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Ravens WR DeSean Jackson Expected To Play Week 9; TE Mark Andrews Ruled Out

November 6th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 6: To little surprise, the Ravens announced on Sunday that Andrews will not travel with the team to New Orleans, as he is out. Fourth-round rookie Isaiah Likely will assume his starting tight end role.

NOVEMBER 5: The Ravens’ pass-catching corps is in a state of flux right now, with the team’s No.1 wideout sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. Especially significant given that development, a new face will likely join the unit on Monday night.

Veteran DeSean Jackson is expected to be elevated from the practice squad to Baltimore’s active roster, as detailed by Clifton Brown of the team’s website. That would put him in line to make his Ravens debut during their Week 9 matchup against the Saints.

“I think that’s a good possibility,” head coach John Harbuagh said when asked about the 35-year-old suiting up. “We’re going to keep seeing how he’s doing, but I personally think he’s probably ready. If he’s ready two days from now, then he’ll be out there.”

Receiver was already a position filled with question marks for the Ravens before 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman underwent season-ending foot surgery. That will lead to a greater workload for the likes of Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace. Jackson could provide a deep threat to compliment that quartet, however, as he has throughout his career. He played one game for the Rams and Raiders each in 2021.

Jackson’s role could be even larger if tight end Mark Andrews is unable to play. The All-Pro exited Baltimore’s win over the Buccaneers last week with shoulder and ankle injuries, though Harbaugh had indicated that a long-term absence was not expected in his case. Especially with Bateman unavailable, Andrews missing Monday’s game as well would deal a major blow to a passing attack which ranks 26th in the league with an average of just 204 yards per game through the air.

Andrews has been listed as doubtful on the team’s injury report. The same is true of running back Gus Edwards, who also left last week’s game with an injury. That had been just the second contest he played in this year, after missing of all 2021 with an ACL tear. A hamstring injury appears likely to keep him out for Week 9, but the bye week immediately following that game could see him quickly resume lead back duties in the absence of J.K. Dobbins.

Looking to extend their winning streak to three games and maintain their advantage in the AFC North, the Ravens will have a shorthanded skill-position corps in New Orleans. How much Jackson contributes to the offense will be of particular note during the primetime affair.

Ravens WR Rashod Bateman To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

November 3rd, 2022 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens will be without their No. 1 wide receiver for the rest of the season. Rashod Bateman will undergo surgery to repair a Lisfranc issue, John Harbaugh said Thursday (via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley, on Twitter).

This foot operation is expected to sideline the second-year receiver for this campaign’s remainder. Bateman had missed Baltimore’s Week 5 and Week 6 games, before returning to play in the team’s most recent two contests. This will be a tough blow for the AFC North-leading team.

Bateman aggravated his foot injury during the Ravens’ Week 8 win over the Buccaneers. This setback was only supposed to cost him multiple games; an IR stay was not yet certain prior to today. Instead, an already-thin Ravens receiving corps will need to get by without the player drafted to be its anchor.

Baltimore played without Bateman for five games to start the 2021 season, after the Minnesota product suffered a groin injury during training camp. But the 2021 first-round pick still re-emerged as a key target down the stretch for Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Bateman caught 46 passes for 585 yards and a touchdown. He already has two scores this season and has far exceeded his rookie-year yards-per-catch figure, but the 19-yard number will end up being final.

While Bateman still stands to be a big part of the Ravens’ long-term future, he will end this season with 18 career missed games. The Ravens moved to draft Bateman 27th overall last year, prioritizing him over an outside linebacker need. Baltimore had both Gregory Rousseau and Odafe Oweh rated closely that year, so the team preferred Bateman’s value with its initial first-round pick and ended up with Oweh — who went one spot after Rousseau — three spots later.

The Ravens resisted calls to augment their receiver situation this offseason, going into the year with Bateman and Devin Duvernay as their top targets. None of Baltimore’s auxiliary presences have made much of an impact thus far, leading the team to sign DeSean Jackson. The historically productive deep threat has battled extensive injury troubles in the recent past as well, but he bounced back with a solid health stretch last year. Jackson, 35, will likely make his Ravens debut Monday night against the Saints.

