Ravens TE Darren Waller Reinstated
Ravens tight end Darren Waller has been reinstated after serving a yearlong suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. In order to bring him back on the roster, the Ravens have waived/injured wide receiver Jaelon Acklin. 
Waller, 26 in September, served a four-game substance abuse ban in 2016, so his second violation of the substance abuse policy last year resulted in a one year suspension. The tight end was forced to sit out the entire year and lost out on $615K in salary.
In 2016, Waller had ten catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. His offensive output was minimal, but he appeared on nearly half of Baltimore’s special teams snaps.
This year, he faced an uphill battle to make the roster. The Ravens drafted two tight ends in Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, meaning that Nick Boyle, Maxx Williams, and Vince Mayle are competing for one or maybe two spots. For what it’s worth, it appears that the Ravens will at least give Waller an opportunity to play catchup and make the final cut.
Marshal Yanda Comes Off PUP List
Marshal Yanda‘s dealt with multiple injuries since last playing in a regular-season game, but the All-Pro guard is working his way back to action.
The Ravens removed Yanda from their PUP list on Saturday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Ravens’ focus will be to have Yanda ready in time for Week 1, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
John Harbaugh doesn’t expect Yanda to play in Baltimore’s preseason opener next week. But the top Ravens lineman’s return to practice, with more than a month to spare before the regular season begins, is a good sign for the team.
Yanda suffered a season-ending ankle injury early in the Ravens’ 2017 slate, playing in just two games, but a shoulder problem induced the PUP stay to start this training camp. This will be the 33-year-old interior blocker’s 12th season with the Ravens.
Lamar Jackson Not Planning To Bulk Up
- Lamar Jackson‘s slender frame emerged as a pre-draft topic, but the Ravens rookie not planning a significant weight-gain project as he readies for the NFL. Jackson said (via Terez Paylor of Yahoo.com) he’s at 216 pounds and doesn’t want to be above 220, in order to maintain his elite speed.
Ravens' O-Line Far From Settled
- Only Ronnie Stanley and Marshal Yanda are locks to be Ravens offensive line starters, with Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic noting (subscription required) the team used numerous O-line combinations Saturday. Expected to vie for Baltimore’s right tackle job, James Hurst is working primarily at right guard while Alex Lewis — whom Zreibec projects as the left guard starter — has worked plenty at center. The Ravens’ right guard starter, Yanda remains on the PUP list. Zreibec still contends Hurst will settle at right tackle, with rookie Orlando Brown in the mix at that spot as well.
CB Bashaud Breeland Visiting Ravens
It sounds like the Ravens have gotten their desired meeting with free agent Bashaud Breeland. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the defensive back is at the Ravens’ facility to take a physical and meet with team officials.
While this could eventually lead to a contract, Zrebiec admits that he is “not sure where the negotiations stand.” We heard yesterday that the Ravens were “getting more aggressive” in their pursuit of Breeland.
As the writer notes in a follow-up tweet, cornerback appears to be one of the Ravens’ strongest positions at the moment, and it’s uncertain if the talented Breeland would be interested in a presumable backup role. The team is currently rostering Jimmy Smith, Brandon Carr, Marlon Humphrey, Tavon Young, Maurice Canady, fourth-rounder Anthony Averett, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Jaylen Hill, and Bennett Jackson, a grouping that could be considered one of the best in the NFL. Zrebiec also observes that Smith, Young, and Canady are all coming off injures/surgeries, perhaps indicating that team has some concerns about their recoveries.
The 26-year-old is one of the top defenders still on the market, and he’s garnered previous interest from the Jets, Raiders, Chiefs, Browns and Colts. Breeland had spent his entire four-year career with the Redskins, missing only four regular season games during his tenure. The former fourth-rounder had another productive season in 2017, finishing with 50 tackles, 19 passes defended, and one pick-six.
