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AFC North Rumors: Ravens, Jackson, Browns, Steelers

February 5th, 2022 at 9:35pm CST by Ely Allen

Ravens’ general manager Eric DeCosta‘s end-of-season press conference touched on a number of subjects, including the contract extension negotiations with star quarterback Lamar Jackson. While The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec does note that head coach John Harbaugh and DeCosta make it seem as if the deal is imminent, it isn’t guaranteed that Jackson signs an extension before the start of the 2022 NFL season.

“I would say that we’re working at Lamar’s pace. He’s comfortable with where we are right now,” DeCosta stated. He did call negotiations “unusual” with Jackson essentially acting as his own agent. There doesn’t seem to be any rush to get a deal done, though. DeCosta acknowledged that the Ravens are fine with Jackson playing on his fifth-year option, and Jackson seems more focused on the team’s unfinished business after being the AFC’s number one-seed in 2020 but failing to make it to a Super Bowl yet.

Here are a few more notes on the AFC North, starting with another item out of Charm City:

DeCosta spoke a bit, as well, about the team’s plan to focus on offensive line this offseason. One of the things that they fear they’ll need to address is the free agency of center Bradley Bozeman. Bozeman moved from guard to center after Matt Skura signed with the Dolphins in free agency last year, and they’re afraid Bozeman’s play has priced him out of Maryland. Baltimore saw Ryan Jensen leave to become the highest paid center in football in 2018, so they’re certainly used to replacing centers. They currently have utility lineman Patrick Mekari, who has started games at all three offensive line positions throughout his young Ravens’ career, and who signed an extension late in the season.
Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller became close friends as they rehabbed together in Colorado Springs last offseason, dreaming about eventually playing together. According to George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal, Beckham made it clear that if they were to make it a reality, it couldn’t be in orange and brown. Miller informed Thomas that Beckham told him straight up, “Don’t come to Cleveland.” In the end, Miller was traded to the Rams and, following a nasty separation from the Browns, Beckham signed to join him in Los Angeles. The pair are now set to play in Super Bowl LVI against a team Beckham knows all too well from his time in the AFC North.
With longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retiring last week, head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert represented Pittsburgh at Senior Bowl practices this week. Despite the quarterback group leaving much to be desired through some injury concerns and bad weather, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reports that buzz around the event is that the Steelers like Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. Willis has shown the best combination of athleticism and arm strength at practices this week and a source informed Kyed that he’s impressed in interviews, as well. The Steelers currently hold the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and could easily see Willis fall to them, as he’s been seen as a borderline first round pick since declaring. They could also risk potentially missing out on him and trade back later in the first round or early in the second and try to maximize need and value.

Ravens Hire Ex-Browns VP Sashi Brown; Team President Dick Cass To Retire

February 4th, 2022 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ravens president Dick Cass is stepping down after 18 years on the job, and the team will add a familiar name in AFC North circles to replace him. Former Browns executive VP Sashi Brown is coming aboard to replace Cass.

Cass, 76, took over as Ravens president shortly after owner Steve Bisciotti bought the team in 2004. For Brown, this is a return to the NFL after a few years away. Brown has been with the Washington Wizards since 2019 but officially vacated that position Friday. The Ravens will make their Cass-to-Brown transition April 1, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (on Twitter).

Brown is best known for being the point man in charge of a radical rebuild effort in Cleveland a few years ago. The Browns gutted their roster in 2016 and geared their rebuild around an analytics approach. This led to one of the worst stretches in NFL history, with the Browns going 1-31 from 2016-17. Jimmy Haslam fired Brown late in the 2017 season, hiring John Dorsey to replace him. Prior to Brown’s Cleveland stay, he spent nearly 10 years with the Jaguars, working on the business side.

Brown’s name resurfaced prior to this Ravens move. Hue Jackson accused Haslam of paying out bonuses to himself, Brown and others associated with tanking during that two-year span. Haslam denied the accusation. Brown will now have a chance to bounce back in the NFL, joining GM Eric DeCosta and John Harbaugh as a top Ravens power broker.

Ravens Notes: Lamar Jackson, Marquise Brown, Coaching Staff Changes

February 4th, 2022 at 1:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta held an end-of-season press conference on Friday. In it, he provided updates on a number of key points in the team’s upcoming offseason, including the current status of contract negotiations with quarterback Lamar Jackson.

