Darren Waller Suspended Four Games
Ravens tight end/wide receiver Darren Waller has been suspended four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, reports ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport clarifies (via Twitter) than Waller violated the league’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Hensley notes that the 23-year-old will be eligible to return on October 3rd, and he can continue to participate in preseason practices and games.
The Georgia Tech product joined the Ravens as a sixth-round pick in 2015, and he ended up catching a pair of passes for 17 yards. The 6-foot-6 wideout played six games (one start) last season before landing on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun notes that Waller may have had difficulties even making this season’s roster. Zrebiec also tweets that Waller was suspended twice at Georgia tech for testing positive for marijuana.
Waller is the second Ravens player to be suspended this offseason, as tight end Nick Boyle was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2016 season.
Top 10 Teams That Could Sign Dwight Freeney
When I originally outlined this list, I saw more than half the clubs in the NFL as possible landing spots for veteran edge rusher Dwight Freeney. Even in his age-35 season, Freeney managed eight sacks for the Cardinals while playing only 255 defensive snaps. Many teams around the league could use that kind 
of production.
[RELATED: Best Available NFL Free Agents: Defense]
I eventually whittled down the list, and given that Freeney has stated he’d like to play for a winning team during the upcoming season, I tried to weed out clubs that seemingly have no shot at contending in 2016. Still, Freeney is an enticing addition not only because of his ability to disrupt the pocket, but because he’ll come cheap — his deal with Arizona last year was only for the prorated veteran’s minimum (though it did include sack incentives). Cap space won’t be an issue when trying to lure Freeney.
With that said, let’s take a spin around the league and examine some potential fits for Freeney (and his devastating spin move)…
Atlanta Falcons — It’s impossible to overstate just how poor the 2015 Falcons were at getting after opposing quarterbacks. They recorded only 19 sacks, the lowest total for any team in in the league since 2009, and finished last in adjusted sack rate. Atlanta’s only meaningful offseason addition to its defensive line was former Dolphin Derrick Shelby, who as Robert Mays gleefully noted in a recent Ringer NFL podcast (audio link), boasts all of nine career sacks. Freeney visited the Falcons at the beginning of June, but head coach Dan Quinn said his club would off — for now — on signing the veteran edge rusher.
Arizona Cardinals — Freeney has always stated that he’d prefer a return to the desert, but it’s not clear if the Cardinals are reciprocating that interest. Arizona acquired former Patriots pass rusher Chandler Jones this offseason, lessening its need to add another edge presence, and the club would also like to see what it has in its younger options, such as Markus Golden, Alex Okafor, and Shaq Riddick. Still, the Cards clearly know what Freeney brings to the table, so a reunion — at some point down the road — still makes a ton of sense.
Baltimore Ravens — All the way back in March, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said his club “wasn’t done in free agency” and casually mentioned that Freeney remained unsigned. Since that statement, Baltimore hasn’t plucked any key players from the open market, but it did select two rush linebackers — Boise State’s Kamalei Correa and BYU’s Bronson Kaufusi — during the draft. The Ravens will already field two aging veterans, Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, at outside ‘backer during the upcoming season, so perhaps the team doesn’t want another player who’s near the end of his career. General manager Ozzie Newsome, however, loves experienced players, as evidenced by the fact that Baltimore deployed the fifth-oldest AV-adjusted defense in 2015, according to Chase Stuart of Football Perspective.
Buffalo Bills — Bills general manager Doug Whaley specifically name-checked Freeney last month, indicating that the club would only look to add veterans if their younger players weren’t progressing as planned during camp. But Buffalo definitely has a need, as first-round pick Shaq Lawson will miss some regular season action after undergoing shoulder surgery. Rex Ryan is planning on using a more conventional 3-4 look in 2016, so Freeney would spend most of time at outside linebacker, but he clearly has the versatility to shift back to end if Buffalo shows a 4-3 front.
Cincinnati Bengals — Along with the Falcons, the Bengals are one of two teams that has actually met with Freeney, as they had him had him in for a workout at the end of May. Cincinnati has two above-average starters at end in Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, but the club has little in the way of depth. As Roster Resource shows, the Bengals would be forced to rely on Margus Hunt, Will Clarke, and Marcus Hardison — a group that has all of two sacks to its name — if one of their starters went down. But if Cincinnati does look into officially adding Freeney, reports have indicated that it might not be until training camp begins, or perhaps even later.
