Eagles Acquire Timmy Jernigan From Ravens
The Eagles have acquired defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and a third-round pick (No. 99 overall) from the Ravens in exchange for the No. 74 overall pick, which is also in the third round. In essence, the Eagles have dropped down 25 spots in the third round in order to add a starting-caliber defensive lineman. 
After losing Bennie Logan to the Chiefs in free agency, this trade makes lots of sense for Philly. Jernigan, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, played in all 16 games last season and managed five sacks. He finished out as the league’s 42nd best interior defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus, putting him ahead of names like Ricky Jean-Francois, Corey Peters, and Cullen Jenkins. For what it’s worth, that ranking put him more than 40 spots ahead of Logan.
Recently, when asked about rumors that Jernigan could be traded, Ravens coach John Harbaugh did not deny that the 24-year-old (25 in September) could be moved.
“Everybody is up for trade,” Harbaugh said. “It’s part of the conversation in the NFL.”
The Ravens recently made Brandon Williams the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL and they also have Michael Pierce, Carl Davis, and Willie Henry competing for playing time. From their perspective, keeping Jernigan and re-signing him to a pricey deal after the 2017 season didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
“This will allow our young group of defensive lineamn an opportunity to compete and play,” Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said in a statement.
Jernigan will carry a modest cap number of $1.395MM in 2017 before becoming eligible for the open market.
Ravens Hosting Top Prospects
- The Ravens are hosting prospects a number of big name prospects this week, including Alabama outside linebacker Tim Williams and North Carolina State safety Josh Jones (Twitter link via Albert Breer of The MMQB). Williams is said to have serious upside, but concerns about his conditioning and motivation may push him into the second round. This will mark Jones’ second meeting with Baltimore.
Ray Rice Takes High School Coaching Job
After three years away from the NFL, it sounds like Ray Rice might be pursuing a different career path. The former Ravens running back has taken a job as a running backs coach at Don Bosco Prep High School in New Jersey, a source tells Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
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Don Bosco is one of the country’s top high school football programs and the Bergen County powerhouse recently shook things up by parting ways with Greg Toal and replacing him with former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel. Teel, in turn, has hired his former Scarlet Knights teammate.
Last month, Rice indicated that he would not give up on his goal of returning to the NFL. His new coaching gig is probably not a white flag towards a return to playing, but Rice may be coming to terms with the fact that he won’t be getting a call. He may also view the high school coaching job as a good way to rebuild his public persona.
Even putting the obvious issues aside, Rice is a 30-year-old running back who didn’t look all that great when he was on the field in 2013. The New York native averaged just 3.1 yards per carry in his last NFL season, a far cry from his career-high 5.3 yards per carry mark in 2009. Ultimately, signing Rice would bring about a public relations firestorm that just isn’t worth it.
Ravens Host Takkarist McKinley
- UCLA linebacker Takkarist McKinley is visiting the Browns, Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals all in a row, Rapoport tweets. We heard last month that he would visit with some of these AFC North teams, but we now know that he’ll be polishing off the AFC North in rapid succession.
Ravens Notes: Williams, Reddick
- Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams will attend predraft visits with the Ravens, Browns, and Titans, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Williams is widely viewed as one of the draft’s top three wideout prospects, along with Washington’s John Ross and Western Michigan’s Corey Davis, and he’s also met with another WR-needy club — the Eagles — earlier this offseason. In January, a scout told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report that Williams favorably compares to Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, and called him the “best player on the field” during the Alabama-Clemson Championship Game.
- The Ravens have scheduled a meeting with Temple linebacker Haason Reddick, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Reddick is capable of playing either inside or outside ‘backer, meaning he could step in next to C.J. Mosley in the middle of Baltimore’s defense, or help replace Elvis Dumervil on the edge. “Outside linebacker in a 3-4 system is most natural to me,” Reddick said at Temple’s Pro Day. “Because of the type of player I am, how fast I can learn the game, I know that if I’m put at inside linebacker I can be the best at that as well.” Reddick posted 9.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss in 2016.
Ravens Notes: Fournette, Boldin
The Ravens “love” LSU running back Leonard Fournette, according to Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. Of course, given that Fournette is considered the top back in the 2017 class, a number of teams probably have similar feelings, but Baltimore could conceivably consider a trade up in order to land Fournette. Currently, the Ravens sit at pick No. 16, so they’d probably have to jump 10 spots (at a minimum) to get a shot at Fournette, who is likely the only running back Baltimore would select in the first round.
