HEADLINES

Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

October 28th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The countdown to this year’s October 31 trade deadline continues, and a number of deals have already been made. More will follow in the coming days, though, as contending teams look to bolster their rosters for the stretch run and sellers seek to offload expiring contracts and gain future draft assets. Much will be driven, of course, by each squad’s financial situation.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here’s a breakdown of every team’s cap space in advance of the deadline:

  1. San Francisco 49ers: $39.89MM
  2. Cleveland Browns: $33.99MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $11.1MM
  4. Cincinnati Bengals: $10.78MM
  5. Tennessee Titans: $10.55MM
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: $9.16MM
  7. Chicago Bears: $9.06MM
  8. Los Angeles Chargers: $9.05MM
  9. Indianapolis Colts: $8.78MM
  10. Minnesota Vikings: $7.96MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $7.55MM
  12. New York Jets: $7.17MM
  13. Seattle Seahawks: $7.16MM
  14. Carolina Panthers: $7.07MM
  15. Dallas Cowboys: $7.03MM
  16. Baltimore Ravens: $6.83MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $6.76MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $6.62MM
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: $6.42MM
  20. New Orleans Saints: $4.67MM
  21. Buffalo Bills: $4.58MM
  22. Los Angeles Rams: $4.37MM
  23. Houston Texans: $4.26MM
  24. Washington Commanders: $3.78MM
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $3.7MM
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $3.63MM
  27. Miami Dolphins: $3.49MM
  28. New England Patriots: $2.87MM
  29. Philadelphia Eagles: $2.81MM
  30. Pittsburgh Steelers: $2.55MM
  31. Denver Broncos: $1.22MM
  32. New York Giants: $991K

The 49ers have carried considerable space throughout the season, but general manager John Lynch made it clear last month the team’s intention was to roll over most of their funds into next season. Still, with San Francisco sitting at 5-2 on the year, it would come as little surprise if at least one more depth addition (separate from the Randy Gregory move) were to be made in the near future.

Deals involving pick swaps for role players dominated the trade landscape for some time, but more noteworthy contributors have been connected to a potential swap recently. One of them – Titans safety Kevin Byard – has already been dealt. That has led to speculation Tennessee is open to dealing other big names as they look to 2024. Derrick Henry’s name has come up multiple times with respect to a deal sending him out of Nashville, but that now seems unlikely.

Several edge rushers are on the market, including Danielle Hunter (Vikings) and one or both of Montez Sweat and Chase Young (Commanders). Hunter nearly found himself with the Jaguars this offseason, and last year’s AFC South winners could be on the lookout for a pass rush boost. A mid-level addition in that regard would come as little surprise. In Minnesota and Washington’s case, however, it remains to be seen if they will be true sellers given their 3-4 records heading into tomorrow’s action.

A number of receivers could also be on the move soon. Both the Broncos’ pair of Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and the Panthers’ Terrace Marshall have been involved heavily in trade talk. Jeudy and Sutton are on the books at an eight figure price tag next season, and the Broncos are unlikely to receive the draft capital they could have at prior points in their Denver tenures. Marshall, by contrast, is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract and could fit more comfortably into an acquiring team’s cap situation. The Panthers have allowed him to seek out a trade partner.

The Cowboys sit in the top half of the league in terms of spending power, but mixed signals initially came out with respect to their interest in making a splash. Owner Jerry Jones has insisted Dallas will not initiate negotiations on a trade, citing his confidence in a 4-2 roster which has been hit by a few notable injuries on defense in particular. Despite having more cap space than most other teams, the Bengals are likewise expected to be quiet on the trade front.  

The past few years have seen a notable uptick in trade activity around the league, and it would come as a surprise if that trend did not continue over the next few days. Last-minute restructures and cost-shedding moves would help the teams in need of flexibility pull off moves, though sellers will no doubt also be asked to retain salary if some of the higher-paid veterans on the trade block end up being dealt. Given the spending power of teams at the top of the list, there is plenty of potential for the league’s landscape to change ahead of the stretch run to the playoffs.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/23

October 28th, 2023 at 7:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the gameday elevations and other minor moves made around the league in advance of Week 8:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson’s loss will be notable for the Cardinals, given his status as an entrenched starter at the left guard spot. The 28-year-old joined Arizona on a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum in free agency after stints in Denver, Chicago and Atlanta. Trystan Colon replaced him in the starting lineup in Week 7, and that will likely continue for the time being. Wilkinson will be out for at least four weeks as a result of the IR move.

Ridgeway has been out since Week 1, his Texans debut. The former 49er joined the Texans in a move which allowed him to continue working under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Ridgeway ended last season on IR, so he will be looking for an extended run of availability in his new home. A veteran of 78 games (and 19 starts), he will aim to carve out a rotational role up front.

