Ravens Restructure CB Marlon Humphrey’s Contract
The Ravens entered today with the least cap space in the league, so a move to generate some financial wiggle room was likely necessary at some point. To that end, the team has re-worked cornerback Marlon Humphrey‘s deal, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). 
The Ravens are converting $8.965MM – almost the entirety of Humphrey’s scheduled $10MM base salary – into a signing bonus. As a result of the move, Baltimore will add just over $7MM in cap space. Those funds will give the team some much-needed flexibility to make additions during or after training camp.
Humphrey is no stranger to restructures; the two-time Pro Bowler re-worked his deal last September. He represents a logical candidate for the process, as he is under contract through 2026 owing to the five-year, $98.75MM extension he signed in 2020. Even after some record-breaking deals signed this offseason, that pact still ranks among the most lucrative at the position.
The 26-year-old was limited to 12 games last season due to a torn pectoral muscle. The injury was one of many the Ravens had to deal with in the secondary, so a return to full health will be a welcomed sight in camp. He totalled 13 pass breakups and one interception last season, registering his worst performance to date in most coverage statistics. A bounceback is expected in 2022, when fellow All-Pro Marcus Peters is scheduled to return after being sidelined for all of 2021.
After the restructure, the Ravens still rank towards the bottom of the league in remaining cap space. Nevertheless, they now have the potential to make a modest addition or two in the near future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/22
Here are today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on NFI list: WR Devon Williams
Houston Texans
- Placed on NFI list: WR John Metchie III (story)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB Kyle Sloter.
- Waived (with non-football injury designation): QB E.J. Perry
Sloter just took a visit with the Jaguars on Saturday, and he did enough to land a contract. He has been a member of a number of NFL practice squads since signing with the Broncos as a UDFA in 2017, but he has yet to appear in a regular season NFL game. In nine starts for the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers in 2022, he was not especially impressive, completing 57.7% of his passes for 1,798 yards while throwing only nine touchdowns against 11 interceptions. With three other QBs on the Jacksonville roster, Sloter appears to be simply replacing Perry as a camp body at this point.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/22
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: CB Iman Marshall
- Reinstated from reserve/Did Not Report list: WR Devon Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): DT Byron Cowart
- Waived: DE Scott Patchan
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: QB Luis Perez
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Don Gardner and OL Sadarius Hutcherson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Joshua Kalu
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Monty Rice, TE Tommy Hudson and K Caleb Shudak
- Waived: S Rodney Clemons
NFL Workout Updates: 7/23/22
This week saw two free agents in very different situations get workouts:
- Former Panthers cornerback Troy Pride worked out for the Ravens on Thursday, according to Adam Caplan of Fox Sports. A fourth-round pick in 2020, Pride started eight games as a rookie before being placed on injured reserve to end the season. A torn ACL in the preseason last year forced him to miss the entire 2021 season. The Panthers waived Pride in May after he failed his physical. He’s looking to join a Ravens defense that currently rosters Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Kyle Fuller, Jalyn Armour-Davis, and others. Baltimore is likely more than willing to add depth at the position after seeing Humphrey and Peters both suffer season-ending injuries last year. The team also cut 2019 fourth-round pick Iman Marshall today, so Pride could be a potential depth addition behind the other two offseason additions of the veteran Fuller and the rookie Armour-Davis.
- Another USFL story is in the works as former New Orleans Breakers quarterback Kyle Sloter was hosted by the Jaguars on a free agent visit this week, as reported by ESPN’s Field Yates. Sloter has spent time on many NFL practice squads and rosters over the years. Since going undrafted in 2017, Sloter has signed to join the Broncos, Vikings, Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, and Vikings again before his stint in the USFL. Sloter wasn’t one of the names expected to jump leagues. In his 9 weeks of play, Sloter completed 57.7% of his passes for 1,798 yards while throwing only 9 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Perhaps the playing experience will help solidify Sloter into a backup role with a squad or maybe he’ll be slotted as a camp arm. Regardless, with this visit, he’s aiming to compete with C.J. Beathard, Jake Luton, and EJ Perry for the right to backup Trevor Lawrence in Duval.
Ravens Place Six Players On PUP List
The Ravens’ 2021 season was derailed by injuries, and the team is still feeling the effects of it as training camp opens up. The team announced on Friday that six players have been placed on the active/PUP list. 
