Ravens Not Expected To Sign No. 1 WR
- Ravens GM Eric DeCosta did not seem to view the addition of a No. 1-type wide receiver as critical this offseason, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com adds that the team is not expected to spring for one. The Ravens have young players Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin under contract, but Hensley notes the team is unlikely to bring back Willie Snead. Signing a second-tier wideout does not sound out of the question, with several intriguing names available and more potentially coming via the cap-casualty route soon. But Baltimore’s run-oriented offense will make going the free agency route at this position more complicated. The team ranked last in wide receiver receptions (137) last season.
Ravens To Extend DT Justin Ellis
Justin Ellis reached an agreement Wednesday to stay with the Ravens. The veteran defensive tackle will remain in Baltimore on a one-year deal, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets.
The former Raiders draftee will earn $1.2MM on his latest Ravens accord; $400K of that is guaranteed, per Anderson. This marks Ellis’ third Ravens pact. This one will mark a slight bump from the 2020 contract Ellis inked.
Initially arriving in Baltimore as a late-season addition in 2019, Ellis re-signed to stay in Maryland last March. He played in 13 games in 2020 and started three, serving as a key role player for the Ravens. Ellis’ age-30 season included a 34% defensive snap rate — his highest usage since the 2017 slate.
The Raiders ended Ellis’ five-plus-year stay in 2019, reaching an injury settlement with him midway through the season. The team had previously signed him to a three-year extension. The former fourth-round pick has done well to craft a rebound effort with the Ravens.
Ravens To Let Judon, Ngakoue Walk?
After featuring two franchise-tagged edge defenders last season, the Ravens’ pass rush may be in for considerable change in 2021. A sizable chunk of their outside linebacker contributors from 2020 are free agents, and the top two may be set for free agency for the first time.
The Ravens retained Matt Judon via the franchise tag last year and traded for Yannick Ngakoue, who received the tag from the Jaguars before being shipped to the Vikings. Baltimore may let both free agents go, with Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com noting the team is expected to part ways with Ngakoue and will not re-sign Judon.
This would be quite the shakeup for the Ravens, but sticking to a price point with edge rushers is not out of character for the team. Baltimore let Paul Kruger, Pernell McPhee and Za’Darius Smith walk in recent years and said goodbye to Terrell Suggs in 2019 as well. The team also did not match the Jets’ market-resetting offer for off-ball ‘backer C.J. Mosley two years ago.
It would cost the Ravens just more than $20MM to franchise Judon for a second time. Judon said earlier this year a Ravens return would need to line up perfectly, and the longtime Baltimore contributor looks set to be a first-time free agent. It will come at a key point, with the ex-Division II standout set to turn 29 this year. Judon has been a key Ravens rusher over the past four seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two. Although the former fifth-round pick does not have a 10-sack season on his resume, he posted 33 QB hits in 2019.
Ngakoue moving on would be less surprising. He recorded three regular-season sacks as a Raven but played sparingly in the team’s two playoff games. This will be the former third-round pick’s first go-round in free agency. The former Jaguars standout will only turn 26 this year.
McPhee has since returned to the Ravens, agreeing to two one-year pacts after each of the past two drafts. The 10-year veteran would like to stay in Baltimore, and Hensley views that scenario as realistic. Tyus Bowser may also be in play to return on a low-cost deal. Derek Wolfe is also a free agent, but the longtime Broncos defensive lineman also wants to re-sign with the Ravens. The team would like the 30-year-old defender back as well, Hensley adds. Still, Judon and Ngakoue departing would create a major need for the team going into free agency.
Pernell McPhee Wants To Stay With Ravens
Pernell McPhee wants to extend the latest chapter of his career. After leaving Baltimore as a big-ticket free agent signing several years ago, the veteran pass rusher has resurfaced with his original NFL team as a rotational player. He would like to continue to do so.
The Ravens have nearly their entire edge rusher contingent due for free agency. McPhee joins higher-profile cogs Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue as a free agent-to-be, with Tyus Bowser also on track to hit the market come March.
“Of course, the plan is to come back to Baltimore and continue to play some ball, help win a championship and build a dynasty,” McPhee said, via Clifton Brown of BaltimoreRavens.com. “That’s the goal. Myself and my agent haven’t really talked about it yet. I’ve been chilling, taking care of my body. I’ll think about things, but my thought is really just on coming back.”
After battling injuries with the Bears, McPhee returned to the Ravens in 2019. He re-signed on another one-year deal last year. Both accords occurred after those years’ respective drafts. This past season, McPhee served as a starter alongside Judon and matched Ngakoue’s Ravens total with three sacks. McPhee, 32, has recorded three sacks in back-to-back seasons. Last year, however, he posted 15 quarterback hits — his top mark since 2015. He also outsnapped Ngakoue in Baltimore’s divisional-round game.