Poll: Who Fared Best At Trade Deadline?

November 2nd, 2022 at 10:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL trade deadline has trended upward in recent years, and Tuesday resembled — to some degree, at least — the frenzy the NBA or MLB deadlines bring. In the days leading up to Tuesday’s record-setting deadline sequence — a 10-trade day — other teams improved their situations as well.

Although the Broncos received the only first-round pick exchanged during this year’s in-season trade cycle, the 49ers came away with the splashiest addition. San Francisco showed off its Christian McCaffrey move against their rivals and second-place CMC finishers Sunday, with the versatile back joining Walter Payton and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only backs to complete the rush-catch-throw touchdown triple.

On the other end of that deal, the Panthers collected four draft picks for McCaffrey and two from the Cardinals for Robbie Anderson. Carolina now has two additional Day 2 choices from the McCaffrey swap, though the retooling team is believed to have passed on a Rams offer of two first-round picks for edge rusher Brian Burns. Was that the right call? Because the Rams could not acquire McCaffrey or Burns, they ended up as odd bystanders during an action-packed deadline.

The Dolphins sent the 49ers a fifth-rounder for Jeff Wilson, reuniting him with ex-San Francisco OC Mike McDaniel, but Bradley Chubb was Miami’s deadline prize. Seven months after they sent a first-rounder and change to the Chiefs for Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins became the first team since the 2019 Chiefs (Frank Clark) to send over a Round 1 pick for an edge defender. Chubb (5.5 sacks) will step in to take over as Miami’s pass-rushing anchor, while the Broncos obtained more than they did for Von Miller‘s one-time sidekick than they did for the future Hall of Famer. Denver, which collected first- and fourth-rounders and Chase Edmonds in this blockbuster, now has a 2023 first-round choice after previously being without first- or second-rounders next year due to the Russell Wilson trade.

The Bears vacillated between buyers and sellers over the past several days, unloading Ryan Pace-era defensive investments Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith but adding Chase Claypool. Chicago picked up second- and fifth-round picks from Baltimore for Smith but sent its own second to Pittsburgh for Claypool, beating out Green Bay’s offer of a Round 2 choice for the 238-pound wideout. The Bears, who still have a 2023 sixth-rounder left over from the Khalil Mack trade, will have three additional draft choices because of their activity this week.

Pittsburgh did well to obtain a second for Claypool, who turned out to carry considerable value on the market. Known aficionados of Day 2 wideouts, the Steelers can replenish their receiver cadre — or add in other areas — with two second-rounders next year.

Although the Browns nabbed Deion Jones in October for a low cost, the Ravens’ Smith addition headlined the AFC North’s moves. The Ravens had attempted to keep C.J. Mosley in 2019 and made Bobby Wagner a big offer this year. GM Eric DeCosta has his acclaimed linebacker now. Though, the Ravens could be faced with an interesting offseason predicament. They have now acquired a contract-year standout ahead of a franchise tag window in which Lamar Jackson will be expected to receive the tag.

Chicago’s Claypool addition was not the most interesting NFC North move. Due to the scarcity of intra-division trades, the Lions’ decision to send T.J. Hockenson‘s through-2023 contract to the Vikings may linger for a while. While most teams prefer to send key players out of the conference, or at least out of their division, Detroit — which partnered with Minnesota on April’s Jameson Williams trade-up — collected second- and third-round picks for Hockenson and multiple Day 3 choices. The Vikings will return to Detroit with Hockenson Dec. 11 and should be expected to discuss an extension with the Pro Bowl pass catcher, who will team with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen on the 6-1 squad.

The Bills made two pre-deadline moves, acquiring Nyheim Hines and reuniting with safety Dean Marlowe, while the Falcons added a player (cornerback Rashad Fenton) and dealt away two (Marlowe, Calvin Ridley). Jacksonville’s move qualifies as one of the most unique in recent NFL history, with Ridley suspended for gambling but also now part of a trade that could send a second-rounder to Atlanta if the once-promising receiver re-signs with the Jaguars. Ridley, who totaled 1,374 receiving yards in 2020, could be an interesting piece in the Jags’ Christian Kirk-led receiving corps. But he will apply for reinstatement next year having not played since midway through the 2021 season.

