Calais Campbell To Miss Multiple Weeks
It looks like the Ravens will be without a key part of their defense for the time being. Defensive tackle Calais Campbell has a calf strain that will likely sidelined him for multiple games, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
Fortunately, Rapoport reports that there are no structural issues and it’s not considered a particularly major injury at this time. Campbell left yesterday’s win over the Colts very early with the injury. In a separate video tweet, Rapoport says it’s expected to be 2-3 weeks, with a “worst case scenario” of four weeks. Calf issues can linger, so Baltimore will likely be cautious with the big fella. The veteran is 34 now, so there’s no reason for him to rush back from an injury like this.
The Ravens made a deal with Jacksonville to trade for Campbell back in March, and signed him to a two-year extension worth up to $27MM immediately after. That deal will run through next season and since almost all of it is guaranteed, he’ll almost certainly be back in 2021 no matter what.
Campbell has remained very productive even at his relatively advanced age, racking up 24 tackles, four sacks, and a whopping six passes defended in only seven-plus games. He’s made the Pro Bowl in five of the past six seasons, and was a first-team All-Pro in 2017. He’s also a vocal leader in the locker room and on the field, so his absence will be felt in more ways than one.
2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
The trade deadline is in the rear view mirror, but teams are still keeping a watchful eye on their salary cap figures. For contenders, the available dollars can be used for late-season signings. For all clubs, a portion of the unspent dollars can be rolled over into future seasons, giving them a larger budget to work with in the first wave of free agency.
Here are the most recent figures for each team, via Over The Cap:
- Cleveland Browns – $31MM
- New York Jets – $30.4MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $28MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars– $26.3MM
- Philadelphia Eagles– $23.9MM
- Washington Football Team – $23.3MM
- New England Patriots – $21.8MM
- Denver Broncos – $19.8MM
- Miami Dolphins – $15.6MM
- Detroit Lions – $14.2MM
- Cincinnati Bengals– $12.3MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $10.7MM
- Los Angeles Chargers — $8.4MM
- New York Giants – $8MM
- Chicago Bears – $7.6MM
- Houston Texans – $7.5MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $6.9MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $6.9MM
- Green Bay Packers – $6.7MM
- Arizona Cardinals– $6.2MM
- New Orleans Saints – $6MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $6MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $5.7MM
- Carolina Panthers – $5.5MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $5.3MM
- Tennessee Titans – $4.6MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $3.8K
- San Francisco 49ers – $3.7MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $3.3MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $3.3MM
- Buffalo Bills – $3MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $1.8MM
Injury Updates: T. Brown, Garoppolo, Clowney
Let’s round up a few injury-related items from around the league.
- Raiders OT Trent Brown is back on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Brown is expected to miss at least a month of action (Twitter link).
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports confirms a report from several days ago that 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo will not require surgery on his injured ankle, but the 29-year-old signal-caller is expected to miss at least a month (Twitter link). The injury further clouds Garoppolo’s uncertain future in San Francisco.
- Titans edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is out for today’s game against the Bears. He is dealing with a meniscus issue and may ultimately opt for surgery.
- The Browns have a bye this week, and next time they’re on the field, they hope to be rejoined by Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb (Twitter link via Rapoport). Chubb has been dealing with an MCL injury, and though Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson have played reasonably well in his absence, getting Chubb back will be a big boost to Cleveland’s playoff push.
- Some may be wondering if WR Odell Beckham has already played his last game for the Browns, as he will miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear and has never really embraced Cleveland. Kim Jones of WFAN reports that OBJ will undergo surgery to repair the ACL on Tuesday (Twitter link).
- Ravens RB Mark Ingram left Baltimore’s game against the Eagles several weeks ago, and he still has not returned to action. Rapoport says Ingram is dealing with a high-ankle sprain (Twitter link), which explains the multi-week absence. Ingram has been ruled out for today’s game against the Colts, but younger backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins may be the better options anyway.
- When the Eagles return to their facility following this week’s bye, they expect to have RB Miles Sanders back, and they believe WR Alshon Jeffery will be a full participant in practice (Twitter link via Rapoport).
Ravens Activate 6 Players From Reserve/COVID-19 List
Ahead of a key AFC matchup against the Colts, the Ravens will have a handful of defenders back. They activated six players off their reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday.
Patrick Queen, DeShon Elliott and L.J. Fort are poised to return to Baltimore’s starting lineup after the team activated the defenders from the COVID list. Each was deemed a high-risk close contact to All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who tested positive for the coronavirus and remains on the COVID list.
Linebacker Tyus Bowser, cornerback Terrell Bonds and linebacker Malik Harrison also came off the Ravens’ COVID list Saturday. Matt Judon came off the list earlier this week.
Humphrey will miss Week 9’s Baltimore-Indianapolis game, but the Ravens having several of their starters back will put them in better position to bounce back after their loss to the Steelers. Baltimore’s defense ranks fifth in DVOA, sitting first against the run.
The Ravens promoted Bonds, a second-year player out of Tennessee State, and linebacker Kristian Welch to their active roster. They also promoted safety Geno Stone as Humphrey’s COVID replacement. They placed wide receiver Chris Moore on IR due to a thigh injury.
