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Ravens, RB Latavius Murray Agree To Deal

September 10th, 2021 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have agreed to sign Latavius Murray (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). It’s a one-year deal for the running back, giving Baltimore yet another accomplished veteran in the backfield. 

The Ravens recently added Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman to their practice squad, giving them the most star-studded 16-man unit in the league. There’s no doubt that they needed the reinforcements after losing J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill to season-ending injuries. Now, they’ve got UDFA Ty’Son Williams, recent pickup Trenton Cannon, and Murray as their three RBs on the main roster.

Murray averaged 4.0 yards per carry in his two seasons as the Raiders’ primary starter. While he rushed for 12 touchdowns in 2016, Murray saw Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington eat into his workload. That led him to the Vikings in 2017 followed by a four-year, $14.4MM deal with the Saints in 2019.

Missing just one game during his two-year Saints stay, Murray totaled 1,293 rushing yards with the team. He scored eleven touchdowns as a Saint, filling in for an injured Alvin Kamara at times in both seasons. The Saints moved on from the 31-year-old earlier this week, but the Ravens were happy to put him to work.

Between Murray, Freeman, Bell, and quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens now employ four players with a 1,000+-yard rushing season on the resume.

Ravens Finalizing Deal With RB Latavius Murray

September 9th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens have been busy adding to their depleted running backs corps, and it sounds like the team is on the verge of adding another veteran. The team is “working on finalizing a deal” with free agent running back Latavius Murray, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Ravens To Sign RB Devonta Freeman]

Murray agreed to a four-year, $14.4MM deal with New Orleans in 2019, coming over from Minnesota to replace Mark Ingram as Kamara’s between-the-tackles sidekick. Missing just one game during his two-year Saints stay, Murray totaled 1,293 rushing yards with the team. He scored 11 touchdowns as a Saint, filling in for an injured Kamara for short stretches in both seasons, and provided a smooth transition from Ingram.

The Saints moved on from the 31-year-old earlier this week, allowing the veteran to sign anywhere. The team’s pay-cut request certainly came at a late juncture; Murray was set to make $2.95MM in base salary this season.

The Ravens have already lost a full depth chart of running backs, with J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill succumbing to season-ending injuries. The team recently added veterans Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman to their practice squad, pairing the duo with former UDFA Ty’Son Williams and recent free agent acquisition Trenton Cannon.

 

Ravens Fear ACL Tears For Marcus Peters, Gus Edwards

September 9th, 2021 at 7:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:12pm: Edwards’ ACL tear has been confirmed. Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Ravens running back indeed suffered the season-ending injury. The organization will soon have three RBs sitting on IR.

6:58pm: The Ravens will be without at least one of these starters this season. Peters’ MRI confirmed an ACL tear, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This will be the All-Pro corner’s first significant injury as a pro. Edwards’ tear has yet to be confirmed.

2:57pm: Injuries have already impacted the Ravens considerably coming into the season. Thursday’s practice brought more trouble. The team cut its workout short after Marcus Peters and Gus Edwards suffered knee injuries, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Peters and Edwards went down on consecutive plays, and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) team is concerned the maladies are severe. Indeed, the Ravens fear both players suffered ACL tears, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). Each is undergoing tests. Both injuries are believed to be of the non-contact variety, NFL.com’s Peter Schrager tweets.

Edwards is the last man standing among Baltimore’s running backs, at least among those on last year’s squad, while Peters is entering his third season as a key Baltimore starter. The Ravens have already lost starting running back J.K. Dobbins and third-year reserve Justice Hill for the season.

Baltimore is down to second-year UDFA Ty’Son Williams at running back. Williams, interestingly, has worked his way back from an ACL tear sustained during the 2019 season while at BYU. The Ravens signed veteran special-teamer Trenton Cannon on Wednesday and have Le’Veon Bell stashed on their practice squad. Both moves take on greater importance after this Edwards development.

The Ravens are already set to begin their season without first-round pick Rashod Bateman, who is on IR after suffering a groin injury that required surgery early in training camp. Edwards was set to be Baltimore’s starter, after three straight seasons of 700-plus rushing yards north of 5.0 yards per carry. The Ravens extended the former UDFA back on a three-year, $12.38MM deal earlier this summer.

