Ben Watson Tears Achilles
After a revitalizing season that earned him a two-year commitment from the Ravens, Ben Watson now faces an uncertain future. The 35-year-old tight end tore his Achilles’ tendon on Saturday night, and the Ravens announced (on Twitter) he will be out for the remainder of the sea
son.
Watson suffered the injury on the first play of the Ravens’ preseason game against the Lions, doing so in a game that featured Terrell Suggs and Joe Flacco make their 2016 debuts for Baltimore.
Watson signed a two-year, $7MM deal with the Ravens in March, with $3MM in full guarantees. He’s set to earn $4MM this season. Watson will turn 36 in December and will now be facing the prospect of potentially making a comeback for a 14th season in 2017 on the heels of one of toughest injuries from which to recover.
A former Patriots, Browns and Saints starter, Watson enjoyed his finest statistical season at age 34 last season, catching 74 passes for 825 yards and eight touchdowns — all career highs — and added to the Ravens’ deep, yet muddled tight end corps.
Baltimore still has 2015 second-rounder Maxx Williams, along with 2014 third-rounder Crockett Gillmore. Dennis Pitta remains the Ravens’ highest-paid tight end, but while he was finally cleared to return after the career-threatening hip injury, the 31-year-old is out due to a broken finger sustained in a training camp fight. Pitta
played just seven games in the past three seasons.
So, the Ravens might have the depth to withstand this. But their 2016 passing game — which will attempt to pick up the pieces after the team lost most of its starting skill-position talent in 2015 — will absorb a hit as a result of Watson’s absence.
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Ravens, DB Sam Brown Reach Injury Settlement
- The Ravens and defensive back Sam Brown have reached an injury settlement, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Ryan Mallett Favorite For Ravens' Backup Job
- Some of the Ravens‘ roster decisions have been made easier thanks to various suspensions and injuries, as Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun details, but the club’s choice at backup quarterback could still be up in the air. Free agent addition Josh Johnson has played well over the summer, and head coach John Harbaugh said the veteran quarterback is in the competition to be Baltimore’s No. 2 signal-caller. But as Zriebec notes, Ryan Mallett is still the favorite to be the direct reserve to Joe Flacco, especially given that he has more recent starting experience and has also been productive during the preseason.
Ravens S Matt Elam To Undergo Knee Surgery
Ravens safety Matt Elam will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a chip in his knee, as ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley tweets. It’s not a season-ending injury but will sideline him “a number of weeks into early part of the season,” coach John Harbaugh told reporters. 
[RELATED: Breshad Perriman Off Of PUP List]
The Ravens will have to decide whether to carry Elam on the 53-man roster, cut him, or place him on IR-designated to return. With Eric Weddle, Lardarius Webb, Kendrick Lewis, and Terrence Brooks at safety, Baltimore should be able to get by just fine for however long he’s out. In fact, Elam’s spot on the 53-man roster wasn’t necessarily a lock anyway. With solid play in recent weeks, Brooks arguably leapfrogged Elam on merit.
The Ravens declined Elam’s fifth-year option for 2017 earlier this offseason. Elam, 25 in September, started 26 regular season contests at safety for the Ravens during his first two NFL seasons. Releasing Elam would save Baltimore $1.33MM.
In other Ravens news, tight end Dennis Pitta has a fractured finger and will be kept off the field for now to avoid additional damage. Pitta has been looking to make his way back from a second major hip fracture but he is now being held back by a new injury. The injury came as a result of a fight, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
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Breshad Perriman Off Of PUP List
More good news for the Ravens as coach John Harbaugh tells reporters that wide receiver Breshad Perriman has been removed from the PUP list (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Perriman passed his physical on Monday morning, clearing the way for his return to football. 
[RELATED: Ravens’ Elvis Dumervil Off PUP List]
Perriman was the taken with the No. 26 overall pick in last year’s draft. Unfortunately, he missed the entire season after spraining the PCL in his right knee on the first day of training camp. This June, Perriman suffered another knee injury, but fortunately he did not tear his ACL as initially feared.
More than a year ago, the former UCF star turned heads at the scouting combine with his 4.26 second 40-yard dash. Evaluators last year believed that Perriman’s NFL future was bright and, hopefully, that is still the case despite his setbacks. In his rundown of the Ravens’ rookie class for 2016, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas couldn’t help but highlight Perriman, who is technically still a rookie.
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Ravens’ Elvis Dumervil Off PUP List
Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil is off of the PUP list and back practicing, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Dumervil has passed his physical after undergoing offseason foot surgery. 
