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Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

Ravens CB Chris Westry Suffers Torn Meniscus

September 16th, 2021 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

The injuries keep coming for the Ravens. Cornerback Chris Westry is expected to miss at least a month after suffering a torn lateral meniscus, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (and passed along by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley).

Westry, a former undrafted free agent, ended up playing the third-most snaps among Ravens cornerbacks on Sunday, collecting three tackles. The team was already relying on the bottom of their depth chart after losing cornerback Marcus Peters to a season-ending injury, and Westry’s latest injury is only going to make matters worse.

Thanks to their depleted cornerbacks depth, the team is naturally looking for reinforcement at the position. Earlier this week, Hensley tweets that the Ravens worked out four cornerbacks, including Buster Skrine, Daryl Worley, Winston Rose, and Grant Haley. That’s a mix of experience and youth, and the team will presumably add one cornerback to their active roster sooner than later (the organization already added Kevon Seymour to their practice squad).

While this latest injury is certainly frustrating, Ravens fans have probably come to expect it by now. Per Hensley, the Ravens have already placed 15 players on IR this year, including nine players over the past 24 days.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/21

September 16th, 2021 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New York Giants

New York Jets

Ravens Promote RB Devonta Freeman

September 16th, 2021 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are promoting running back Devonta Freeman to the 53-man roster (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Freeman, who joined the practice squad last week, will be eligible to play against the Chiefs on Sunday night.

Freeman is far removed from his best work at this point, but the Ravens will hope for the best as RB room has been decimated by injuries. Freeman, of course, has been derailed by injuries of his own. The former Falcons star missed 14 games due to knee and groin ailments in 2018. In 2019, he managed just 3.6 yards per tote. Then, last year, an ankle injury limited him to five games with the Giants. His final line in blue: 54 carries, 172 yards, and a 3.2 ypc.

The two-time Pro Bowler will at least have an opportunity to turn back the clock. The Ravens’ once-stacked RB group is now without J.K. Dobbins (ACL tear), Gus Edwards (ACL tear), and Justice Hill (Achilles tear). Freeman will likely operate as their No. 3 RB this week behind UDFA Ty’Son Williams and fellow vet Latavius Murray.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/21

September 15th, 2021 at 5:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

49ers Add RB Trenton Cannon

September 15th, 2021 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have claimed Trenton Cannon off of waivers from the Ravens (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Cannon will help to fortify the Niners’ running back group in the wake of Raheem Mostert‘s season-ending injury.

[RELATED: Raheem Mostert Out For Year]

The Niners also picked up Kerryon Johnson this week, adding him to their 16-man practice squad. Cannon might not be as big of a name, but he offers experience and special teams ability.

A sixth-round Jets pick in 2018, Cannon wound up with the Panthers last year and contributed mostly as a kick returner. He played on 40% of the Panthers’ special teams snaps in 2020. This all overlapped with Christian McCaffrey‘s injury, but Cannon took just ten handoffs in 14 games with Carolina, less than his 38 totes as a Jets rookie.

The Ravens turned to Cannon in the wake of their own backfield injury bug. They may look for additional RB help as Cannon moves on to his new club. He’ll have his chance to debut for SF on Sunday when they face the Eagles in Philadelphia.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/15/21

September 15th, 2021 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s taxi squad moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Ravens Place OL Tyre Phillips On IR

September 14th, 2021 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens finished Monday night’s overtime loss without Tyre Phillips, and they will be without their starting left guard going forward. Baltimore placed Phillips on IR Tuesday.

A knee injury led to Phillips being carted off Monday, and he will join some high-profile teammates on IR. The Ravens are already down J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Rashod Bateman on offense. It remains to be seen if Phillips’ injury will allow him to make a return in his second season.

A third-round pick out of Mississippi State last year, Phillips started eight games for the Ravens as a rookie. The 331-pound blocker won the team’s left guard job to start this season, playing opposite free agent acquisition Kevin Zeitler. Ben Powers replaced Phillips in the Ravens’ lineup Monday, but the team also has third-round rookie Ben Cleveland on its active roster. The Ravens traded guard Ben Bredeson to the Giants just before the season.

Additionally, the Ravens waived Trenton Cannon on Tuesday. The team brought in the ex-Jets and Panthers special-teamer and used him as a ball-carrier Monday night. Cannon received two carries, playing behind Ty’Son Williams and Latavius Murray. The Ravens, however, have higher-profile backs Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman on their practice squad.

Ravens, Marlon Humphrey Rework Contract

September 14th, 2021 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have some extra cash to work with, thanks to star cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Now, $2.254MM of his base salary has been reclassified as a signing bonus, carving out roughly $1.8M in cap space (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 

[RELATED: Ravens, Lamar Jackson Still In Talks]

Humphrey, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft, inked a five-year, $98.75MM extension with the Ravens last fall. Still only 25, he’s fresh off of back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, plus a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2019. In ’19, he started nearly every game for the Ravens as he notched three interceptions and three fumble recoveries, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Last year, he registered 82 stops, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and a league-leading eight forced fumbles.

Humphrey and the Ravens dropped the season opener to the Raiders, falling 33-27. They’ll try to get back on the right track this Sunday when they take on the Chiefs in Baltimore.

Ravens, Lamar Jackson Still In Talks

September 13th, 2021 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens and Lamar Jackson are still in active discussions about a contract extension, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. However, no deal has materialized yet as Jackson remains focused on the season ahead.

Jackson does not have an agent representing him, which probably isn’t helping with the pace of negotiations. A deal could be struck during the season, Schefter hears, but that’ll probably happen at a juncture when the quarterback can devote more attention to the talks. Baltimore’s bye week falls on Week 8 this year, so we could see a deal come together in late October.

Bills QB Josh Allen has given the two sides a framework, at least. His six-year extension is worth $258MM with $150MM in overall guarantees and a record $100MM fully guaranteed at signing. Jackson could soon knock him off of his perch. For now, the 24-year-old superstar is due just $1.78MM in base salary this season.

Jackson has said he is not overly concerned if the extension becomes finalized this year or in 2022. Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins played out their low-priced rookie deal fourth years, leading to franchise-tagged seasons. However, other young QBs like Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill (2015), Derek Carr(2017), Carson Wentz and Jared Goff (2019), Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson (2020) opted against playing on their rookie pacts beyond Year 3.

Meanwhile, Jackson is all biz and focused on the task at hand. He’ll look to start 2021 with a win against the Raiders later today.

Ravens Place Nick Boyle On IR

September 10th, 2021 at 11:55am CST by Zachary Links

Another one down for the Ravens. On Friday, the team placed tight end Nick Boyle on short-term injured reserve. 

[RELATED: Ravens To Sign Murray]

Boyle is still healing up from the knee injury he suffered in November of last year. He also had microscopic surgery on the knee recently, but that only elongated his rehab. The good news is that Boyle is expected to return this year. The league’s short-term IR list allows for players to return after three games and that’s a feasible timetable, per head coach John Harbaugh.

“[We just want to] get his knee right, get his body right,” Harbaugh told reporters on Friday. “We expect him to be back Week 4, Week 5, somewhere in there, whenever he gets back.”

It’s just the latest blow to an offense that’s already without running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Without Boyle, the Ravens will be leaning more on tight ends Mark Andrews and Eric Tomlinson, though Tomlinson is more of a blocker than a pass catcher, and not as strong of a protector as Boyle.

Boyle’s best season as a receiver came in 2019, when he had 31 catches for 321 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens have him under contract through 2023 thanks to the two-year, $13MM extension he inked back in January.

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