Dobbins To Undergo Knee Surgery
The Ravens played J.K. Dobbins‘ return from his severe knee injuries cautiously, keeping their running back off the field for this season’s first two games. Baltimore has also kept Dobbins’ carry count under 10 in three of the four contests he has played.
Dobbins will not be in uniform in Week 7, however. The Ravens ruled out their top running back for their Browns matchup. Dobbins did not practice all week, with his knee being the restriction here. It turns out Dobbins will be sidelined for another extended stretch. He will undergo arthroscopic surgery on the knee, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. John Harbaugh said Dobbins’ knee tightened up last week.
This obviously should present cause for concern, considering Dobbins was sidelined for over a year. The former second-round pick sustained major damage in the Ravens’ preseason finale last year, suffering a torn ACL, LCL, meniscus and hamstring during that seminal game. While he made a successful return in Week 3, the Ohio State product has yet to clear 50 rushing yards in a game since coming back.
Dobbins also did not factor into the Ravens’ Giants matchup down the stretch. The Ravens turned to Kenyan Drake to lead their backfield in New Jersey. Drake cleared 100 rushing yards. The Ravens were also without Justice Hill in that contest. Hill has been battling a hamstring injury, but he is no longer on the team’s injury report. Hill practiced fully this week.
Gus Edwards remains on Baltimore’s PUP list, and although the team designated him for return, the team’s other back rehabbing an ACL tear is not guaranteed to suit up against Cleveland. The Ravens have until Oct. 26 to activate Edwards, or he will miss a second straight full season.
As a rookie in 2020, Dobbins averaged six yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns. The Ravens cut Mark Ingram after the 2020 season, clearing a path for a Dobbins-Edwards backfield. Each back’s severe injury changed those plans, ushering in a procession of veterans to Baltimore last season. The Ravens used the likes of Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell in 2021; none of those vets are with the team any longer.
The team signed Mike Davis and reached an agreement with Drake after his late-summer Raiders release. These appeared to be insurance additions, with Dobbins and Edwards on the way back. But the signings have been rather prominent — particularly in Drake’s case — during this season’s first half.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Jones, Ravens
A bit of a controversy developed in Pittsburgh this week. Mitch Trubisky and Diontae Johnson engaged in a shouting match during halftime of the Steelers-Jets contest, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, adding that this provided the impetus for Trubisky’s benching. Mike Tomlin did not confirm or deny a shouting match between the quarterback and the team’s highest-paid wideout ensued, though Johnson essentially confirmed a football-related argument took place. But The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly adds the dispute was not the deciding factor in the 16th-year coach moving to Kenny Pickett for the second half of that game. Johnson wanted more targets from Trubisky in that Week 4 game, Dulac adds, leading to the team’s original starter standing up to the fourth-year receiver.
Tomlin benched Trubisky primarily due to his underwhelming performance during the season’s first month, with Kaboly adding he had already decided to go with Pickett. Trubisky sat throughout Week 5 but played well when reinserted into Pittsburgh’s lineup following Pickett’s Week 6 concussion. Despite a bounce-back relief effort against the Buccaneers, Trubisky is set to return to the bench. Pickett cleared concussion protocol Friday and is in line to start against the Dolphins, Tomlin said. Levi Wallace and Pat Freiermuth also cleared the protocol, arming the Steelers with key starters.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- It looks likely Deion Jones will make his Browns debut Sunday. The team held off from activating the recently acquired linebacker from IR last week, giving the longtime Falcons starter more time after designating him for return. Jones is progressing fast in Joe Woods‘ defense, per linebackers coach Jason Tarver (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, on Twitter). Tarver said Jones could be in position to wear the green dot, signifying headset communication, in the near future. The Browns, who lost Anthony Walker to a season-ending injury in Week 3, acquired the six-year Atlanta cog for merely a 2024 pick swap.
- Cleveland will be without multiple Pro Bowlers against Baltimore, however. The Browns ruled out Wyatt Teller and Denzel Ward for their divisional matchup. Teller is battling a calf strain, while Ward will miss a second consecutive game due to a concussion he suffered in Week 5.