Dallas Cowboys — In what is clearly a developing theme among clubs on this list, Cowboys management said at the end of last month that they weren’t interested in Freeney for the time being, as they’d prefer to get a look at their younger rushers first. That stance is going to be a problem for Freeney, who has admitted he’d like to get into a camp as soon as possible in order to prepare mentally. Teams simply don’t have much incentive to sign a veteran who will take practice reps away from less-experienced players. Still, with Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory each facing four-game suspensions, the Cowboys clearly have a pass-rushing need.
Detroit Lions — One side of Detroit’s defensive line is spoken for by the dominant Ziggy Ansah, while the opposite side is manned by the underrated Devin Taylor, an ascending player entering the final year of his rookie deal. However, the Lions did lose both Jason Jones and Darryl Tapp in free agency, so they could certainly use another edge rusher to lessen the load on Taylor, who only played about half of the club’s snaps last season. Freeney would be part of a rotation in the Motor City, which is how he’s best utilized. For what it’s worth, Justin Rogers of MLive.com didn’t dismiss the idea of Detroit signing Freeney when asked earlier this month.
Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs could be without linebacker Justin Houston, one of the NFL’s best defensive players of the past half-decade, for part or most of the 2016 season after he underwent ACL surgery earlier this year, but Houston isn’t the only Kansas City edge defender dealing with knee issues. Fellow veteran Tamba Hali is also recovering from offseason surgery and hasn’t participated in camp, while Dee Ford left practice earlier this month with knee tendinitis. Freeney wouldn’t help compensate for any loss in coverage, but he’d be an improvement over current Chiefs backups Frank Zombo and Dezman Moses in terms of pass rush.
New Orleans Saints — We’ve discussed at length the historically inept 2015 Saints defense, so suffice it to say that New Orleans can still use all the help it can get. Last year’s second-round pick, Hau’oli Kikaha, was supposed to make the transition from linebacker to defensive end this summer, but he’ll now miss the entire season after suffering a torn ACL in mid-June. Currently projected to rely on Bobby Richardson (who graded as one of the five worst edge defenders in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus), Obum Gwacham, and fourth-round rookie David Onyemata to line up opposite Cameron Jordan, the Saints could use Freeney perhaps more than any club on this list.
New York Jets — The Jets will continue to run essentially the same defense used by the 2015 Cardinals, as Arizona continued to employ former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles‘ concepts even after he left for the head coaching job in New York. Gang Green’s defense was very good last year, as they ranked fifth in DVOA and first against the run according to Football Outsider’s metrics. The one area where they weren’t exceptional, however, was pass rush (21st in adjusted sack rate). As Roster Resource details, New York is set to count on Lorenzo Mauldin and Jordan Jenkins — who have played a combined 253 snaps in the NFL (all by Mauldin) — as starting outside linebackers. Freeney, then, could be make sense as a edge rusher who sees 20-25 snaps per game.
Others — The Colts could use another rusher off the edge, but Mike Wells of ESPN.com reported last month that Indianapolis hadn’t engaged in talks with Freeney, and added that a reunion was unlikely. Freeney described a possible stint with the Patriots as a “win-win” for both parties, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com doesn’t see the fit, noting that New England already has a healthy stable of defensive ends and linebackers. In the NFC, the Eagles could be a landing spot as they convert to a 4-3 scheme under new coordinator Jim Schwartz. Brian Robison isn’t anything special opposite Everson Griffen in the Vikings‘ front, while in Carolina, Mario Addison and Wes Horton are currently the last lines of defense for the Panthers if injuries should befall either Kony Ealy or Charles Johnson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Notes: Trestman, Dumervil, Flacco
Will the Ravens be more potent offensively in Marc Trestman’s second season as offensive coordinator? For what it’s worth, Trestman believes that his increased comfort level will help things go a little smoother in 2016. 
“It’s a little unnatural when you (first) come in, and there is a preexisting offense in place,” Trestman said of taking over for Gary Kubiak (via Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com). “It was a very good offense, as we all know. But I spent three months on it, trying to make sure that I simulated the things that were necessary for me to do my job. Certainly this year…Coming into it a day after the season is over, you feel you are in a lot better position, because you are not using those 90 days out of 120 to learn another offense.”
Last year, the Ravens ranked eighth in the NFL in passing, but a dismal 26th in rushing, giving them the No. 14 ranked offense in the NFL. This year, the pressure is on for the Ravens to improve the running game and crack the top 10.
