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AFC North Rumors: Ojabo, Cooper, Watson, Jackson

December 17th, 2022 at 10:33am CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens‘ pass rush could receive a huge boost today as rookie second-round pick David Ojabo is reportedly set to make his NFL debut, according to Rich Eisen of NFL Network. The Score’s Jordan Schultz first reported Ojabo would be good to go this week.

Ojabo was a first-round talent who dropped to the second round of the draft when he suffered a torn Achilles while performing in his pro day at Michigan. Playing across from No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, Ojabo was impressive in his own right, nearly matching Hutchinson blow-for-blow with 11 sacks and 12 tackles for loss to Hutchinson’s 14 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss.

The Ravens took the value pick, knowing that Ojabo likely wouldn’t debut for the team until late in the year and hoping it would help gear up the defense for a playoff run. The team designated Ojabo to return from the reserve/non-football injury list at the same time as they designated outside linebacker Tyus Bowser to return from the reserve/physically unable to perform list in mid-October. Both players were officially activated from their respective lists on November 1.

Both moves were announced shortly after Baltimore acquired Roquan Smith in a trade with the Bears. Bowser and Smith have already debuted for the Ravens this season, and the additions have been significant. Adding Ojabo to the mix give the Ravens a linebacking corps that consists of Smith, Patrick Queen, Bowser, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Houston, Odafe Oweh, and Ojabo, among others. A unit that appeared to be a weakness heading into the season is now overloaded with talent.

Here are a few other rumors concerning the two teams in the AFC North that will face off later today:

  • Browns veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper has reportedly been dealing with a core muscle injury. The team’s top receiver has been playing through the injury, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, and hasn’t considered the prospect of potential surgery in the offseason. Losing Cooper would be detrimental for Cleveland. Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones account for 80% of the catches and nearly 86% of the receiving yards by Browns receivers. Cleveland wideouts have caught eight total touchdowns this season; Cooper has accounted for seven of them. Cooper has struggled to find chemistry so far this year with new starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. In two games with Watson behind center, Cooper has six catches for 82 yards.
  • Speaking of the Browns’ new starting passer, Watson has continued his mandatory treatment program, despite his 11-game suspension coming to an end. A report two weeks ago detailed that sources have claimed Watson has shown “signs of progress” during the program, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The program is confidential, so the laymen are not privy to the details of his treatment. A source with knowledge of the program told Schefter, “(Watson)’s been progressing well and he wants to continue with it.” The team, league, and Players Association feel it’s helping him, and he’ll continue treatment until it’s been determined that it’s no longer needed, which, reportedly, “could take a while.”
  • Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will miss his second straight game with a PCL sprain today, allowing backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to make his second consecutive start. The team is hopeful, though, that Jackson will be back at practice this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Ravens remain hopeful that he may even play on Christmas Eve against the Falcons.
  • The Ravens will lose a staffer at the end of the year as defensive assistant Ryan Osborn is set to become the defensive coordinator at Charlotte at the conclusion of the season. Osborn works closely with the outside linebackers and defensive linemen for Baltimore. He held a similar role last year as a defensive analyst at the University of Michigan, before following defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to Baltimore. Osborn was a key proponent in helping Hutchinson and Ojabo get drafted as highly as they were and has done an admirable job of piecing together a strong pass rush for a Ravens team that has dealt with injuries at the position.

AFC Workout Rumors: Simpson, Coutee

December 16th, 2022 at 7:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens hosted free agent guard John Simpson on a visit yesterday, a little less than a week after his release from Las Vegas, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Simpson cleared waivers and is now free to determine where he will sign next.

The Raiders decision to waive Simpson was bit of a shock. Only just last year, Simpson started at left guard for all 17 regular season games as well as the Raiders lone postseason game against the Bengals. Simpson started the first two games of this season before being demoted to a backup role for both guard spots.

It’s an interesting move to watch for the Ravens. They recently started backup center Trystan Colon-Castillo at right guard in place of an injured Kevin Zeitler last weekend. Kicking the tires on Simpson might indicate that Zeitler’s injury could be more serious. Their current selection of backups includes last year’s third-round pick, guard Ben Cleveland, this year’s fourth-round rookie tackle Daniel Faalele, and veteran Patrick Mekari, whom they paid last year to serve as their utility lineman.

No deal developed on the trip, but the Ravens may keep Simpson on their shortlist in case they lose a starter enroute to a possible postseason berth.

