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Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

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.

Ravens, OLB Jadeveon Clowney Have Mutual Interest In New Deal

March 10th, 2024 at 9:39pm CST by Ely Allen

After leading the NFL with a 13-4 record, the Ravens are primed to experience a potential mass exodus of talent in free agency. The team was able to secure defensive tackle All-Pro Justin Madubuike on a new four-year, $98MM extension, but other key contributors like Odell Beckham Jr., Kevin Zeitler, Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins, Devin Duvernay, and John Simpson on offense and Patrick Queen, Geno Stone, Ronald Darby, and Kyle Van Noy on defense are all still on their way to free agency.

While many of the above players are expected to leave Baltimore this offseason, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tells us that both the Ravens and outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney interested in keeping their partnership going. Clowney joined the Ravens halfway through training camp on a one-year, $2.5MM deal. After delivering one of his best seasons since his days in Houston, though, Clowney isn’t likely to play on another discounted contract.

Clowney finished second on the Ravens with 9.5 sacks in 2023, matching his career-high total from 2017. If Clowney can get a full offseason with the team under his belt, hopes are that he can avoid a letdown year with a system in which he thrived, something that occurred during his second year in Cleveland.

If the Ravens bring back Clowney, he will rejoin a group of outside linebackers that includes Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, two players Baltimore is still waiting to see break out. The team is still hoping to get Tyus Bower back after watching the veteran miss the entire 2023 season with a knee injury.

Bowser claims that he’s making a full recovery from knee surgery and will definitely be back next season, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Bowser will be coming back into a contract year, the final season of his four-year, $22MM deal. This is all assuming the Ravens don’t try to reduce his $7.5MM cap hit by $5.5MM by cutting him prior to his return.

The Ravens have some unproven, young assets at the position, but the team will likely hope to have some playmakers like Clowney, Bowser, and/or a potential new addition via the draft or free agency in the mix, as well. We’ll likely start to see their plan for the position moving forward as free agency starts this week.

Chargers, Ravens, Bears Among “Serious Suitors” For Saquon Barkley

March 10th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Rory Parks

Running back Saquon Barkley is one of the highest-profile free agents in this year’s cycle, and there have been plenty of rumors concerning his next destination already. Some of those rumors may be solidifying into something more concrete.

Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com spoke with more than a dozen managers, executives, coaches, scouts, and agents, and while there was of course some variation in their responses, most expected that Barkley would land a contract worth $10MM per year, with a three-year, $30MM pact a seemingly likely outcome.

Given the notoriously stagnant running back market, it is fair to wonder whether any team would be willing to cough up that kind of money to an RB with a concering injury history who is coming off a season in which he posted a 3.9 YPC rate. However, the consensus among Raanan’s sources was that Barkley is good enough to warrant an eight-figure-per-year deal, with one pro personnel director saying, “if he was in San Francisco, he would be Christian McCaffrey. He hasn’t had an offensive line, ever, in New York.”

So, while Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported that the Giants are among the teams that do not see value in authorizing a $10MM+ AAV for a running back, it seems there will be at least one other club willing to make that kind of commitment for a player with Barkley’s ability. Per Raanan, the Chargers, Ravens, and Bears are among the most serious suitors for Barkley’s services.

The Chargers are something of a curious fit here. After all, the cap-strapped outfit is allowing its own multi-threat RB, Austin Ekeler, test the market and is reportedly willing to entertain trades for some of its best players in order to alleviate its salary cap issues.

The Ravens are more of a logical suitor. Previous reports have suggested the team will prioritize a running back addition, and given the importance of the ground game to Baltimore’s offensive attack, a notable contract for an RB is more justifiable for the Ravens than it would be for many teams. That is especially true in light of the fact that Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell — who suffered an ACL tear in Week 15 — are the only two backs currently under club control.

The Bears, meanwhile, are likely to trade quarterback Justin Fields and draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. Having a QB1 on a rookie contract affords a team luxuries that it might not otherwise enjoy, and a splurge for a running back who is also adept as a receiver and who can therefore take the pressure off a young signal-caller in multiple ways makes plenty of sense.

While recent reports hinting at a Barkley-Eagles marriage were intriguing because of Philadelphia’s intra-divisional rivalry with the Giants, Raanan says neither the Eagles nor the Cowboys, another NFC East foe, are likely to meet Barkley’s asking price. Both of those teams may have RB needs, but they both seem prepared to fill those needs via a different tier of the market. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com agrees that Dallas will unlikely get involved in the Barkley sweepstakes unless he is willing to settle for a $5MM-$6MM AAV, though a Tony Pollard re-up remains in play (subscription required).

A February report indicated that the Texans were Barkley’s preferred destination. With respect to Houston’s involvement, Raanan merely writes that the club is rumored to have interest.

Ravens Extend DL Justin Madubuike

March 8th, 2024 at 11:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two franchise-tagged players have signed extensions this week. Justin Madubuike will follow Jaylon Johnson. The Ravens now have their breakthrough defensive tackle locked down.

