Ravens Agree To Terms With OL D.J. Fluker
It didn’t take long for D.J. Fluker to find a new home. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran offensive lineman has signed with the Ravens. The deal is pending a physical.
Fluker was released by the Seahawks on Sunday after spending two seasons with the organization. Last offseason, the lineman signed a two-year, $9MM extension with Seattle, and he proceeded to start 14 games during the 2019 campaign (his highest total since 2016).
The 2013 first-round pick out of Alabama spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers before spending the 2017 campaign with the Giants. In total, the 29-year-old has appeared in 92 career games, including 88 starts.
The Ravens are naturally putting an emphasis on protecting Lamar Jackson, with the organization selecting a pair of rookies in the 2020 Draft (third-round lineman Tyre Phillips and fourth-round guard Ben Bredeson). The team is eyeing several holes on their offensive line, as Marshal Yanda retired and Matt Skura continues to recover from a knee injury.
Ravens Trade No. 60 To Patriots
The Ravens dropped out of the No. 60 spot in the draft, dealing the pick to the Patriots. New England’s quarterback situation remains unchanged, with Michigan outside linebacker Josh Uche being the Pats’ pick.
New England traded up from No. 71 and gave Baltimore one of its four third-round picks (No. 98) to do so. The Ravens sent the Pats a fourth-rounder (No. 129) in the deal as well. The Patriots now have three third-rounders; the Ravens are up to four.
Uche functioned primarily as a pass rusher for the Wolverines, totaling 14.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He will follow former Michigan teammate Chase Winovich — a 2019 third-rounder — to Foxborough.
The Patriots lost both hybrid pass-rushing cogs Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy this offseason and will have a younger edge corps in 2020. Winovich is certain to be a big part of that crew; his former teammate in Ann Arbor may become an important piece soon as well.
Ravens Draft RB J.K. Dobbins
The Ravens’ running back room just got even more crowded. With the No. 55 overall pick, the Ravens snagged Ohio State standout J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins was viewed as one of the best pure runners in this year’s class. He doesn’t have the best hands in this year’s crop, but his feet mostly make up for it.
Dobbins posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons at Ohio State and the Ravens believe that he can anchor the running game behind Lamar Jackson. Last year, he topped 2,000 yards (yes you read that right) with 23 total touchdowns. One year ago, some saw Dobbins as the best RB in this year’s class. He was leapfrogged by the likes of Georgia’s D’Andre Swift over time, but he still figures to have a bright NFL future, especially in Baltimore’s dynamite offense.
The rookie will fight for carries this year alongside Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill.
Ravens Tried To Trade For DeAndre Hopkins
The Ravens were among the teams that attempted to trade for wideout DeAndre Hopkins before the Texans dealt him to the Cardinals last month, according to Michael Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Ultimately, Houston sent Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round pick to Arizona in exchange for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-rounder, and a 2021 fourth-rounder, a price that Baltimore was apparently unwilling to meet. The Ravens, who didn’t sign any free agent wide receivers in March, are currently set to return Marquise Brown, Willie Snead, and Miles Boykin as their top-three wideouts in 2020.
Of course, the fact that Baltimore was interested in acquiring Hopkins means the club could be eyeing a wide receiver early in the 2020 draft. Baltimore holds the 28th overall selection plus two second-round picks, and could use one of those slots on a pass-catcher in what is considered a historically deep class.
Draft Rumors: Chaisson, Titans, Raiders
While they have been rumored to be deciding on a left tackle or Isaiah Simmons, the Giants are now being connected to another name at No. 4. Strong buzz has emerged on the Giants liking LSU edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. Chaisson has not been mentioned as a top-five candidate previously, and La Canfora still mocks Tristan Wirfs to New York. But with Dave Gettleman shocking most by drafting Daniel Jones at No. 6 last year, an off-the-board pick should not be ruled out. The Giants are fairly desperate for edge rushers, having traded away Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon in consecutive offseasons and having not re-signed 2019 sack leader Markus Golden.