Here’s another recent free agent rumor from around the AFC, this one pertaining to Simpson’s former team:

  • The Raiders worked out free agent wide receiver Keke Coutee today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. Coutee has played with the Texans and Colts over his five-year career. He had a strong start in the NFL, catching 83 passes for 941 yards and four touchdowns in 23 games with Houston. Since getting waived by the Texans before last season, Coutee has been with the Colts, taking a largely reduced role. In eight games with Indianapolis, Coutee has only caught two passes. He did serve as the Colts’ punt returner for six games this year, as well. With Hunter Renfrow on injured reserve, Las Vegas may be looking to add some depth to its receiving corps. They currently only roster four healthy wideouts: Davante Adams, Mack Hollins, Keelan Cole, and DJ Turner.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/22

December 16th, 2022 at 5:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves heading into the Saturday slate of games:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

AFC Injury Rumors: Pats, White, Wilson

December 11th, 2022 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots will be facing off against the Cardinals on Monday night without a few key pieces. The team’s official injury report lists wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, cornerback Jalen Mills, and offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn as out for the game on Monday night.

Meyers is the team’s leading receiver. Despite trailing running back Rhamondre Stevenson for the team-lead in receptions, Meyers still leads the team in receiving yards, by a healthy margin, and receiving touchdowns with 593 yards and three scores. Without Meyers, quarterback Mac Jones will be throwing to DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and rookie second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, among a few others. This is the third game of the year that Meyers will miss.

Mills, one of New England’s starters at cornerback, will also be missing his third game of the season and his second consecutive game. When Mills was out last week, the Patriots used a combination of fourth-round rookie Jack Jones, third-round rookie Marcus Jones, and Myles Bryant to replace him. I imagine the same approach will be used tomorrow night to handle Cardinals receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, and A.J. Green, as Rondale Moore is also reportedly out for Week 14.

The absence of Wynn, a starting tackle, is troubling for the Patriots, as their other starting tackle Trent Brown and backup tackle Yodny Cajuste are both listed as questionable heading into the week. The only tackle on the depth chart with no injury designation is Conor McDermott. Backup linemen James Ferentz and undrafted rookie Kody Russey are also available and starting guard Michael Onwenu could potentially kick out to tackle in an emergency.

Here are a few more injury rumors from around the conference, all concerning signal-callers in the AFC:

  • The Ravens started third-year quarterback Tyler Huntley in place of an injured Lamar Jackson today against the Steelers. The team called up practice squad quarterback, and undrafted rookie, Anthony Brown as a standard gameday elevation in case of emergency, and emergency struck when Huntley left the game in concussion protocol after a brutal blow from Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Brown wasn’t asked to do much but held on to the Ravens lead in a 16-14 win over the team’s division rival. Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that Brown would be playing next Sunday against the Browns if Huntley is unavailable but seemed to think Huntley will be just fine, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “He seems good to me. He’s reciting the months of the year backwards,” Harbaugh quipped with reporters. “Can you do that right now?”
  • Jets quarterback Mike White took a pounding today during a loss to the Bills in which Buffalo’s defense racked up eight quarterback hits and four sacks. White left the game twice after receiving shots to the ribs. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco entered in place of White, but, both times, White returned to play and eventually finished a close game in Buffalo. Head coach Robert Saleh informed reporters that White was headed to the hospital after the game for precautionary checks, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. A follow-up provided that White did rejoin the team in time for the flight home after finishing up at the hospital, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The quarterback situation next week will be something to keep an eye on. If starting quarterbacks Zach Wilson and White remain on the injury report, Flacco could earn his fourth start of the year and his first since September. Flacco would be set to face off against the Lions next week, a team he has never lost to in three matchups over 15 years in the league.
  • Another quarterback who took a beating today, Broncos signal-caller Russell Wilson was knocked out of today’s loss to the Chiefs with a concussion, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Wilson’s day was even more brutal than White’s as the Chiefs defense accounted for six sacks and 11 quarterback hits. Broncos third-year backup quarterback Brett Rypien would enter for Wilson and attempt to mount a comeback against the division rival Chiefs, falling just short when he was hit while throwing on the team’s final drive resulting in a duck of a pass that fluttered down into the waiting arms of Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Since the loss today officially eliminated the Broncos from postseason contention, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Denver give its quarterback a rest, not rushing Wilson back to play for little-to-no reason. Wilson may be eager to return, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Rypien took the team the rest of the way.

Latest On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

December 11th, 2022 at 7:34am CST by Ben Levine

DECEMBER 11: Jackson is expected to miss not only Sunday’s contest against the Steelers, but the Ravens’ Week 15 matchup with the Browns as well, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Baltimore is hopeful that its QB1 will be back on the field for the team’s Christmas Eve game against the Falcons, though there is a “strong chance” Jackson will not be completely healthy until at least the end of the regular season.

DECEMBER 9: As expected, Jackson is unlikely to play against the Steelers in Week 14. Harbaugh said Friday “it looks like” Huntley will receive the call. This stands to be Jackson’s sixth missed game over the past two seasons.