How much will the Chiefs pickup of injury-prone but electric wideout Kadarius Toney move the needle? Will the Jets’ James Robinson get do enough to fill the Breece Hall void? What team improved its situation the most during this year’s leadup to the deadline? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Which team fared the best at this year's trade deadline?
San Francisco 49ers 22.80% (922 votes)
Miami Dolphins 21.77% (880 votes)
Minnesota Vikings 11.82% (478 votes)
Chicago Bears 10.66% (431 votes)
Pittsburgh Steelers 6.88% (278 votes)
Baltimore Ravens 6.80% (275 votes)
Buffalo Bills 4.33% (175 votes)
Denver Broncos 3.51% (142 votes)
Philadelphia Eagles 3.14% (127 votes)
Detroit Lions 2.25% (91 votes)
Carolina Panthers 2.03% (82 votes)
Jacksonville Jaguars 1.41% (57 votes)
Atlanta Falcons 1.36% (55 votes)
Another team (make your case in the comments) 1.24% (50 votes)
Total Votes: 4,043

Bears GM Ryan Poles Discusses Roquan Smith Trade

November 1st, 2022 at 9:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears made another significant move yesterday, trading star linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens. At only 25-years-old and with a pair of All-Pro nods on his resume, Smith didn’t necessarily have to be a casualty of Chicago’s pseudo-rebuild. However, GM Ryan Poles made it clear that Smith’s contract demands meant he probably wasn’t going to be sticking around Chicago long-term.

[RELATED: Ravens To Acquire Roquan Smith From Bears]

“There’s part of me that’s bummed because this was a guy that I thought was going to be here for a long time,” Poles said (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “I felt like we put a lot of effort forward to get that done, and we came up short. We couldn’t find common ground. And that’s just a part of this business, which I think we all understand.”

According to Poles, the Bears presented Smith with their final extension offer before the season. While the organization held out hope that the linebacker would reconsider, it became increasingly clear that the Bears would struggle to meet Smith’s asking price if they continued to negotiate this upcoming offseason. So, instead of seeing how things unfolded following the 2022 campaign, the team decided to be proactive and trade the linebacker now.

“The reality of it is that you have to ask yourself a question: Are we ever going to find that middle ground? And from our previous conversations, you gather that information and it felt like it was highly unlikely,” Poles said. “So then are you able to then take the opportunity to enhance your roster now? Or are you OK with the chance that he walks away and we can’t use some of that to enhance our roster. And that’s what it came down to, and I felt like we had to move forward at that time.”

As our own Sam Robinson noted yesterday, the Bears would have been hard pressed to retain Smith via the franchise tag since the player would have been attached to an edge rusher-level value. Chicago could have also played out Smith’s contract year and counted on the compensatory formula, but the two-pick return from Baltimore obviously trumps that value.

Today’s move saw Chicago add a second- and fifth-round pick, with A.J. Klein added to the deal as a throw-in. The trade came days after the Bears dealt veteran defender Robert Quinn to the Eagles.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/1/22

November 1st, 2022 at 6:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

  • Released: QB Reid Sinnett

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ravens Activate Tyus Bowser, David Ojabo

November 1st, 2022 at 3:41pm CST by Ben Levine

NOVEMBER 1: As the team confirmed on Tuesday, both Bowser and Ojabo have been officially activated, which will provide a significant boost to the team’s edge rush as early as Week 9. The Ravens now have five activations remaining in 2022.

OCTOBER 31: The Ravens added a major piece to their defense today when they acquired linebacker Roquan Smith from the Bears. Shortly after pulling off the trade, John Harbaugh revealed that the team will also be activating two key defenders from the reserve list. Linebackers Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo will be activated this week, Harbaugh told reporters (via the team’s website). Bowser will be activated from the reserve/PUP list while Ojabo will be activated off the reserve/NFI list.

