Ravens Increase Offer For C.J. Mosley
The Ravens chose not to franchise-tag inside linebacker C.J. Mosley, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want him back. The Ravens are working to retain him and “have sweetened their offer,” according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While the Ravens have upped their offer, Zrebiec notes there “is still a gap” between what Baltimore is offering, and the offers from the Jets and potentially more teams. The Jets have been strongly connected to the Alabama product, and we’ve also heard teams like the Browns and Redskins are interested.
Judging by the deal Kwon Alexander landed from the 49ers, Mosley is about to cash in. Mosley is widely thought to be the better player, and Alexander just got four years and $54MM while coming off a torn ACL. In a separate tweet Zrebiec notes that the Redskins’ signing of Landon Collins might’ve diminished their interest in Mosley.
In the same tweet Zrebiec highlights the Colts as a potential suitor for Mosley in addition to the Browns and Jets. He also says it “sounds like Jets have been the most aggressive with the offer.” The 17th overall pick of the 2014 draft, Mosley has made the Pro Bowl in four of his five seasons in the league and is still only 26, so it makes sense why so many teams are interested.
Terrell Suggs To Depart Ravens
It no longer looks like the Ravens will bring back Terrell Suggs. The decorated edge defender informed the team he will be signing elsewhere, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
This comes shortly after a La Canfora report indicated the 16-year veteran will have options outside of Baltimore. It appears Suggs is ready to exercise them and become a true free agent. The 2003 first-round pick played out his four-year extension.
One of the best players in Ravens history, Suggs will leave as the team’s sack leader (Suggs’ 132.5 sacks are 62.5 more than second-place Peter Boulware) and the Ravens’ games-played leader. A seven-time Pro Bowler and the 2011 defensive player of the year, Suggs surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17.
As for where the 36-year-old defender may end up, some of Suggs’ teammates have mentioned the Cardinals as a landing spot, per JLC. The Cardinals employ Chandler Jones, but with Markus Golden hitting free agency and having not been especially effective since his ACL tear, Arizona has a need opposite Jones as it moves back to a 3-4 defense.
The Ravens have been trying to work out a deal for C.J. Mosley, but they are battling suitors with more cap space on that front. Suggs will not cost nearly what the linebacker stalwart will, but it appears he will be able to collect more money elsewhere.
Baltimore holds $26MM-plus in cap space but could face the prospect of seeing its three most accomplished defenders depart in one offseason, with Eric Weddle having been released last week. The Ravens led the NFL in total defense in 2018, with that unit being an essential part of the team’s first division title since 2012.
Contract Details: Brown, Boyle, Harrison
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL:
- Trent Brown , T (Raiders): Four years, $66MM, $36.75MM guaranteed. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, Brown will earn $15MM in 2019 but $21.5MM in 2020, when the Raiders move to Las Vegas (there’s no income tax in Nevada). That’s a smart move on Brown’s part, obviously. But as Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal observes (via Twitter), there is no guaranteed money left on the deal after 2020, so the Raiders can cut bait with no dead money ramifications at the end of the 2020 season. Essentially, then, it is a two-year, $36.75MM pact.
- Nick Boyle, TE (Ravens): Three years, $18MM. $10MM fully guaranteed ($7MM signing bonus, $1MM guaranteed salary in 2019, $2MM of $4.5MM guaranteed in 2020). Twitter link via NFL Insider Adam Caplan.
- Jonotthan Harrison, OL (Jets): Re-signed on March 9. Two years, maximum of $6MM. Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Angelo Blackson, DE (Texans): Three years, $12MM. $3.5MM guaranteed. Salaries of $2MM (guaranteed), $3.5MM, and $3.5MM. $1.5MM 2019 roster bonus. $31,250 per game 46-man roster bonus. Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Ben Braunecker, TE (Bears): Two-year deal. Total value of $2.7MM. $300K signing bonus. $6,250 per game 46-man roster bonus. Twitter links via Wilson.
Dolphins Interested In Tyrod Taylor
The Dolphins are rumored to be targeting Tyrod Taylor to serve as a stopgap signal-caller after the expected release of Ryan Tannehill, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That is in keeping with a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who writes that Miami is expected to show interest in Taylor, and potentially one or two other free agent QBs.
The entire piece from Jackson is worth a read for Miami fans in need of some optimism, as he observes that the Dolphins are well-positioned to have $120MM of cap space in 2020. So, if Miami can land a franchise-caliber QB by the end of 2020 draft — a big “if,” to be sure — then the club will have plenty of flexibility to augment the roster in free agency and accelerate its rebuild.
In the meantime, new head coach Brian Flores understands that there may be some short-term pain. But Jackson writes that Flores does not want his team to completely tank, so a veteran QB that can at least keep the team somewhat competitive is definitely in the cards.
