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Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

Ravens To Re-Sign DE Brent Urban

March 13th, 2024 at 6:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Brent Urban returned to the Ravens in 2022 after playing out his rookie contract with the team. The veteran defensive end will be remaining in Baltimore for 2024.

Urban has agreed to a new Ravens deal, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. The 32-year-old Canadian has been playing on one-year deals every season since 2018, so it would come as no surprise if that turned out to be the case once again this time around. Urban will be in line to maintain his rotational role with Baltimore moving forward.

The former fourth-rounder served as a full-time starter in 2018, the final year of his first stint in Charm City. That led him to brief tenures with the Titans, Bears and Cowboys from 2019-21. Upon re-joining the Ravens, though, Urban has seen defensive snap shares of 29% and 24%, a slightly lower workload than he saw with Chicago and Dallas. Instead of searching out a starting gig, he has elected to play out a seventh season (and eighth year in total) as a Raven.

The Virginia alum missed his rookie year due to injury, but he has proven to be a capable run-stopping D-lineman since then. Urban has totaled 43 tackles – including seven for a loss – over the past two years. As part of Baltimore’s league-leading defense (in terms of sacks), he chipped in with a career-high three in that department last year. Even without a repeat of that figure, Urban will be a valued part of Baltimore’s defensive front.

The Ravens’ edge room has a number of questions marks at the moment, but the team’s defensive interior is on track to look largely the same in 2024. Justin Madubuike was kept off the market via the franchise tag, and he has since signed a massive new deal. He, along with Michael Pierce, Broderick Washington and Travis Jones are on the books for 2024. The same is now true of Urban.

Ravens To Release OLB Tyus Bowser

March 13th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Adam La Rose

After missing all of last season, Tyus Bowser will become a free agent. The Ravens are releasing the veteran outside linebacker, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.

A knee injury kept Bowser off the field throughout the 2023 slate, and his release will save the Ravens a notable chunk of cap space. Baltimore will pick up $5.5MM in cap room by moving on from the seven-year veteran; Bowser was due that amount in base salary next season.

The 28-year-old served primarily on special teams for much of his Ravens tenure. Bowser saw incremental increases in defensive playing time, though, ultimately taking on a full-time role in 2021. He recorded a career-high seven sacks that season, indicating the $22MM extension he had inked the prior offseason would prove to be a solid investment. Things did not go according to plan starting at the midway point of the 2022 season, though.

Bowser was limited to nine contests that year due to a knee injury, one which proved to be especially troublesome through the offseason. A flare-up led to the former second-rounder being placed on the NFI list, and he remained there for the entire campaign. Baltimore was hopeful, for a time, that Bowser could suit up in 2023 but by late November signs pointed to him remaining sidelined. Given that, it comes as no surprise the team has elected to cut bait.

The Ravens endured further injury issues along the edge with 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo – who missed most of his rookie campaign – being limited to three contests this season. While veteran pickups Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy provided high-end production, they are each pending free agents. A departure from either member of the latter pair would leave a major vacancy at the OLB spot in Baltimore. Especially if both leave, the decision to move on from Bowser will leave the team in need of multiple free agent and draft additions.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post. 

Ravens To Keep LT Ronnie Stanley On Reworked Contract

March 13th, 2024 at 9:05am CST by Sam Robinson

Ronnie Stanley‘s inability to stay on the field consistently put him in danger of cap-casualty status, but the Ravens have reached a resolution to retain their longtime left tackle.

Previously set to earn an $11MM base salary and count more than $26MM against Baltimore’s cap, Stanley has agreed to reduce his base number for the 2024 season, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Ravens will give Stanley a chance to earn that money back and more, presumably via incentives, on this reworking.

A central part of the Ravens’ high-powered offense when healthy, Stanley has seen his career path mirror David Bakhtiari‘s to a degree. Both All-Pros suffered major injuries shortly after agreeing to extensions in 2020. Stanley has been able to stay on the field more than the since-released Packers standout, but the 2016 first-round pick has battled injury issues throughout the 2020s. Since the 2020 setback, the Notre Dame alum has missed 35 games.

The Ravens gave Stanley a top-market extension following his 2019 first-team All-Pro campaign. The team has gone to the restructure well with its eight-year tackle, leading to a $26.2MM 2024 cap hit — behind only Lamar Jackson on the Ravens’ 2024 payroll. Stanley collecting $64.1MM fully guaranteed (on a five-year, $98.75MM deal) when he did proved pivotal, as the ankle injury he suffered in October 2020 has introduced additional setbacks down the line.

