Ravens To Re-Sign L.J. Fort
L.J. Fort isn’t going anywhere. The Ravens will be keeping the inside linebacker in the fold with a new contract, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets.
Financial terms weren’t immediately released, but Zrebiec reports it’s a one-year deal for Fort. Fort played a significant role in Baltimore’s defense last year, appearing in 14 games and starting eight. He finished with 53 tackles, two passes defended, and two fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown) while playing less than half the snaps in a rotational role.
Fort has had an interesting career path, as he originally entered the league as an UDFA with the Browns back in 2012. He made the team and played in all 16 games for Cleveland as a rookie, then appeared in only one more regular season game after that until 2016.
After bouncing around a few practice squads he eventually found a home with the Steelers. He signed with the Ravens early in the 2019 season, and started eight games for them. He was handed a two-year, $5.5MM extension in November of that year, but at the beginning of 2020 the team declined his 2021 option which made him a free agent this spring.
Ravens To Sign WR Sammy Watkins
After making multiple offers to big-name wide receivers, the Ravens will soon have one under contract. Sammy Watkins agreed to terms with the Ravens on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The former Bills, Rams and Chiefs wideout will sign a one-year deal worth $6MM, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noting (via Twitter) the deal will include $5MM fully guaranteed. This will signal a major shift for Watkins, earnings- and scheme-wise.
Baltimore has been hunting high-profile wideouts for a bit now. The Ravens offered more money to JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton, only to see those players opt to re-sign with the Steelers and Colts, respectively. Kenny Golladay also landed on the Ravens’ radar, but the ex-Lions target received a big-ticket offer from the Giants and committed to New York. The Ravens hosted Watkins on a visit, and the talented but injury-prone pass catcher will head to Baltimore to join an offense in need of aerial help.
Watkins will pair with Marquise Brown on the NFL’s run-heaviest offense. It will certainly represent a change for the former No. 4 overall pick, who operated as the No. 2 receiver on one of the most explosive passing attacks in NFL history. The Chiefs were interested in keeping Watkins, but it did not sound like re-signing him was a must for the two-time reigning AFC champions. Watkins signed a monster accord with the Chiefs in 2018 — a three-year, $48MM deal that affected the NFL’s wideout market — and delivered in spurts, even though he did not end up living up to that lofty contract.
The Chiefs received some crucial Watkins contributions in the playoffs, with the former Clemson star surpassing 75 receiving yards in four of the six postseason games he played with Kansas City. However, Watkins also missed time due to injury in each of his three seasons in Missouri, sitting out 14 regular-season games as a Chief. He missed two playoff games this past season as well and has not topped 700 receiving yards in a season since 2015, when he compiled a career-high 1,047 — in a Bills run-heavy offense featuring Tyrod Taylor.
Still, Watkins is only heading into his age-28 season and will provide a high-end talent for a Ravens offense that has been limited at receiver since Lamar Jackson took the reins in 2018. It should not be ruled out Baltimore will further address the position in the draft, but after the team struck out on acquiring veteran starters, Watkins will lessen the burden on the front office to land a proven receiver.
Ravens Offered T.Y. Hilton More Than Colts
After a report emerged indicating the Ravens out-offered the Steelers for JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes the team also submitted T.Y. Hilton a better offer than the Colts did (video link).
Hilton agreed to stay with the Colts on a one-year, $8MM pact. All $8MM is guaranteed, with the Colts including $2MM in incentives. The 31-year-old wide receiver has spent his entire career in Indianapolis and will now team with a fourth starting quarterback in four years, agreeing to become perhaps the centerpiece target of a Carson Wentz-led attack.
The four-time Pro Bowler said he was on the cusp of becoming a Raven, being dissatisfied with a Colts offer as late as Wednesday afternoon. A Jim Irsay call helped influence Hilton to stay in Indianapolis.
“I was almost gone. Five seconds away, man. That was it,” Hilton said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show of his prospects of joining the Ravens (via Fox 59’s Mike Chappell). “I’ve been talking to (the Ravens) the whole time. They came in and made a great push at the end and they wanted to get it done.”
Baltimore’s offer may have exceeded Indy’s by a notable amount, with Hilton saying he would have “made more money the day I signed (with the Ravens) than my whole contract with Indy.” Hilton committed to picking a destination Wednesday and said he was set to move on after hearing what may have been the Colts’ penultimate offer.
“I’ve been texting Chris Ballard the while time,” Hilton said. “By 2:30, I’m like, ‘By 3:00, I’m signing somewhere. Wherever it’s at, I’m signing.’ Then 2:55 I got off the phone with Chris and I’m like, ‘Are we going to get this thing done? How can we get this done?’