DECEMBER 6: Lamar Jackson avoided a major knee injury, but the Ravens quarterback could still be sidelined for a few weeks. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes that the Ravens are “bracing to be without” Jackson for a “few weeks.”

Earlier today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed (on Twitter) that Jackson suffered a sprained PCL on Sunday, with the reporter suggesting that the QB could miss anywhere from one to three weeks. While John Harbaugh initially said that Jackson could be out for “days or weeks,” the head coach acknowledged today that his starting signal-caller is “less likely” to play on Sunday against Pittsburgh.

The Ravens seem to be remaining flexible with their star QB. While the organization would surely want Jackson back on the field before the start of the playoffs, Baltimore should be afforded a bit of breathing room. The Ravens are in the thick of the playoff hunt and have one of the easiest remaining schedules, including two matchups against the lowly Steelers. A Week 18 matchup against the Bengals could end up being crucial for playoff positioning, but Jackson would have four weeks of recovery time before that crucial showdown.

Plus, Tyler Huntley was solid while filling in for Jackson in 2021. The backup only went 1-3 in his four starts, but he completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 1,081 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added another 294 yards and two scores on the ground.

“We run the same basic offense with both players [Jackson and Huntley], so it’s not really going to change anything in terms of preparation,” Harbaugh said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). “[Huntley is] a player that’s got a lot of dynamics to his game. He operates really well. So, if that’s the way he goes [and Huntley starts for Jackson], that’s the way it goes. We’ll be excited to play, and our guys will be fired up.”

The Ravens are clearly preparing for Jackson to miss at least one contest, as the organization added Brett Hundley to the practice squad yesterday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/22

December 10th, 2022 at 7:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the minor moves around the league in advance of the Week 14 slate of games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Ravens Activate RB J.K. Dobbins, S Marcus Williams

December 10th, 2022 at 4:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Keeping in line with their stated intention, the Ravens have returned two key players to the active roster in advance of tomorrow’s game against the Steelers. Running back J.K. Dobbins and safety Marcus Williams have been activated from IR, per a team announcement.

Baltimore had pegged Week 14 as the goal for both players to return, so the news comes as little surprise. Dobbins’ activation was foreshadowed yesterday when veteran Mike Davis was waived. The former missed all of 2021 due to a knee injury, and his recovery lasted into the fall of this season. He made his 2022 debut in Week 3, but things did not go according to plan,

Dobbins played in three consecutive games following his return, but logged a snap share of 50% just once in that time. That led to another knee procedure in October, one which invited speculation that the Ohio State alum had suffered a new injury. Instead, the latest operation was aimed at accelerating Dobbins’ return to full health, something which would be a welcomed sight for the Ravens.

Baltimore ranks third in the league with an average of 158 rushing yards per game, but much of that production has come from quarterback Lamar Jackson. With the 2019 MVP expected to miss at least Sunday’s contest, the Ravens will no doubt look to lean heavily on their tailbacks. Dobbins’ return will allow he and backup Gus Edwards to play in the same game for the first time since the 2020 postseason.

Williams should immediately re-take his starting role upon returning on Sunday. The big-ticket free agent signing had a productive start to his Ravens career, notching three interceptions in his first five games. The former Saint will have a chance to eclipse his career-high in that regard (four) if he can stay healthy for the remainder of the campaign. Geno Stone will likely cede first-team duties with Williams back in the fold.

The Ravens have been strong in certain defensive aspects this season, but their pass defense has been lacking during parts of the campaign. Overall, they sit 25th in the league with an average of 248 yards per game allowed, a figure which could be improved upon with Williams available once again. To make room for his return, the Ravens have placed veteran cornerback and special teamer Daryl Worley on IR, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

Baltimore will have two IR activations remaining as they head into the stretch run of the regular season. Dobbins and Williams should each have a significant role for the team as they attempt to maintain their lead in the AFC North.

Ravens Waive RB Mike Davis

December 10th, 2022 at 10:15am CST by Ben Levine

Mike Davis‘ short stint with the Ravens has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Baltimore is waiving the veteran RB. Earlier today, Davis seemed to hint on Twitter that this move was coming.

The journeyman RB joined the Ravens this past offseason. Despite a number of injuries in Baltimore’s backfield, Davis didn’t see a significant role during his time with the organization. He ultimately got into eight games, collecting 22 yards from scrimmage on 10 carries. The 29-year-old garnered only four offensive snaps since the start of November.

While Davis didn’t do much in Baltimore, there’s still a chance another squad gives him an opportunity. The RB is only two years removed from a 2020 campaign where he topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage and scored eight touchdowns for the Panthers. Davis has also developed into a capable pass-catcher in recent years; after hauling in 66 receptions through his first five seasons in the NFL, Davis had 103 receptions in 32 games with Carolina and Atlanta between 2020 and 2021.