Here’s more out of Baltimore:
- The Ravens haven’t always given the smartest contracts to their homegrown players, but they have made some smart free agent deals overt he years, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. That list of savvy moves includes the five-year, $26MM deal ($8.5MM guaranteed) given to outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil, a deal which Fitzgerald says stands as their best contract. Baltimore effectively guaranteed Dumervil three years at $17MM, which is quite reasonable for a player that had 20.5 sacks in the prior two seasons. Since 2013, Dumervil has racked up 32 sacks for Baltimore while earning two Pro Bowl appearances.
- On the flipside, quarterback Joe Flacco is an obvious choice for the Ravens’ worst contract, Fitzgerald writes. Flacco secured his first monster contract coming off of the Ravens’ Super Bowl win, giving him a (then) record $20.1MM/season. Then, this offseason, those unrealistic cap numbers forced the team to give Flacco another bloated deal despite his major knee injury.
- As the Ravens work to improve their offense, they’ll be forging ahead without the services of left guard Kelechi Osemele, who left via free agency. All-Pro right guard Marshal Yanda believes that the team has “the right guys” to replace Osemele. “Everyone is going to work hard toward that goal, whether it’s John Urschel or whether it’s a young kid. We’ll find out during training camp,” Yanda said. As shown on the Ravens’ Roster Resource page, the Ravens also have Ryan Jensen, free agent pickup Vlad Ducasse, and rookie lineman Alex Lewis (often listed as a tackle) in the mix.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cory Redding Announces Retirement
On Wednesday morning, defensive lineman Cory Redding took to Twitter to announce his retirement from the NFL. Redding wrote (sic): 
“I’m leaving the game I’ve played for 23 years. Thanks to the teams I played for, coaches, teammates, fans and my family for their support!”
Redding contemplated retirement before signing with the Cardinals last year. After playing a limited role in Arizona in 2015 – he failed to make a start for the first time since his 2003 rookie year – the 35-year-old decided to call it career.
Redding, viewed as a potential cap casualty heading into the spring, was released by the Cardinals in April. At the time, the Cardinals had the second-least amount of cap space in the NFL with just $2.29 in breathing room, which made the move something of a no-brainer. Cutting Redding will reduced the team’s hit from $4MM to $1MM, removing his non-guaranteed $3MM salary from the Cardinals’ books.
In his 12 games last season, Redding played 183 defensive snaps, picking up five tackles and two passes defended. He did show a knack for coming up with big plays, grabbing his second career interception, and recovering a pair of fumbles, including one for a touchdown.
In 2014, Redding started all 16 regular season games for the Colts, racking up 44 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 3 pass deflections. He also made his presence felt in the postseason, recording 2 sacks and 2 pass deflections to go with 9 total tackles. In total, Redding enjoyed a 13-year career with the Lions, Seahawks, Ravens, Colts, and Cardinals and made a total of 147 starts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens Notes: Tucker, Wallace
- Time is ticking on a potential long-term deal for the Ravens and franchise-tagged kicker Justin Tucker, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Bo Smokla writes. The two sides have until July 15th to get something done and while Baltimore surely wants to hammer out a multi-year deal, the asking price is probably high. Tucker’s camp could be shooting to top Stephen Gostkowski‘s four-year, $17.2MM deal with $10.1MM guaranteed, which set the market for kickers last year. Right now, Tucker’s franchise tag carries a $4.5MM cap hit but that could be reduced through a long-term pact. Deadlines can spur action, but Smokla writes that there hasn’t been much movement on a deal in the last four months.
- Mike Wallace, who joined the Ravens on a free agent deal this offseason, believes that he has actually improved since his days with the Steelers. “I think I’ve gotten better, even though (the) numbers don’t say so,” the 29-year-old Wallace said of his career since leaving the Steelers in 2013, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “I think I’ll get better this year, and I’ll show some people I have a lot up my sleeve.” In March, the Ravens inked Wallace to a two-year, $11.5MM deal with a $4.5MM signing bonus. He also due a $1MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. His option for year two must be exercised or declined by the end of the 2016 league year.
5 Veteran Ravens On Roster Bubble
- The Ravens have a handful of notable veterans who will enter training camp on the bubble to make the roster, reports Clifton Brown of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Eighth-year cornerback Kyle Arrington, 2013 second-round linebacker Arthur Brown, 2014 third-round safety Terrence Brooks and fourth-round running back Lorenzo Taliaferro, and third-year receiver Michael Campanaro are all in jeopardy, per Brown.
Lewis Pushing Urschel For Ravens' LG Job?