Peters signed a three-year, $42MM extension near the end of his first season in Maryland. He has been the NFL’s top turnover producer during his six-year NFL tenure. The former Chiefs first-round pick and Rams Super Bowl starter is going into his age-28 season. In 23 Raven games, Peters already has seven interceptions and four forced fumbles. Peters’ deal runs through 2022.

Beyond Bell and Cannon, the Ravens could certainly reach out to Latavius Murray, whom the Saints just released after he refused a pay cut. Todd Gurley is also available, joining Kerryon Johnson, Lamar Miller, Alfred Morris and Adrian Peterson in that regard. Replacing Peters would be much tougher for the franchise. The Ravens do possess some cornerback depth, however, with 11th-year veteran Jimmy Smith still in place behind boundary starters Peters and Marlon Humphrey. Smith, however, missed a few weeks of practice after suffering a sprained ankle during camp.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/21

September 9th, 2021 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Ted Larsen

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Ravens To Sign RB Devonta Freeman

September 9th, 2021 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens are moving quickly at running back. After Gus Edwards suffered a potentially serious knee injury in practice Thursday, the Ravens agreed to add Devonta Freeman to their practice squad, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Freeman joined Le’Veon Bell in working out for the team Monday. The Ravens added Bell to their taxi squad Wednesday, and although the team signed Bell first, Schefter adds Freeman is expected to be the back promoted to Baltimore’s active roster first.

Edwards is feared to have suffered a torn ACL. This setback follows J.K. Dobbins‘ ACL tear and Justice Hill‘s Achilles tear. Each injury occurred within the past three weeks, depleting the run-dependent team’s backfield. Should Freeman be bumped up to Baltimore’s active roster ahead of Week 1, he will join second-year UDFA Ty’Son Williams and recent free agent acquisition Trenton Cannon.

Injuries have affected Freeman’s career as well. After the former Falcons starter missed 14 games due to knee and groin ailments in 2018, an ankle injury limited him to five games last season with the Giants. Last season, Freeman rushed for 172 yards on 54 carries. In 2019, he managed just 656 at 3.6 yards per tote. The two-time Pro Bowler has not submitted much in the way of quality since the 2018 injuries, but the Ravens present an interesting opportunity as a run-centric team in a desperate situation.

Both Ravens practice squad backs have not shown much since 2017, when Bell completed the second of his All-Pro seasons, even though they carry unusually high profiles for P-squad cogs. Freeman’s two 1,000-yard seasons came in 2015 and ’16, and the Falcons rewarded him with a deal that at the time marked the top running back contract. Like Bell, Freeman is 29. Each will aim to join Williams as Baltimore ball carriers in a skeleton-crew backfield.

Ravens Sign RB Trenton Cannon, Waive RB Justice Hill

September 8th, 2021 at 6:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following a season-ending Achilles tear, Justice Hill will be available on the waiver wire. The Ravens waived the third-year running back with an injury designation Wednesday.

While Hill is technically on the wire, he is expected to stay with the Ravens. The former fourth-round pick would revert to Baltimore’s injured reserve if unclaimed. This development is often a precursor to an injury settlement taking place, removing the player from IR, but it sounds like the Ravens are preparing to carry Hill on their injured list this season. Two years remain on Hill’s rookie deal.

Baltimore moved Hill off its roster and added another back in his place. Trenton Cannon agreed to terms with the Ravens and is now on the team’s active roster. The Panthers waived Cannon last week, having claimed Royce Freeman — a player the Ravens attempted to claim. Baltimore’s active-roster running back contingent now consists of Gus Edwards, Ty’Son Williams and Cannon.

A sixth-round Jets pick in 2018, Cannon wound up with the Panthers last year and contributed mostly as a kick returner. Cannon also played 40% of the Panthers’ special teams snaps last season. Despite Christian McCaffrey‘s injury, Cannon took just 10 handoffs in 14 games with Carolina. He logged 38 carries as a Jets rookie.

