Latest On Breshad Perriman
An evaluation by Dr. James Andrews has revealed that Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman may not have significant ACL tear, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter links). Perriman will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to determine if reconstruction surgery is necessary and Schefter hears there is “absolutely” a chance that he could return for the 2016 season. More will be known about his timetable for recovery after tomorrow’s procedure. 
[RELATED: Ravens Kicker Justin Tucker Confident About Extension]
We recently heard the wideout was working his way back to 100% from his lingering PCL issue. Now, Perriman is facing yet another setback that could potentially push his NFL debut to 2017. Perriman impressed at the combine with his speed as he ran a 4.26 second 40-yard dash. Evaluators last year believed that Perriman’s NFL future was bright and that could still be the case, but another lost season would certainly put his prospects in flux.
As for the Ravens, Steve Smith backtracked on his retirement intentions following his own season-ending injury last year, and Kamar Aiken represented a pleasant surprise for the team. The Ravens signed Mike Wallace as well, so for 2016, they’re less exposed at the position than they were when Perriman’s rookie season vanished due to knee troubles.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens’ Tucker Confident About Extension
Earlier this offseason, the Ravens used the franchise tag on kicker Justin Tucker and he quickly accepted. Months later, Tucker still doesn’t have a long-term deal in place with the team. However, he says it’s only a matter of time before a new pact is hammered out. 
[RELATED: Breshad Perriman Partially Tears ACL]
“As of right now, there hasn’t been a whole lot happening, but there’s still time. Like I’ve said before, I’m optimistic that something will get done. It’s a matter of when, not if,” Tucker said (via Jake Lourim of The Baltimore Sun). “I know there’s a lot of things to juggle from their perspective, so all I can do is just be patient and let the process unfold how it’s going to unfold,” he said. “There’s no sense in complaining about it. I’m definitely in a very fortunate position, and I just hope that I can take this one year and turn it into four or five, or perhaps even more.”
Tucker, 26, is entering his fifth season with the Ravens. For his career, Tucker has connected on 130 of 148 field-goal attempts (87.8%), with 12 of those 18 overall misses coming from 50 yards or longer. He has also nailed an impressive 10 game-winning field goals, including three in 2015.
Although signing the franchise tender secures Tucker for the 2016 season, he and the Ravens could still reach a longer-term agreement anytime between now and July 15th. A year ago, we saw the Patriots use their franchise tag on Stephen Gostkowski, who signed the tender days later, then agreed to a multiyear contract on July 15th. The long-term extension reduced Gostkowski’s present-day cap hit while giving him a more significant guarantee up front. I’d expect the Ravens to explore a similar scenario for Tucker, who may be looking to exceed Gostkowski’s four-year, $17.2MM deal.
If no new deal is reached, Tucker will play out the 2016 season on a one-year, $4.572MM contract.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Breshad Perriman Partially Tears ACL
4:06pm: The embattled wideout sustained the injury on a fade pattern during a non-contact drill, Hensley reports. The team did not know Perriman injured his knee on Thursday but only after the receiver complained of swelling on Friday, inducing an MRI, per Hensley.
4:01pm: Perriman will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, according to Rapoport (on Twitter), after which it will be determined if th
e wideout needs reconstructive knee surgery that would shelve him for the 2016 season. Perriman looks to have sustained the injury during the Ravens’ final OTA workout on Thursday, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports (on Twitter).
3:50pm: Breshad Perriman appears to have encountered more turbulence en route to making his long-awaited NFL debut. The now-second-year Ravens wide receiver suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee and is set to meet with Dr. James Andrews on Monday to gauge the next course of action, Adam Schefter and Jameson Hensley of ESPN.com report (Facebook link).
Potentially season-ending surgery will be discussed, according to the ESPN.com reporters. Perriman suffered the injury earlier this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Ravens finished up their OTAs on Thursday and begin minicamp next week.
That would be a brutal blow to the 2015 first-rounder’s career, considering what transpired to hijack his rookie season. Perriman saw a partially torn PCL sideline him for the entirety of his rookie season after being expected to make his debut fairly early on in 2015. Perriman tore the PCL in his right knee last year.
We last heard the wideout was working his way back to 100% from the lingering PCL issue, and the 22-year-old target’s absence would put his potential in question. Baltimore selected Perriman with the No. 26 overall pick in 2015, and it’s possible the former Central Florida star will be two years behind his draft class in terms of NFL development.