- Ben Powers has operated as the Ravens‘ left guard this season, winning a training camp competition. While 2021 third-round pick Ben Cleveland was nominally in that battle, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes the younger Ben in this matchup did not mount a serious push at winning the job opposite Kevin Zeitler. The Ravens have been frustrated with Cleveland’s inability to practice consistently due to injuries, Zrebiec adds. Cleveland missed the first week of training camp due to a failed conditioning test and has missed the past two games due to a foot injury. The Ravens did see Cleveland return to practice Thursday. Cleveland, who started four games last season, has not played an offensive snap this year. Baltimore was holding a three-player competition for the job Powers won. The third entrant, Tyre Phillips, is now with the Giants.
NFL Workouts: Ross, Austin, Butler
Despite adding star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins back to the active roster and acquiring former Panthers wide out Robbie Anderson for a pair of draft picks, the Cardinals worked out another receiver yesterday in John Ross, according to Field Yates of ESPN. While many viewed Anderson as a replacement for the lost production of draft day acquisition Marquise Brown, who faces a potential multi-week absence, the speedy Ross would be a better match, in terms of skill set, to team up with diminutive wide outs Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch to replace Brown’s ability.
A former top ten draft pick for the Bengals in 2017, Ross is widely considered not to have lived up to his draft stock. After missing the majority of his rookie season with knee and shoulder issues, Ross was still able to salvage some bright spots in his second and third seasons, reaching career highs for touchdowns with seven in 2018 and receiving yards with 506 in 2019. Despite showing some promise, injuries continued to drag the young wide out down. Over the final two years of his contract, Ross missed 21 games, leading him towards free agency. He signed with the Giants last year and appeared in 10 games, catching 11 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown.
Here are a couple of other workouts reported around the league, starting with Brown’s former home in Baltimore:
- After losing second-year wide receiver Rashod Bateman to injury for the past two weeks, the Ravens were looking to add some receiving depth recently, as well. This desire resulted in the practice squad addition of veteran DeSean Jackson, but, according to Yates, Baltimore auditioned another veteran wide out in Tavon Austin. The former long-time Ram has spent the last four seasons since leaving Los Angeles with three other teams. Austin has seen quite a down-sized role since his heyday as a starter with the Rams, but showed a big-play ability in Dallas, averaging 15.1 yards per reception as a Cowboy three seasons ago. With Jackson now on the practice squad, Austin will likely have to keep searching for his fifth NFL squad.
- The Seahawks worked out a former first round pick in defensive tackle Vernon Butler yesterday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Butler waited until the final year of his rookie contract with the Panthers to play up to his draft stock, racking up 6.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, 32 tackles, and three forced fumbles, which all still stand as career highs by quite a bit. Butler signed a two-year contract with the Bills after leaving Carolina but failed to match the production from his best year with the Panthers. He’s available after failing to make the Raiders’ final 53-man roster and looks to add some depth to a minorly banged up Seahawks defensive line.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/22
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Designated to return: LB Joe Bachie
Las Vegas Raiders
- Designated to return: CB Anthony Averett, WR DJ Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed off Chiefs practice squad: OLB Benton Whitley
New England Patriots
- Signed off Ravens practice squad: WR Raleigh Webb
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Designated to return: OT Josh Wells
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: TE MyCole Pruitt
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return from IR: TE Charlie Kolar
Carolina Panthers
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: LB Chandler Wooten
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: WR Isaiah Coulter
- Waived: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB Dakota Allen
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: WR Blake Proehl
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: S Cody Davis
New Orleans Saints
- Designated for return from IR: CB Alontae Taylor
Washington Commanders
- Released from IR: OL Willie Beavers
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/18/22
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Blake Lynch
- Released: WR Stanley Berryhill
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DT Kobe Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Brandon Copeland, LB Julian Stanford
- Released: LB Jeremiah Attaochu, WR Slade Bolden
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Spencer Brown, DE Delontae Scott, DT Raequan Williams
- Released: TE Josh Babicz, DE Austin Larkin, TE John Lovett
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Brandon Johnson
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: S Innis Gaines
- Released: CB Benjie Franklin, LB Ray Wilborn
Houston Texans
- Signed: S C.J. Moore
- Released: CB BoPete Keyes
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR DeMichael Harris
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Deionte Thompson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Kyle Nelson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB La’Mical Perine
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Myles Dorn
- Released: S Mike Brown
New England Patriots
- Released: K Tristan Vizcaino
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Jake Luton, DE Jabari Zuniga
- Released: DT Christian Ringo
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Conor McDermott
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jason Huntley, WR Josh Malone
- Released: S Scott Nelson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Kurt Benkert, CB Ka’dar Hollman
- Released: LB Buddy Johnson, K Sam Sloman
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Kevin Kassis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: OL Justin Skule
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Kyron Brown, DB Steven Parker
- Released: DB Nate Brooks
Washington Commanders
- Released: DT Donovan Jeter
Ravens To Sign WR DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson‘s Ravens visit has produced an agreement. The 14-year veteran wide receiver is signing with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). It is a practice squad agreement, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com notes.