Stanley underwent three ankle surgeries from 2020-21, with the two ’21 operations leading to 16 missed games that year. Last season, Stanley missed time due to a knee injury. Pro Football Focus ranked the soon-to-be 30-year-old blocker just inside the top 40 at tackle last year. In 2022, ESPN’s run block win rate metric slotted Stanley seventh.

Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum and Morgan Moses are contracted for the 2024 season on the Ravens’ O-line, but once again, the team will need to replace a departed guard. John Simpson is heading to the Jets, while Kevin Zeitler is unsigned. The Ravens are interested in re-signing the 12-year veteran, and a new Zeitler deal will now be assured to address a still-Stanley-led O-line.

Ravens To Sign RB Derrick Henry

March 12th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

A rumored fit for several months, the Ravens-Derrick Henry partnership is coming to fruition. The two-time rushing champion is committing to Baltimore, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The Ravens will give Henry a two-year, $16MM deal, per Schefter, who adds the longtime Titans starter can earn up to $20MM with the AFC North team. The Ravens are guaranteeing Henry $9MM, making this look more like a pay-as-you-go pact. But the 30-year-old back has an interesting opportunity ahead, joining the team that soared to the AFC’s top seed last season.

Hovering as a potential Hall of Famer, Henry has been one of this era’s premier backs. He is coming off a fifth 1,000-yard season. While mileage should be a concern for the Ravens, the former Heisman winner has shrugged off workload-based fears in the past. After losing Gus Edwards to the Chargers, the Ravens will make a bigger payment to see how Henry looks alongside Lamar Jackson.

Closely linked to Henry at last year’s deadline, the Ravens stood pat and continued with their in-house setup. The team lost Keaton Mitchell to a late-season ACL tear, which came three months after J.K. Dobbins was lost for the season in Week 1. Dobbins is unsigned, and Mitchell is rehabbing. At long last, Henry will be part of the Ravens’ equation.

2023 saw the Alabama product earn a fourth career Pro Bowl, although his workload experienced a notable decline. Splitting time with third-round rookie Tyjae Spears, Henry averaged 16.5 carries per games last season. That marked the first time since 2018 that he logged less than 20 totes per contest, a sign that he may not be able to handle the same workload moving forward as he did in his prime. Still, Henry will be positioned to operate on plenty of early downs as well as goal-line situations if the Ravens make no further RB moves.

General manager Eric DeCosta made it clear at the Combine that backfield additions would be a priority for Baltimore, the league’s top rushing team from last season. New deals for Edwards and/or Dobbins were on the table, but that will not be the case for at least the former. The latter’s chances of remaining in Baltimore for 2024 have also taken a hit given today’s move. Midseason pickup Dalvin Cook is a pending free agent, and he could be enticed to look elsewhere after being used sparingly in his brief Ravens tenure.

The Ravens were linked to other backs prior to this unsurprising Henry agreement, including reported serious interest in Saquon Barkley. The Eagles ultimately agreed to a longer, more lucrative pact than this Henry one, though, and finances were no doubt a concern for a Ravens team which entered Tuesday marginally over the cap. Still, more cost-effective options were available for Baltimore, so the team’s investment marks a notable commitment to the top of its backfield depth chart.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Ravens Remain Interested In Derrick Henry; RB Was On Texans’ Radar

March 12th, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Adam La Rose

The running back landscape changed dramatically on Monday, with nearly every high-profile free agent at the position lining up a deal with a new team. One obvious exception is Derrick Henry. Nothing is imminent in his case, but multiple suitors are still in play for the former rushing champion.

The Texans and Ravens remain interested in Henry, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The Titans stalwart has been in discussion with Baltimore as well as other teams during the opening period of the negotiating window, Dianna Russini of The Athletic adds. A number of teams have vacancies at the RB spot after yesterday’s agreements, and both the Texans and Ravens could stand to add a back of Henry’s caliber.

Baltimore has only two running backs under contract the moment: Keaton Mitchell, who flashed potential when on the field as a rookie in 2023 but suffered an ACL tear, and Justice Hill, who has traditionally operated as a third back. Gus Edwards is set to depart once free agency officially opens, having agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers on Monday. J.K. Dobbins – whose career has been marred by a pair of major injuries – is a free agent.

Houston, meanwhile, is set to lose Devin Singletary. After taking over as lead back midway through the 2023 campaign, Singletary upped his value compared to the one-year deal he played on last season, landing an agreement with the Giants to serve as Saquon Barkley‘s replacement. The Texans have Dameon Pierce in place, and the team has worked out a trade for ex-Bengals starter Joe Mixon.