On offense, left tackle Ronnie Stanley is among the players listed. The former All-Pro has played in just one game since October of 2020 due to multiple ankle surgeries. The team has remained optimistic that, unlike last season, a more cautious offseason approach can keep him on the field permanently once the regular season begins. Baltimore has several options to replace him if he remains sidelined, including veteran Ja’Wuan James – himself no stranger to injury problems.
Not surprisingly, running back J.K. Dobbins is also on the list. It was reported earlier this week that the 23-year-old might not be fully recovered from his ACL tear in time for the regular season opener. The progress of his rehab will be worth watching closely during camp, as is the case for fellow back Gus Edwards. He, like Dobbins, missed the 2021 season in its entirety, putting his September availability in question. Free agent signing Mike Davis and sixth-round rookie Tyler Badie could be in line for significant reps in camp.
Two key defenders are on the list as well. Cornerback Marcus Peters was named as a PUP candidate earlier this month, as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in the preseason. His return would be welcomed by the Ravens, who struggled mightily against the pass in 2021 and have a new-look CB room. The other member of the secondary on the list is safety Ar’Darius Washington, a former UDFA in contention for a backup role.
Finally, outside linebacker Tyus Bowser represents another unsurprising name on the list. The Ravens jack-of-all-trades edge rusher suffered a torn Achilles in the regular season finale, leaving his Week 1 availability in doubt throughout the offseason. With second-rounder David Ojabo dealing with the same ailment, Bowsers’ September health will be a key talking point in the build-up to the season.
Any of the above players can be activated at any time, though the chances of that happening in the near future is likely lower than that of many other PUP players previously announced, given the severity of many of these injuries.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: OT David Sharpe
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Sal Cannella
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: Matthias Farley
- Placed on NFI list: DT Vernon Butler
- Placed on PUP: WR Dillon Stoner
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DE Carlo Kemp
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Craig James
- Placed on NFI list: OT Greg Senat
Lamar Jackson Reports To Training Camp
While the news of one of the top extension-eligible QBs signing a new deal broke earlier today, there was an important update regarding one of the other signal-callers in that same category. Lamar Jackson reported early to Baltimore’s training camp, as the team confirmed on Twitter. 
The distinct absence of an extension has been a major talking point since the 2020 campaign ended, and increasingly so this offseason. The team has consistently shown a willingness to try and negotiate directly with the agent-less 25-year-old; Jackson’s hesitancy to reciprocate has led to plenty of speculation about his long-term future with the Ravens.
Other factors loom large as well, of course. The gap between Jackson’s statistical performance in his MVP-winning 2019 season and the subsequent pair of campaigns, coupled with his 2021 season-ending ankle injury have caused doubts to be raised about his value on a multi-year deal. With little progress being made throughout much of the time in which Jackson has been eligible for an extension, it has looked more and more likely that he will play out the 2022 season on the fifth-year option ($23MM).
In June, however, talks resumed between the two-time Pro Bowler and general manager Eric DeCosta during mandatory minicamp – which came after Jackson skipped OTAs for the first time in his career. Then, earlier this month, Jackson spoke publicly about his optimism of getting a deal finalized, potentially before training camp opens in full. The chances of that happening seem to remain slim, though.
Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reports that “no deal is imminent” at this time. He does add, on the other hand, that talks are still ongoing. Jackson has been connected to Murray as a member of the next wave of QBs due for extensions in the vicinity of the ones given to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, along with, more recently, Deshaun Watson‘s fully-guaranteed $230MM pact. The fact that Kyler Murray received a deal worth a fraction more than that total (and with $160MM in guarantees) will only lead to further belief that Jackson will end up in that range as well, regardless of when his deal gets finalized.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/20/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/did not report list: WR Devon Williams
- Placed on NFI: WR Binjimen Victor
- Placed on exempt/left squad: RB Ricky Person
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Isiah Brown
- Released: S Dallin Leavitt
- Waived: G Jordan Meredith
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Craig James
Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins Uncertain For Week 1?
The makeup of the Ravens’ run game will depend on J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards finishing up their respective rehab efforts after ACL tears nixed their 2021 seasons. Some disagreement on the former’s path emerged Monday.
The prospect of the Ravens holding Dobbins out in Week 1 and perhaps sitting him for multiple September contests is likely to be in play, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Dobbins disagreed with Rapoport’s situational assessment, indicating he will “damn sure” be ready for Baltimore’s opener (Twitter link).