- Now that the Ravens cut Eugene Monroe, the only position battle on Baltimore’s offensive line figures to be at left guard between John Urschel and rookie Alex Lewis, John Eisenberg of BaltimoreRavens.com writes. Urschel stepped in at guard last season, with the Ravens moving since-departed Kelechi Osemele to tackle. A rookie fourth-round pick Lewis, per Eisenberg, turned heads at minicamp this month but adds that John Harbaugh likely won’t start two rookies on the left side. Ronnie Stanley almost certainly will begin the season as the Ravens’ left tackle.
Ravens Notes: Monroe, Richardson
The Ravens‘ decision to cut Eugene Monroe had nothing to do with his position on medical marijuana and was simply a football determination, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters, including Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com (Twitter link). Clearly, that statement has generated a few doubting looks around the NFL, especially because Baltimore made mention of Monroe’s pro-marijuana stance in their press release announcing the move. However, reports did indicate that the Ravens wanted to wait until Monroe was cleared from a health standpoint before releasing him, and that clearance was apparently received this week. Baltimore’s offensive line will feature two new starters in 2016, with rookie Ronnie Stanley taking over at left tackle while John Urschel mans left guard.
- Running back Trent Richardson will require arthroscopic knee surgery to repair an existing condition and will miss “some time,” according to Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), who adds that although the injury isn’t considered severe, it certainly won’t help Richardson’s case as he aims to earn a spot on the Ravens‘ roster. Richardson, who is still only 25 years old, agreed to a one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum earlier this offseason, joining a Baltimore running back corps that already includes Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Terrance West, and rookie Kenneth Dixon. Depending on how long he is sidelined, it’s entirely possible that Richardson won’t ever get a real shot at making the club, and he’s a candidate to be released with an injury settlement.
Latest On Eugene Monroe
This week, the Ravens parted ways with tackle Eugene Monroe after watching him miss a full season’s worth of games over the past two years. Now, as he looks for his next NFL home, the veteran insists that he is healthy. He’s also not backing down from his campaign to get medical marijuana removed from the league’s list of banned substances, which may have been an ancillary factor in his release. 
[RELATED: 8 Teams That Could Sign Eugene Monroe]
“I will not be returning to the Ravens this season. It’s never easy moving on – I love Baltimore and its fans – but this is all part of the game. Despite the current uncertainties, one thing is for sure: whatever happens in terms of my professional football career, I will never stop pushing for the League to accept medical cannabis as a viable option for pain management,” Monroe said in a statement (Twitter link). “I will do everything I can to ensure the generations of NFL players after me won’t have to resort to harmful and addictive opioids as their only option for pain management. I’ve been working hard this offseason to recover from my injuries. I am cleared to play and excited to get back on the field and compete.”
Even though the Ravens reportedly weren’t wild about Monroe’s cause, it’s hard to imagine that it was a driving factor in him being placed on the trading block and subsequently released. By the same token, it’s unlikely that any interested team will write him off based solely on that. However, if a team assumes that Monroe is a frequent marijuana user, he then might appear to be at risk of league suspension. Of course, there are plenty of NFL players who enjoy weed and have never failed an NFL-administered drug test.
To gauge public opinion, we polled PFR readers on Twitter earlier today to ask whether Monroe’s advocacy for medical marijuana should be a deterrent for interested teams. So far, 75% of you have said that his pro-pot stance should not cause any team to shy away from him.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
8 Teams That Could Sign Eugene Monroe
After selecting Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley in the first round of the April’s draft, the Ravens tried to trade veteran left tackle Eugene Monroe. However, Baltimore was unable to find a taker on the trade market and on Wednesday the team cut him loose.
Yes, there are some red flags for Monroe. For starters, the tackle has missed 16 games with injury over the past two years. Monroe has also been a vocal advocate for marijuana to be removed from the league’s banned substance list and Baltimore officials apparently took umbrage with his focus in that area.
However, there’s also a lot to like. When healthy, Monroe can be an impact player and can slide into the starting lineup for several NFL teams. Where could Monroe wind up? Here’s our list of the eight teams who could make a play for him:
[RELATED: Ravens Sign Bronson Kaufusi, Wrap Up Draft Class]
Arizona Cardinals — Left tackle isn’t a concern in the desert, as Jared Veldheer will continue to handle Carson Palmer‘s blindside, but right tackle is a bit more murky. After losing both Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell to free agency, the Cardinals are counting on 2015 first-round pick D.J. Humphries to take on a starting role. Humphries didn’t play a single snap during his rookie season, and frustrated Arizona management to the point that head coach Bruce Arians began referring to him as “knee deep” (re: Arians’ knee vs. Humphries’ posterior). If Humphries has matured over the past year or so, adding Monroe to play on the right side wouldn’t make much sense. But if the Cardinals still have questions about their talented yet raw sophomore tackle, Monroe could be a welcome veteran addition.