[RELATED: Ravens To Acquire Roquan Smith From Bears]

Bowser is expected to be ready to go and should make his first appearance of the 2022 season on Monday against the Saints. Ojabo may need a bit more time, but the Ravens have no choice but to activate him from NFI after designating the linebacker for return three weeks ago.

Bowser suffered a torn Achilles during the 2021 season finale. The former second-round pick had a breakout campaign last year, leading the Ravens with seven sacks while also contributing 59 tackles and 15 QB hits. He only started two games through his first four seasons in the NFL, collecting 10.5 sacks in 63 games.

Ojabo was a projected first-round pick before suffering a torn Achilles during his Pro Day. The injury didn’t force the Michigan product to fall too far down the draft board, with Baltimore scooping him up with the 45th pick. The rookie’s familiarity with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald (dating back to their time at Michigan) should help reduce some of the NFL growing pains, but Harbuagh cautioned that Ojabo will have to get his feet wet at practice before he’s thrown into the fire.

“We’ll see where he’s at with it in terms of being ready,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a rookie, but he would also be possible as far as playing in the game.

“We’ve got to get him out there to practice more and see what he looks like. He hasn’t really been in any team period yet. We’ve got to take a look at the team period, look at how much he knows of the defense.”

In addition to Smith, the Ravens will be adding three linebackers to an already-formidable linebackers room. Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes, and Malik Harrison have received a lot of run at the position to begin the season.

Teams Who Could Move On Big-Name Pass Rushers

October 31st, 2022 at 8:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Some intriguing names have been mentioned as available in the trade market as the deadline approaches tomorrow afternoon. As usual, pass rusher is a position that many teams are looking to make improvements at, and there’s no shortage of big names available. So which teams are in the market to trade for players like Panthers defensive end Brian Burns, Broncos outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, or Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen? According to Alber Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Rams, Chiefs, Ravens, and Titans are all in the mix.

After losing Von Miller in free agency this offseason to the Bills, Los Angeles has struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald leads the team with 4.0 sacks, and, while outside linebacker Leonard Floyd is second on the team with 2.0, he’s tied with middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Besides that, at the pass rusher position, Justin Hollins and Terrell Lewis only have 1.0 sack apiece. The Rams easily could benefit from the addition of Burns, Chubb, or Allen, who could all immediately start adding to the team’s lackluster sack total.

The Chiefs are an interesting addition to this list, since they made the move for pass rusher Frank Clark back in 2019. Like the Rams, Kansas City has gotten their biggest sack totals from interesting places. Defensive tackle Chris Jones leads the team with 5.0 sacks and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is second on the team with 3.5. Clark and outside linebacker Carlos Dunlap combine for 5.0, while Darius Harris, Willie Gay, and George Karlaftis add a combined 2.0 sacks. They have some big names and are around average in the league for their sack totals, but Clark’s upcoming two-game suspension could limit their pass rush effectiveness during that period. Adding another big name, though, could certainly make them one of the more feared defenses in the league.

The Ravens are another interesting addition. They have lots of potential but lack a young, proven pass rusher on their roster. Baltimore has proven pass rushers in Calais Campbell, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Houston, and soon-to-return Tyus Bowser. They’ve also got young pass rushers in Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, who may soon make his NFL debut. But they lack the young AND proven pass rusher. Campbell, Pierre-Paul, and Houston are far from their prime days of double-digit sacks. Houston has made a good effort this season, with 6.0 so far this year, but injuries have already forced him to miss three contests this year. Oweh is the former first-round pick who, after 5.0 sacks in his rookie season, was expected to break out for a big sack total this year. Unfortunately, Oweh only has 1.0 sack this season in a potential sophomore slump. The Ravens may just need to wait, though. The returns of Bowser, who led the Ravens in 2021 with 7.0 sacks, and Ojabo, who trailed only No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson for the team lead in sacks at Michigan last year with 11.0, may act like trade additions themselves as the Ravens make a push for the playoffs. If they’re returns hit bumps in the road or Houston sees more injury trouble, it may make sense for Baltimore to add a young name with proven pass rushing expertise.