Here is the latest from the draft world, with less than five hours remaining until showtime:
- Simmons’ versatility may be working against him in some circles. The do-it-all Clemson linebacker may be dropping, with Albert Breer of SI.com writing that teams’ issues with Simmons’ potential fit could well result in him tumbling Thursday night. Noting that a team needs a detailed plan to get the most out of Simmons, Breer does not expect him to go in the top seven.
- Having lost Jack Conklin hours into free agency, the Titans have done a lot of work on offensive linemen in this year’s class, La Canfora adds. Ezra Cleveland‘s rise may play him out of Tennessee’s range (No. 29) at this point, but La Canfora points out the Titans are high on Louisiana tackle Robert Hunt as well.
- Despite their 14-2 season, the Ravens did not fully replace C.J. Mosley. They have since lost inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor. They may be in the hunt to fortify that spot tonight. The Ravens have been calling around on linebackers, Breer adds, potentially for a trade-up to land one of this draft’s best. Mel Kiper’s most recent mock draft has Baltimore taking LSU’s Patrick Queen at No. 28, with Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray going ahead of him. But the Ravens may want to make sure they are in position to land one of these two players by moving up.
- A footnote in the Raiders‘ blockbuster Khalil Mack trade: they lost their 2020 second-round pick. The team holds two first-round picks but “would love” to drop into Round 2 and stockpile draft capital in doing so, Breer notes.
- The 49ers have engaged in conversations regarding potential trades of both their first-rounders — Nos. 13 and 31 — but Breer hears San Francisco would prefer to move down from 31 instead of 13. With the higher pick, the 49ers have been linked to top wide receivers. They have visited with CeeDee Lamb and are believed to be interested in Henry Ruggs.
Lamar Jackson: “I’d Be Happy” If Ravens Signed Antonio Brown
On Tuesday, Lamar Jackson told reporters that he would be in favor of the Ravens signing Antonio Brown (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). Of course, that wouldn’t be the quarterback’s call, but his endorsement is noteworthy nonetheless. 
[RELATED: Antonio Brown Hires New Agent]
“I’d be happy if they signed him,” Jackson said. “But it’s not my decision.”
This isn’t the first time that Brown has been connected to Baltimore. Recently, Jackson worked out with the controversial wide receiver in South Florida, along with AB’s cousin, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Meanwhile, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has refused to comment on his own level of interest in the one-time superstar. Earlier this month, he said that he’d keep those thoughts “in-house” while continuing to explore options at the position.
“Do we feel the urgency? We probably feel that with every position,” the GM told the team website. “We want to be the best we can be at every position. This happens to be a wide receiver class with a lot of really good players. If we’re on the clock and we think that guy is the best player, we’ll probably pick him. Hopefully we can build our offense to the point where we can say, ‘Hey, we’re un-defendable.’”
Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is still in limbo with the league office. Recently, he hired a new agent to represent him, and he’s hoping that will expedite his case with Roger Goodell & Co.
Speaking strictly from a football perspective, Brown would boost any offense – including the Ravens’ world-class unit. He has caught 841 passes for 11,253 yards over the course of his ten-year NFL career, with a good chunk of those coming against Baltimore.
2020 NFL Draft Picks By Team
The 2020 NFL Draft is just days away and it’s just a matter of time before picks are swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. Before the trading frenzy starts, let’s take a look at the draft picks owned by each team.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Updated: 4-17-20 (5:00pm CT)
Arizona Cardinals
1-8:
3-72:
4-114:
4-131: (from Houston)
6-202: (from New England)
7-222:
Atlanta Falcons
1-16:
2-47:
3-78:
4-119:
4-143: (from Baltimore*)
7-228: (from Tampa Bay, via Philadelphia)
Baltimore Ravens
1-28:
2-55: (from Atlanta, via New England)
2-60:
3-92:
3-106*:
4-129: (from New England)
4-134:
5-170: (from Minnesota)
7-225: (from Jets)
Buffalo Bills
2-54:
3-86:
4-128:
5-167:
6-188: (from Cleveland)
6-207: (from Baltimore via New England)
7-239: (from Minnesota)
Draft Rumors: Henderson, Dobbins, Davis
Are you ready for surprises on draft day? It sounds like you should be. “The media is wronger about mock drafts this year than you guys have ever been,” one NFL general manager told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). That’s undoubtedly because of the ongoing certainly involving COVID-19, which has caused the league to upend its predraft process. As Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com tweets, “group think” is less likely to occur in 2019 because scouts and executives were unable to congregate at pro days, events where evaluators typically will — intentionally or not — develop something of a consensus on prospects.
