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Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

Ravens Select P Jordan Stout At No. 130

April 30th, 2022 at 12:24pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got a fourth-round punter. The Ravens have selected Penn State’s Jordan Stout with the No. 130 pick. San Diego State’s Matt Araiza, who many considered the best punter in the draft, is still on the board.

The last punter selected this high was Bryan Anger, who was selected at No. 70 by the Jaguars in 2012.

Stout made a name for himself during his time in college thanks to both his punting and kicking prowess. He had 100 punts between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, averaging 46 yards on his attempts. He also served as their kicker, converting 16 of his 23 field goal attempts, including a 57-yarder.

“It’s definitely huge,” Stout said of his versatility (via Oliver Hodgkinson of ProFootballNetwork.com). “There’s a lot of good punters in the league. There’s a lot of good kickers in the league. But, there aren’t a lot of people who are great at both. I’ve always prided myself as a combo guy. I’ve figured out how to do all three at a high level.”

This move means the Ravens will surely move on from punter Sam Koch, the team’s longest-tenured player. Cutting the veteran will save the Ravens $2.1MM in cap space.

Chiefs, Packers Pursued Marquise Brown

April 29th, 2022 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Cardinals acquiring Marquise Brown during the first round, the Ravens discussed the deep threat with the Chiefs and Packers, SI.com’s Howard Balzer tweets.

Given both contenders’ receiver moves this offseason, their involvement in these trade talks should not surprise. The Cardinals’ somewhat surprising offer — headlined by the No. 23 overall pick — won out, and neither the Chiefs nor Packers selected a wide receiver in the first round. Despite holding two first-rounders apiece, Green Bay and Kansas City enter Day 2 of the draft with needs at the position.

Although the teams’ market-shifting Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill trades had more of an impact on the A.J. Brown trade than the one involving the Baltimore wideout, the moves left the Chiefs and Packers in need. Kansas City does not appear to feature the same level of need as Green Bay, thanks to Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Missouri relocation, but the team was linked to a wideout move ahead of the draft. The Packers have done well with second-round receiver picks; perhaps this is the direction Green Bay goes Friday.

Lamar Jackson expressed frustration after the Brown trade commenced, but the former MVP knew about the latter’s trade request. Despite Jackson’s Twitter activity Thursday night, GM Eric DeCosta informed the star quarterback of the move before it happened, per Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed. Brown did as well, being at the Cardinals’ draft party Thursday night.

“It was just … my happiness,” Brown said during an appearance on the I Am Athlete Tonight podcast (via Pro Football Talk). “I talked to Lamar about it after my second year. And then after my third year, leading up to the end of the season, you know, [Jackson] wasn’t playing. I let him know again, like, ‘Yeah, bro, I can’t do it.’

“You know, it’s not really on Lamar, like I love Lamar. It was just, you know, it’s just the system just wasn’t for me personally. You know, I love all my teammates. I love the guys. It was just something I had to think about for myself.”

The Ravens’ run-heavy system has steered receivers (including Smith-Schuster) away in the past, and Brown’s exit leaves Baltimore with a bit of a need at the position. This reunites Brown with Oklahoma teammate Kyler Murray, a scenario Brown said the two discussed this winter (via 98.7 Arizona Sports’ Tyler Drake, on Twitter). Brown, who is coming off his first NFL 1,000-yard season, played a big role in Murray winning the 2018 Heisman Trophy. The 5-foot-9 target caught 75 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, catching the Ravens’ eye in the 2019 first round.

Marquise Brown Requested Trade Out Of Baltimore

April 29th, 2022 at 10:07am CST by Adam La Rose

The first of two sizeable trades involving wide receivers saw Marquise Brown dealt from the Ravens to the Cardinals. To pundits and fans alike, the swap came as a surprise, but such a move had apparently been a distinct possibility for months. 

[RELATED: Ravens Trade Brown To Cardinals For First-Round Pick]

When speaking to the media after last night’s first round, general manager Eric DeCosta said Brown’s desire to be dealt was well-known in the organization long before it became public. That was further verified by the events which took place during the build-up to the draft. As NFL Network’s James Palmer noted (on Twitter) last night, ‘Hollywood’ himself was already at the Arizona draft party by the time the trade was announced.

“That’s a complicated topic” DeCosta said about the trade. “For me personally, complicated because Marquise was my first pick and one of my favorite guys on the team. But Marquise came to me after the season and requested that he be traded. He was not happy and wanted to play elsewhere.

It was something I anguished over for a long time. He would tell you that he and I had many conversations throughout the spring… This was a situation where it was going to be impossible for the club to truly win [the deal], but we try to do what’s best for the player.”

The trade sees Brown reunited with former Oklahoma teammate Kyler Murray, and will give the Cardinals a replacement for the speed at the position they lost with Christian Kirk‘s departure. The Ravens, meanwhile, elected not to use the 23rd overall pick on a direct WR replacement (as the Titans did after trading A.J. Brown), instead picking All-American center Tyler Linderbaum. That leaves the team thin on the WR depth chart, with 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman and All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews headlining Baltimore’s pass-catching corps.

