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Lamar Jackson Requests Trade

March 27th, 2023 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the latest development in the ongoing Lamar Jackson saga, the former MVP has made a major announcement. Jackson tweeted Monday morning that, as of earlier this month, he requested a trade from the Ravens.

In an open letter to his fans, Jackson acknowledges that on March 2 he formally asked to be traded from the Ravens. The reason, he adds, is that the organization “has not been interested in meeting my value” with respect to a new contract. The issue of full guarantees in his newest deal has produced a major stalemate between the two sides, and now this public admission that Jackson wishes to continue his career elsewhere.

The 26-year-old has been at the center of speculation in Baltimore for several years now, as a mega-extension has never seemed to be particularly close to being finalized. It has long been believed that Jackson is seeking a fully guaranteed pact matching (if not exceeding) the value of Deshaun Watson‘s five-year, $230MM contract signed last offseason. The Ravens’ decision to not reach that level of compensation was hinted at last summer by owner Steve Bisciotti, and has been confirmed by the subsequent deals they have offered the agent-less Jackson.

The impasse between club and player made it no surprise that the Ravens placed the franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowler. Since they went the non-exclusive route, other teams are eligible to negotiate with Jackson on a new deal, but Baltimore would have the right to match any offer sheet he signed with an interested suitor. In the event they didn’t, Jackson’s new team would lose its first-round pick in the next two drafts as compensation.

That price has led to several teams bowing out of the running for a pursuit of Jackson via the offer sheet (with the Colts representing a potential exception). Now, however, a tag-and trade possibility exists. Jackson could sign his franchise tender (valued at $32.4MM) to pave the way for a deal sending him to a new team which, presumably, would appeal to him because they would be able to meet his contract demands. The Ravens and the acquiring team would be free to negotiate trade compensation of any kind, but this latest news doesn’t guarantee that a blockbuster deal is on the horizon.

Jackson’s reveal of his trade request came at exactly the time Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was scheduled to speak at the league’s meeting taking place this week. Amidst his reaction to the news of Jackson’s desire to be dealt, Harbaugh reiterated multiple times that he still fully expects Jackson to be the team’s quarterback in 2023 (Twitter links via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo).

This latest development comes just days after it was reported that Ken Francis – a business associate of Jackson’s, but not a certified agent permitted to negotiate trade or contract terms – was speaking with potential new teams. It was also reported at that time that Jackson was ready to move on from the Ravens, something confirmed by his actions today.

Never in NFL history has a former league MVP under the age of 30 been traded. That would make a move in which the Ravens meet Jackson’s request an historic one, though a somewhat familiar path to the one taken last spring with wideout Marquise Brown. The latter was traded at the draft in 2022, and it was soon learned after that deal that Brown had asked to be moved. Jackson’s situation is different, of course, but a swap involving him would obviously mark another major alteration to the team’s offense.

This situation could, on the other hand, play out more similarly to the one concerning 49ers star Deebo Samuel last year. Samuel requested a trade after contract talks initially failed to produce a new deal, but the team made it clear they were not interested in dealing him. The two sides later came to an agreement on a big-ticket extension, though a repeat of that would involve a much larger pact in Jackson’s case. How the Ravens (and potential Jackson destinations) react to this news will steer this saga into its next phase.

Ravens Pursued CB Darius Slay

March 26th, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles were able to maintain both members of their starting corner tandem this offseason, despite a tight financial situation and a number of defensive starters departing in free agency. That included bringing back Darius Slay on a new deal, but the veteran would have had the opportunity to head to the AFC North had Philadelphia allowed him to leave.

The Ravens had “significant interest” in signing Slay, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (subscription required). That comes as little surprise on a number of fronts, given the five-time Pro Bowler’s pedigree and Baltimore’s need at the position. Slay was slated to hit the open market after he and the Eagles failed to agree to terms on a restructure to his existing contract. One day after it was reported he would be released, however, Slay inked a two-year deal to remain with the NFC champions.

In that brief window of opportunity, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post confirms that Baltimore made a “concerted effort” to sign Slay. The 32-year-old would have been reunited with Dennard Wilson, who left the Eagles this offseason to become the Ravens’ new secondary coach. The latter was in consideration for Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator vacancy, but the team’s decision to look outside the organization led to his departure.