Chicago Bears — Finding a starting left tackle in the seventh round — as the Bears did with Charles Leno in 2014 — is certainly an accomplishment, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that Leno simply wasn’t that productive during the 2015 campaign. In 16 games (13 starts), Leno graded out as just the 55th-best tackle in the NFL among 77 qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. If Chicago wants to contend in 2016, it will need better play on the blindside, and Monroe would almost certainly represent an upgrade, acting as a finishing touch to an offensive line that’s already seen additions such as Bobby Massie, Nate Chandler, and Cody Whitehair over the past several months.
Indianapolis Colts — The Colts are clearly intent on keeping Andrew Luck upright in 2016, having spent three draft picks on offensive linemen in April. While some of the spots along Indy’s front five are settled, right tackle could be up for grabs (although general manager Ryan Grigson had said he’d like to see Joe Reitz win the job). The Colts haven’t been shy about acquiring veterans in the past, having sacrificed draft pick compensation for Vontae Davis, Trent Richardson, Billy Winn, and others in recent years. If the club wants a solid veteran to lock down the right side, instead of relying on a cavalcade of mid-tier options, Monroe could be on their radar.
New England Patriots — Like the Colts, the Patriots have utilized trades to augment their roster — in 2015, they made a league-leading nine deals with other clubs, and they’ve acquired veterans such as Akeem Ayers, Keshawn Martin, Jonathan Casillas, Jonathan Bostic, and Akiem Hicks via the trade route over the past several years. In a trade, Monroe would have been a different animal, as he’s a more high-profile name and costs more than any of the players brought in by New England via swap recently. Now, he holds even more appeal as a free agent. If the Pats did sign Monroe to man right tackle, they’d likely release fellow offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer or Marcus Cannon (or both). On the surface, Monroe doesn’t seem like a Bill Belichick-esque addition, but New England has made surprising moves in the past.
New York Giants — Many draft observers believed Giants 2015 first-round pick Ereck Flowers was best-suited to play guard or right tackle out of the gate. Instead, New York plugged him in on the left side following an injury to Will Beatty, and Flowers proceeded to grade out as one of the four worst blindside protectors in the league, per PFF. Veteran Marshall Newhouse, the club’s projected right tackle, also ranked as a bottom-10 option at the position. The Giants need help up front, perhaps more so than any team in the NFL outside of Seattle, so it was no surprise to learn that they were talking trade with Baltimore prior to Monroe’s release and have already started courting him since he became a free agent.
San Diego Chargers — Shortly after word leaked out regarding Monroe’s release, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com listed the Chargers as a potential suitor along with the Seahawks and Giants. On the surface, the Chargers seem adequately set at tackle with King Dunlap covering Philip Rivers‘ blindside and Joe Barksdale at right tackle. Still, while Barksdale graded out as the No. 21 overall tackle in the NFL last year according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Dunlap has been injury prone in the past.
San Francisco 49ers — By almost any metric, San Francisco’s offensive line was among the worst in the NFL last season. The unit ranked second with 53 sacks allowed, and placed 31st in pass protection and 32nd in run blocking according to Football Outsiders’ data. All-Pro Joe Staley clearly isn’t a problem at left tackle, but uninspiring options such as Erik Pears and Trent Brown are among the candidates to start opposite him on the right side. The 49ers are in the midst of a complete rebuild, so perhaps adding a veteran like Monroe doesn’t make sense given their current roster makeup. But keeping Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick (or whomever else starts at quarterback in 2016) off the ground should still be a goal, and Monroe would signify an improvement.
Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks are mentioned in connection with nearly every available offensive lineman, but the club simply hasn’t shown any willingness to invest in its front five. After losing Russell Okung and J.R. Sweezy in free agency, Seattle will rely on the likes of Garry Gilliam, Bradley Sowell, J’Marcus Webb, and Mark Glowinski up front. Offensive line coach Tom Cable is regarded as a masterful teacher, and he can probably turn some of those unheralded options into contributors. But it’s hard to imagine that the Seahawks would turn down an opportunity to add an immediate starter like Monroe, especially if the asking price is minimal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.