Dobbins also cast doubt about whether he would even begin training camp on the Ravens’ active/PUP list, though that appears a near-certainty. Players are generally bullish on their recoveries, and by the time the Ravens suit up for Week 1, it will have been over a year since Dobbins’ injury. While Rapoport did not characterize Dobbins’ rehab as off-schedule, he noted a potential delay to his season would stem from this being a “serious, complex injury.”
Dobbins tore an ACL and damaged his left LCL and meniscus, and Rapoport notes the Ravens want to make sure their starting back is 100% when he returns. Caution is understandable here, and John Harbaugh expressed some uncertainty on the Ohio State product’s status last month. The Ravens saw the outcome when Ronnie Stanley came back too soon, playing in last year’s opener before missing the season’s final 16 games.
Free agency addition Mike Davis represents some insurance for Dobbins and Edwards, and the Ravens also added sixth-round running back Tyler Badie (Missouri). But they are again prepared to base their backfield around Dobbins and Edwards, making the conclusions to the two rehab efforts crucial for the run-oriented team. There looks to be less doubt about Edwards’ Week 1 availability, Rapoport adds. The veteran back is expected to be ready to go in time for the regular season. Both Dobbins and Edwards are signed through 2023.
Ravens Sign Two Of Three Remaining Unsigned Rookies
One of the few teams who still have unsigned rookies from this year’s draft, Baltimore continued to chip away today, signing two of their three remaining unsigned players. Offensive tackle Daniel Faalele and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis signed their rookie contracts today with a little under two months to go until their first regular season commences.
Faalele is an Australia-native who moved to the states with no football experience. Faalele was discovered by recruiting staff at the University of Hawai’i while playing basketball and rugby. He had tremendous athleticism for someone his size and, after attending a Jim Harbaugh satellite camp, Faalele was recruited to learn the game of football at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. IMG’s football team is notorious for taking five-star high school athletes from remote areas of the country and exposing them to some of the highest levels of high school football. After joining the football team in 2016, Faalele became a starter for IMG in 2017 and enrolled early at the University of Minnesota in 2018.
After beginning his freshman year as a backup, Faalele started the final eight games of the season, holding onto his starting job as a sophomore, as well. When Faalele announced he would sit out of the 2020 college football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many assumed he would declare for the draft. Instead, Faalele came back for his senior year and helped return the Golden Gophers to a winning season.
Faalele could potentially see a situation similar to his freshman year during his rookie season. Right now the Ravens are set to trot out Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses as their starting tackles. Moses is competing with Ja’Wuan James for the starting right tackle position currently. Moses and James both have plenty of starting experience, but Moses graded out as only the 40th best offensive tackle last season according to Pro Football Focus and James hasn’t played in an NFL game since the 2019 NFL season. Not to mention, Stanley is expected to start the season but has only played in one game since signing an historic contract back in 2020. Any number of situations could play out that see Faalele force his 6’9″, 400 lb. frame into the starting lineup.
Armour-Davis had extremely limited playing time during his first three years at Alabama, spending his freshman season taking a medical redshirt and the next two seasons as a special teamer. As a redshirt junior, Armour-Davis was named a starting cornerback and led the team with three interceptions on the year, adding four passes defensed and not allowing a single touchdown. He played mostly on the outside but has the scheme versatility to fit in with any system.
Baltimore’s secondary is one of the most-talented in the NFL but a lack of depth bit the team hard in 2021 when starting cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey both suffered season-ending injuries. With the departures of Tavon Young and Anthony Averett, Armous-Davis immediately slots in as the team’s No. 3 or 4 cornerback behind Peters, Humphrey, and, possibly, free agent addition Kyle Fuller. Armous-Davis’ playing will likely come on resting downs for Peters or Humphrey. Due to the team’s enviable depth at safety, a nickel- or dime-package might feature three or four safeties, unless Fuller can cement himself as a slot-cornerback.
With Faalele and Armous-Davis now under contract, Michigan second-round pick David Ojabo remains as Baltimore’s only unsigned rookie. Ojabo announced an early departure from Ann Arbor after one year of starting opposite the second-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Aidan Hutchinson. Considered by most to be a first-round talent, Ojabo slipped into the second round after tearing his Achilles tendon while working out for scouts at the Wolverines’ Pro Day.