Ravens, Jets Pursuing Bashaud Breeland
The Ravens are “getting more aggressive” with their interest in free agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). Breeland is visiting the Browns on Friday afternoon, but the Ravens are pushing to meet with him on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the Jets have also entered the fray, Anderson hears. There’s no visit currently scheduled with Gang Green, but the Jets have expressed interest throughout the week.
Breeland is among the best defenders left on the free agent market at this juncture. He was originally set to join the Panthers on a three-year deal in March, but a failed physical voided the contract. Now that he’s finally healthy, Breeland has picked up interest from a number of teams, including the Raiders, Chiefs, Browns and Colts. Breeland’s visit with the Chiefs was particularly lengthy, but he left KC without a contract.
The Ravens project to start Brandon Carr and Jimmy Smith at cornerback with support from 2017 first-round pick Marlon Humphrey and fourth-round rookie Anthony Averett. The Jets, meanwhile, have Trumaine Johnson, Morris Claiborne, and Buster Skrine as their top three corners. Neither team is necessarily desperate for cornerback help, but any club in the league would welcome a talent like Breeland at the right price.
Why Haven't Ravens, Mosley Agreed To New Deal?
- The Ravens and linebacker C.J. Mosley have yet to make progress on an extension. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic isn’t exactly sure what the holdup is, but he posits a few theories. It’s possible that the Ravens are hesitant to sign a defensive standout to a long-term deal after injuries hampered players like Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb after their extensions. It’s also possible that the Ravens do not value inside linebackers as much as other clubs because of their history of finding UDFA gems at the position. Or, perhaps GM-to-be Eric DeCosta does not want to tie up the club’s future cap space. Still, with a number of players on expiring deals and others with minimal guarantees, the team should have enough flexibility to sign Mosley.
Breshad Perriman Running Behind Rookies?
- In what is Breshad Perriman‘s last chance to make an impact with the Ravens, he may be on the outside looking in to make the team, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic notes. In addition to being behind new additions Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown, Zreibec notes the 2015 first-round pick is “certainly” trailing Chris Moore and Tim White as well. (Moore is a career backup, and White is a former UDFA who has yet to play in an NFL game.) Considering rookies Jaleel Scott (Round 4) and Jordan Lasley (Round 5) also may be ahead of Perriman, this is a bind for the one-time highly regarded prospect. Ravens officials, however, wonder how much different the Central Florida product’s career would be had he been able to be on the field during the team’s past training camps rather than missing most of those sessions due to injuries, per Zreibec. Perriman looked on the verge of a promising season after shining in the 2017 offseason program, but a hamstring tear put the kibosh on those hopes. Baltimore picked up an option bonus of $649K earlier this week, but that will merely buy the fourth-year pass-catcher this preseason to try and make one final impression.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: OL Cameron Lee
Ravens Notes: Perriman, Flacco
Receiver Breshad Perriman has disappointed since being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. In three seasons with the Ravens, the 24-year-old has hauled in only 43 receptions for 576 yards and three touchdowns. Considering his lack of production and the team’s depth at his position, Perriman understands that this is a make-or-break year.
The Ravens signed three free agent receivers in Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead, and the also drafted a pair of wideouts in Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley. Naturally, Perriman recognizes that he’ll have to compete for a roster spot.
- There’s been plenty of talk about the Ravens decision to select quarterback Lamar Jackson in the first round of this past year’s draft. Agent Joe Linta told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic that incumbent quarterback Joe Flacco had expected the organization to select a signal-caller, just not in the first round. “We talked about it many times, We knew they were going to draft somebody; I would have thought it may have been a Mason Rudolph situation,” said Linta, referring to the situation between the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger. “But they had a guy they targeted, and they took him. They didn’t do anything wrong…A lot of people in the media have to create a controversy. No one is mad that they picked a QB. [Ravens executives] are not stupid. They want to win more than they want Joe out. You got a 33-year-old guy with two major injuries. It would be bad business for them to not have a good guy behind him.”