With Houston (presumably) no longer in the Henry market, attention will likely increasingly shift Baltimore’s way. The Ravens are projected to be marginally over the cap at the moment; all teams are required to be cap compliant by the start of the new league year tomorrow afternoon. Baltimore’s offseason to date has consisted mainly of losing contributors from last year’s team, but a Henry addition would certainly represent a notable addition on offense.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/24

March 11th, 2024 at 10:51pm CST by Ely Allen

On the busiest transaction day of the NFL year, here are a few moves that maybe didn’t make the headlines:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Woerner is probably one of the bigger names on this list. After serving as a reliable run-blocking tight end with the 49ers for the duration of his rookie contract, Woerner earns a new three-year deal worth up to $12MM to head to Atlanta, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.

Brandel may be the next biggest deal on this list. After making five starts in 39 game appearances with the Vikings during his rookie deal, Brandel earned a new three-year, $9.5MM contract to remain in Minnesota. Quessenberry joins him as a depth lineman sticking around.

Lewis also gets to stick around on a multi-year deal, signing a two-year, $4MM deal to remain in Buffalo. A valuable special teamer, Lewis has done a good job of getting himself worked into the rotation on defense a good amount over the course of his rookie deal.

Olszewski earns another year in New York after solving a big issue on punt returns for the Giants last year. Baun heads to Philadelphia as a strong backup after starting 14 games for the Saints during his first four years in the league.

Jets To Sign G John Simpson

March 11th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

After dipping their toe into the free agency waters with a few defensive additions, the Jets finally made a splash on offense by announcing that they will sign former Ravens offensive guard John Simpson, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The Clemson product will sign a two-year deal worth up to $18MM.

As a fourth-round pick by the Raiders, Simpson only made appearances on special teams or as an injury replacement, getting passed up by Denzelle Good for the opportunity to start in place of an injured Richie Incognito. The following year, Simpson was given an opportunity to start for Las Vegas and started every game of the season that year. He lost his starting job to Alex Bars in 2022 and was waived from the Raiders.

After clearing waivers, Simpson signed to the Ravens’ practice squad, signing a reserve/futures contract at the end of the year. That offseason in Baltimore, Simpson beat out rookie sixth-round pick Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Ben Cleveland, and, supposedly, fullback Patrick Ricard for the starting left guard job. Simpson started every game while leading the team in snaps played on offense.

The Ravens will need to address the loss of a starter on the offensive line in the offseason, perhaps two as the team’s other starting guard, Kevin Zeitler, is also bound for free agency. Cleveland, a massive former third-round pick, could factor in, and Aumavae-Laulu nearly won the job over Simpson as a rookie last offseason. Additionally, the team essentially red-shirted rookie guard Andrew Vorhees, who was projected to be a potential first-round pick before tearing his ACL at the NFL scouting combine. If the team isn’t sure about these options, they can certainly still address it in the draft or later in free agency, as general manager Eric DeCosta tends to avoid transactions that might cost the team compensatory draft picks.

Simpson heads to New York as a likely starter. While he’s never really graded out well, according to Pro Football Focus, with key interior offensive line contributors like Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, and Xavier Newman-Johnson all bound for free agency, Simpson slides right into a starting spot, barring more incoming competition. The Jets have a bit more work to do along the offense to improve things for a healthy Aaron Rodgers, but bringing in Simpson to protect him is a decent start. His starting experience for a contender like the Ravens should bode well for New York.

Jaguars To Sign CB Ronald Darby

March 11th, 2024 at 6:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran cornerback Ronald Darby is set to continue his road trip around the NFL. After time in Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington, Denver, and most recently Baltimore, Darby has agreed to a new deal with the Jaguars, per Jordan Schutlz of Bleacher Report. The deal will reportedly be for two years and worth a maximum of $10MM.

Darby has been an NFL starter for most of his career since getting drafted in the second round by the Bills back in 2015. Routinely an extremely effective defender, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) who ranked him as the 36th best cornerback out of 127 graded in the NFL this year, injuries have dogged Darby throughout his career, mostly during his time with the Eagles and Broncos. Though he hasn’t recorded an interception since the 2019 season, Darby effectively grades out at a strong cover corner and a good tackler.