Although Jackson said this offseason he was pondering retirement, he re-emerged recently indicating he was still on the market. The Ravens will be the deep threat’s sixth NFL team. At 35, Jackson will also become the NFL’s oldest active wideout.
The Ravens have No. 1 wideout Rashod Bateman recovering from a foot sprain, and while Devin Duvernay has shown strides as an auxiliary target this season, no other Baltimore receiver has totaled more than 80 yards through six games. Jackson will be expected to fill some of the void created by the trade of Marquise Brown.
Despite his age and recent injury trouble, Jackson has remained a target for teams. The Rams cut him last season, but teams pursued the veteran; that process led Jackson to Las Vegas. The former Pro Bowler made an impact for the playoff-bound Raiders, doing so after helping the Rams early in the season.
Albeit on only 20 receptions, Jackson averaged a career-high 22.7 yards per catch last season. He posted 100-yard games for both of his 2021 teams — a Week 3 explosion against the Bucs as a Ram and a Thanksgiving assist to the Raiders, helping Las Vegas to a last-second win over Dallas — and showed more durability than he had during his second Philadelphia stint by playing in 16 games and the Raiders’ wild-card tilt.
Jackson missed 24 games during his second Eagles stay, but the Rams still took a flier on him. The Ravens will follow suit and will have one of the most impactful deep targets in NFL history prepared to help their cause. Jackson’s three Pro Bowls all came during his first stint with the Eagles, which ended after the 2013 season, but he has five 1,000-yard seasons and four years as the NFL’s top yards-per-catch player. For his career, Jackson has 11,110 receiving yards — 36th all time.
This move follows the Ravens’ in-season pickup of Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP, who was signed to the Ravens’ active roster without a practice squad bridge period, cleared the 50-snap barrier in his first game as a Raven. D-Jax’s recent injury and usage history suggests OC Greg Roman will not deploy him as a full-timer alongside Bateman, but his addition figures to open up the field for he and Mark Andrews going forward.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/22
Here are Monday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Devon Kennard
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: Vyncint Smith, TE Jalen Wydermyer
- Released: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
Miami Dolphins
- Released: RB ZaQuandre White
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR C.J. Board
- Released: WR Josh Gordon
Judging by Gordon’s minimal playing time at his fifth NFL stop, it certainly looks like he is nearing the end. Gordon signed with the Titans shortly after he did not make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster, and while Tennessee used the former All-Pro in two games, Gordon logged six snaps and did not catch a pass. Gordon, 31, has five receptions over the past two seasons. Board spent the past two seasons with the Giants; he caught 15 passes for 152 yards with the team in that span.
The Cardinals released Kennard multiple times this year, the first such transaction coming just before cutdown day. While the team circled back to the Phoenix native previously, the veteran pass rusher is now Baltimore-bound. Kennard, 31, signed a three-year, $20MM Cardinals deal in 2020 but did not deliver much production and accepted a pay cut this offseason. Kennard did not record a sack in 15 games last season, but the 11-year veteran did post back-to-back seven-sack slates during the 2018 and ’19 campaigns with Detroit. He will join a Ravens team that has added both Jason Pierre-Paul and Jeremiah Attaochu during the season.