Joe Flacco Dealing With Back Injury
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is preparing to sit out three to six weeks with a disc issue in his back, report Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). A worst-case scenario could put Flacco’s status for the Ravens’ Sept. 10 season opener in jeopardy, but the team only expects him to miss a week, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
If Flacco’s injury proves to be serious, the Ravens may choose to scour the free agent and trade markets for available quarterbacks. There are, of course, much-discussed unsigned QBs in Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III. Those two offer vastly different skill sets than Flacco and backup Ryan Mallett, but it may be worth noting in Kaepernick’s case that he played under Jim Harbaugh, the brother of Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, in San Francisco. Kaepernick is also familiar with senior offensive assistant Greg Roman, who was once the 49ers’ O-coordinator.
Other available options include Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill and Zach Mettenberger, and anyone the Ravens bring in would initially join Dustin Vaughan behind Mallett. The team re-signed Mallett to a one-year, $2MM deal in March. Mallett hasn’t been effective since debuting with the Patriots in 2012, though, which could give a newcomer a chance to unseat him and become Baltimore’s top backup.
Flacco, meanwhile, is the unquestioned No. 1 with the Ravens, but the 32-year-old has taken steps backward since their latest playoff campaign in 2014. The onetime Super Bowl champion struggled over 10 games in 2015 and then succumbed to a torn ACL that November. While Flacco returned last year to start all of Baltimore’s games, he posted pedestrian numbers for an 8-8 team.
Ravens’ Kenneth Dixon To Miss 2017 Season
Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon will miss the entire 2017 campaign after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Baltimore had been hopeful that Dixon, a 2016 fourth-round selection, would only need his meniscus trimmed, which would’ve lead to a much shorter recovery period. Instead, Dixon underwent a full repair, per Rapoport, which means he’ll miss five-to-six months. With the regular season fast approaching, Dixon won’t be able to make it back on the field in time to play this year.
Entering his age-23 campaign, Dixon had been slated to compete for carries alongside Terrance West, Danny Woodhead, and the rest of the Ravens’ backfield crew. A four-game PED suspension was already set to temper Dixon’s 2017 outlook, but now he won’t play again until 2018. Last season, Dixon managed 4.3 yards per carry on 88 rushes, and also added 30 receptions out of the backfield.
With Dixon sidelined, the Ravens made a move to add running back depth earlier today, agreeing to terms with veteran Bobby Rainey.
Ravens Sign RB Bobby Rainey
With Kenneth Dixon set for meniscus surgery, the Ravens are getting some reinforcements at just the right time. Baltimore will sign running back Bobby Rainey, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon Done For Season]
Rainey, 29, spent the 2016 campaign with the Giants but he only got to carry the ball 17 times while adding 20 receptions. On special teams, he averaged 6.5 yards per punt return and 25.5 yards per kick return. A five-year NFL veteran, Rainey’s most notable pro seasons came with the Buccaneers in 2013 and 2014, as he rushed for more than 400 yards in each year. Rainey didn’t get a lot of opportunities with the G-Men last year, but he has shown that he can be a decent runner with pass catching ability.
Rainey will now slot in behind Terrance West, Danny Woodhead, Buck Allen, and Lorenzo Taliaferro on the Ravens’ running back depth chart. There could be a chance for him to stick in Baltimore now that Dixon has been ruled out for the season.
The signing actually marks Rainey’s second go ’round with the Ravens. Rainey’ broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Baltimore in 2012 and even spent time on the 53-man roster, but he was never on the active gameday roster. His time with the Ravens ended when he was cut prior to the 2013 campaign.
Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon Suffers Injury
Bad news for the Ravens. Running back Kenneth Dixon suffered a tear in his meniscus, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll undergo surgery with the hope that the meniscus only needs to be trimmed. After the operation, we should know more about Dixon’s condition and timetable for a return. 
[RELATED: Ravens Sign RB Bobby Rainey]
Dixon was already slated to miss the first four games of the season due to a PED suspension. Now, he’ll have to miss valuable camp time that he was hoping to use to separate himself from some of the other running backs on the roster.
Dixon, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft, was part of a committee backfield employed by the Ravens last season. He was on the short end of the stick, however, as he finished out with only 88 carries. The 23-year-old put up a solid 4.3 yards per carry average on those limited attempts and also added 30 receptions.
