Ravens Move Vince Mayle To WR
- The Ravens are moving Vince Mayle from tight end to wide receiver, Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun notes. This comes as Baltimore’s wideout room looks more crowded with possible roster cogs than it did last season. With Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown borderline locks for the 53-man unit, the Ravens will have some choices to make at preseason’s end. A 2015 Browns pick, Mayle played in 16 games with the 2017 Ravens. Third-year backup Chris Moore may not see much receiver time, per Lee, who adds fourth- and fifth-round rookies Jaleel Scott (New Mexico State) and Jordan Lasley (UCLA) aren’t locks to make the roster. Though, the Ravens will surely give them every opportunity to do so and it’s a fairly safe bet the rookies will be on the Week 1 roster. The Ravens’ wideouts averaged a league-low 8.9 yards per catch last season.
Ravens Eyeing Matt Skura For C Job
- After losing Ryan Jensen to the Buccaneers, the Ravens are in need of a new center. Going into camp, the hope is second-year Raven and former UDFA Matt Skura commandeers the job, Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun notes. A Duke product who entered the league two years ago, Skura started 12 games in relief of Marshal Yanda last season at right guard. Pro Football Focus didn’t view those starts as particularly memorable, placing Skura’s 2017 work near the bottom of the guard hierarchy. Lee adds that while Alex Lewis will be tried at left guard, the part-time 2016 Baltimore starter also hovers as a center option.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/12/18
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/did not report list: C Alex Thompson
New York Giants
- Signed: G Zac Kerin
- Waived: OL Ethan Cooper
Ravens' Boyle, Williams On Bubble?
- The Ravens kept four tight ends last season, but there is no assurance that will be the plan this year, Edward Lee of The Baltimore Sun writes. First-round pick Hayden Hurst and third-round pick Mark Andrews are locks for the roster, leaving returning veterans Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams on the bubble. Boyle and Williams offer blocking prowess, but they combined for just 289 receiving yards last year. That was barely more than half of the yards compiled by Benjamin Watson, who left in the offseason to sign with the Saints.
Joe Flacco On Hot Seat
- In a roundtable featuring ESPN.com’s AFC North writers, Browns head coach Hue Jackson and Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco are viewed as the division’s participants most on the proverbial hot seat. Jackson, of course, is not only fighting for his job after posting one win in two seasons, but he’s also dealing with a new general manager — John Dorsey — who will likely jump at the chance to hire his own head coach if Cleveland disappoints once again in 2018. Flacco, meanwhile, could see first-round rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson push for Baltimore’s starting job as soon as this season, especially if Flacco repeats his 2017 woes.
Poll: Who Will Be The First Coach To Get Fired This Season?
It’s a new year for every coach in the NFL, but not every coach will survive the year. Already, there’s speculation about which coaches could be on the hot seat in 2018. Some coaches with shaky job security may include:
- Hue Jackson, Browns: Jackson is the oddsmaker’s favorite to lose his job first. After compiling a 1-31 record in his two seasons at the helm in Cleveland, it’s hard to argue with the professionals. Jackson certainly has more talent to work with thanks to the arrivals of running back Carlos Hyde, wide receiver Jarvis Landry, and a vastly improved secondary, but along with that comes raised expectations. When also considering that Jackson is a holdover from the previous regime and not necessarily the preferred choice of new GM John Dorsey, it’s quite possible that Jackson could be ousted with another bad start.
- Adam Gase, Dolphins: When Gase was hired in 2016, he was the league’s youngest head coach at the age of 38. He earned a playoff appearance in his first year on the sidelines, but last year turned ugly after quarterback Ryan Tannehill was lost for the season and replaced by Jay Cutler. Tannehill’s return should help matters, but it’s fair to wonder whether this team has improved much at all after losing Ndamukong Suh on the other side of the ball. The Dolphins’ early schedule may also hurt Gase as they open against the Titans, Jets, Raiders, and Patriots. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Dolphins split those games, like they did in 2017, but it’s also conceivable that they could open the year 0-4. As you can probably guess, an 0-4 start is historically difficult to climb out from. Of the 117 teams that have started 0-4 in the 16-game era, the ’92 Chargers are the ones to have reached the postseason with with an 11-win campaign. The 2004 Bills and the 2017 Chargers both rallied to win nine games, but neither club reached the playoffs.
- Marvin Lewis, Bengals: The Lewis saga took some weird twists and turns last season. In the midst of a second-straight season without a playoff appearance, there was speculation about Lewis’ job security. Then, in December, we started hearing rumblings that Lewis might leave the Bengals to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Ultimately, Lewis was signed to a two-year extension to, theoretically, keep him under contract for his 16th and 17th seasons in Cincinnati. Lewis has avoided lame duck status for 2018, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll survive the year if the Bengals falter.
- Vance Joseph, Broncos: Joseph was nearly axed after the 2017 season before John Elway ultimately decided to retain him. The Broncos’ defense is still jam-packed with talent and they have a capable quarterback in Case Keenum, so anything short of a playoff appearance will be a disappointment in Denver. This will be Joseph’s second season at the helm in Denver, but it’s clear that he is under pressure it win.
- Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers: Koetter was already believed to be on the hot seat but he was placed squarely behind the 8-ball last week when quarterback Jameis Winston was suspended for the first three games of the season. Even if the Bucs come out of September unscathed, they’ll be up against an overall schedule that is the fourth-toughest in the NFL, based on the combined win percentage of opponents in 2017.
The list goes on from there. Jay Gruden (Redskins), Todd Bowles (Jets), Bill O’Brien (Texans), Jason Garrett (Cowboys), John Harbaugh (Ravens), and Ron Rivera (Panthers) could also be in varying degrees of jeopardy with disappointing seasons. We’d be surprised to see a quick hook for Garrett, Harbaugh, or Rivera no matter what happens, but you may feel differently.
Click below to make your pick for who will be the first to get the axe. Then, you can head to the comment section to back up your choice.
Which NFL Head Coach Will Be The First To Get Fired In 2018?
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Hue Jackson 24% (521)
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Dirk Koetter 16% (336)
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Vance Joseph 11% (229)
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Marvin Lewis 10% (205)
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Adam Gase 9% (196)
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Jason Garrett 8% (172)
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John Harbaugh 7% (148)
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Jay Gruden 6% (138)
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Todd Bowles 5% (100)
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Bill O'Brien 2% (52)
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Ron Rivera 1% (29)
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Other (specify coach in comments) 1% (28)
Total votes: 2,154
Extension Candidate: C.J. Mosley
Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley, unlike some of his fellow 2014 first-round draftees eyeing a new deal, has not held out of spring practices and has no intentions of holding out of training camp. He has previously indicated that he wants to be a Raven for life and to be remembered as the second-greatest linebacker in team history (behind Ray Lewis, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in August).
Although it is difficult to fault any player in today’s NFL for holding out in an effort to land a mega payday, Mosley’s decision to remain with the team regardless of his contract situation is emblematic of the type of leadership that makes him such a prized commodity in Baltimore. His play, of course, also speaks volumes. The Alabama product has been named to three Pro Bowls in his four-year career and has earned a reputation as something of a playmaker, as he has posted eight interceptions and eight sacks during that timeframe. Those eight interceptions rank second among linebackers over the past four years (behind Luke Kuechly‘s nine), and Mosley ranks fifth in tackles (489) and fifth in solo tackles (313) among all defensive players from 2014-17.
Perhaps just as importantly, he has been durable, having missed only two games to date. On the other hand, he can struggle in pass coverage, and while he is a very good all-around player, he is not a generational talent that makes a lucrative extension an easy call for the Ravens.
The Texans’ Benardrick McKinney recently landed a five-year, $50MM deal (with $21MM guaranteed), and the Vikings gave Eric Kendricks a similar deal in April. Mosley has a case to top both of those players, neither of whom have been selected to a Pro Bowl, and it would not be far-fetched to see him approaching or besting Kuechly’s five-year, $61MM ($27MM guaranteed) pact, which currently paces the market for inside linebackers.
But the Ravens do have a history of drafting quality ILBs, and given that Mosley is generally not the kind of game-changing player that Kuechly is, one would think Baltimore could move on and use that money elsewhere. But the Ravens typically take care of their homegrown talent, and considering Mosley’s abilities and leadership qualities, the guess here is that he and the team will come to terms on an extension that will give him around $25MM in guarantees and that averages around $11MM per year.
Grant Could Be Ravens' New Returner
- Another undrafted free agent with a good chance of making his team’s roster is Ravens wide receiver Janarion Grant, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Mink writes that Grant has impressed as a kick returner this offseason and has real shot at sticking as the Ravens’ primary returner after Michael Campanaro left in free agency.
Kamalei Correa Changing Positions Again
- The Ravens have moved 2016 second-round pick Kamalei Correa around a bit since he entered the league. Beginning his career at outside linebacker, the Boise State product was shuttled to an inside spot in 2017. However, Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun notes Correa’s been moved back to the outside this offseason. Correa recorded 19 sacks during his final two college seasons but has yet to register one as a pro. He’ll be in the mix as one of Terrell Suggs‘ supporting-casters this year, it appears.
Ravens UDFA Janarion Grant Could Make Roster
- Receiver Janarion Grant may have gone undrafted out of Rutgers, but Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com says the rookie still has a good chance of making the Ravens‘ roster. Following the loss of Michael Campanaro, the team is now searching for a new returner, and the speedy Grant seems to have the edge over Tim White. “Janarion Grant is a young man that I thought had exceptional college tape,” said special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg. “He came in as a tryout player in our rookie minicamp and earned a roster spot because of those things and his skills as a receiver.”
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