The 10-year veteran could be a lower-cost option for the Ravens to retain. It would cost just more than $20MM for the team to use its franchise tag on Judon for a second straight year, and Ngakoue figures to have a big market as a first-time free agent. Considering their situation, McPhee’s desire to return might be something to capitalize on as the franchise attempts to craft a new pass-rushing plan.
No Talks Between Ravens, Lamar Jackson?
The Ravens are said to be far apart in extension talks with Lamar Jackson. According to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT, those discussions haven’t actually started yet. 
[RELATED: Ravens, Jackson Far Apart?]
Often times, conflicting reports like these are a matter of semantics. Do broader conversations about years/dollars qualify as negotiations? That depends on who you ask. But, as Florio notes, Jackson does not have an agent, so it’s hard to imagine that the Ravens have gotten especially deep in talks.
As it stands, Jackson is set to make just $1.77MM this year. In 2022, per the new collective bargaining agreement, his fifth-year option will be equivalent to the quarterback transition tender for 2021. Jackson triggered that by making a Pro Bowl. The QB transition tender was worth $21.75MM last year. This year, after the cap reduction, it should still fall somewhere near $20MM.
The higher value of the fifth-year option gives Jackson some additional leverage. It’s likely that he’ll seek a deal in the range of Deshaun Watson‘s four-year, $156MM extension. Watson’s pact gave him a $39MM average annual value and included a healthy $73MM guaranteed at signing. But, as of this writing, it sounds like the two sides have yet to truly engage.
Dez Bryant Doesn’t Want To Return To Ravens
Dez Bryant wants to continue playing, but he doesn’t want to move forward with Baltimore. Recently, the wide receiver expressed frustration with the Ravens on social media and indicated that he’ll be heading elsewhere. 
“I realized quick Baltimore wasn’t the place for me,” Bryant tweeted. “No bad blood. That’s their way of doing things so you gotta respect it.”
Bryant, who will turn 33 during the 2021 season, had a grand total of six grabs for 47 yards and two touchdowns for Baltimore. After a long layoff, Bryant was hardly featured in the Ravens’ offense across six games. No one expected Bryant to leapfrog Marquise Brown in the pecking order, but the longtime Cowboys star apparently hoped to be on a par with Miles Boykin and Willie Snead IV. He was not, and he feels that his lack of experience with the Ravens’ playbook played a role.
“My chemistry [with quarterback Lamar Jackson] was good on and off the field. But it was guys there before me who understood the offensive concepts better than me,” Bryant said. “You can’t jeopardize that.”
The Ravens seem to agree. Wanting to get younger at the position, the Ravens will allow Bryant to explore new opportunities in March.
Ravens, Jackson Far Apart On Extension?
John Harbaugh said the Ravens will explore an extension with Lamar Jackson either this year or next. It looks like the sides are already talking.
The Ravens and their MVP quarterback have begun discussing a new deal, but Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes the sides are far apart at this juncture. Jackson, who became extension-eligible in January, is due just a $1.77MM base salary in 2021. The Ravens will surely pick up his fifth-year option by May, locking him down through 2022.
Since taking the reins of Baltimore’s offense midway through his rookie season, Jackson has played the centerpiece role in the team’s ascent in that time. The Ravens missed the playoffs from 2015-17, and while they have assembled high-end defenses during Jackson’s years, his historically elite rushing talents and improvement as a passer have re-established the team as an AFC power. Some factors could work against a Jackson deal being done soon, though.
While it would make sense for Jackson to secure an extension ahead of making that low-end base salary this season, a few recent quarterback re-ups have gone quite poorly. Carson Wentz and Jared Goff both regressed after signing big-ticket extensions ahead of their fourth seasons. They are now on other teams, with the trades forcing the Eagles and Rams to eat record-setting dead-money sums. A clear Jackson peer, Deshaun Watson has requested a trade less than six months after signing a $39MM-per-year Texans extension. That development figures to at least give teams pause. On the other end of this, the Cowboys’ near-two-year run of negotiations with Dak Prescott has driven up the QB’s price immensely.
Watson’s deal would make sense as a floor for Jackson, even though the former has shown far more as a passer to this point. The imminent salary cap reduction has long been expected to be a one-year blip, and the anticipated run of TV deals should do plenty to boost the 2022-and-beyond caps. Jackson and Josh Allen stand to benefit. And the Bills’ talks with their quarterback, expected this year, will pertain to Jackson. Allen has not offered as much consistency as Jackson, though the Buffalo passer rocketed onto his 2018 draft classmate’s level with a dominant 2020 season. Both QBs entering their fourth seasons will tie together their respective negotiations.