[RELATED: Why The Ravens Could Claim RB Karlos Williams]
Had Dumervil remained on the PUP list for Week 1, he would have been required to sit out for at least six weeks. Dumervil was expected back as his summer surgery was deemed a “preventative procedure” by coach John Harbaugh, but he has only just been cleared to practice. The Ravens are breathing a sigh of relief as they have been able to pull both Dumervil and fellow veteran linebacker Terrell Suggs off of PUP.
In 2016, the Louisville product appeared in and started all 16 regular season games, recording 48 tackles and 6 sacks, earning his fifth Pro Bowl appearance. In 2014, Dumervil exploded for 17 sacks, matching a career high and earning his second career First-Team All-Pro selection.
With Dumervil back in action, running back Lorenzo Taliaferro (foot) and wide receiver Breshad Perriman (knee) stand as the last two Ravens players on the PUP list.
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10 Teams That Could Claim RB Karlos Williams
After waiving him yesterday, the Bills “fully expect” another NFL club to land running back Karlos Williams, and we’ll find out tomorrow if any other team decided to place a claim (the waiver period is typically 24 hours, but rolls over until Monday on weekends). If no one else is interested, Williams will become a free agent. But given that Williams’ (minimal) signing bonus will accelerate onto Buffalo’s cap –meaning that any acquiring team would only be on the hook for minimum salaries for the next three years — it seems likely that Williams will get claimed.
Clearly, there are reasons to be concerned about Williams’ future. He’ll be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he’s struggled with his weight throughout the offseason. At one point, Williams was up 261 pounds, and after losing some of that heft, he’d reportedly begun to balloon once again, leaving the Bills to wonder if he was serious about football.
But Williams also flashed dynamic ability during his rookie season, finishing with 613 yards from scrimmage and nine TDs on just 104 touches while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. The 23-year-old also became one of just two players in NFL history to score a touchdown in each of his first six games in the league. All in all, Williams seemingly defines an old adage: high risk, high reward.
Let’s take a look at several teams that could be interested in Williams, listed in order of their waiver priority:
Cleveland Browns — New head coach Hue Jackson is trying to foster a new culture with the Browns, but he’s also shown a willingness to give players a second chance. He’s embraced wide receiver Josh Gordon, who was recently reinstated from a season-long suspension, and he stood by running back Isaiah Crowell after the latter posted a disturbing image online. Crowell and Duke Johnson figure to get most of the run for Cleveland during the upcoming season, but the club should be stockpiling talent during its rebuild, and Williams would be a cheap upgrade.
San Diego Chargers — San Diego had high hopes for its rushing attack after trading up to select Melvin Gordon in the first round of last year’s draft, but offensive line injuries and Gordon’s own poor play led to the Chargers finishing 31st in rushing DVOA. Gordon then had microfracture surgery in January, and while his long-term prognosis is positive, serious knee injuries are always unwelcome news for young running backs. It looks like Gordon is already losing work to Danny Woodhead during the preseason, and if the Chargers think Gordon is in for another sub-par season, they could take a risk on Williams.
Baltimore Ravens — This is only my speculation, but given that he’s on the wrong side of 30, coming off injury, and due a non-guaranteed $3MM base salary, veteran running back Justin Forsett could be a surprise cut as roster cutdowns approach. Such a move would be made much easier if the Ravens were able to acquire a talent like Williams, who could slot in the backfield after his suspension, teaming with Javorius Allen, Terrance West, Kenneth Dixon, and perhaps Lorenzo Taliaferro. Baltimore has taken chances on character risks in the past, though the club was burned by safety Will Hill, with whom they cut ties after he was handed a 10-game suspension.
Philadelphia Eagles — Like the Browns, the Eagles haven’t been afraid to collect players who are considered character risks, as evidenced by their trade for receiver Dorial Green-Beckham last week. Philadelphia is hoping it can turn around the career of DGB, who struggled with both motivation and learning the Titans’ playbook, and they could place a similar bet on Williams. Like DGB, Williams clearly has talent, and the Eagles could use another option alongside Ryan Mathews, Kenjon Barner, Darren Sproles, and Wendell Smallwood. Turron Davenport of USA Today recently looked at how Williams could succeed in the type of outside zone runs employed by the Eagles.
Harbaugh: Ryan Mallett, Josh Johnson In Battle For Backup QB Job
- Although it was believed that the Ravens signed veteran signal-caller Josh Johnson to be little more than a camp arm, with Ryan Mallett firmly entrenched as Joe Flacco‘s backup, Johnson has played very well in Baltimore’s first two preseason contests, and head coach John Harbaugh indicated last night that there is indeed a legitimate battle for the backup job between Johnson and Mallett (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). Mallett has also played reasonably well during the preseason games but has struggled mightily during training camp. Whether Harbaugh’s comments have any truth behind them, or whether they are simply intended to motivate Mallett, remains to be seen.