The Titans maybe make the most sense to me. Tennessee has been able to produce decent sack numbers despite their lack of big-name pass rushers. Their biggest name is their sack-leader Jeffery Simmons, who’s totaled 5.5 sacks so far this year. Behind him Denico Autry, Rashad Weaver, Bud Dupree, and DeMarcus Walker have combined for 13.0 sacks, with defensive tackle Sam Okuayinonu also adding a half of a sack. If those numbers are being put up by the likes of Autry, Weaver, and Dupree, imagine what Burns, Chubb, or Allen could produce in this scheme. This team isn’t struggling to provide a pass rush, but it could potentially improve the most with the addition of a big-name pass rusher.

The deadline comes tomorrow at 4 PM eastern time. If any of these teams are going to make a big move in the pass rushing market, it will have to be by then. It will be interesting to see which playoff contending teams decide to make the move to improve their defense by tomorrow’s deadline.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/22

October 31st, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Latest On Ravens’ Injury Situation

October 31st, 2022 at 4:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens have made a significant move ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline to bolster their defense, but the AFC North leaders are facing a murky situation with respect to their offense. A number of the unit’s key contributors are facing injuries at the moment, and have a range of expected return dates.

Baltimore’s running back tandem of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards have yet to be healthy at the same time in 2022, something which will continue for a at least a few more games. The former was placed on IR last week, after he played in four games upon return from the knee injury which cost him the entire 2021 season. That move was not actually the result of a new injury, however, as head coach John Harbaugh confirmed (video link). Rather, Dobbins underwent surgery to “accelerate” the process by which he can regain full range of motion in his knee. Harbaugh indicated Dobbins could miss four to six weeks depending on the success of his recovery.

That news leaves Edwards as the team’s lead back, a role which he took on in Week 7 against the Browns, his first action after suffering a season-ending knee injury of his own last summer. That continued through much of the Ravens’ TNF win against the Buccaneers, but the 27-year-old injured his hamstring in that game. Fortunately, that new ailment is believed to be minor, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeting that Edwards is expected to miss no more than one game.

The Ravens also exited their Week 8 contest without their top two pass-catchers. Tight end Mark Andrews was dealing with a knee injury in advance of the contest, but had to leave due to a shoulder issue. As Harbaugh indicated today, however, the All-Pro is not expected to be dealing with anything serious (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). That news is particularly encouraging given the latest update on the team’s top receiver.

Rashod Bateman is facing a foot injury which dates back to earlier in the year. The 2021 first-rounder was sidelined for Weeks 5 and 6, but returned during the following game. On Thursday, however, he re-aggravated the injury after seeing limited snaps and failing to receive a target against the Buccaneers. Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, on Twitter) that Bateman’s situation is worse than initially thought, and that he will now likely miss “multiple weeks.” That will place further emphasis on the team’s other receivers, a group which now includes DeSean Jackson.

Baltimore visits the Saints to close out Week 9, then has their bye week, which could allow the team to get healthier on the offensive side of the ball. Doing so would no doubt go a long way to improving the chances of a run to the postseason in the second half of the campaign.

Ravens To Acquire Roquan Smith From Bears

October 31st, 2022 at 3:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

3:43pm: The Bears will follow the Quinn formula with Smith’s contract. They will eat $4.8MM of the remaining $5.4MM on Smith’s deal, Schefter tweets. The Ravens’ cap situation made the Bears taking on some salary mandatory, but Chicago’s willingness to pay almost all of the money undoubtedly boosted the compensation value. Baltimore only owes Smith $575K the rest of the way.

2:29pm: Days after trading Robert Quinn to the Eagles, the Bears are making another seller move. They are sending contract-year linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

Smith staged a hold-in effort during training camp but returned to the team and has played well. But the Bears had stripped away most of their front-seven pieces this offseason. Quinn’s departure followed, and Smith will complete a full-on overhaul. This move also comes not long after after a report indicated the Bears would likely hang onto Smith through the deadline. The Ravens stepped up since, and the Bears will collect an interesting haul for the Ryan Pace-era draftee.