The Ravens have already extended two other cornerstone players — Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey — but they have a key issue at edge rusher to navigate soon. Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue are free agents; so are two key backups. Baltimore also has an extra year to negotiate with Jackson; the team does not have that luxury with Mark Andrews, a third-round pick entering a contract year. Jackson, though, represents this puzzle’s biggest piece. His talks with the Ravens will be a key NFL matter in the coming weeks/months.
Ravens’ Orlando Brown Exploring Trades
Orlando Brown‘s left tackle-or-bust quest has led the three-year Ravens starter to request a trade. The Ravens are listening to offers for the 24-year-old blocker, and Brown’s camp is now looking into potential destinations.
Brown’s representatives have begun exploring trades, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, who adds the Ravens are aware of their right tackle’s plans (Twitter link). However, the Ravens certainly represent the key party here. They are surely looking for a high-value trade haul.
Ronnie Stanley‘s season-ending injury prompted the Ravens to use Brown as their left tackle. Previously, Brown had operated as Baltimore’s tackle starter opposite Stanley. A former third-round pick, Brown has one season remaining on his rookie contract.
Pro Football Focus has viewed Brown as a top-25 tackle in each of the past two seasons, and proven O-linemen annually command tremendous interest as free agents. There figure to be several teams interest in acquiring Brown via trade. The Ravens having extended Stanley last year will cut off a Brown path to left tackle in Baltimore, but as of now, the second-generation NFL tackle remains the team’s right tackle.
Trading Brown would further deplete Baltimore’s offensive line. Marshal Yanda‘s retirement created a void inside for the Ravens, who now have Stanley coming off a major injury. Though, the Ravens making a deal would secure additional draft capital with which to bolster their O-line.
If the Ravens trade Brown, the acquiring team would need to be prepared to give him a high-end extension. A 2022 franchise tag could also be utilized, by either the Ravens or the acquiring team, to lock down Brown. Stanley, David Bakhtiari and 2019 trade acquisition Laremy Tunsil have changed the market at left tackle. Tunsil and Bakhtiari have pushed it beyond $22MM annually. The top right tackle contract (Lane Johnson‘s) averages $18MM per year.
Ravens RB Coach Leaving For Michigan
- Those two coaches are leaving the college ranks for the pros, but we’ve also got a pro to college to pass along. Ravens running backs coach Matt Weiss is leaving to become the quarterbacks coach at Michigan, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Weiss will go from coaching under John Harbaugh to his brother Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. As running backs coach in Baltimore the past two years, Weiss helped orchestrate one of the best ground games in the league.
This Date In Transactions History: Ravens Sign Rod Woodson
By the late 1990s, Rod Woodson went from perennial All-Pro as a Steeler to 49ers cap casualty. The Hall of Fame defender began a memorable second act on this date 23 years ago.
The Ravens swooped in and signed Woodson on Feb. 20, 1998, landing the then-11-year veteran cornerback on a four-year, $11.5MM deal that came with a $3MM signing bonus. Woodson would soon become a critical piece of one of the NFL’s all-time great defenses.
A year earlier, Woodson became a free agent and signed with the 49ers. San Francisco added both Woodson and fellow ex-Steeler Kevin Greene for the 1997 season. The 49ers led the league in total defense and secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed that year; they lost to the Packers in the conference championship game. Both players became cap casualties on the same day in 1998. Shortly after Woodson’s Ravens agreement, Greene re-signed with the Panthers.
Baltimore used Woodson as a cornerback in 1998, but in one of the best position-change decisions in modern NFL history, the five-time All-Pro corner moved to safety a year later. This shift coincided with the Ravens’ defensive ascent. After ranking 22nd in total defense in a 6-10 1998 season, Baltimore ranked second in ’99 — an 8-8 slate. Woodson led the NFL with seven interceptions and returned two for touchdowns in his first season as a safety. That began a run of four straight Pro Bowls for the veteran, who would go on to become an 11-time Pro Bowler.
In 2000, the Ravens elevated their performance considerably. Woodson, then 35, started 16 games for a defense that allowed just 10.3 points per game — the fewest in the 16-game era, breaking the 1986 Bears’ previous mark (11.7) — and lifted the team to a 12-4 record and Super Bowl XXXV championship. The Ravens blended a mix of homegrown young talent — headed by Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware and Chris McAllister — with veterans to assemble that storied defense, with Woodson spearheading the latter contingent. He finished the 2000 season with four picks and 77 tackles.
The Ravens held onto Woodson through the 2001 season. He signed with the Raiders in 2002 and played a pivotal role in that team advancing to the Super Bowl, leading the NFL with eight INTs. Woodson wrapped his 17-year career after the 2003 season and became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2009.