DeCosta made it clear that he is personally handling talks with Jackson, and has been from the beginning of the negotiation process. He added that the two of them have spoken “five or six times over the past year” (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, DeCosta added “I’m proud of the relationship that we have” (Twitter link).

Jackson certainly didn’t have the season he or the Ravens were expecting. In 12 games, he recorded 2,882 passing yards and a near-even (16:13) touchdown-to-interception ratio. While he added another 767 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, he also had six fumbles. Between those numbers, and a season-ending ankle injury, 2021 was a far cry from Jackson’s 2019 MVP campaign. If anything, that could further complicate his contract talks, which were reportedly not proceeding as hoped earlier in the season. DeCosta stated: “We’re working at Lamar’s pace… We will operate based on his urgency” (Twitter link), suggesting the team is willing to let the 25-year-old play on his fifth year option.

Here are some other important notes from the presser, along with some updates to the team’s coaching staff:

DeCosta said he expects to pick up the fifth year option on wide receiver Marquise Brown (Twitter link via Hensley). A close friend of Jackson’s, Brown had his most productive season in 2021 (91 catches, 1,008 yards, six touchdowns), though he tailed off considerably late in the campaign.
The offensive line will be a priority in the offseason. As Zrebiec tweets, DeCosta stated a desire to strengthen the unit overall, though he is “optimistic” left tackle Ronnie Stanley will be able to return to full health after a second major ankle surgery.
Zreibec adds that the team is planning on getting younger along the defensive front. With that said, DeCosta has already been in communication with veteran Calais Campbell, who was thought to be contemplating retirement throughout the year.
Hensley tweets that cornerback Marcus Peters is expected to be back. He missed the entire season and his release would create $10MM in cap space, but the former All-Pro would provide a playmaking element to the secondary if healthy.
As for the coaching staff, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that inside linebackers coach Rob Ryan will not return. Hensley adds that outside LBs coach Drew Wilkins has also been let go, to pursue new opportunities alongside former DC Don Martindale.
According to Zrebiec, former Raven Zach Orr is a candidate to replace Ryan. After his promising career was abruptly ended due to a rare neck ailment, he’s taken to coaching. He spent 2021 on the Jaguars’ staff.

Ravens Expected To Retain OC Greg Roman

February 1st, 2022 at 11:44am CST by Adam La Rose

It is already know that the Ravens will have a new defensive coordinator in 2022. However, head coach John Harbaugh made it clear on Monday he plans on retaining Greg Roman as the team’s offensive coordinator (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley).

During his press conference, Harbaugh gave Roman a vote of confidence as the man at the helm of the offense. “I’m excited about that”, he said. “I think we have a really good vision of what we want to build offensively”. The team took a major step back on the offensive side of the ball, in particular down the stretch, though injuries to a number of key contributors played a big role in that.

From quarterback Lamar Jackson, to left tackle Ronnie Stanley, to running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, the unit wasn’t at full strength at any point in the campaign. While backup QB Tyler Huntley generally filled in admirably for the former MVP, scoring increasingly became a problem during the team’s six-game losing streak to finish the season. Baltimore finished 17th in points per game this season (22.8), in large part due to struggles on third down (36.4%, 26th).

The team’s passing game was a sore spot, especially late in the year. After the best start to his career, Marquise Brown didn’t top 55 receiving yards in a game from Week 10 onwards. The lack of a downfield passing attack is nothing new for Roman-led offenses, though 2021 did also see tight end Mark Andrews set a franchise record in receiving yards (1,361).

The 49-year-old has been with the Ravens since 2017, and the offensive coordinator for the past three years. His overall body of work – predicated on the ground game, just as it was when he was in San Francisco and Buffalo – has earned him at least one more season at the controls. The offensive staff is already going to be different, however, as The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman tweets that tight ends coach Bobby Engram is leaving to become the OC at Wisconsin. In addition, it came out yesterday that wide receivers coach Tee Martin is a candidate for the Bills’ OC position.

With, presumably, healthier personnel, along with a familiar play-caller in 2022, the Ravens will look to reclaim their place as one of the league’s most unique, and most effective, offenses.