After deciding whether “wronger” is actually a word, let’s take a look at more on the upcoming draft:
- The Falcons held a predraft video meeting with Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson last week, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Atlanta currently holds the 16th overall pick, but recent reports have indicated general manager Thomas Dimitroff & Co. could be interested in moving up the board. Henderson is considered the draft’s second-best cornerback behind Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah, although some decision-makers may rate Henderson No. 1.
- Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins has held video meetings with several NFL teams, including the Chiefs, Packers, Bills, Lions, Saints, Dolphins, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. This isn’t the first time Dobbins has been linked to Miami, as he took a predraft visit with the Dolphins before such meetings were shut down due to COVID-19. Indeed, Dobbins left that visit feeling Miami was “infatuated” with him.
- Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis says the 49ers, Packers, Dolphins, Ravens, and Eagles are the teams that have contacted him most, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. A massive presence at 6’6″, 310 pounds, Davis a first-round projection and comparisons to DeForest Buckner from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, however, ranks Davis just 10th among interior defender prospects, noting his lack of development as a pass-rusher.
- The Ravens, 49ers, Panthers, Titans, and Seahawks have all held video sessions with TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, per Wilson. Blacklock, who stock has risen during the predraft process, missed the 2018 campaign with an Achilles injury but was productive during both his freshman and junior seasons. Last year, he posted 40 tackles (nine for loss) and 3.5 sacks.
2020 NFL Draft Capital By Team
Every NFL team automatically gets seven draft picks per season, but thanks to lots of trades and the compensatory pick process, many clubs end up with more (or less) than their original seven selections. After running down the NFL Draft round-by-round, let’s take a look at how much draft capital each club has amassed:
Updated: 4-16-20 (6:00pm CT)
14 picks
- Miami Dolphins
12 picks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
10 picks
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Giants
9 picks
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
8 picks
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
7 picks
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Redskins
6 picks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
5 picks
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
Ravens’ Mark Ingram II On His Future
Father Time isn’t always kind to running backs, but Mark Ingram isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. In a chat with reporters this week, the 30-year-old said that he plans on playing “at the highest level for another four or five years.” 
“That’s how I feel, man,” Ingram said (via the team website). “I’m with a great team that takes care of me, and I feel like I can play this game at a high level – at the highest level – for at least another four or five years…My body feels good. I’m moving good. I have nothing really lagging. If I do, I’ll be working on it, rehabbing it, strengthening it up so all my weaknesses are turning into my strengths. I just want to be the best, man. I want to be one of the best. When you talk about running backs who had long, prestigious careers, I want to be in that discussion.”
Ingram – who is only “old” by NFL RB standards – delivered his third 1,000-yard season in 2019, paving the way for his third career Pro Bowl selection (he also came 36 yards shy of the four-digit mark in 2014). After averaging 4.5 yards per carry across eight seasons with the Saints, he took things to a new level in Lamar Jackson‘s offense, setting a new career high with 5.0 ypc. So far, his three-year, $15.5MM deal looks like a clear win for the Ravens.
Beyond the yards and touchdowns, Ingram also maintained his usual high standards when it comes to pass blocking. For a second straight year, he was one of Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked qualified tailbacks in the category. All things considered, we’d be surprised if the Ravens invested an early pick in the position, though they may use a middle or late-round choice to back Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill.