Austin Howard Hasn't Practiced With Ravens
- Newly signed Ravens offensive tackle Austin Howard hasn’t practiced with the team since inking a three-year, $16.5MM deal last Friday, and it’s unclear why, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Howard underwent offseason shoulder surgery, so his recovery from that procedure could be at the root of the delay, notes Zrebiec. For his part, head coach John Harbaugh is content to leave Howard’s fate “in the trainer’s hands.”
Latest On Joe Flacco's Recovery
- There’s no comeback date for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who’s dealing with a back injury, but a second opinion last week yielded news that was “positive for a slow return,” a league source told ESPN’s Dan Graziano (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). The Ravens can afford to be patient with Flacco because he’s a 10-year veteran who has a full understanding of their offense, noted head coach John Harbaugh. “Every play we’ve run, he’s run before numerous times,” Harbaugh said.
Ravens Sign CB Trevin Wade
The Ravens have signed free agent cornerback Trevin Wade, the club announced today. In order to create roster space, Baltimore has waived/injured fellow cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz.
Baltimore’s secondary hasn’t escaped the injury bug that has afflicted the Ravens’ roster, as second-year slot corner Tavon Young will miss the 2017 season after tearing his ACL, while another sophomore defensive back, Maurice Canady, may also be sidelined after suffering a potentially serious knee injury. At present, the Ravens are expected to start Jimmy Smith and free agent addition Brandon Carr at cornerback, with rookie first-round selection Marlon Humphrey in reserve. Other defensive backs on Baltimore’s roster include Brandon Boykin, Sheldon Price, and Lardarius Webb, who can moonlight in the slot despite having converted to safety.
Wade, 28, will add to the Ravens’ secondary depth, and he offers a decent amount of experience: 47 total appearances, including 32 over the past two seasons. A former seventh-round pick of the Browns, Wade spent 2015-16 with the Giants. Last year, he started two contests and played on roughly a third of New York’s defensive snaps and another third of the club’s special teams snaps.
Shabazz, meanwhile, had just joined Baltimore’s roster in June. If he clears waivers, he’ll revert to the Ravens’ injured reserve list. At that point, the 25-year-old could either spend the year on IR, or be released with an injury settlement.
Harbaugh: No Definitive Date For Joe Flacco Return
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said yesterday there is no definitive date for Joe Flacco to return to the field, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. Flacco, of course, has been dealing with a back injury, and we heard at the end of July that he was preparing to miss three to six weeks, though more optimistic reports had him returning within one week.
Harbaugh said, “We know he’s getting better every single day. Obviously, we have a plan for him, football-wise, when he gets back. But we haven’t been told when yet.”
Harbaugh’s statement should not be surprising in light of Baltimore’s highly-publicized dalliance with free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick. If the Ravens were truly convinced that Flacco would only be out a short period of time, it is unlikely they would be entertaining the notion of signing Kaepernick as seriously they have, as Kaepernick would not compete with a healthy Flacco for the team’s starting job.
The Ravens have been ravaged by injury in the early stages of training camp, and while they may yet have enough talent to make a playoff push with the talent they currently have at their disposal, they need Flacco to be 100% to have a real chance at being competitive in 2017.
In his only public comments about the injury, which he made on July 28, Flacco said he was unsure of when he would return to practice. He said, “It is just one of those things where you have to be patient and not let your competitive nature get the best of you. I am talking about everybody — myself and, really, everybody.”
Ravens Make Two Moves
Baltimore Ravens
Ravens Waive TE Crockett Gillmore
The Ravens announced that tight end Crockett Gillmore has been waived to make room for the newly signed Austin Howard. Gillmore, of course, is out for the year after suffering a knee injury in July. 
[RELATED: Ravens Sign OT Austin Howard]
Gillmore, 25, had 33 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns in 2015. Unfortunately, injuries have hampered him ever since. In 2016, he appeared in only seven games thanks to back and knee issues. Now, he’ll have to wait until 2018 to see the field again.