“… I’m like, ‘It’s all right. I guess it’s good for me to go to this next team. As soon as I close his message, Irsay texted me.”
It is unclear how big the gap between the Baltimore and Indianapolis offers was, but Hilton’s decision represents a win for a Colts team that featured a void at receiver. As a result of the Colts’ 11th-hour push to keep their nine-year weapon, the Ravens’ receiver deficiency remains.
The Ravens were not expected to be aggressive for a No. 1 wide receiver, but their actions have shown they want a veteran to join their Marquise Brown-led group. They pursued Kenny Golladay and offered Smith-Schuster $9MM, with $4MM through incentives. That offer topped Pittsburgh’s. Both players committed elsewhere. Sammy Watkins is also on Baltimore’s radar, having visited last week. Watkins also visited the Colts but remains a free agent.
Baltimore has missed out on most of the big-name targets. It should not be considered a surprise that veteran receivers are not especially eager to become part of the NFL’s run-heaviest offense. John Harbaugh said in January the Ravens would love to add at this position but indicated the team’s winning culture, not its propensity (or lack thereof) for helping receivers to big numbers, would be what drove wideouts to Baltimore. So far, this year’s top available wideouts have been unwilling to sign on.
Since the Ravens retooled their offense around Lamar Jackson, they have made the playoffs three times and re-established themselves as an AFC power. However, their passing attack ranked last in 2020 and 27th in 2019. While Brown did improve in his second season, compiling 769 receiving yards, the team has sought bigger-name players to join him. The Ravens, as they did when they acquired Brown and Miles Boykin, may need to look to the draft to upgrade at receiver. In addition to Watkins, Golden Tate, Adam Humphries and Dede Westbrook are some of the names available. Antonio Brown, Marquise’s cousin that was connected to the Ravens last year, is still unsigned as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Geno Stone
Houston Texans
- Re-Signed: LS Jon Weeks
- Released: LS Anthony Kukwa
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: WR Mack Hollins
New England Patriots
- Released: LB Cassh Maluia, LB Michael Pinckney
New York Jets
- Released: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: WR Deontay Burnett
Washington Football Team
- Re-Signed: CB Danny Johnson, LB Jared Norris
Sammy Watkins To Visit Ravens
The Ravens could be close to making a big addition to their receiving room. Sammy Watkins is on his way to Baltimore to visit with the team, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
We initially heard right before the Super Bowl that there was mutual interest between Watkins and the Chiefs on a new deal, but then a few weeks ago Kansas City GM Brett Veach made it sound like it’d be hard to work financially, and obviously nothing has materialized. Before this, we haven’t heard of much interest in Watkins since free agency opened as the receiver market was slow to develop initially.
Things appear to be picking up though, with Kenny Golladay and Will Fuller both signing in recent days, and Watkins could be the next domino to fall. As Rapoport points out, the Ravens have been looking to add a wideout in free agency as their group of pass-catchers for Lamar Jackson last year was a bit underwhelming.
Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that there are a couple of connections on Baltimore’s staff. Ravens pass game specialist Keith Williams has been Watkins’ personal receivers coach, and Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached Watkins in Buffalo.
Baltimore reportedly offered JuJu Smith-Schuster more money, but he chose to re-sign with the Steelers instead. The fourth overall pick of the 2014 draft, Watkins has never quite lived up to his potential but he’s capable of being a very solid player when healthy. In a down year in 2020, he had 37 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns across ten games. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear anything more.
Ravens Interested In Kenny Golladay
Kenny Golladay is still on the market, but things could be heating up. The Ravens have reached out to the Lions’ free agent receiver, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Kenny Golladay Met With Bears]
Hamstring and hip injuries limited Golladay to just five games last year. But, in 2019, Golladay averaged an NFL-high 18.3 yards per catch, and that was without Matthew Stafford in the lineup for much of that season.
The Bears met with Golladay on Wednesday night, despite having deployed the franchise tag on Allen Robinson. The standout wide receiver also talked to the Giants, though it’s not clear if head coach Joe Judge is on board given Golladay’s clashes with coaches in Detroit. The Bengals were said to have submitted an offer recently too, but things have been oddly quiet for one of this year’s top free agents.
The Ravens’ offense is largely anchored by the ground game, but Golladay would give Lamar Jackson & Co. a bonafide deep threat. Even if Jackson isn’t the most accurate passer in the league, Golladay has the wingspan and catch radius to make up for it.