The Ravens are sending second- and fifth-round picks for Smith, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Both picks are in 2023, Schefter tweets. Chicago will receive the higher of Baltimore’s 2023 fifths, Albert Breer of SI.com notes (on Twitter). The Ravens have their own 2023 fifth and the Patriots’. The Bears will also acquire veteran linebacker A.J. Klein in the swap, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). Klein signed with the Ravens earlier this offseason. The former Saints and Bills starter stands to provide a stopgap veteran presence for the Bears, who have dealt away considerable experience on defense this year.

This represents a nice return for a linebacker that would have been difficult for the Bears to cuff via the franchise tag. Because on- and off-ball linebackers are grouped together under the tag formula, Smith would require and edge rusher-level tag sum. The team will move on, and it has now added two second-rounders, along with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks in deals involving Smith, Quinn and Khalil Mack this year.

The Smith move differs from the Quinn decision, as the former is a player squarely in his prime. The Ravens will acquire a fifth-year starter who is only in his age-25 season. Smith’s 30 tackles for loss between the 2020 and ’21 seasons ranked behind only T.J. Watt. This season, Smith leads the NFL with 83 tackles. During a brief run in Matt Eberflus‘ defense, the Georgia product has added 2.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus rates Smith behind Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes and Malik Harrison for 2022, but Baltimore’s trade certainly points to the organization not putting much stock in that placement. It will bet on the former No. 8 overall pick.

Smith is playing on a $9.74MM fifth-year option. The Bears ate most of Quinn’s salary to up the price tag from the Eagles; it will be interesting to see if the rebuilding team is doing the same with Smith. Otherwise, the Ravens will be responsible for more than $5MM of Smith’s Year 5 salary. Baltimore entered Monday with less than $3MM in cap space, so a salary arrangement — or a Ravens cap adjustment — will be necessary for the team to acquire Smith.

The Ravens have Queen signed through 2023, with a fifth-year option on the table to keep him on his rookie deal through 2024. Will Queen be playing alongside a big-ticket Smith extension next year? The Ravens making this move now would suggest they are prepared to extend Smith.

Baltimore made Bobby Wagner a competitive offer this year, signaling a willingness to pay up at the position, and attempted to keep C.J. Mosley from defecting to the Jets in 2019, but a record-smashing contract nixed those hopes. The Ravens have not spent big at this position in the years since, with Queen being their top 2020s investment at the position. Smith could change that, having been seeking a deal that eclipses Shaquille Leonard‘s $19.7MM-per-year contract. Seeing the Ravens go to such a place would be interesting, but the other Raven currently on a fifth-year option complicates their Smith path.

Lamar Jackson‘s status also makes Smith an interesting Ravens trade piece. Unless the Ravens and their superstar quarterback agree to terms on an extension before the March franchise tag deadline, the former MVP will be tagged. That takes a key option away from the team re: Smith, who is scheduled to hit free agency when the 2023 tampering period opens. Like Jackson, Smith does not have an agent.

For now, however, the Ravens are giving first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald a major piece to upgrade a defense that ranks 24th in yards allowed and 20th in scoring. Smith will return to a 3-4 defense in Baltimore, after playing in 3-4 schemes for Vic Fangio, Chuck Pagano and Sean Desai. It will be interesting to see how the three-down linebacker looks with the Ravens, who will lead the AFC North regardless of the Bengals’ result Monday night.

The Bears drafted starting safety Jaquan Brisker with the second-round pick obtained for Mack, who joined Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Danny Trevathan in being replaced by a new Bears regime this offseason. The Bears entered Week 8 coming off an upset blowout of the Patriots, but they were routed in Dallas on Sunday. GM Ryan Poles has not let early-season wins over the Patriots and 49ers cloud a long-term plan, and he will have more to work with in the 2023 draft because of this seller’s approach.

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