He leaves Baltimore, where he started seven games as an injury replacement for All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey. He proved to be a valuable offseason addition, just edging out Humphrey for the second-most snaps in the Ravens‘ cornerbacks room. Other offseason additions like Rock Ya-Sin and Arthur Maulet are also free agents, but the team returns Humphrey and starter Brandon Stephens and should be able to come to an agreement with nickel cornerback Ar’Darius Washington, who is a restricted free agent. Expect them to pursue depth additions through free agency and the draft, though.

In Duval, Darby arrives to a similar role. Tyson Campbell returns as a top starter and, after the team released Darious Williams last week, Darby will have a chance to compete with Montaric Brown and Tre Herndon for a starting role opposite Campbell. Any have the potential to earn the job, though Brown has struggled through his first two seasons, but the Jaguars may still opt to pursue established starters or a highly ranked draft prospect in the weeks to come in order to supplement the existing group.

Jaguars To Sign WR Devin Duvernay

March 11th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jacksonville is set to make a notable addition on the special teams front. Receiver and return specialist Devin Duvernay has agreed to a two-year deal worth a base value $8.5MM and a maximum of $12.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Duvernay excelled as a Ravens return man primarily, though the team did ask more of the former third-round pick during a receiver-depleted 2022 season, during which he proved he could contribute on offense with 491 total yards and four offensive touchdowns in 14 games. But Duvernay is an All-Pro returner with two Pro Bowls to his name; the former third-round pick out of Texas stands to help the Jaguars significantly on that front.

Baltimore was forced to play four regular season games without Duvernay due to injury last year. In his absence, they turned to wide receiver Tylan Wallace and running back Justice Hill in the return game. Both players are under contract for 2024, and each performed admirably in replacement duty with Wallace delivering a walk-off punt return for a touchdown in an overtime win over the Rams and Hill returning a kickoff for 78 yards in a late-season blowout of the Dolphins that clinched the AFC’s top seed.

Jacksonville had an All-Pro return man themselves in Jamal Agnew, but with Agnew’s contract expiring, it appears, Duvernay will be the answer going forward. Agnew was forced to miss six games last year and the Jaguars were at a loss to find an effective replacement. Though Duvernay has some recent injury issues of his own, he rebounded fairly quickly, returning for the Ravens’ postseason run in January, just after Agnew suffered another injury. The “Duuuuuvaaaaaal” chants are sure to resound whenever the Jags trot Duvernay out for return duties or a surprise reverse.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Bengals, S Geno Stone Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

On the lookout for a safety addition, Cincinnati is set to add a new potential starter from a division rival. Geno Stone has agreed to a deal with the Bengals, as first reported by Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Stone will receive $15MM on a two-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds.

Stone has been a division rival of the Bengals in Baltimore for almost all of his career, minus a short two-and-a-half-month period in his rookie year that he spent on the Texans’ roster. After being drafted in the seventh round out of Iowa, Stone’s entire tenure as a Raven was in a backup capacity. He sat behind eventual free agent departures Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott, as well as versatile defensive back Brandon Stephens, before the eventual arrivals of Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton.

Injuries to Williams in 2022 and 2023, as well as the need to move Stephens back to cornerback for depth purposes, finally afforded Stone a chance to start. He took that chance and shined. With seven starts in 2022, Stone graded out as the league’s 28th best safety out of 88 graded players, according to Pro Football Focus. He earned more starts as an injury replacement for Williams this year and played so well that Baltimore often found themselves fielding three safeties, all in versatile roles. With his opportunities this year, Stone graded out well again as he battled DaRon Bland for the interception title with seven picks of his own.

The Ravens will be sad to watch Stone go, but they are set up well at the safety position with Willams and Hamilton both under contract through the 2026 season. They may need to add some depth at the position with such a valuable piece as Stone headed across the division, but it likely won’t be high on the priority list, perhaps necessitating a late-round pick.

In Cincinnati, Stone arrives to a bit of a muddier situation. For much of the year, the Bengals fielded Daxton Hill and Nick Scott as their starting safeties. PFF would grade both players extremely poorly with Hill ranking 90th and Scott landing dead last at 95th. Third-round rookie Jordan Battle would eventually step in for Scott as a starter next to Hill, and in a small sample size, Battle graded out much better as the league’s eighth-best safety, according to PFF.

Hill and Battle may be the incumbent starters, with lots of time left on their rookie contracts. Even Scott is under contract for the next two years, but Stone provides a new, intriguing option. If Hill continues to struggle, the Bengals now have a ball-hawking safety in Stone who plays far too hard to be kept off the field. Stone may even push for starting time to begin the year. If Scott or Hill show improvement, Stone gives Cincinnati the option of running three-safety sets, just like their rivals did with Stone last season.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

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