Ravens To Bring Terrell Suggs Back In 2017
Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs is under contract through 2018, but he’s due to carry a cap number of $6.95MM in each of the next two seasons. That’s a significant amount of money for a player who turns 35 next fall and has suffered two biceps tears in four years. Still, general manager Ozzie Newsome tells reporters that he’ll be back with the next in 2017. 
[RELATED: Ravens To Keep OC Marty Mornhinweg]
This year, Suggs played through his injury and missed only one regular season game. He finished the year with strong numbers: eight sacks, 33 total tackles, and three forced fumbles. However, he appears to have lost a step in his mid-30s and the advanced numbers indicate show that he’s not the elite-level force he once was. Suggs finished the year as Pro Football Focus’ No. 40 ranked edge defender out of 109 qualified players.
Despite all of that, the Ravens intend on keeping Suggs and he has already ruled out retirement. As the Ravens’ only top-90 ranked edge rusher in 2016 (per PFF), it makes sense for Baltimore to bring him back, even if he’s no longer playing like a Pro Bowler.
Kamar Aiken To Test Free Agency
- It appears soon-to-be free agent wide receiver Kamar Aiken‘s third season with the Ravens will go down as his last. “Probably, it’s been the most frustrating year I’ve ever had since I’ve been in the league,” Aiken said of 2016 (via Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun). “I would say I was proud of how I handled it.” Aiken was a key piece in the Ravens’ 2015 offense with 127 targets, 75 catches, 944 yards and five touchdowns, but his numbers dropped precipitously this season. In 16 games and six starts (eight fewer than he logged the prior year), Aiken accumulated 50 targets, 29 receptions, 328 yards and only one score. He spoke to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg during the season about an expanded role, but nothing came of it. Mornhinweg will return to the Ravens next season, which seemingly increases the likelihood of an Aiken departure. The 27-year-old revealed that he’s “looking forward to” hitting the open market.
Ravens To Keep OC Marty Mornhinweg
Contrary to speculation around the league, Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh announced that offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will return in 2017. Same goes for defensive coordinator Dean Pees and special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg. 
[RELATED: Ravens Sign Six To Reserve/Futures Contracts]
Baltimore promoted Mornhinweg from quarterbacks coach to OC after firing Marc Trestman in October. Since then, however, the Ravens haven’t seen much in the way of improvement. On the whole, the Ravens finished 17th in total yards gained and 24th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric this season. A new hire would have made six OCs in six years for the Ravens.
While the coordinators will be staying on board, Harbaugh indicated that there could be other changes elsewhere on the staff.
Ravens Sign Six To Reserve/Futures Contracts
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters.
Baltimore Ravens
- WR Kenny Bell
- OL Jarell Broxton
- RB Stephen Houston
- OL Jarrod Pughsley
- OL Matt Skura
- QB Dustin Vaughan
Carolina Panthers
- T Blaine Clausell
- DT Eric Crume
- WR Keyarris Garrett
- CB Tyler Patmon
- RB Jalen Simmons
- TE Scott Simonson
- T Pearce Slater
- T Tyrus Thompson
- TE Eric Wallace
2017 NFL Draft Order
The Browns almost blew it yesterday. In the regular season finale, the Browns took the Steelers to overtime before ultimately losing 27-24. Had they won, the Browns would have been picking at No. 2 instead of the top position. Meanwhile, the Jaguars nearly slipped to No. 5, but they held their ground in the draft order when they lost 24-20 to the Colts. Phew.
The playoffs will help determine the bottom 12 picks, but the draft order has now been set for most of the NFL. Here is the list, with ties being broken by strength of schedule:
1. Browns (1-15)
2. 49ers (2-14)
3. Bears (3-13)
4. Jaguars (3-13)
5. Titans (via the 4-12 Rams)
6. Jets (5-11)
7. Chargers (5-11)
8. Panthers (6-10)
9. Bengals (6-9-1)
10. Bills (7-9)
11. Saints (7-9)
12. Browns (via the 7-9 Eagles)
13. Cardinals (7-8-1)
T-14. Eagles (via the 8-8 Minnesota Vikings)
T-14. Colts (8-8) (Note: The Vikings and Colts have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broke by coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 14 and the other team getting the No. 15 pick.)
16. Ravens (8-8)
17. Redskins (8-7-1)
18. Titans (9-7)
19. Buccaneers (9-7)
20. Broncos (9-7)
Steve Smith Announces Retirement
As was expected, veteran Ravens receiver Steve Smith announced tonight that his 16-year NFL career is officially coming to end. “It’s been real,” the 37-year-old Smith tweeted, along with a photo noting many of his career accomplishments.
As a third round pick in 2001, no one could have predicted the kind of career that Smith would have. The wide receiver became the face of the Panthers’ organization in his 13 years there and he played with a chip on his shoulder upon joining the Ravens in 2014. In his age-35 season, he caught 79 passes for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns, silencing doubters who thought his best days were behind him. He lost most of the 2015 season to injury, but he rebounded nicely this season as he caught 67 passes for 765 yards and five scores.
Smith will leave the game as a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro selection. He’s also one of just eleven players to have 1,000+ catches and 14,000 yards receiving. His legacy of tenacious play coupled with his gaudy stats should make him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. We here at PFR wish No. 89 the best in retirement.
Coaching/GM Notes, Pt. 2: Arians, Gase, Wolf
Here is Part 2 of our coaching/GM rumors post. Part 1 can be found here.