How the Ravens fill the void left by the trade, and the level of success Brown has with the Cardinals will be two storylines worth watching over the remainder of the offseason and into 2022.

Bills Acquire No. 23, Select CB Kaiir Elam

April 28th, 2022 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens have pulled off yet another deal. Baltimore is trading pick No. 23 to the Bills, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The Ravens will receive picks No. 25 and No. 130 in return. Buffalo will use their new draft pick on Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam.

Elam came into Gainesville as a top-100 recruit out of The Benjamin School near Palm Beach, FL. Elam wasted no time playing in all 13 games as a true freshman and earning 5 starts. From there Elam took over the starting cornerback position and became a leader on the Gators’ defense. Over his career, Elam totaled 6 interceptions and 20 pass breakups, demonstrating the ball skills that NFL teams will look for in a first round cornerback.

Elam has prototypical size and length at the position and was viewed in many circles as a potential Day One pick. Elam hoped to follow in the steps of his uncle and become a first-round draft pick and then follow in the steps of his father and become an NFL starter. He’s already accomplished that first task, and he’ll have a good chance to contribute (and maybe even start) on a Buffalo defense that could use some extra help in the secondary.

The Ravens made the first blockbuster move of the weekend when they traded receiver Marquise Brown to the Cardinals for pick No. 23. That selection will now be flipped to Buffalo, with Baltimore picking up an extra selection to move back only two spots. Following this most recent deal, the Ravens are now armed with six fourth-round picks.

Ravens Trade WR Marquise Brown To Cardinals

April 28th, 2022 at 8:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens have traded a former first-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), Baltimore has traded wideout Marquise Brown to the Cardinals, reuniting the receiver with his college QB. Cardinals GM Steve Keim announced that the team will also be picking up Brown’s fifth-year option (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com).

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), the Ravens will trade Brown and pick No. 100 to Arizona for pick No. 23. It’ll be interesting to see which direction the Ravens go with their second selection of the night, and with plenty of talented wideouts still on the board, the team could instantly look to replace Brown in the lineup.

“Hollywood” was the 25th-overall pick in the 2019 draft. Following two up-and-down seasons to start his career, the receiver had a career year in 2021. Brown finished the campaign with a career-high 1,013 yards from scrimmage to go along with six touchdowns. His 92 receptions almost surpassed the totals from his first two seasons combined.

Considering their lack of reliable depth at the position, the Ravens certainly aren’t done at receiver. At the moment, the team’s depth chart is led by Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay.

The Cardinals could use some reinforcement at the position after losing Christian Kirk to the Jaguars. DeAndre Hopkins is still around to serve as Kyler Murray’s top targets, but Brown will provide another reliable target for the explosive offense.

Ravens Draft Kyle Hamilton At No. 14 Overall

April 28th, 2022 at 8:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton has seen his first round slide end at No. 14 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Ravens get the top-ranked safety on the board who was viewed at points of the pre-draft process at a top-5 draft pick. 

Hamilton had a highly productive three-year career with the Fighting Irish. He totaled 138 tackles and eight interceptions, demonstrating positional flexibility and leadership qualities along the way. His testing numbers, season-ending knee injury and overall athletic profile, however, have led to a belief he could drop to at least the second half of the first round.

Luckily for Hamilton, his fall has ended and he landed himself in a franchise that prides itself on defense. The Ravens lost safety DeShon Elliott, but replaced him with former-Saints safety Marcus Williams.

Whether the Ravens will utilize Hamilton to help replace Elliott’s production or to boost a lackluster linebacker group is to be seen. Hamilton’s versatility will give them plenty of options in the upcoming season.

Ronnie Stanley Expected To Be Ready By Week 1

April 25th, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries have left Ronnie Stanley unable to build on the momentum he established during a 2019 All-Pro season. The Ravens left tackle played just seven games over the past two years, with an ankle surgery ending his 2021 season after one game.

GM Eric DeCosta recently expressed uncertainty about the seventh-year lineman’s prospective September readiness, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes a recent checkup revealed good news on that front. Stanley is on pace to be available when the Ravens begin the season (Twitter link).

Stanley, 28, has undergone three ankle surgeries over the past year and change. He suffered a season-ending ankle malady midway through the 2020 season, prompting a procedure, and went through a second operation early in the 2021 offseason. After the former top-10 pick worked his way back to the field by Week 1, when he played 100% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps, more ankle trouble emerged. Stanley did not return last season, having surgery again following his decision to wrap his season in October.

All this has stalled the career of a quality tackle in his prime and significantly impacted the Ravens’ offensive front. Four seasons remain on Stanley’s $19.75MM-per-year contract. The Notre Dame product is on the Ravens’ books at $18.6MM in 2022.