Peters was brought in by the Seahawks while they were dealing with injury problems at both tackle spots. Blindside blocker Charles Cross has since returned, so Peters’ most familiar spot will not be available if he is to make his Seattle debut on Sunday. The fact the latter is healthy and in game shape does mean, however, that he will be eligible to play in a 19th NFL season.

Ravens, Cowboys Eyeing Derrick Henry?

October 26th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derrick Henry has emerged as, at least, a fringe candidate to be traded before Tuesday’s deadline. The greatest running back of the Oilers-Titans franchise’s Tennessee years is in the final year of his contract, and with the Titans dealing away Kevin Byard, rumors have emerged about other marquee players exiting.

The latest round of Henry buzz connects the Ravens and Cowboys to the two-time rushing champion. Baltimore is viewed around the league as an interested party, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, who adds the Ravens are on track to explore trades for running backs.

Jerry Jones has made some interesting proclamations at his recent availability sessions, indicating the Cowboys are not planning to reach out to teams about trades. Thursday, the Dallas owner doubled down on this stance. The Cowboys are 4-2 and rank in the top five on offense and defense, though given the firepower at the top of the NFC, the team would obviously be taking a risk by standing pat.

“I don’t see anything heated up to a level that would cause something to happen,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. “… If we don’t do anything at this trade deadline, we’ve got a team, in my mind, that can get us where we want to go.”

The Cowboys cut Ezekiel Elliott and have bumped Tony Pollard into a full-time role, but Pauline adds the Cowboys are expected to look into Henry. A caveat here: the NFC East team would want the Titans to eat some of Henry’s salary. This component came up Wednesday regarding Henry, whose walk-year salary is $10.5MM. An acquiring team would only be on the hook for barely $5.5MM if it landed Henry after Week 8, which would be the expectation if the eighth-year standout is traded. Considering how the RB trade market unfolded this offseason, that $5.5MM number is seen as too rich for a team to take on. The Ravens would likely require this as well, holding just more than $6MM in cap space. The Cowboys are at $7.7MM.

It is interesting to see Henry pop up as a trade option, seeing as Austin Ekeler was not believed to have generated much of a market after requesting a trade this offseason. The Colts also did not see their Jonathan Taylor asking price met, though Indianapolis also did not appear motivated to seek out a trade partner. The dual-threat Charger led the NFL in touchdowns in 2021 and ’22, while Henry’s throwback skillset does not include much of a passing-down role.

Henry, 29, is averaging 4.3 yards per carry (425 total), despite a shaky Titans offensive line — one Pro Football Focus ranks last presently — and Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric measures the former Heisman winner’s total seventh. While Henry is likely near the end of his run as a full-time starter, he would be an interesting trade chip. The Ravens rank eighth in yards per carry; the Cowboys sit 21st.

The Ravens have been the NFL’s most run-oriented team during Lamar Jackson‘s career. Baltimore’s 230 rushing attempts trail only the Eagles (235) this season. The Ravens lost J.K. Dobbins to another season-ending injury and have been rolling with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill as their primary ball carriers. Speedy rookie Keaton Mitchell came off IR recently but has not factored into the Ravens’ run game much yet. Ravens officials have downplayed the team’s need for a starter-caliber back, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes (subscription required), but Henry would not be Maryland-bound to become a backup.

It is not yet clear if the Titans are truly motivated to move Henry, nor is it locked in the team would recoup a needle-moving asset for a veteran with 1,848 career carries. A weekend report classified Henry interest as scarce. But Tennessee rosters intriguing rookie Tyjae Spears positioned as the former All-Pro’s successor. The third-round pick is averaging 5.5 yards per tote and has carved out a bigger role than any of Henry’s backups since the bulldozing starter began his back-to-back run of rushing titles.

Henry trade buzz circulated this offseason, however, and the Titans may be in transition soon. Contract-year QB Ryan Tannehill is not expected to play this week, which would lead to Will Levis‘ first start. Will it double as Henry’s last game with the Titans?

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/23

October 26th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Reagor has been called up as a standard gameday elevation three times now for the Patriots, the maximum under a single practice squad contract. It remains to be seen if he will stick on the team’s active roster, but if he’s going to see any more game action this year, the promotion was a necessary one. He’s obviously able to play while on the active roster, but if the team were to release him and re-sign him to the practice squad, he would have the ability to be elevated three more times on the new deal.