Slay himself confirmed that he nearly signed with the Ravens. “I was almost — this close — a Baltimore Raven,” Slay recently said on his Big Play Slay podcast (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). Slay added that Baltimore offered him the money that he was seeking, but his preference was to remain with the Eagles. Because he and Philadelphia were able to work out the financials, he got his wish.

Slay enjoyed a highly productive season in 2022, earning a Pro Bowl nod for the second straight season. He totaled three interceptions and 14 pass deflections last year, putting up strong coverage numbers along the way. That would have made him an attractive option to not only the Ravens, but any number of other potential suitors in need of an addition at the CB spot. Baltimore certainly fits that description at the moment, however.

The Ravens have Marlon Humphrey on the books through 2026, but fellow starter Marcus Peters is a free agent. The latter missed all of 2021 with a torn ACL, and struggled this past season upon his return to the field. Given his downturn in production (Peters recorded only one interception, the lowest single-season total of his career), a deal worth much less than the three-year, $42MM one he played on upon arrival in Baltimore should be expected this time around.

Assuming he gets it from a new team, Peters’ departure would leave the Ravens in need of a starting-caliber boundary corner. Slay certainly would have fit that bill, but Baltimore is now tasked with either retaining Peters or looking elsewhere in free agency and/or the draft if they need to replace him.

Teams View Ravens As Likely To Match Lamar Jackson Offer Sheet

March 24th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

More than a week has passed since Lamar Jackson‘s negotiation window opened. No offer sheets have emerged, with several teams showing immediate indications they would not pursue the superstar quarterback. Only the Colts have kept the door open, and that it does not sound like the AFC South team is seriously considering an offer sheet.

As the offer sheet would need to be fully guaranteed or featuring guarantees far north of Russell Wilson‘s $124MM — currently the league’s second-most fully guaranteed number — to entice a unique player who has long been connected to seeking a figure in the Deshaun Watson neighborhood ($230MM). Teams also appear hesitant to extend an offer to Jackson due to the Ravens’ ability to match it.

The current belief around the league is the Ravens would match a Jackson offer sheet that comes either before or after the draft, PFT’s Mike Florio said during a recent Rich Eisen Show appearance (video link). The Ravens would have five days to match an offer; their refusal to do so would mean the team that lands Jackson would send over two first-round picks. Baltimore and another team could also agree on a separate trade, which may be the preference for QB-seeking squads.

Extension-eligible since January 2021, Jackson became the rare high-end QB draftee to play a fourth season on a rookie deal and joined the rarer club of passers to play on a fifth-year option. His $32.4MM cap number has hamstrung the Ravens in free agency, but as a nonexclusive franchise tag recipient, he is free to talk to other teams. The agent-less QB has not been connected to doing so, but a person claiming to represent Jackson now has.

Florio initially reported this Jackson associate, now believed to be Ken Francis, has attempted to negotiate on the quarterback’s behalf with multiple teams in an attempt to increase interest. The NFL, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, sent a memo to teams instructing them not to negotiate with Francis, who is not an NFLPA-certified agent. Francis is a Jackson business partner on a fitness endeavor, and while Jackson plugged the duo’s venture Thursday, he denied Francis is negotiating on his behalf (Twitter links). Under the CBA, only Jackson — since he does not have an agent — can speak to teams regarding a contract.

Francis was believed to be telling teams Jackson is ready to move on from the Ravens, Florio adds, and that the sixth-year player does not want a fully guaranteed deal. Even in the event Jackson is not asking for a fully guaranteed contract, he is believed to want guarantees well north of where non-Browns teams have authorized for a player.

Another team that could conceivably be interested should not be expected to meet Jackson’s price point. While the Patriots could make a significant upgrade by replacing Mac Jones with Jackson, the former being under rookie-contract control — potentially through 2025 — will likely lead to, per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, the Pats steering clear of a monster offer sheet for the former MVP. Will there be a team that does come forward as a serious suitor?

Ravens, WR Nelson Agholor Agree To Deal

March 24th, 2023 at 11:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Nelson Agholor‘s Baltimore visit will produce a deal. The former first-round pick is signing with the Ravens, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reports (on Twitter).