Of course, it’s possible that these talks were more exploratory than anything. It would behoove Golladay’s camp to play up the Baltimore talk – perhaps in an effort to eek more money out of the Giants.
Ravens Acquire TE Josh Oliver From Jaguars
The Jaguars have agreed to trade tight end Josh Oliver to the Ravens in exchange for a conditional draft pick, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter).
Jacksonville selected Oliver in the third round of the 2019 draft, so the club had reasonably high hopes for him. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to shake the injury bug. He got his first start as a pro in Week 11 of the 2019 campaign, but he sustained small fractures in his back during that game and missed the rest of the season. Then, last August, he underwent surgery on a broken bone in his foot and missed all of 2020.
So the San Jose State product has played a grand total of four games in his NFL career and has three catches to his credit. Still, he turns 24 in just a few days and is controllable through 2022, and his size, athleticism, and upside make him an intriguing buy-low candidate for the Ravens.
Baltimore relies heavily on its tight ends, so even with Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle ahead of him on the depth chart, Oliver should have some opportunities in the Ravens’ offense. Boyle has developed a reputation as one of the best blocking TEs in the game, but he has also become a reliable target for quarterback Lamar Jackson, and his presence was sorely missed when a knee injury knocked him out for the season in November. So, if nothing else, Oliver will be worthwhile depth.
Derek Wolfe, Ravens Agree To Terms
5:15pm: These talks will lead to a contract agreement. The Ravens are bringing back Wolfe and will do so on a multiyear deal this year. Wolfe will sign a three-year, $12MM deal to stay in Baltimore, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets.
4:59pm: Derek Wolfe may be on track to securing a second contract agreement with the Ravens. The veteran defensive lineman indicated he is close to re-signing with the Ravens, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets.
The Ravens have lost their top two edge rushers from last season, with Matt Judon going to the Patriots and Yannick Ngakoue committing to the Raiders. But they still have Calais Campbell under contract and made moves to retain their backup edges — Pernell McPhee and Tyus Bowser — and appear to have a second Wolfe deal in sight.
A Broncos starter for eight seasons, Wolfe moved on to the Ravens last season. He started eight games, playing 58% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps. The 2021 season will be Wolfe’s age-31 campaign.
Wolfe played a key role for the Broncos’ Super Bowl champion defense but was not prioritized in Denver last year. It appears the Ravens view the run defender/inside pass rusher as an important cog as they attempt to reconstruct their pass rush.
Ravens Re-Sign Tyus Bowser
The Ravens have re-signed outside linebacker Tyus Bowser to a four-year deal, $22MM deal, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. With incentives, the pact could be worth as much as $27MM. A healthy portion of the contract — $12MM — is guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Patriots Sign Ravens’ Judon]
The deal gives Bowser some long-term security while helping the Ravens to maintain at least some consistency heading into 2021. Earlier this week, the Ravens lost star edge rusher Matt Judon when he agreed to a four-year, $56MM deal with the Patriots. Meanwhile, outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue left to join up with the Raiders on a two-year, $26MM contract. And, just moments ago, Jihad Ward agreed to follow his former position coach to Jacksonville.
Bowser enjoyed the best season of his career in 2020. All in all, he registered 34 tackles, two sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and three interceptions. Bowser wasn’t the biggest name of the bunch, but he had plenty of suitors in free agency. Despite the other offers, he’s said all along that he wanted to remain with the Ravens.
“You just see the depth and the talent that we have,” Bowser told 105.7 The Fan recently.” You just see the job that not only [longtime GM] Ozzie [Newsome] but [GM] Eric DeCosta have done drafting linebackers these past few years. You just see it working out for a lot of those gigs. They’re put in a position to make money and prove themselves as who they are in this league. I’m definitely thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this organization and be in the position where I am now.”
Ravens Re-Sign LB Chris Board
The Ravens just let Matt Judon walk to the Patriots, but they’re retaining a different linebacker. Baltimore has re-signed Chris Board to a one-year deal, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The deal is worth “up to” $2.68MM, and Board will be getting over $1.6MM guaranteed to sign. As Pelissero refers to, the team didn’t tender Board as a restricted free agent but now he’ll actually have the opportunity to make a little more than he would’ve under a tender.
An UDFA out of North Dakota State in 2018, Board made the 53-man roster as a rookie and played on special teams. This past year he earned a real role on defense, starting two games and playing almost 25 percent of the defensive snaps. He finished with 31 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a pass defended, and a forced fumble.