By exposing Gillmore to waivers, the Ravens run the risk of another team swooping in on him and planting him on the roster. If Gillmore clears waivers – probably the most likely scenario given his current status – then he will revert to the team’s injured reserve. From there, the Ravens can either park him on IR or release him with an injury settlement.
Ravens Sign OT Austin Howard
The Ravens will sign former former Raiders offensive tackle Austin Howard, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Howard was released by Oakland one week ago.
It’s a three-year deal worth$16MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The deal includes team options after each year with $5.5MM coming to him in the first season. At the end, Howard was down to the Ravens and Texans after also visiting Houston. 
The deal marks something of a homecoming for Howard, who once was a part of the Ravens’ practice squad. He can expected to compete with James Hurst for the starting right tackle job. If he falls short, he can be used as a swingman off of the bench to bolster the depth on both the interior and exterior of the line. Then again, with a contract like this, the Ravens are probably anticipating that he’ll be with the first unit.
Howard was slowed by an ankle injury in 2016 and is coming off of a down year in terms of performance. Still, he offers far more experience than Hurst and could be a decent starter if he’s healthy. Hurst has just 16 career starts versus Howard’s 72 starts in 76 career appearances.
Overall, this hasn’t been a great offseason for the Ravens’ offensive line. The team lost right tackle Ricky Wagner to free agency, center John Urschel to retirement, and guard Nico Siragusa to a season-ending knee injury. Baltimore hopes that the addition of Howard will help offset its major losses.
Austin Howard Visiting Ravens
Free agent offensive tackle Austin Howard is in Baltimore visiting the Ravens, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). The Sun’s Mike Preston first reported Baltimore’s interest in Howard last week.
Given the attrition they’ve faced up front since the end of last season, the Ravens are known to be on the lookout for offensive line help. It’s no surprise, then, that they’re pursuing Howard, one of the most accomplished blockers available. He’d somewhat help cover for the departure of right tackle Ricky Wagner, who signed a mega-deal with the Lions in free agency. Baltimore’s O-line also lost center John Urschel to retirement earlier this summer, and interior rookie Nico Siragusa suffered a season-ending knee injury this week.
For the moment, the Ravens are counting on right tackle James Hurst – he of 16 career starts – to line up opposite No. 1 left tackle Ronnie Stanley. The 30-year-old Howard brings far more experience, having notched 72 starts in 76 appearances over six seasons spread among the Eagles, Jets and Raiders.
Howard battled an ankle injury during an 11-game campaign last year in Oakland, where he started 10 times and ranked a below-average 52nd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 77 qualified tackles. The Raiders released Howard last week, which came with two seasons remaining on the five-year, $30MM deal he signed with them in 2014.
Ravens Seeking O-line Help
In the wake of John Urschel‘s retirement and Nico Siragusa‘s season-ending knee injury, the Ravens’ top priority is to add to their offensive line, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. General manager Ozzie Newsome has discussed trades with other teams, reports Zrebiec, who points out that free agency could be a tough route to take because the Ravens don’t have much cap room. Further, while the Ravens showed interest in free agent center Nick Mangold during the offseason, there are questions as to whether the 33-year-old is committed to continuing his career, relays Zrebiec. Notably, Mangold indicated in May that he could retire.
Ravens Interested In QB Aaron Murray
Earlier this week, coach John Harbaugh told reporters that the team is casting a wide net as it looks into the possibility of adding another quarterback. While he and GM Ozzie Newsome are reportedly pushing team owner Steve Bisciotti to add Colin Kaepernick, the team is also looking into some less-heralded options as well. The Ravens have interest in bringing in quarterback Aaron Murray, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com. 
[RELATED: Harbaugh, Newsome Want To Add Kaepernick]
Murray, the Chiefs’ fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft, was cut loose by KC before the 2016 season. Since then, he has had stints with the Cardinals, Eagles, and Rams, but he has yet to throw a pass in an NFL game and has been out of work since his release from L.A. in May.
The attention being paid to Murray will certainly irk those who would rather see the Ravens take a look at Kaepernick. On Tuesday, Murray signed on with CBS to work as an announcer on college football games, so it’s not even clear whether Murray is 100% committed to continuing his playing career.