After a monster contract year, Madubuike agreed to terms on a four-year, $98MM deal, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The contract includes $53.5MM guaranteed at signing and $75.5MM in total guarantees. Both the guarantee numbers represent highwater marks for NFL interior D-linemen, which almost definitely will affect the free agent market soon.

Like Johnson, this represents a staggering value spike for a player who was not on the radar to score a contract in this neighborhood a year ago. But Madubuike stepped up in his platform year, registering a Ravens-high 13 sacks — the most by a Raven since Elvis Dumervil in 2014 — to power a No. 1-ranked defense. The Ravens viewed Madubuike and Broderick Washington as extension candidates last summer; both are now signed, with Madubuike breaking new ground for a Baltimore D-line contract.

Madubuike, 26, eclipsed Quinnen Williams‘ marks for full guarantees and total guaranteed cash. The Jets standout received $47.8MM at signing when he agreed to his $24MM-per-year deal last July, with Gang Green guaranteeing the former top-five pick $66MM in total. Those represented incremental gains from the previous position standards; Madubuike’s numbers create a clear gap between Nos. 1 and 2 on these lists.

The Ravens did not go near Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year salary, which remains the runaway leader for AAV at the position. But they navigated this gap by showing a willingness to guarantee a greater portion of Madubuike’s contract. That undoubtedly pushed this process past the finish line. This agreement will reduce the $22.1MM cap figure on Baltimore’s payroll as a result of Tuesday’s tag and bring some good news for Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins as they prepare to — barring 11th-hour agreements — head into free agency.

Like Chicago, Baltimore now has high-end extensions allocated to players on all three defensive levels. Madubuike joins Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey in that regard. The Ravens have signed off on the Smith payment — still an ILB AAV record — and Madubuike pact within a 14-month span. While Smith was always a candidate to land big money — as he had leverage via a trade and Lamar Jackson being primed for last year’s franchise tag — Madubuike represents more of an underdog story.

The No. 71 pick in the 2020 draft, the Texas A&M alum had never totaled more than 5.5 sacks or nine QB hits in a season prior to his contract year. His walk-year numbers of 13 and 33 in those categories could have given the Ravens pause, potentially calling for a “prove it” year on the tag. But after they carried a $32MM-plus Jackson tag number into late April last year, the AFC North champions will have their payroll more organized going into free agency this year.

After the Ravens released Calais Campbell last year, Madubuike stormed ahead as the team’s top sack artist. Helping late-arriving free agents Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy produce surprising sack numbers, Madubuike also tied an NFL record by recording at least a half-sack in 11 consecutive games. That secured the ex-Day 2 pick his first Pro Bowl nod. By Thanksgiving, Madubuike had shown enough to the point he would not be permitted to reach free agency. The Ravens unholstered their tag but will not come close to the July deadline. As Zach Orr takes over as DC, the Ravens will make sure he has an impact D-line presence locked down.

NFL Announces 2024 Compensatory Picks

March 8th, 2024 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2024 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2023 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.

This year, the NFL awarded 34 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks. The CBA limits the total compensatory number to 32, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who notes the Cowboys, Jaguars and Packers qualified for an additional comp pick based on the net loss formula.

The updated NFL format also rewards third-round comp picks to teams that saw a minority assistant coach land a head coaching job or a minority front office exec become a GM. Teams receive two third-round picks for losing an assistant or FO staffer to a top job, but the picks do not come in the same draft. The 49ers’ pipeline here is still flowing and will continue to do so into the 2025 draft, with Ran Carthon landing the Titans’ GM job last year and DeMeco Ryans becoming the Texans’ HC. The Rams collected the first of their two third-rounders for the Falcons’ Raheem Morris hire. The Buccaneers do not receive a comp pick for Dave Canales‘ Panthers move due to the Latino staffer being Tampa Bay’s OC for just one season.

Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2024 compensatory selections.

By round:

Round 3: Jaguars (No. 96 overall), Eagles (No. 97), Rams (No. 98)*, 49ers (No. 99)*

Round 4: 49ers (No. 132), Bills (No. 133), Ravens (No. 134)

Round 5: Saints (No. 167), Packers (No. 168), Saints (No. 169), Eagles (No. 170), Eagles (No. 171), Chiefs (No. 172), Cowboys (No. 173), Saints (No. 174), 49ers (No. 175)

Round 6: Bengals (No. 208), Rams (No. 209), Eagles (No. 210), 49ers (No. 211), Jaguars (No. 212), Rams (No. 213), Bengals (No. 214), 49ers (No. 215), Cowboys (No. 216), Rams (No. 217), Jets (No. 218), Packers (No. 219), Buccaneers (No. 220)

Round 7: Chargers (No. 253), Rams (No. 254), Packers (No. 255), Jets (No. 256), Jets (No. 257)

* = special compensatory selection

By team:

  • Los Angeles Rams: 5
  • San Francisco 49ers: 5
  • Philadelphia Eagles: 4
  • Green Bay Packers: 3
  • New Orleans Saints: 3
  • New York Jets: 3
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 2
  • Dallas Cowboys: 2
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: 2
  • Baltimore Ravens: 1
  • Buffalo Bills: 1
  • Kansas City Chiefs: 1
  • Los Angeles Chargers: 1
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1
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