Today’s move is expected to pave the way for the activation of running back J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve. After missing the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL, Dobbins has been limited to only four games this year while dealing with knee issues. The Ravens have had to lean on Kenyan Drake as a starter this year, but the RB room will be a bit more crowded with Dobbins and Gus Edwards healthy. The Ravens are also rostering RB Justice Hill.

Jason Garrett, Greg Roman Out Of Running For Stanford HC Job

December 9th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 9: Garrett is no longer pursuing the Stanford HC gig, he announced (via Twitter). The former Cowboys coach, who was in the running for the Duke HC job last year, will remain at NBC.

DECEMBER 8: Settling in as an NBC analyst, Jason Garrett may soon return to the sidelines. The longtime Cowboys head coach is one of two finalists for the Stanford HC gig, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Garrett joins Sacramento State HC Troy Taylor as the known finalists, per Thamel, who adds Garrett is expected to visit this week. Garrett, 56, has never coached at the college level but was close to landing the Duke HC gig last December. He rose from Cowboys offensive coordinator to interim HC to full-time HC, keeping the final position for nine seasons. The Cowboys fired Garrett after the 2019 campaign, but he resurfaced as the Giants’ offensive coordinator for most of the next two seasons.

This report stands to put Ravens OC Greg Roman out of contention to replace his former Stanford coworker, David Shaw, who left his post after 12 seasons last month. Roman, who is in his fourth season as Baltimore’s play-caller, spoke with Stanford reps last week about returning to Palo Alto. Roman was a position coach under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, but the current John Harbaugh staffer appears to be staying put. Roman is no longer in the running, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic reports (subscription required).

Stanford considered both Roman and Vic Fangio, per Mandel. Having been fired after three Broncos HC seasons, is sitting out this year. But he has alluded to returning to the NFL sideline. He is aiming to coach in 2023, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

Holding only one NFL coaching job before becoming Cowboys OC in 2007 (Dolphins QBs coach), Garrett became one of this era’s longest-tenured head coaches. While calls for his firing persisted during the back half of his Dallas tenure, the longtime NFL backup guided the team to playoff berths in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Garrett, however, missed the playoffs during his first three full seasons and went 8-8 four times as Cowboys HC. Mike McCarthy replaced him in 2020.

The Giants hired Garrett to be their play-caller under Joe Judge, but the team struggled for most of this stretch. Garrett ended up being fired midway through his second season at the helm of the Daniel Jones-piloted attack, leading him to NBC.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

December 8th, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL now has its first teams eliminated from playoff contention. The Texans and Bears, as they essentially have been doing throughout this season, are playing for next year. Other eliminations will soon follow, as the league’s playoff picture heats up.

Through that lens, the 2023 draft order will become an increasingly more pertinent topic. The 2023 draft will present an interesting subplot near its outset. Traded picks are set to produce early selections for the Seahawks, Lions and Eagles. Each of those picks currently land in the top five, as the teams on the other end of those trades — the Broncos, Rams and Saints — have disappointed, spectacularly so in Los Angeles and Denver’s cases.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order would look entering Week 14:

  1. Houston Texans: 1-10-1
  2. Chicago Bears: 3-9
  3. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  4. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  6. Carolina Panthers: 4-8
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-8
  8. Arizona Cardinals: 4-8
  9. Indianapolis Colts: 4-8-1
  10. Atlanta Falcons: 5-8
  11. Green Bay Packers: 5-8
  12. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-7
  13. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  14. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-7
  15. Detroit Lions: 5-7
  16. Los Angeles Chargers: 6-6
  17. New England Patriots: 6-6
  18. Washington Commanders: 7-5-1
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-6*
  20. Seattle Seahawks: 7-5*
  21. Tennessee Titans: 7-5*
  22. New York Jets: 7-5*
  23. New York Giants: 7-4-1*
  24. Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)*
  25. Baltimore Ravens: 8-4*
  26. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-4*
  27. Dallas Cowboys: 9-3*
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-3*
  29. Minnesota Vikings: 10-2*
  30. Buffalo Bills: 9-3*
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-1*

* = Denotes playoff team

The 2023 first round will resemble 2008 and 2016, when the Patriots were docked their Round 1 pick for their respective “gate” scandals. This year’s Dolphins saga never developed “gate” status, but the team lost a 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-rounder due to the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering case. Thus, a 31-pick first round will commence.

While the Broncos, Rams and Browns lost their first-round picks due to trades for quarterbacks, the Saints passed theirs to the Eagles in this year’s pre-draft trade that allowed New Orleans a path toward moving up for Chris Olave. The No. 16 pick which was initially transferred from the Colts to the Eagles in 2021’s Carson Wentz trade was then moved to the Saints, netting Philadelphia a 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second.

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