Mark Ingram Suffered Calf Setback
- The NFL’s other purple-wearing team will likely go into its second-round game with backfield uncertainty. Previously expected to return for the Ravens‘ playoff opener, Mark Ingram has missed both Ravens practices this week. Ingram experienced a setback with his injured calf last week, leading to the Ravens to shut him down for a bit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The Ravens are indicating there is a “realistic chance” Ingram plays. Baltimore backup Gus Edwards‘ 5.2 yards per carry ranked third in the NFL this season.
Ravens Sign T Andre Smith
The Ravens have signed veteran tackle Andre Smith, the team announced. Yesterday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweeted that Baltimore worked out Smith, along with 
younger linemen Darrell Williams and Tyler Jones, and obviously the team liked what it saw in the more experienced Smith.
Smith, 32, has not played since November, when the Bengals ended their latest stint with the former top-10 pick. He played in six games this season, starting five, for an embattled Cincinnati offensive line. The team waived the 11th-year veteran in late November, but no team claimed his contract. The Cardinals used Smith as a starter for much of 2018 but cut him during the season, leading the longtime Bengal back to Cincinnati. Smith has started 90 games during his career, but his prime obviously ended years ago. The Texans also auditioned Smith since his latest Bengals departure but did not sign him.
The Ravens opened practice for Saturday’s divisional-round game against the Titans without a tackle on their injury report, but Smith provides veteran insurance in case something should happen to starters Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown during their playoff run. James Hurst had served as the swing man behind Stanley and Brown, but he is probably more effective at guard.
Guard Parker Ehinger, who sat out Tuesday’s practice with a shoulder malady, has been placed on IR in a corresponding move.
Giants To Interview Don Martindale
The Giants have set a date for their interview with Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale. They’ll meet on Saturday, as Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Latest On Eli Manning’s Plans]
Martindale has no head coaching experience, but he has guided Baltimore’s top-rated defense in each of the past two seasons. The league has taken notice and Martindale seems likely to land a head coaching job, if that’s what he wants. The veteran coach has expressed a desire to stay in Baltimore, but you’ll often hear a similar refrain from coordinators weeks before they accept a head coaching gig elsewhere.
If the Giants hire Martindale, he’ll reportedly tap LSU passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady as his offensive coordinator. Martindale, naturally, would keep the majority of his focus on the other side of the ball.
The Giants need help everywhere, essentially, so they’re casting a wide net in their search. Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy are among the candidates to replace Pat Shurmur as the head coach of the G-Men.
Cowboys Eyeing Greg Roman?
Some Cowboys officials have Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman in mind for the head coaching position, if it comes available (Twitter link via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports). As of this writing, the Cowboys still have Jason Garrett as their head coach, so they have not requested an interview with Roman. 
Roman’s stock has skyrocketed this year along with the play of quarterback Lamar Jackson. While Dak Prescott is a different type of player, the pro-Roman crowd in Dallas believes that the Baltimore OC can jumpstart the offense with his run-dominant concepts.
Under Roman’s tutelage in 2019, Jackson threw for 3,127 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns – all in just 15 games, since he was rested in Week 17.
Since breaking into the NFL in 2011, Roman has served as the OC of the 49ers, Bills, and the Ravens. He has never served as a head coach at the collegiate or professional level.
Giants To Interview Mike McCarthy
The Giants are casting a wide net in their search for a new head coach. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the club is expected to interview former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy this weekend (Twitter link). The club is also set to interview Cowboys passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Kris Richard, and they have requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy.
Baylor head coach Matt Rhule is said to be New York’s top choice, but ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports that McCarthy has a lot of support in the organization (Twitter link). McCarthy is certainly a popular candidate in this year’s cycle, as he has interviewed with the Panthers twice already and has attracted the interest of the Browns.
McCarthy was fired by the Packers in December 2018, and though he did interview for the Jets’ head coaching job shortly thereafter, he has spent the 2019 season studying film and designing plays in preparation for his next opportunity, as Peter King detailed in a recent Football Morning in America column. In his 13 years in Green Bay, McCarthy posted a 135-85-2 record, including a 10-8 mark in the playoffs, and he led the team to the Super Bowl XLV title.