The Bills and Buccaneers are making their standard gameday elevations for Thursday Night Football tonight. Veterans Isabella and Norman will both be making their season debuts if they see the field tonight in Buffalo, as will LeCounte and Senat for the Bucs. Norman has a good chance to see the field with Kaiir Elam out and Tre’Davious White still on injured reserve. Senat likewise should get a chance to rotate in for Tampa with Vita Vea currently inactive.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/23

October 25th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves from around the league:

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks

  • Designated to return from IR: RB Kenny McIntosh
  • Designated to return from PUP: NT Austin Faoliu

Tennessee Titans

After being waived yesterday by the team who submitted a waiver claim for him at the start of the season, Wallace finds himself on the third NFL team of his career. While the trade that sent star Titans’ defender Kevin Byard to Philadelphia returned another safety in Terrell Edmunds, Wallace will come in and attempt to compete for some key playing time with Edmunds and Amani Hooker.

Humphrey has been promoted as a standard gameday elevation three times already, the limit for a practice squad contract, so in order to see any further game action, he needed to be on the active roster. If he is released and re-signs to the team’s practice squad, he’ll be able to be elevated three more times under a new practice squad deal.

Ndamukong Suh Eyeing Midseason Deal; Ravens Have Spoken To DT

October 23rd, 2023 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

Ndamukong Suh remains unsigned well into the 2023 season, something which held true at this point last year. Another midseason agreement is on the veteran defensive tackle’s radar, though, and at least one team has discussed a deal.

During part of his early-season contributions on Sky Sports‘ NFL coverage, Suh revealed the Ravens have spoken with him about a potential contract (video link). Baltimore played in London during Week 6, which provided the parties the opportunity to meet in person over the matter of a potential arrangement which would see him make another midseason return to the NFL.

Suh joined the Eagles in Week 11 last year, paving the way for him to play in a rotational capacity while helping the team reach the Super Bowl. The 36-year-old is in a similar situation now, after he made it clear in the offseason that he was not eyeing a contract before training camp. With the summer (and more than one quarter of the campaign) having come and gone, it will be interesting to see how much of a market he generates as he readies for a return to game action.

The 2010s All-Decade member recorded 10 tackles and one sack while logging a 35% snap share during his time with the Eagles in the regular season. He added three QB hits in the playoffs, and similar usage and production would likely await him in Baltimore if he were to sign there. The Ravens have had a number of contributors along their defensive front this year, despite the offseason departures of defensive end Calais Campbell and 2022 sack leader Justin Houston.

Even without those veterans (along with edge rushers Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo) for all or most of the year, the Ravens have posted a league-leading 29 sacks through seven contests. Along the interior, former third-rounder Justin Madubuike has had a strong start with 5.5 sacks. That matches his career-best total from last season, and has him on track to cash in during free agency with a deal from the Ravens or another team.

Suh would have a part-time role playing behind Madubuike and Co. at the DT spot if he were to sign with the Ravens. As the three-time All-Pro mentioned, however, plenty is yet to be determined with respect to his future as he prepares for a 14th NFL season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/23

October 21st, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the minor moves made around the league in advance of the Week 7 slate of Sunday games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos 

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Restored to active roster (from suspension exemption): DE Charles Omenihu

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants 

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Dulcich already had one IR stint this season due to an aggravation of last year’s hamstring injury. The 2022 third-rounder has appeared in only two contests so far this season, and in the most recent one he suffered yet another setback. As a result, he will once again be shut down for at least four weeks.

The Giants’ decision to again promote DeVito points to starter Daniel Jones missing another game. Indeed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Jones is considered a “longshot” to play tomorrow against the Commanders. It will in all likelihood be Tyrod Taylor under center for New York in Week 7 while Jones continues to recover from his neck injury.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/23

October 17th, 2023 at 9:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: OT Jalen McKenzie
  • Released: WR Malik Flowers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Ravens Cut RB Kenyan Drake From Practice Squad

October 17th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Kenyan Drake‘s stint with the Ravens has come to an end. Baltimore has released the veteran running back from the practice squad, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Drake got into 12 games (five starts) for the Ravens in 2022, mostly out of necessity following injuries throughout their backfield. Following a brief stint in Indy, Drake landed back in Baltimore in late-September following J.K. Dobbins‘ season-ending injury.

The running back earned a pair of promotions during his second stint with the Ravens. He had three touches for 31 yards in Week 3, but a crucial fumble led to limited snaps when he next appeared in Week 5.

Undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell is now healthy and on the active roster. With Gus Edwards and Justice Hill leading the depth chart, Drake would have been hard pressed to earn a promotion in the coming weeks. The Ravens also still have veteran Melvin Gordon and rookie Owen Wright on the practice squad, so Drake wasn’t even the first option if Baltimore does suffer another injury at the position.

There’s a chance the 29-year-old running back finds a new home before the season is done. Drake isn’t all that far removed from a 2020 campaign where he topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 10 touchdowns, and he still averaged 4.5 yards on his 126 touches in 2022.

Load More Posts