- Despite his health concerns, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians expects to return in 2017, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Schefter tweets that one of Arians’ top assistants, offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin, is expected to interview for a head coaching job with the Rams, Jaguars, and Bills.
- As the 49ers get prepared to search for a new head coach and GM, a ghost from the past has reared its ugly head. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter), San Francisco was prepared to hire current Dolphins head coach Adam Gase two years ago. The team informed Gase that he was the choice, but GM Trent Baalke intervened at the last moment and convinced ownership not to hire Gase. The 49ers chose Jim Tomsula instead, and it has been all downhill from there.
- The Packers are not expected to make major coaching changes–although offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett could get head coaching interviews–but GM Ted Thompson could step aside and become a senior scouting adviser, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. One reason, according to Rapoport, is that Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf is a highly-coveted football mind, and if he’s not promoted soon, Green Bay could lose him.
- The Bengals are not expected to fire Marvin Lewis, who is signed through 2017, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. However, Lewis is not expected to get another one-year extension this offseason, which means that another disappointing campaign in 2017 could spell the end of his tenure as Cincinnati’s head coach.
- Jets head coach Todd Bowles will likely be back for a third season, but offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is expected to be fired, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post.
- The Ravens are expected to part ways with OC Marty Mornhinweg, and assuming they do, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Greg Roman is someone to “keep an eye on.”
- Browns coaches have “deep concerns” with the direction of the team’s personnel department and are expected to push owner Jimmy Haslam for changes in that regard, according to La Canfora. While head coach Hue Jackson is not planning to request the removal of top football man Sashi Brown, the coaching staff would like a proven, old-school talent evaluator involved in player selection to provide something of a checks-and-balance system to Brown’s analytics-based approach.
- La Canfora suggests that, if the Lions miss the playoffs this season, GM Bob Quinn could at least think about a coaching change, and his Patriots ties could lead him to consider Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, with whom he established strong relationships during his time in New England. While I personally could imagine Quinn’s being interested in McDaniels, I cannot see Patricia as a legitimate head coaching candidate at this point.
Ravens To Fire Marty Mornhinweg?
Fishing up their third season in four years without a playoff berth, the Ravens are likely to part ways with another offensive coordinator.
Baltimore promoted Marty Mornhinweg from quarterbacks coach to OC after firing Marc Trestman in October, but Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun writes the team will likely begin searching for his replacement after the season.
A new hire would make six OCs in six years for the Ravens, who previously moved from Cam Cameron to Jim Caldwell to Gary Kubiak to Trestman to Mornhinweg between 2012 and 2016. While both Caldwell and Kubiak guided the offense to perches that garnered them second head-coaching opportunities, the franchise will have experienced significant upheaval here after possessing stability in the position during its half-decade playoff streak. Cameron served as John Harbaugh‘s OC for the first four-plus seasons of his tenure.
Zreibec notes the switch from Trestman to Mornhinweg hasn’t resulted in a major improvement, with the Ravens’ ground game not particularly effective and a lack of big plays occurring. Baltimore ranks 18th offensively a year after Trestman’s offense — which was missing several pieces as injuries ravaged the ’15 Ravens — finished as the league’s 14th-ranked unit. Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric places the Baltimore offense at 23rd.
Despite the Ravens being 31-32 since their second Super Bowl title, Zreibec does not anticipate Harbaugh’s job being jeopardy. Having guided the Ravens to six playoff appearances in his nine years, Harbaugh signed an extension last offseason through 2018.
Ravens Claim Vince Mayle, Send Zachary Orr To IR
- The Ravens have claimed wide receiver Vince Mayle off waivers from the Cowboys and placed linebacker Zach Orr on injured reserve, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com was among those to report. Mayle hasn’t been a factor as a wideout, having gone parts of two NFL seasons without a catch, but did get 94 special teams snaps in Dallas this season before it cut him Thursday. Orr, meanwhile, had already been declared out for the Ravens’ season finale against Cincinnati because of a neck issue. He piled up 132 tackles (47 more than any other Raven) and three interceptions this season.
Ravens Place Jimmy Smith On IR, Promote Keenan Reynolds
Jimmy Smith‘s season is over. Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced earlier this week that the cornerback wouldn’t play this weekend, and Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com reports that the team has placed the veteran 
on the injured reserve. Wideout Keenan Reynolds has been promoted from the practice squad to take Smith’s roster spot.
Smith suffered a high-ankle sprain during his team’s mid-December matchup against the Patriots, and he hasn’t taken the field since that time. In 11 games this season, the 28-year-old compiled 32 tackles and four passes defended. The defensive back joined the Ravens as a first-round pick in 2011, and he’s started each of his 51 games over the past four seasons. The team inked Smith to a four-year, $48MM extension ($21MM guaranteed) in 2015, and the two sides restructured that contract last offseason.
Reynolds, a former standout quarterback at Navy, was taken in the sixth-round of this past year’s draft. The rookie has spent the entire season on the practice squad as he’s made his transition to receiver, and the organization is rewarding the player for “a year of hard work.”
Reynolds is expected to make his NFL debut this weekend, and the organization is considering the contest “a one-game audition for next year.” The rookie struggled during camp and the preseason, recording a number of drops at receiver and as a return man. As a result, the rookie landed on the practice squad.
“It’s been a great challenge, but also an opportunity for me to get a lot better,” Reynolds said. “I feel like a wide receiver now. My arm hurts if I throw too much.”
The former quarterback ran for 88 rushing touchdowns during his four-year collegiate career, the most in NCAA FBS history. Reynolds also threw for 4,001 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.