Of course, did have Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at quarterback for nearly the entirety of his stint in Green Bay, and there were rumors that his and Rodgers’ relationship deteriorated over time. His play-calling was also called into question towards the latter stages of his tenure, though he is trying to stay ahead of the curve in that regard, and the Giants have a promising QB of their own in Daniel Jones.
In addition to McCarthy et al., the Giants have also requested an interview with Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Martindale has no head coaching experience, but he has guided Baltimore’s top-rated defense in each of the past two seasons and has been generating some HC buzz as a result. We heard yesterday that Martindale, if hired, would target LSU passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady as his offensive coordinator, which Rapoport confirmed.
The Giants have not asked for an interview with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, but they have requested one with New England special teams coordinator/WRs coach Joe Judge, as Schefter tweets. Judge is well-respected for his work, and he was a candidate to join McDaniels on his would-be staff with the Colts in 2018 and Matt Patricia‘s staff with the Lions, but the Patriots were able to retain him. This appears to be the first time someone has requested an interview with Judge, 38, but he was mentioned as a possible HC candidate earlier this year.
With respect to Giants assistant coaches still under contract, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv tweets that they have the freedom to pursue other opportunities, though the new head coach will be able to hire them if he so chooses.
Black Monday Rumors: McDaniels, Bieniemy, Browns
The Giants have fired head coach Pat Shumur, the Browns have fired head coach Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland GM John Dorsey‘s fate is up in the air, Bruce Allen is out with the Redskins, Ron Rivera looks like he’s in, and we have a lot more to pass along:
- The Giants are rumored to be targeting Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, but they have requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that the Panthers have also requested a summit with Bieniemy, a branch of the fruitful Andy Reid coaching tree whom Reid feels is ready for an HC job.
- We heard this morning that the Browns have requested an interview with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and they also want to interview Ravens OC Greg Roman, per Schefter (via Twitter). Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets that Cleveland is expected to interview Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski again. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns’ HC job last year before they elected to hire Kitchens.
- Schefter says the Browns have asked permission to interview 49ers DC Robert Saleh (Twitter link), and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the team plans to interview Mike McCarthy as well (Twitter link). Cleveland had an interview scheduled with McCarthy last year, but by that time, the club had already zeroed in on Kitchens, so the interview never happened. McCarthy and Dorsey worked together in Green Bay, so Dorsey may be rooting for a McCarthy hire.
- In addition to the Browns, the Giants and Panthers have also requested interviews with McDaniels, as Schefter tweets.
- Despite recent reports indicating that he wants to stay in Baltimore, Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale is generating a great deal of HC buzz, as Rapoport tweets. If he is hired, Martindale would want to pluck LSU passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady from the collegiate ranks to be his OC. If you’ve watched college football this year, you can’t blame Martindale for that choice.
- Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will meet with owner Shad Khan tomorrow to discuss his fate, as NFL insider Adam Caplan tweets.
North Notes: Golladay, J. Smith, Packers
Wide receiver Kenny Golladay has been a rare bright spot for the Lions this season, setting career-highs with 1,118 yards and a league-leading 11 TDs. The 2017 third-rounder will be eligible for an extension after the season, and he expects contract talks to take place in the coming months, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes.
“I’m sure we will (talk contract) the next few months or so,” Golladay said. “Everything will work itself out. I’m very grateful to be here. [The Lions] definitely took a shot on me and that would be a good way to repay them.”
Now for more from the league’s north divisions:
- The Ravens agreed to a three-year extension with cornerback Marcus Peters yesterday, but that doesn’t mean Jimmy Smith‘s days in Baltimore are numbered. Per Jeff Zrbeic of The Athletic, the Ravens — who have invested heavily in their secondary in recent years — tried to extend Smith earlier in the season, and the two sides could revisit contract talks this offseason.
- Regardless of what the Ravens choose to do with Smith, Zrebiec says the team can now focus on adding pass rushers and inside linebackers in free agency and/or the draft. He confirms an earlier report suggesting that Baltimore could put the franchise tag on Matt Judon, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report says the Ravens are indeed heavily focused on pass rushing talent in the 2020 draft.