Ravens’ Steve Smith On Comeback, Future
Just over a year ago, Ravens receiver Steve Smith declared that the 2015 season would be his last in the NFL. Now, having since gone back on that decision, the 16th-year man isn’t willing to reveal his plans beyond this season. Smith, 37, acknowledged Thursday that 2016 is his last year “contractually,” but he otherwise declined to discuss his post-2016 outlook, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
Smith is set to conclude his contract this year on a $3MM salary, which is a relative pittance for such a productive performer. Before tearing his Achilles last November (an event that spurred his decision to return this season), Smith totaled 46 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns in parts of seven games. That type of output has been par for the course throughout the career of Smith, a longtime Panther and third-year Raven who has eight 70-catch seasons, eight 1,000-yard campaigns and 76 receiving touchdowns on his resume.
While it’s unknown if his lengthy string of excellence will continue on the heels of such a serious injury, Smith seems confident he’ll remain effective.
“The bully is back. Vacation is over for the (defensive backs),” he stated.
With the 11th-most receiving yards (13,392), 15th-most catches (961) and 29th-most aerial TDs in history, Smith has a chance to continue making a case for Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. However, the 5-foot-9, 195-pounder told reporters that numbers didn’t play into his decision to return.
“I really came back not to set any records but more because this organization gave me an opportunity,” he said. When I got hurt, I felt like I let those guys down in the locker room.”
Smith, whom the Ravens activated off the physically unable to perform list Thursday, partook in his first practice of the summer. He’s now officially back atop the Ravens’ receiving corps (depth chart), which also looks set to heavily feature Kamar Aiken and Mike Wallace. Breshard Perriman – Baltimore’s first-round pick in 2015 – missed all of last season with a sprained PCL, and another knee injury has prevented him from participating in training camp. His inability to get on the field makes Smith’s non-retirement all the more crucial for a team coming off a five-win season.
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Latest On Ravens’ Receivers
Ravens No. 1 receiver Steve Smith passed his physical Wednesday and will be activated from the physically unable to perform list, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Smith, whose 2015 campaign ended Nov. 1 because of a torn Achilles, could return to practice Monday.
Prior to the premature conclusion to his season, Smith announced that it would be his last in the NFL. But, not wanting to go out on a poor note, the 15-year veteran declared at the end of December that he’d come back for a 16th season. That is now officially the case for Smith, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who spent the first 13 years of his career in Carolina before joining Baltimore in 2014.
Despite his age (36 at the time), Smith was amid yet another stellar showing at the time of his injury last fall. The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder registered 46 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns in parts of seven games. The Ravens still disappointed as a team, though, going 2-5 in those contests before ultimately finishing 5-11. Smith, who’s set to earn $3MM in the final year of his contract, will try to help Baltimore back to the playoffs and further his Hall of Fame case. In 205 career regular-season games, he has amassed the 11th-most receiving yards (13,392) and 15th-most catches (961) in history. With 76 receiving touchdowns, he’s currently in a three-way tie with Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff and Harold Jackson.
While Smith will be a fixture in the Ravens’ receiving corps this year, it’s unknown if the same will prove true in regards to Breshad Perriman. The Ravens took Perriman 26th in last year’s draft, but he ended up missing the entire season after spraining the PCL in his right knee on the first day of training camp. The injury didn’t heal properly over the course of several months, and after Perriman underwent arthroscopic surgery in October, the Ravens placed him on IR in November. There was then fear this past June that Perriman had suffered another serious knee injury, this time a torn ACL, though that was quickly shot down. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old still hasn’t practiced three weeks into training camp, notes Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun, and head coach John Harbaugh was unable to provide much of an update Tuesday.
“He’s running. He’s on the ground running right now, but I haven’t been told that he’s going to be back to practice tomorrow,” said Harbaugh. “I’m just like the fans. I’m waiting for him to be back out there. When he’s ready, he’ll be back out there.”
Further, quarterback Joe Flacco didn’t express much confidence about building chemistry with Perriman.
“It’s tough to say. It’s tough for me to even worry about right now because we have so many other guys that we have to worry about getting better and getting on top of it,” Flacco stated.
Without Perriman, the Ravens still have three productive wideouts on paper in Smith, Kamar Aiken and free agent pickup Mike Wallace. Their next best option is likely fourth-round rookie Chris Moore, as Roster Resource shows. Moore, however, just returned to practice from a two-week absence caused by a foot injury.
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