Ravens Promote Dez Bryant To Active Roster
Dez Bryant‘s comeback date appears set. The Ravens are promoting the former Pro Bowl wide receiver to their active roster.
Bryant will dress for Baltimore’s Week 9 game against the Colts and will have a role, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Bryant has reportedly performed well in practice and offers the type of veteran presence and third down target that the Ravens have been missing.
It has been a long road back for Bryant, a 2010 first-round pick. The Cowboys let Bryant walk in free agency in 2018, and after he turned down a multiyear Ravens offer, he ended up on a low-level deal in New Orleans. Bryant did not have a chance to play in a game as a Saint, suffering an Achilles tear in practice. That led him to miss the 2019 season as well, and he joined the Ravens’ practice squad in late October. But three days after his 32nd birthday, Bryant will be on the field once again.
The all-time leader in Cowboys receiving touchdowns (73), Bryant joins a Ravens receiving corps that has not been particularly effective this season. Lamar Jackson‘s regression from his MVP form has played a major role in the team’s aerial struggles, and Bryant would give Jackson a possession receiver to complement Marquise Brown, who voiced frustration about his lack of involvement in Baltimore’s offense last week.
Ravens To Work Out S Antoine Bethea
Antoine Bethea will have a chance to play a 15th NFL season. The veteran safety is working out for the Ravens, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
The Ravens currently have starting safety DeShon Elliott on their reserve/COVID-19 list, and defensive back Jimmy Smith did not practice this week because of a back injury. This could open the door for Bethea, who has logged more starts at safety than almost anyone in NFL history.
Bethea wrapped up a one-year Giants contract in 2019, starting 16 games in his age-35 season. This came after he started 16 games for the Cardinals in 2018. Overall, Bethea has started 200 games since being a sixth-round Colts draftee in 2006. Bethea was a Pro Bowler during Jim Harbaugh‘s final season with the 49ers (2014). He will soon become acquainted with John Harbaugh.
COVID-19 protocols would prevent Bethea from practicing as a Raven until next week. But the 14-year veteran could begin taking coronavirus tests with the team Friday in order to begin work late next week. The Ravens released Earl Thomas during training camp and have used younger safeties this season. Bethea would be a step in a different direction, should the team agree to bring him aboard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Matt Judon
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: C Sam Tecklenburg
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Elijah Lee
- Waived: C Evan Brown
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: CB Kevin Toliver
Detroit Lions
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jalen Elliott
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: S Henry Black, G Ben Braden, CB Stanford Samuels
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: RB Theo Riddick
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed off Raiders’ practice squad: CB Dylan Mabin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Marcus Epps; Epps tested positive for the coronavirus but is believed to be asymptomatic, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link)
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: OL Tony Bergstrom, WR River Cracraft, S Johnathan Cyprien, TE Daniel Helm, RB Austin Walter, WR Kevin White
- Placed on IR: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, TE George Kittle (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LS Matthew Orzech
Ravens To Work Out Tramon Williams
The Ravens are set to work out longtime Packers cornerback Tramon Williams, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. If signed, Williams would help provide depth for a group that has lost star cornerback Marlon Humphrey and others to the COVID-19 list. 
[RELATED: Ravens Place Humphrey On COVID-19 List]
Even at the age of 37, Williams believes that he can still contribute to a contender. He was briefly on the fence about playing amidst the first coronavirus wave, but he’s now intent on returning to the field.
After spending nearly a decade with the Packers to start his career, Williams circled back in 2018. He’s appeared in all 32 regular season games over the past two seasons, including a 2019 campaign where he had eight passes defended and a pair of interceptions.
Most notably, Williams was a crucial part of the Packers’ Super Bowl victory in the 2010 season. He had three interceptions during that playoff run and came up with a critical stop late in the championship game to seal the win for Green Bay.
Yannick Ngakoue Trade Details
- After acquiring defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in a preseason trade with the Jaguars, the Vikings traded the veteran to the Ravens back in October. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the trade conditions from the conditional fifth-rounder that Minnesota sent Jacksonville still apply. That fifth-rounder will turn into a fourth-rounder if Ngakoue goes to the Pro Bowl (with the Ravens). It’s worth noting that the Vikings received a conditional fifth-rounder in their trade with Baltimore, and there’s a good chance that selection contains many of the same conditions.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/3/20
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Terrell Bonds, LB Tyus Bowser, DB DeShon Elliott, LB L.J. Fort, LB Malik Harrison, LB Matt Judon, LB Patrick Queen
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: OT Lachavious Simmons
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OG Germain Ifedi, OT Jason Spriggs
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: TE Jake Butt
Detroit Lions
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jarrad Davis
New England Patriots
- Claimed off waivers (from Titans): DT Isaiah Mack
- Placed on IR: TE Devin Asiasi
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: S Adrian Colbert
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: LB Bryce Hager, S Bennett Jackson
- Released: OL Jimmy Murray
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: DL Jullian Taylor
Tennessee Titans
- Released: LS Beau Brinkley