Terrance West, free agent addition Danny Woodhead, and Buck Allen are expected to be the top backs for Baltimore to start the year. Lorenzo Taliaferro profiles as the RB4 to begin the season while the newly-signed Bobby Rainey will try to push for a roster spot.
Texans Meeting With LB Zach Orr
The Zach Orr free agency tour continues. The free agent linebacker is spending Monday afternoon with the Texans, according to NFL sources who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
Already, Orr has visited the Lions, Colts, and Jets since announcing his intent to return to football. Reportedly, the Colts were uncomfortable with Orr’s medical status, and that could have also been a sticking point for the Lions and Jets.
The Texans signed Sio Moore in June as a low-cost depth option and Orr could be another late offseason addition to the linebacker group. After John Simon left in free agency to join the rival Colts, the Texans would like to sure up the unit as much as possible with the resources that are left.
Orr retired from football earlier this year, citing a congenital spinal condition. After gathering additional medical opinions, however, the 25-year-old changed course and decided that he wanted to play in 2017. Orr was initially a restricted free agent under the Ravens’ control, but he is now an UFA since the Ravens did not tender him an offer after he announced his retirement.
Orr had 130 tackles for the Ravens in 2016 – leading the Ravens by a wide margin – and earned second-team All-Pro honors. From a talent perspective, he’d be a huge addition to the Texans or any defense that would have him. However, teams will have to weigh out the upside against the potential risk associated with Orr taking the field.
Several Ravens Vets With Iffy Roster Statuses
- With training camp approaching, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun projects the Ravens’ season-opening roster. Veterans whose roster spots are in danger include tight end Maxx Williams, fullback Lorenzo Taliaferro, defensive ends Brent Urban and Za’Darius Smith, and cornerback Brandon Boykin, writes Zrebiec. Urban is the only member of the group who appeared in every Ravens game last season, when he picked up two sacks on 150 snaps. Smith, a participant in over 47 percent of Baltimore’s defensive snaps and a starter in 13 appearances, played the biggest role of the five in 2016. But Smith only made a marginal impact statistically (20 tackles, sack, forced fumble), and his performance ranked a less-than-stellar 92nd among Pro Football Focus’ 106 qualified edge defenders.
Ravens Sign Reggie Porter
- The Ravens have added cornerback Reggie Porter, an undrafted rookie from Utah, and waived/injured wide receiver Aaron Bailey. Porter signed with the Colts after the draft, but they cut him in early June. Bailey, also an undrafted rookie, signed with the Ravens out of Northern Iowa back in May.
Ravens To Sign WR Griff Whalen
The Ravens are signing veteran wide receiver Griff Whalen, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Whalen visited the Ravens and took a physical with the team earlier today. After that, it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. 
[RELATED: Bills Meet With Ex-Ravens WR Anquan Boldin]
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but this is likely a one-year deal with little-to-no guarantees. Whalen will push to make the roster as a supporting wide receiver, vying with Chris Moore, Keenan Reynolds, Chris Matthews, Michael Campanaro, and others for just two or three potential spots.
Whalen’s experience in the return game could help his bid to make the 53-man roster.
Ravens Work Out WR Griff Whalen
The Ravens worked out veteran wide receiver Griff Whalen on Friday, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Whalen is taking a physical for the team and there is mutual interest in a deal, he adds. 
Whalen, 27, spent the first four years of his career with the Colts before being bounced around like a pinball in 2016. He first latched on with the Dolphins, but he was dropped just after the 53-man cutdown deadline. He then hooked on with the Chargers and spent eight games on their roster before getting the ax to make room for Ronnie Hillman. He signed with the Patriots in December, but his stay lasted only one week.
For his career, Whaley has 47 catches for 509 yards and three scores with all but two of those receptions coming in his four seasons with Indianapolis. On the plus side, Whalen also offers experience in the return game.
The Ravens have Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin, and Breshad Perriman as their top three wide receivers. After that, things are pretty wide open for the No. 4 and 5 spots. It sounds like Whalen could be thrown into the mix to battle it out with Chris Moore, Keenan Reynolds, Chris Matthews, and Michael Campanaro for those final openings.
Ravens Make Roster Moves
- The Ravens made a few moves on Thursday, per the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec, who reports that the club waived/injured defensive back Daniel Henry, placed offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor on the non-football injury list, and put wide receiver Aaron Bailey and defensive end Patrick Ricard on the physically unable to perform list (Twitter links). With the exception of the English-born Eluemunor, a fifth-round pick, all of those players joined the Ravens this year as undrafted free agents.