Baltimore traded longtime right tackle-turned-Stanley replacement Orlando Brown Jr. to Kansas City last year and ended up using center Patrick Mekari primarily on the right side. This obviously marked a major step back from the Stanley-Brown pairing of the previous three-plus seasons. Primary 2021 left tackle Alejandro Villanueva retired last month, raising the stakes a bit on Stanley’s return. While the Ravens did add proven right tackle starter Morgan Moses in free agency, they have been linked to the tackle position with their first-round pick.

Latest On DL Prospects Jordan Davis, Logan Hall

April 21st, 2022 at 1:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Quarterbacks have remained central to the storylines leading up to this year’s draft, but the class is dominated by its defensive talent. Two of the top prospects with regard to defensive linemen are Georgia’s Jordan Davis and Houston’s Logan Hall. 

As noted by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), Davis has had pre-draft visits with a number of teams. Included among those are the Ravens and Eagles, two clubs which could very well find themselves within range of drafting him. Baltimore is set to pick 14th, while Philadelphia owns selections No. 15 and 19.

The Ravens reunited with Michael Pierce this offseason, signing him to occupy the nose tackle position. His addition points to the departure of Brandon Williams, leaving room for at least depth in that role. The Eagles, meanwhile, released, then re-signed Fletcher Cox, an anchor on the team’s defensive line throughout his career. He only inked a one-year deal, though, so the position should be a point of emphasis in the draft.

Davis was a mainstay on the Bulldogs’ defense during his four seasons with Georgia. Playing in a run-stopping role, the six-foot-six, 340 pounder totalled seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Those numbers, along with eye-popping athletic testing at the combine, leave the door open to his development as a three-down player.

While Davis – who finished top-10 in Heisman voting last season – is viewed as a first-round lock, Hall may join him on Day 1. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network recently reported that the list of teams to have met with him includes the Giants, Cowboys, Texans, Buccaneers, Bears and Titans (Twitter link). His draft ranking places him in a range from late in the first round to early in the second, so the interest from those teams comes as no surprise.

In four years with the Cougars, Hall put up almost identical numbers to Davis. His potential versatility in terms of where he can line up on the field (at 260 pounds, many view him as a defensive end at the NFL level), and overall pre-draft process have helped his stock. He could find himself at the top of the second tier of d-linemen, behind Davis and Devonte Wyatt.

These two have certainly generated plenty of interest, making their ultimate destination next week one of the many things to keep an eye on at the draft.

Contract Details: Gilmore, Cooks, Nelson, Smith, Bynes, Watkins

April 20th, 2022 at 8:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:

  • Stephon Gilmore, CB (Colts): Two-year, $20MM. The deal includes $10.51MM guaranteed at signing and $14MM in overall guarantees. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Gilmore’s Year 1 payout will total $10.02MM.
  • Brandin Cooks, WR (Texans): Two-year, $39.76MM. The deal includes $36MM guaranteed at signing consisting of the $16MM signing bonus (applied over three years) and the first two years of base salary ($2MM in 2022 and $18MM in 2023), according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Cooks will have a per game active bonus of $29,411 for a potential season total of $500,000 and will receive a roster bonus in 2024 of $3MM.
  • Steven Nelson, CB (Texans): Two-year, $9MM. The deal is worth up to $10MM, according to Wilson. It includes $4.5MM guaranteed at signing consisting of a $2MM signing bonus, the 2022 base salary of $1.75MM, and $750,000 of the 2023 base salary. Nelson will have a 2022 per game active bonus of $44,117 for a potential season total of $750,000 and a 2023 per game active bonus of $58,832 for a potential season total of $1MM. The deal includes an unspecified incentive worth $250,000 for the 2022 season.
  • Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks): One-year, $3.5MM. The deal is worth up to $7MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with up to $3.5MM worth of incentives likely triggerable if he wins the starting job. The deal includes a guaranteed amount of $500,000.
  • Josh Bynes, LB (Ravens): One-year, $1.27MM. According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN, the deal includes $600,000 of guaranteed money consisting of the signing bonus worth $152,500 and $447,500 of the base salary (worth $1.12MM total).
  • Sammy Watkins, WR (Packers): One-year, $1.85MM. The deal includes a signing bonus of $350,000 and is worth up to $4MM, according to USA Today’s Ryan Wood, with incentives for playtime, catches, yards, and touchdowns. Watkins can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $525,000 if he plays a snap count percentage of 55%, 60%, or 65%, respectively. He can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $525,000 if he records a receptions total of 50, 60, or 70 catches, respectively. He can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $525,000 if he has yardage totals of 550, 650, or 700, respectively. Lastly, Watkins can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $575,000 if he catches 7, 8, or 9 touchdowns, respectively.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 4/18/22

April 18th, 2022 at 7:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Signed:

ERFAs

Signed:

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