- While the Ravens are open to a reunion with receiver Anquan Boldin, the veteran pass-catcher may want to sign with a club that plays closer to his home in Florida, as Zriebec writes in a separate piece. Earlier this week, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said he’d “obviously” be amenable to signing Boldin, and the fit makes sense given the team’s lack of depth at wideout. Boldin is reportedly taking his time finding a landing spot, perhaps an eye towards skipping spring workouts.
Purdue WR DeAngelo Yancey To Visit Ravens
Some assorted draft notes from around the NFL…
- The Texans held a private workout for Bucknell left offensive tackle Julién Davenport, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Davenport, who has also worked out for the Patriots, Cowboys, and Jaguars, is projected to be a late first/early second-round pick. As Wilson notes, the Texans could certainly use some reinforcement on the offensive line, especially with Derek Newton expected to miss next season with torn patellar tendons.
- Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been scheduled for a league-high 18 official visits and private workouts, sources tell Wilson. The signal caller recently worked out for the Bengals, Cardinals, Saints, Chargers, and Browns. Mahomes completed 65.7-percent of his passes last season for 5,052 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Over the past three seasons, he’s also added another 22 rushing touchdowns.
- Purdue wide receiver DeAngelo Yancey will visit the Ravens later this month, reports Wilson (via Twitter). As a senior, the wideout hauled in 49 receptions for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns. NFL.com predicts Yancey could be selected on the third day of the draft.
Josh Jones Visits Ravens
- North Carolina State safety Josh Jones visited the Ravens on Thursday, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jones ranks 48th on the board of Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, so he could be a candidate for Baltimore’s second-round pick (No. 47).
Opinion: Ravens Shouldn't Trade Jernigan
The Ravens should only trade Timmy Jernigan if they can get a second-day draft pick in return, and that seems unlikely, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. There has been speculation that the defensive tackle could be on the block and coach John Harbaugh didn’t do much to slow down that talk when asked about it earlier this week. Jernigan, who is entering his contract year, appeared in every regular season game last season and totaled five sacks. He seemed to run out of gas towards the end of the season and his playing time was slashed down the stretch, but he still stands as Baltimore’s only interior pass-rush threat.
Ravens Notes: Boldin, Mosley, Jernigan
Although Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he’d “obviously” be open to signing veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin, he admitted he’ll leave the club’s personnel decisions to general manager Ozzie Newsome, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Boldin, 36, has already indicated he’ll return for a 15th NFL season, but he may not sign with a club until later this summer. Baltimore may also look to find a receiver via trade, or perhaps pick up a veteran wideout that has recently been cut by another club, says Harbaugh.
Here’s more on the Ravens:
- Linebacker C.J. Mosley‘s fifth-year option is a mere “formality,” per Harbaugh, as Baltimore wants the former first-round pick “to be a Ravens for many years” (Twitter link via Zrebiec). The non-top-10 pick fifth-year option salary for linebackers in 2017 will be $8.369MM, so the figure could tick towards $9MM in 2019. Mosley, 24, missed two games last year but still racked up 92 tackles and four interceptions, grading as the league’s No. 7 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
- Harbaugh didn’t deny rumors that defensive lineman Timmy Jernigan could be traded, reports Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “Everybody is up for trade,” Harbaugh said. “It’s part of the conversation in the NFL.” Mike Lombardi of The Ringer recently indicated he’s heard Jernigan’s name pop up in trade discussions. Jernigan, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, played in all 16 games last season and managed five sacks.
- While veteran tight end Ben Watson hasn’t yet been cleared to practice, he is ahead of schedule as he recovers from a torn Achilles, per Hensley. Watson, 36, signed a two-year, $7MM contract with Baltimore last spring, but never made it on the field after going down in August. There’s no guarantee Watson makes the Ravens’ final roster, as the club also boasts Dennis Pitta (who recently accepted a paycut), Maxx Williams, Crockett Gillmore, Nick Boyle, and Darren Waller at tight end.
- Right guard Marshal Yanda underwent offseason shoulder surgery to repair a nagging injury that caused him to miss three games in 2016, according to Hensley. Despite his health issues, the 32-year-old Yanda was spectacular once again last season, as PFF graded him as the NFL’s best guard. He’s signed through the 2019 campaign.