Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/30/21

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: OL Nico Falah and OL Brett Heggie

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

  • Signed: OL Paul Adams and DB Shyheim Carter

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/30/21

Here are Thursday’s reserve/COVID-19 list updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • Activated from virus list: OL Cody Ford, CB Cam Lewis
  • Activated from practice squad virus list: TE Quintin Morris

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Placed on practice squad virus list: LB Omari Cobb

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Ravens Sign OL Patrick Mekari To Extension

The Ravens locked down one of their offensive line starters Thursday. They reached a three-year extension agreement with Patrick Mekari, who is now signed through 2024.

A former UDFA, Mekari has served as a multi-position starter with Baltimore. After initially breaking into the Ravens’ lineup as a center in 2019, Mekari has settled in at right tackle this season. Mekari’s deal is worth $15.35MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 24-year-old blocker will collect $7MM guaranteed.

Mekari was set to be a restricted free agent in March. The Cal alum opted to collect cash now and remain with Baltimore. He joins Ronnie Stanley and guard Kevin Zeitler as Raven O-linemen signed to long-term veteran deals.

Injuries have changed Baltimore’s outlook up front this season. Stanley going down for a second straight year moved Alejandro Villanueva from right to left tackle. Mekari has filled in on the right side, making a career-high 10 starts this season. This comes a year after Mekari worked as both a starting guard and center. In 2019, Mekari replaced Matt Skura at center late in the season and finished out the team’s 14-2 slate at that spot.

Baltimore traded three-year right tackle starter Orlando Brown Jr. to Kansas City this offseason, collecting a first-round pick and change for a player determined not to play right tackle any longer. Brown replaced Stanley on the left side after the latter’s 2020 injury, ending his run as the Ravens’ long-term right-edge protector. Mekari may now move into that role, though the Ravens have the option of bringing in someone else there and slotting Mekari in at another O-line position next season. Center Bradley Bozeman is a 2022 free agent, potentially opening up that spot.

Ravens’ Ja’Wuan James Will Not Play In 2021

As expected, the Ravens will not be seeing any action this year from of one of their offseason acquisitions. Right tackle Ja’Wuan James was not added to the team’s 53-man roster, ending his 21-day window to be activated, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The news confirms that his season is over. 

While it was never truly expected that James would be able to recover from a torn Achilles in time to suit up this year, the potential existed when he started practising on December 8th. The 29-year-old signed a two-year, $9MM deal with Baltimore in June in an attempt to add experienced depth at the tackle position after trading away Orlando Brown Jr. 

Without James – and, due to another season-ending surgery performed on starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley in October – veteran Alejandro Villanueva has shifted to his more familiar position at left tackle. That has left the Ravens with a rotation of Patrick Mekari and Tyre Phillips to man the opposite tackle spot, as they have each been in and out of the lineup with injuries.

The Ravens will carry on with their current offensive line as they try to end a four-game losing streak and remain in playoff contention against the Rams in Week 17.

 

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/28/21

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts 

Jacksonville Jaguars 

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

With two weeks to go, six NFL teams have formally clinched their playoff spot while eight teams (Seahawks, Giants, Bears, Panthers, Texans, Lions, Jets, and Jaguars) have been mathematically eliminated. Somehow, there is still a path for the 6-9 Washington Football Team to make the postseason, even though they’re currently slated to pick No. 9 overall in April.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be 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.

As we close out the calendar year and the 2021 regular season, here’s a look at the currently projected 2022 NFL Draft Order:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-13
2. Detroit Lions: 2-12-1
3. Houston Texans: 4-11
4. New York Jets: 4-11
5. New York Giants: 4-11
6. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
7. Carolina Panthers: 5-10
8. New York Giants (via Bears)
9. Washington Football Team: 6-9
10. Atlanta Falcons: 7-8
11. Denver Broncos: 7-8
12. Minnesota Vikings: 7-8
13. New Orleans Saints: 7-8
14. Cleveland Browns: 7-8
15. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-7-1
16. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-7
17. Las Vegas Raiders: 8-7
18. Baltimore Ravens: 8-7
19. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)*
20. Philadelphia Eagles: 8-7*
21. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)*
22. New England Patriots*
23. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)*
24. Arizona Cardinals: 10-5*
25. Buffalo Bills: 9-6*
26. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-6*
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11-4*
28. Detroit Lions (via Rams): 11-4*
29. Tennessee Titans: 10-5*
30. Dallas Cowboys: 11-4*
31. Kansas City Chiefs: 11-4*
32. Green Bay Packers: 12-3*

* = Playoffs

Ravens CB Anthony Averett Suffered Fractured Rib

The Ravens could be without one of their top defensive backs on Sunday against the Rams. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that cornerback Anthony Averett suffered a fractured rib yesterday and is unlikely to play this weekend.

The former fourth-round pick has stepped up for Baltimore this season, starting all 14 of his appearances. The 27-year-old has set career-highs across the board, collecting 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and three interceptions. Before being limited to only 11 snaps this weekend, Averett had appeared in at least 89 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in his first 13 appearances of the season.

The Ravens were already dealing with a long list of absences at the cornerback position before Averett went down with an injury. Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey are both out for the season, while Jimmy Smith and Chris Westry were on the reserve/COVID-19 list for yesterday’s game. Thanks in part to the depleted depth chart, the Ravens secondary allowed Joe Burrow to set a Bengals record with 525 passing yards.

Daryl Worley, who joined the Ravens practice squad last week, was forced into the lineup once Averett went down. The veteran could end up seeing more playing time if his teammates are sidelined for this weekend’s game.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/27/21

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/25-12/26/21

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Christmas and today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Steven Sims

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team