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com says the Ravens and Panthers are also obvious suitors for Taylor, so Miami may have some competition for him. As for Tannehill, Graziano suggests that he could reunite with Adam Gase, now the Jets‘ head coach, as Sam Darnold‘s backup.
Ravens Exercise Brandon Carr’s Option
The Ravens have exercised cornerback Brandon Carr‘s 2019 option, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). 2019 will be the third year in Baltimore for the remarkably durable Carr, who has never missed a game or a start in his 11-year career.
Carr signed what was officially a four-year pact with the Ravens in March 2017, but it was really a one-year deal with a series of options. He has been rumored as a cap casualty to some degree in each of the past two offseasons, but his overall solid play and durability have made him quite valuable to Baltimore’s secondary.
He is by no means a superstar, but he graded out as an above average corner in 2018 per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, and he has secured six interceptions over the past two seasons. He serves as a strong complement to Jimmy Smith and rising star Marlon Humphrey.
Smith has been rumored as a cap casualty himself, but given the way the Ravens’ secondary has been depleted by injury prior in recent years (2018 excluded), it would be somewhat surprising if he were released, though he may be asked to take a pay cut. Carr, Smith, and Humphrey form one of the best CB trios in football, and rumor has it that they may soon be joined by a big-name safety like Tyrann Mathieu.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/19
Today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Colts: S Corey Moore
- Ravens: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Ravens Expected To Tender DT Michael Pierce
The Ravens are expected to place a second-round tender on nose tackle Michael Pierce, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (via Twitter). The 26-year-old will earn $3.095MM via the tender.
The move officially makes Pierce a restricted free agent, meaning he can field offers until April 19th. If he signs an offer sheet with another team, the Ravens will have the ability to match. If Baltimore doesn’t match, they’d receive a second-rounder.
While Pierce has shown some intriguing flashes through his first three years in the NFL, it’s unlikely a team would be willing to give up that kind of capital to secure his services. It’s most likely that the defensive tackle ultimately returns to Baltimore on the one-year tender.
The 2016 undrafted free agent appeared in all 16 games as a rookie, and that led to him earning a starting nod in 2017. Pierce only started two game in 2018, but he still finished the campaign with 32 tackles. Pro Football Focus has always been a particularly big fan of Pierce, and they ranked him fifth among 112 interior defenders last season.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/19
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Second round tender:
- Bengals: OL Trey Hopkins
- Ravens: LB Patrick Onwuasor
Tendered at original-round level:
- Browns: WR Rashard Higgins
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: DT Trevon Coley, DB Jermaine Whitehead
- Colts: WR Marcus Johnson
- Buccaneers: S Isaiah Johnson, OL Mike Liedtke
- Packers: TE Robert Tonyan
- Cardinals: TE Ricky Seals-Jones
Ravens Re-Sign TE Nick Boyle
The Ravens re-signed tight end Nick Boyle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year, $18MM deal to keep Boyle off of the free agent market. 
We’ve heard a surprising amount of buzz about Boyle in recent weeks. Blocking tight ends don’t often garner a ton of attention, but Boyle reportedly had interest from about 20 teams this offseason. Those clubs will have to look elsewhere for blocking expertise as Boyle is now under contract with Baltimore through the 2021 season.
Boyle, 26, caught just 23 passes for 213 yards last season. However, he provided quality run and pass blocking across his 670 snaps. Last year, Boyle graded out as the No. 23 ranked tight end in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Interestingly, even without much in the way of offensive production, he placed ahead of Eric Ebron on the list.
Boyle’s early career was marred by a pair of suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs, but he has missed just one game over the last two years. In that two-year span, the Ravens have rushed for a league-high 4,297 yards with Boyle as a tight end/fullback.
Terrell Suggs Could Leave Ravens?
Although the Ravens would like to re-sign Terrell Suggs, the veteran pass rusher will have a solid market in free agency, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who adds there is a “very real possibility” Suggs will not be in Baltimore in 2019.
The Ravens had made Suggs an offer, tweets La Canfora, but the two sides aren’t close on the numbers. While Baltimore expects to continue conversations with Suggs, there is no deal considered imminent. Although Suggs is entering his age-37 campaign, he’s given no hint that he’s ready to retire, and fully plans to continue his career next season.
The Cardinals could become a destination for both Suggs and fellow Ravens free agent C.J. Mosley, as La Canfora writes in a separate piece that the some of the duo’s Baltimore teammates believe the pair could head to the desert. The Ravens opted not to use the franchise tag on Mosley, which would have allowed him to collect a fully guaranteed salary of $15.443MM next year.
Despite his advanced age, there aren’t many signs Suggs is slowing down. He played 744 defensive snaps in 2018, second-most among Baltimore’s front seven defenders (trailing only Mosley). During that time, Suggs posted seven sacks and ranked as the NFL’s 36th-best edge defender among 103 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.