While the one-year contract could max out at $6.25MM, Zrebiec adds the base value will come in at $3.25MM. The Ravens will be Agholor’s fourth NFL team. Agholor will reunite with Ravens assistant coach Tee Martin. While Martin is now the Ravens’ quarterbacks coach, he was USC’s wide receivers coach throughout Agholor’s time with the Trojans.

As expected, Agholor’s fourth NFL contract will not be worth anywhere near his Patriots pact. During an uncharacteristic 2021 spending spree, the Pats gave Agholor a two-year, $22MM deal. At the time, the 2015 first-rounder was coming off a bounce-back Raiders season that featured career-high receiving yardage (896) and touchdown (eight) numbers. Agholor was unable to replicate that showing in New England.

Agholor, who will turn 30 in May, did not match that 2020 Las Vegas yardage or touchdown total in two Patriots seasons. He topped out at 473 yards and five touchdowns in New England, which had Jakobi Meyers in place as its lone reliable wide receiver over the past two seasons. Meyers has since joined the Raiders on an $11MM-per-year deal, while the Patriots have brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster for slightly less.

This Ravens deal can be categorized as a flier for a team perpetually in search of receiver help. Agholor joins 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman as the biggest names in Baltimore’s receiving corps, though last year’s No. 2 wideout — Devin Duvernay — is under contract for one more season. Both Bateman and Duvernay suffered season-ending foot injuries last year. The Ravens added DeSean Jackson last year as well, but the 36-year-old deep threat is no longer under contract.

Agholor has earned the inconsistent label attached to him, but he has done well for himself financially and made impacts for successful squads. The 6-foot wideout combined for 1,504 receiving yards and eight TD catches for the Eagles from 2017-18. He came through during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII upset, hauling in nine Nick Foles passes for 84 yards. The time between then and this agreement limits that game’s reference material regarding Agholor’s current form, however.

The Ravens will see what the ninth-year veteran has left in the tank, though everything non-Lamar Jackson looms as a secondary matter until the franchise determines a resolution with its disgruntled quarterback.

Bills Interested In DeAndre Hopkins

March 23rd, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Entering free agency with rumored receiver interest, the Bills have added two depth pieces (Deonte Harty, Trent Sherfield) to their pass-catching equation. They appear to be considering a much bigger swing.

The Bills are interested in trading for DeAndre Hopkins, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports (on Twitter). Buffalo joins Kansas City as teams believed to be in on the Arizona wideout, but Wilson adds Baltimore is not part of this pursuit. Hopkins appears to have heard Bills rumors as well (audio link). Extensive Hopkins interest exists, but his contract is an obvious impediment.

[RELATED: Hopkins Trade Market Accelerating?]

The Cardinals are believed to want a second-round pick and an additional asset for the 11th-year veteran, but Albert Breer of SI.com hears that type of return is not expected to be in the cards. No contract adjustment has occurred, though it should be expected. Hopkins is open to that. As of now, however, Hopkins is tied to a $19.45MM base salary ahead of his age-31 season. While Breer adds Hopkins should fetch the Cardinals more than the Texans obtained in their Brandin Cooks pick-swap deal with the Cowboys — one that sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth to Houston — he expects the return to be closer to the Cooks price than what the Cardinals are seeking.

Connected in trade rumors since before the 2022 deadline, Hopkins now no longer has a no-trade clause. Due to language in the former All-Pro’s contract, his 2022 PED suspension voided it. The Bills would seemingly appeal to veteran wide receivers, given the presences of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Hopkins and Diggs were traded on the same day in March 2020. Hopkins has not been viewed as a No. 2 wideout since his early days with Andre Johnson in Houston; he would certainly be classified as such in Buffalo.

It would undoubtedly take a contract adjustment for Hopkins to land on the Bills’ cap sheet. Diggs is tied to a $24MM-per-year deal. Only the Chargers have two receivers earning at least $20MM per year, and each is tied to $20MM-AAV deals. Buffalo’s No. 1 target is tied to a long-term extension; Hopkins’ 2020 Cardinals re-up runs through 2024. His $27MM-per-year contract calls for $19.4 and $14.9MM base salaries over the next two years. The Bills have more than $9MM in cap space, though the team did add guard David Edwards earlier today.