The Cannon move comes a day after the Ravens added Le’Veon Bell to their practice squad. Bell makes more sense as a Baltimore backfield contributor this season, with Hill and J.K. Dobbins out, but Cannon as of now occupies the team’s No. 3 tailback slot.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/8/21

September 8th, 2021 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: LB Nate Gerry
  • Released: OL Corbin Kaufusi

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: TE DeShon Williams

Ravens To Sign RB Le’Veon Bell

September 7th, 2021 at 5:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Le’Veon Bell will move to the other side of one of the NFL’s top rivalries. After years with the Steelers, the former All-Pro running back agreed to terms with the Ravens on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Bell, whose Jets and Chiefs stints were far less successful, received a workout opportunity with the Ravens on Monday. Baltimore has lost J.K. Dobbins and Justice Hill for the season. The Ravens, who auditioned Bell and Devonta Freeman, will bring in the former to help fill the void.

Interestingly, this is a practice squad agreement. While Bell figures to be bumped up to Baltimore’s active roster, he will join the team’s 16-man taxi squad for the time being.

This will be Bell’s age-29 season, and he is not heading to Maryland with much momentum. The accomplished back’s four-year, $52.5MM deal quickly created a sunk cost for the Jets, who dropped him midway through the 2020 season. The Chiefs added Bell soon after and used him sporadically during the regular season’s stretch run. Kansas City then made Bell a healthy scratch in two of its three playoff games, including Super Bowl LV.

In Pittsburgh, Bell was one of the NFL’s best backs. He stampeded to first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2014 and ’17, helping the Steelers assemble one of the NFL’s best offenses for a lengthy stretch in the 2010s. Although Bell’s 2018 holdout decision and subsequent Pittsburgh exit essentially serves as a line of demarcation for his career, the Ravens present an interesting redemption opportunity.

Baltimore boasts the NFL’s top rushing attack and does not have any proven backs behind new starter Gus Edwards. Second-year UDFA Ty’Son Williams has impressed this offseason, but the losses of Dobbins and Hill created an immediate need for the team.

Ravens Work Out Le’Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman

September 6th, 2021 at 7:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens’ running back search is underway. After losing Justice Hill to a torn Achilles, the Ravens auditioned running backs Le’Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman, and Elijah Holyfield, per the league’s official list.

[RELATED: Ravens’ Hill Done For Year]

Bell is undoubtedly eager to prove that he still has upper-echelon ability. He did not record a 20-yard run as a Jet or as a Chief. Bell’s most recent 100-yard rushing game came in 2017, during his Steelers heyday. In Pittsburgh, Bell posted 1,800-plus scrimmage yards three times en route to the 2014 and ’17 All-Pro teams. He added three 75-catch seasons in that span, so he could provide Lamar Jackson with an intriguing short-range option.

Freeman is also out to prove that he’s more than just a name at this stage of his career. The former Pro Bowler ended up with the Giants last year and averaged just 3.2 yards per carry on 54 totes. The Saints picked him up towards the end of July, but his New Orleans run ended after just one month.

Defensive tackle Reginald McKenzie and quarterback Kenji Bahar also worked out for the Ravens on Monday. And, in other Ravens news, they’ve locked up standout tight end Mark Andrews on a four-year, $56MM deal.

Ravens’ Justice Hill Done For Year

September 6th, 2021 at 7:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens running back Justice Hill tore his Achilles at a recent practice (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Hill is out for the year, leaving the Ravens with only two healthy RBs.

[RELATED: Ravens Sign Mark Andrews To $56MM Extension]

It’s been a rough stretch for the Ravens, who just lost starter J.K. Dobbins for the year. With Dobbins out, Hill was slated to serve as the No. 2 RB behind starter Gus Edwards. Now, they’re left with Edwards, UDFA Ty’Son Williams, and no other options currently on the practice squad.

Hill, 24 in November, ran for 225 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Last year, he saw just 12 carries for 60 yards in the Ravens’ crowded backfield — 5.0 ypc in an admittedly small sample size. Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait until next year to retake the field.

Hill’s injury would help to explain the Ravens’ recent interest in Royce Freeman. The Panthers beat them out on the waiver wire, but it stands to reason that the Ravens will add another experienced tailback soon.

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