As for the Ravens, Steve Smith backtracked on his retirement intentions following his own season-ending injury last year, and Kamar Aiken represented a pleasant surprise for the team. The Ravens signed Mike Wallace as well, so for 2016, they’re less exposed at the position than they were when Perriman’s rookie season vanished due to knee troubles.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Crockett Gilmore on Ravens' TEs; Team Works Out Two FAs
- Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore believes he’s a member of the premier TE corps in the NFL. “I’m not afraid to say it. It’s hands down [the best group],” he said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. New England undoubtedly has the preeminent one-two punch at the position with Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett, but from the top down, Hensley writes that Gillmore has a valid argument. The Ravens also employ Ben Watson, Maxx Williams and Dennis Pitta, though Pitta missed most of the last two seasons because of hip injuries. Gillmore, Watson and Williams, meanwhile, combined for 139 receptions, 11 touchdowns and 1,500-plus yards in 2015.
- The Ravens worked out two free agents – receiver Jimmie Hunt and running back/linebacker/safety Cabrinni Goncalves – on Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). Hunt joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri last year, but the team cut him in September and he didn’t latch on elsewhere. Goncalves, formerly of Maine, went undrafted this year.
Trent Richardson Sees Himself In The Hall Of Fame
Trent Richardson may be down to his last chance to continue his NFL career, and he may be firmly on the Ravens‘ roster bubble, but one still has to give him credit for dreaming big. In an interview with Comcast SportsNet, Richardson said he would end his NFL story by “Putting on a yellow jacket. People wrote him off, he came back and did some amazing things. He always had the pedigree. He just had to get back to the guy that we know” (link via Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com). T-Rich, the former No. 3 overall pick of the 2012 draft, has a career average of just 3.3 yards per carry, and he has struggled with injuries and weight throughout the course of his once-promising career. Just 25, Richardson realizes there will probably not be another opportunity for him if he fails to make Baltimore’s roster, but as he fights to carve out a place for himself on the Ravens–who are well-stocked at the running back position–a little self-confidence can’t hurt.
Ravens Front Seven Getting Younger
- With linebacker Daryl Smith and defensive lineman Chris Canty gone, the Ravens’ front seven has gotten younger, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Clifton Brown notes. Baltimore will depend on a number of players still on their rookie contracts, from defensive lineman Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan to linebackers C.J. Mosley and Arthur Brown. Brown, especially, will be counted on to step up in his fourth NFL season — the former second-round pick notably didn’t play a single defensive snap in 2014 and played only 10 last year. Day 2 draft picks Kamalei Correa and Bronson Kaufusi, both edge rushers, could also play large roles next season.
Eric Weddle Fitting In With Ravens
The Ravens are relishing the presence of three-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle, whom they signed to a four-year, $26MM deal in March, as Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “If he has anything to tell me I’m always listening,” said fellow safety Lardarius Webb. “He’s going to be big for this defense – for this team.” Webb added that Weddle is “being himself and were loving it,” also referring to the acquisition of the longtime Charger as a “great move.” Head coach John Harbaugh agrees, stating, “He fits in with how we do things around here perfectly. I give (general manager) Ozzie (Newsome) all the credit in the world. That was a great signing.”
Dennis Pitta Confident About 2016 Return
- Dennis Pitta plans to continue his career in 2016 after two devastating hip injuries, and the veteran Ravens tight end isn’t lacking for confidence as he begins his comeback. “My expectations haven’t changed from four years ago, to two years ago, to now,” Pitta told Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “My level of expectation is extremely high going into this year. Like I said, I feel confident in how I can run, how I can move, how I can play and it’s just a matter of getting those reps back to where I’m confident in doing all of that.”
Dennis Pitta Looks Good In Early Workouts
- Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta has looked good in the team’s offseason workouts, Don Markus of The Baltimore Sun writes. Pitta, looking to make his way back from a second major hip fracture, is not showing any lingering effects of his injuries, although training camp will present an entirely different test. Pitta could face an uphill battle to make the roster, as the team recently signed veteran free agent Ben Watson and also has intriguing young talents in Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams on the tight end depth chart.
Harbaugh: Richardson Injury Due to Lack of Conditioning
- The Ravens signed running back Trent Richardson in mid-April, but the former first-round pick missed the first week of OTAs with a hamstring injury. Coach John Harbaugh attributes the injury to a lack of conditioning. “Trent just needs to get healthy,” Harbaugh told Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “I think the workload and the amount of work it takes to be a world-class conditioned athlete is something that he’s working on right now. That’s what he needs to understand, and that’s where he needs to get himself.”
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