Buffalo rosters Gabe Davis as well, but the former fourth-round pick is going into a contract year. Davis and the since-released Isaiah McKenzie battled inconsistency last season. Hopkins’ PED suspension and his injuries over the past two years have injected unreliability into his career path, one that previously had the contested-catch maven entrenched as one of the NFL’s steadiest stars. Hopkins ripped off three straight first-team All-Pro seasons (2017-19) and topped 1,000 receiving yards six times in seven years. He has not surpassed 800 in a season since 2020; the ban and injury trouble limited him to nine games in 2022.

The Ravens are not in too much worse cap shape than the Bills are, sitting at just more than $7MM. But they also must factor in the chance of needing to match a monster Lamar Jackson offer sheet, which could feature the second-most fully guaranteed money in NFL history. Baltimore does need receiving help far more than Buffalo or Kansas City do, seeing Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay each go down with injuries.

Kansas City has been connected to both Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. The Bills hosted Beckham on a visit in December but have not been linked to him this offseason. The Chiefs have lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency, seeing each head to the AFC East (Patriots, Jets). The Bills hold one draft choice in each of the first five rounds and carry two in the fifth. They obtained a fifth from the Cardinals in last summer’s Cody Ford swap and sent their own to the Colts for Nyheim Hines. The Chiefs are in slightly better shape, holding an extra fourth-round pick due to their Tyreek Hill trade.

While Diggs and Davis’ presences would make Hopkins a bit of a luxury item for the Bills, they have seen the Chiefs impede their Super Bowl pursuits. Hopkins as an additional weapon would add more intrigue to this rivalry. The Bengals have now leapfrogged the Bills in the AFC hierarchy as well, and the AFC East figures to be stronger in 2023 thanks to Jalen Ramsey and, most likely, Aaron Rodgers entering the mix. As the competition intensifies, the Bills are seeing what it will take to add a proven pass catcher.

Ravens Host WR Nelson Agholor, To Meet With S Adrian Amos

March 23rd, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adrian Amos is considering a homecoming. The Baltimore native who has spent his entire career in the NFC North is visiting the Ravens on Thursday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The Ravens are fairly set at safety, rostering Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, but the team rolled out three-safety looks last season. The third man in those sets, Chuck Clark, has since been traded to the Jets.

Additionally, the Ravens have Nelson Agholor on their radar. The free agent wide receiver met with the team this week, Field Yates of ESPN.com adds (on Twitter). Agholor played out his two-year, $22MM Patriots contract. The former first-rounder’s uneven performance in New England will not make him a candidate for a similar deal this time around.

The Packers gave Amos a four-year, $36MM contract in 2019, and the former Bears draftee played out that deal. Amos, who will turn 30 next month, would provide his next team with plenty of experience. He has started 122 career games. Amos’ role in Vic Fangio‘s No. 1-ranked Bears defense catapulted him into free agency, and the former Day 3 draftee did well to play out a four-year second contract. He joins the likes of John Johnson and Eric Rowe as safeties seeking a third contract this offseason.

Pro Football Focus viewed Amos as declining in 2022, ranking the Penn State alum as a bottom-10 safety after slotting him in the top 20 at the position in each of his first three Packers slates. The advanced metrics site graded Amos as the league’s second-best safety in 2020, behind only Jessie Bates. The new Falcons safety lapped the field in terms of earnings among free agents this offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $64MM deal. Bates’ ex-Bengals teammate, Vonn Bell, landed $7.5MM per year on his third NFL deal. Amos is unlikely to command that at this stage of his career, but the Ravens will see if their terms align with the hometown defender’s hopes during his second free agency stay.

One of the league’s more maligned wideouts, Agholor has still done well financially. He tacked on that $22MM to his first-round rookie contract. The former Eagles and Raiders pass catcher, however, did not top 500 receiving yards in either of his Patriots years. In 2022, the former Super Bowl starter caught just 31 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns. To be fair, it was not a good year to be a Patriots offensive player; dysfunction on that Matt Patricia-run unit produced steady scrutiny. But Agholor, 29, being unable to build on his 896-yard Raiders contract year has reduced his value.