- In the same piece linked above, Miller says the Packers are fully aware of how talented the 2020 class of wide receivers is and could use a first-round pick on a wideout for the first time since 2002.
- Vikings receiver Davion Davis was arrested for DUI the same late October weekend as teammate Jayron Kearse, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes (though they were unrelated incidents). Davis, who was on the active roster at the time but who is now on the practice squad, has since pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor charges. He has appeared in two games this season and has seen three offensive snaps.
Ravens To Extend Marcus Peters
Marcus Peters will not hit the market or be franchise-tagged. The Ravens and their midseason trade acquisition agreed on a three-year extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Ravens have announced the move, which will lock up Peters through 2022.
The re-up is worth $42MM, Schefter adds, with $32MM guaranteed. This represents a key moment for Peters, who has been twice traded. Peters will collect $20.1MM next year. The Ravens gave up backup linebacker Kenny Young and merely a fifth-round pick for the talented cornerback, and their early-2020s secondaries will feature the game’s premier ball hawk.
While this deal does not raise the cornerback salary ceiling, coming in at $14MM per year, it gives Peters security he’s lacked after mercurial stints in Kansas City and Los Angeles. Despite this being only a three-year pact, Peters’ $32MM in guarantees place him inside the top 10 among cornerbacks. His AAV lands there as well.
The Ravens have seen the former first-round pick play a key role in helping their pass defense rebound after a rough start to the season. This accord will fill a need for the Ravens, who have Jimmy Smith on an expiring contract and Brandon Carr wrapping up his age-33 season.
Baltimore gave up more than 300 passing yards in three straight September games, twice yielding 500-plus total yards in that span. Since Peters’ arrival, the Ravens have not allowed a 300-yard passing performance. Baltimore enters Week 17 with the No. 4 DVOA pass defense. Peters was one of 12 Ravens Pro Bowlers, the University of Washington alum being honored as such for the third time.
An aggressive corner who did not fetch a first-round pick in either trade, the soon-to-be 27-year-old Peters has become the game’s premier interception threat. Since the 2015 season, Peters leads the field by a staggering margin in this category. His 27 picks are nine more than anyone else’s total since coming into the league. Peters’ six pick-6s also lead the field over the past half-decade.
The Chiefs traded Peters in 2018, doing so after he became a disruptive locker room presence. Kansas City received second- and fourth-round picks for the 2016 All-Pro. Peters started throughout the Rams’ NFC championship season but did not deliver dependable work. He began this year on a better note but was still dealt in a salary dump that turned out to be a space-clearing maneuver for the Rams to add Jalen Ramsey. Peters has intercepted five passes this season — three with Baltimore — and returned three picks for touchdowns.
More Ravens Out For Week 17
- Quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Mark Ingram won’t be the only Ravens player missing their team’s Week 17 game against the Steelers. Coach John Harbaugh told reporters that safety Earl Thomas, offensive lineman Marshal Yanda, and defensive end Brandon Williams also won’t play this weekend (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic on Twitter). With Baltimore already having locked up a bye, the coaching staff is clearly playing it safe and providing the veterans with an extra week of rest.
Wink Martindale Plans To Stay With Ravens
Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale could draw interest as a head coaching candidate this offseason, but he doesn’t plan on leaving Baltimore. On Thursday, Martindale shrugged off the speculation and reiterated his desire to stay put (Twitter link). 
“I don’t know anything more,” Martindale said. “It doesn’t really matter until you get a call, but we love this city, we love this organization here. It would have to be a dream-type job to take, where you know you can build a winning culture like we have here.”
Martindale, 56, entered the pro ranks back in 2004 when he became the linebackers coach of the Raiders. In 2009, he made a lateral move over to the Broncos before spending the 2010 season as Denver’s DC. After that, he hooked on with the Ravens as their LBs coach in 2012, before being bumped up to the DC title in 2018.
Martindale has lots of defensive knowhow, and an XLVII Super Bowl ring, but has zero head coaching experience. Right now, he says he’s not looking to move up a rung, unless he’s blown away by an offer.
We’ve heard similar talk from other playoff-bound coordinators in the past, only to see them accept head coaching positions elsewhere. If the 13-2 Ravens make a deep playoff run, you can expect to see lots of tempting opportunities come Martindale’s way.