Ravens’ Tee Martin, Raiders’ Edgar Bennett To Interview For Bills’ OC Position

January 31st, 2022 at 3:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Brian Daboll off to the Giants as their newest head coach, the Bills continue to search for a new offensive coordinator. The second name on the list of candidates is Tee Martin, the Ravens’ wide receivers coach, who is set to meet with Buffalo for the vacancy (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec). Not long after that came out, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tweeted that Edgar Bennett, who holds the same title with the Raiders, will also interview for the role.

The Martin announcement was made by Ravens HC John Harbaugh when he addressed the media on Monday. Martin, 43, has only been an NFL coach for this past season. He has a decorated college resume, though, highlighted by work as the wide receivers coach at Kentucky, USC and Tennessee dating back to 2010. Those stints have also included the roles of passing game coordinator, OC and assistant head coach along the way. The 2021 season, while disappointing overall for the Ravens, offered cause for optimism at the receiver position with Marquise Brown recording his first 1,000-yard season and Rashod Bateman demonstrating, once he was healthy, why he was worthy of a first round pick.

Bennett has been an NFL coach since 2005, the year he started working in Green Bay. That lasted until 2017, and included a three-year stint as the team’s OC. Part of a major overhaul on the offensive staff in 2018, the 52-year-old was let go in January of 2018. For the past four years, he has been the WRs coach with the Raiders; the 2021 campaign saw Las Vegas rank sixth in the league in passing yards.

These announcements come after it was reported that Ken Dorsey, the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the Bills, would likely be promoted to OC with Daboll gone. The only alternative, it is believed, would be if Daboll convinced Dorsey to follow him to New York. With Buffalo looking at two external candidates, the team will have options if that does in fact happen.

Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

January 31st, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Adam La Rose

Championship Sunday has come and gone, and with it, we now know the matchup for Super Bowl LVI. The Rams’ win on Sunday guarantees that the Lions’ other first round pick will be in the bottom two, slightly devaluing it relative to if they had lost. Still, it is one of the bargaining chips they hold if they were to attempt to move up into the top spot, from their current position of second. As one of four teams with multiple picks in the opening round, Detroit will certainly be a squad to keep an eye on in April.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.

Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:

Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
Houston Texans: 4-13
New York Jets: 4-13
New York Giants: 4-13
Carolina Panthers: 5-12
New York Giants(via Bears)
Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
Denver Broncos: 7-10
New York Jets (via Seahawks)
Washington Football Team: 7-10
Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
Cleveland Browns: 8-9
Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
New Orleans Saints: 9-8
Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
New England Patriots: 10-7
Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
Buffalo Bills: 11-6
Tennessee Titans: 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
Green Bay Packers: 13-4
Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
Detroit Lions (via Rams)

* = Remaining playoff teams

Ravens Hire Mike Macdonald As Defensive Coordinator

January 27th, 2022 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Mike Macdonald is landing back in Baltimore after all. The Ravens announced that they’ve hired Macdonald as their new defensive coordinator.

We heard earlier this week that Macdonald was the favorite for the gig, but the team still went ahead and interviewed Joe Cullen and Mike Caldwell for the job. Ultimately, it sounds like the Ravens got their guy, and the 34-year-old will now return to Baltimore.

“Mike is one of us – a Raven through and through,” head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “During his initial seven seasons with us, it was evident that his leadership, intelligence and passion would earn him the opportunity to be a defensive coordinator in the NFL.

“Mike has continuously proven himself, including when he led one of the country’s best defenses at Michigan last year. He is a proven play-caller who knows our system well. He also fully understands the standard of playing defense in Baltimore.”

Prior to joining Jim Harbaugh‘s Wolverines staff last year, Macdonald was viewed as Don Martindale’s heir apparent in Baltimore. He had previously worked with the Ravens from 2014-20, moving up from the intern level to linebackers coach by the end of his first stint with the team. Also spending time working with Baltimore’s defensive backs, Macdonald gained extensive experience with the team ahead of his move to the college ranks.

Michigan’s performance certainly helped the young assistant’s cause. Sparked by potential No. 1 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson‘s Heisman Trophy bid, the Wolverines ranked as a top-10 defense in 2021 — a year after ranking 95th in points allowed. Should Macdonald, 34, land the job, he would become the youngest DC in Ravens history.

A number of names were connected to the vacancy. In addition to Macdonald, Cullen, and Caldwell, we heard D-line coach Anthony Weaver and external options like Kris Richard and Joe Whitt Jr. tossed around as candidates.

Ravens To Interview Jags’ Joe Cullen, Bucs’ Mike Caldwell For DC Job

January 26th, 2022 at 7:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reports of Mike Macdonald‘s quick return to Baltimore may be slightly premature. The Ravens are not done discussing their defensive coordinator position, and Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen is next in line to interview.

Cullen, a Ravens defensive staffer before joining Urban Meyer‘s staff, will meet with John Harbaugh about the DC job, Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun tweets. While Macdonald was reported to be finalizing a deal, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec pushes back on that a bit, indicating that while the Michigan DC is perceived to be the top candidate, this process is not finished (Twitter link). Cullen will meet with the Ravens on Thursday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.

Like Macdonald, Cullen spent several seasons in Baltimore, serving as the team’s defensive line coach from 2016-20. Jacksonville endured another dreadful season, but Cullen’s defense had moments — particularly in the team’s upset win over the Bills and Week 18 victory over the Colts — during the Jags’ 3-14 season. Cullen, 54, has been an NFL assistant for the past 12 seasons. The 2021 slate was his first as a coordinator.

Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell will interview for the job as well, Zrebiec tweets. The Todd Bowles lieutenant has been with the Bucs throughout Bruce Arians‘ tenure and was previously the Eagles’ linebackers coach during Andy Reid‘s final Philly seasons. An 11-year veteran linebacker, Caldwell also played on the first Ravens team in 1996.

The Ravens’ search to replace four-year DC Don Martindale has moved fast, with internal candidates (D-line coach Anthony Weaver), external options (Kris Richard, Joe Whitt Jr.) and former Baltimore staffers currently elsewhere (Cullen, Macdonald) coming up in the past few days.

Ravens DB Anthony Levine Retires

January 26th, 2022 at 6:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the longest-tenured players in Ravens history, Anthony Levine will call it a career after 10 seasons. The veteran defensive back and special-teamer announced his retirement Wednesday.

Levine has been a vital part of Baltimore’s special teams since joining the team in 2012. The 34-year-old role player played at least 70% of the Ravens’ special teams plays in eight of his 10 Baltimore seasons.

Originally a Packers UDFA in 2010, Levine was a practice squad player when Green Bay won the Super Bowl that season. He spent the 2011 campaign on Green Bay’s P-squad as well but landed with Baltimore for the 2012 season, seeing his first game action that year. Despite not beginning his Ravens run until his third year in the league, Levine is one of a handful of players to suit up for at least 10 seasons with the franchise. Levine’s 146 career games played ranks 11th in team history.

“He worked tirelessly to become one of the NFL’s best special teams players, and he could always be relied upon to contribute at a high level on defense – no matter the role he was asked to play,” John Harbaugh said. “Most importantly, Anthony is a terrific leader of men and someone who helped his teammates become the very best versions of themselves.”

Levine finished his career with 117 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Levine will transition to a scouting role with the Ravens, who also plan to use him as an assistant coach.

Ravens Aiming To Bring Back Mike Macdonald For DC Job

January 26th, 2022 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have been connected to some outside candidates to fill their defensive coordinator post, while also meeting with defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. An external candidate with a Baltimore history, however, appears set to fill Don Martindale‘s former post.

A year after leaving Baltimore to become Michigan’s defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald is squarely on the radar to take the same job with the Ravens. This process is moving fast, with the Detroit Free Press’ Michael Cohen reporting a deal is expected to be finalized within days.

Prior to joining Jim Harbaugh‘s Wolverines staff last year, Macdonald was viewed as the Martindale heir apparent in Baltimore. He had previously worked with the Ravens from 2014-20, moving up from the intern level to linebackers coach by the end of his first stint with the team. Also spending time working with Baltimore’s defensive backs, Macdonald gained extensive experience with the team ahead of his move to the college ranks.

Michigan’s performance certainly helped the young assistant’s cause. Sparked by potential No. 1 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson‘s Heisman Trophy bid, the Wolverines ranked as a top-10 defense in 2021 — a year after ranking 95th in points allowed. Should Macdonald, 34, land the job, he would become the youngest DC in Ravens history.

The Ravens also sought interviews with Saints DBs coach Kris Richard and Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. Richard is also in the mix for the Steelers’ DC gig. While the franchise has never hired an outside coach to be its DC, Macdonald essentially checks that box in name only due to the bulk of his coaching experience coming with the team.

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