Perpetually in search of receivers to play in their run-focused offense, the Ravens bottomed out at the position in 2022. Both Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay suffered season-ending foot injuries, with Bateman’s coming early in the year. The Ravens, who have Lamar Jackson‘s $32.4MM franchise tag salary clogging their cap, have not made any additions at the position thus far in free agency.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/23

March 19th, 2023 at 12:59pm CST by Rory Parks

We will keep track of today’s minor moves right here:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Washington Commanders

CB Rock Ya-Sin To Visit Ravens

March 17th, 2023 at 9:45am CST by Sam Robinson

The top cornerbacks on this year’s market have agreed to deals, but there are a few other higher-end veteran options still available. Rock Ya-Sin is one of them, and he will explore a relocation soon.

Ya-Sin will meet with the Ravens, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The former second-round pick spent last season with the Raiders, who showed some interest in bringing him back. But the former Colts draftee will look for a job elsewhere.

Marcus Peters is a free agent, and Ya-Sin, at 27, is three years younger. The Ravens have Marlon Humphrey signed to a big-ticket extension but are in need of more help at the spot. Peters, who is going into his age-30 season, was up and down during his return from a summer 2021 ACL tear. The Ravens ranked in the top 10 defensively in 2022, rebounding after a tough start. But Baltimore’s run defense bettered its pass coverage; the playoff-bound team ranked 26th against the pass, seeing the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence lead fourth-quarter comebacks.

The Colts traded Rock Ya-Sin straight up for ex-Raven Yannick Ngakoue in 2022, sending the three-year starter to Las Vegas ahead of Josh McDaniels‘ first season in the desert. Pro Football Focus slotted Ya-Sin as the league’s No. 50 overall corner during his contract year, one interrupted by a knee injury that ended up sending him to IR. Ya-Sin missed six games last season. He allowed a career-low 82.6 passer rating as the closest defender in 2022, though his completion percentage yielded ballooned from from 53.3% in 2021 to 60.9% last year. PFF graded Ya-Sin as a top-30 player at the position in 2021.

The Raiders brought back Brandon Facyson, who played for the team during Gus Bradley‘s DC season, but seemingly still have a need for at least one starter-caliber outside corner. This year’s cornerback market has featured three of the top names — Jamel Dean, James Bradberry, Jonathan Jones — staying put, while Byron Murphy left for the Vikings and Cameron Sutton defected from the Steelers to the Lions. The rest of the cornerback-seeking teams have undoubtedly looked into Ya-Sin, though this Baltimore trip points to the Temple product’s market not coming in where he hoped it would.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/23

March 16th, 2023 at 9:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

There’s some long snapper news to pass along! Cardona will be returning to New England for his ninth season with the organization, making him the Patriots’ second-longest tenured player (behind Matthew Slater). Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Cardona got a four-year deal with a $1MM signing bonus, with that latter value being “an important marker” for the veteran to clear.

Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Moore will be getting a two-year, $2.5MM deal. The long snapper was non-tendered by Baltimore yesterday but ultimately re-upped with the team on a multiyear deal. Per Zrebiec, Moore received interest from other teams but wanted to stick around Baltimore. The 30-year-old has been with the Ravens since 2020 and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2022.

Ravens To Re-Sign S Geno Stone

March 16th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley was the only member of the Ravens’ group of restricted free agents to be tendered yesterday. That briefly left safety Geno Stone‘s future in the air, but he will remain in Baltimore for the 2023 season.

Stone is re-signing with the Ravens, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter link). Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that the new contract is one year in length. Applying the right of first refusal tender would have cost the Ravens $2.63MM, so this new pact will presumably come in at a lower rate.

The 23-year-old has primarily been with the Ravens for three seasons, spending time on both the practice squad and 53-man roster. He played almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie, something which influenced the team’s decision to waive him in December 2020. The Texans claimed him, but he didn’t see any game action in Houston before ultimately returning to Baltimore.

The former seventh-rounder saw a jump in playing in 2021, as his defensive snap share rose to 23%. He took on a even larger workload this past season, with that figure spiking to 41% as the Ravens employed a number of different looks in the secondary. A midseason injury to free agent signing Marcus Williams allowed Stone to register seven starts and compile 38 tackles, a new career-high, while maintaining his special teams role.

The Iowa product could be in line for a more consistent role in 2023, after Baltimore traded away veteran safety Chuck Clark. That move was expected given the financial benefits it gave the Ravens, and their investment in not only Williams but also 2022 first-rounder Kyle Hamilton at the position. Those two are in line to start on the backend moving forward, but Stone should be able to secure a backup role behind them as he looks to play his way into a more long-term contract down the road.

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