Devin Duvernay

Jaguars To Sign WR Devin Duvernay

March 11th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jacksonville is set to make a notable addition on the special teams front. Receiver and return specialist Devin Duvernay has agreed to a two-year deal worth a base value $8.5MM and a maximum of $12.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Duvernay excelled as a Ravens return man primarily, though the team did ask more of the former third-round pick during a receiver-depleted 2022 season, during which he proved he could contribute on offense with 491 total yards and four offensive touchdowns in 14 games. But Duvernay is an All-Pro returner with two Pro Bowls to his name; the former third-round pick out of Texas stands to help the Jaguars significantly on that front.

Baltimore was forced to play four regular season games without Duvernay due to injury last year. In his absence, they turned to wide receiver Tylan Wallace and running back Justice Hill in the return game. Both players are under contract for 2024, and each performed admirably in replacement duty with Wallace delivering a walk-off punt return for a touchdown in an overtime win over the Rams and Hill returning a kickoff for 78 yards in a late-season blowout of the Dolphins that clinched the AFC’s top seed.

Jacksonville had an All-Pro return man themselves in Jamal Agnew, but with Agnew’s contract expiring, it appears, Duvernay will be the answer going forward. Agnew was forced to miss six games last year and the Jaguars were at a loss to find an effective replacement. Though Duvernay has some recent injury issues of his own, he rebounded fairly quickly, returning for the Ravens’ postseason run in January, just after Agnew suffered another injury. The “Duuuuuvaaaaaal” chants are sure to resound whenever the Jags trot Duvernay out for return duties or a surprise reverse.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Ravens Activate Two From IR, Sign RB Melvin Gordon Back To PS

January 19th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Ravens fans have been sitting on their hands for nearly three weeks now since the team clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and began resting its starters in anticipation for a playoff run. The wait ends tomorrow with a matchup against the visiting Texans, and the Ravens made a number of roster moves in order to prepare for the divisional-round game.

First, Baltimore brought in some reinforcements from injured reserve. While this move has been expected for some days now, it’s been unclear who exactly would be filling the team’s recent roster vacancies until today. Things became more clear when it was announced that star tight end Mark Andrews, who had been designated for return from IR, would not be available to play against the Texans. With that decision made for them, the Ravens went forward with the activations of wide receiver Devin Duvernay and defensive back Ar’Darius Washington from IR.

Duvernay adds wide receiver depth on the offense but mostly serves as the team’s return specialist. A former All-Pro as a return man, Duvernay was the only Raven returning any kickoffs or punts up until his injury. With his replacement, Tylan Wallace, declared out for Saturday with a knee injury, returning duties will fall directly back on Duvernay’s shoulders.

Washington, a former undrafted safety out of TCU, spent most of his first two years in the NFL as a special teamer and practice squad defender. The team was expecting a big 2023 season out of Washington after he opened the year as the Ravens’ starting nickel cornerback, but a chest injury landed him on IR after only Week 2, and he’s been out ever since. With star cornerback Marlon Humphrey out for tomorrow’s game with a calf injury, the depth Washington adds at cornerback will be welcome.

Additionally, running back Melvin Gordon, one of the players removed from the 53-man roster in order to make room for Duvernay, Washington, and Dalvin Cook, will remain in Baltimore under a new practice squad deal. The veteran rusher played a prominent role in the team’s Week 18 game as the Ravens attempted to rest Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, but a lost fumble early in the game forced the team not to take any chances. They’ve now subbed Cook in for Gordon on the active roster, but Gordon will now be available in case of emergency off of the practice squad after clearing waivers.

Lastly, the Ravens announced their standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s game. Wide receiver Dan Chisena and linebacker Josh Ross will suit up with the active roster against the Texans. Houston, on the other hand, made the decision not to elevate any practice squad players for the second week in a row.

Ravens Open WR Devin Duvernay’s Practice Window

January 10th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens’ commitment to bolstering their wide receiver position this past offseason moved Devin Duvernay out of a regular role on offense, but the former All-Pro return man remains a key performer for Baltimore’s special teams. He is on his way back to work for the playoffs.

Duvernay is back at Ravens practice Wednesday; the team designated its kick and punt returner for return from IR. Baltimore has four IR-return moves remaining, and Duvernay had been expected to comprise one of those slots. A December back injury moved Duvernay off Baltimore’s active roster.

Baltimore has received top-shelf return work from Duvernay during his career. The former third-round pick is a two-time Pro Bowler who collected a first-team All-Pro nod for his 2021 work. Duvernay led the NFL with 13.8 yards per punt return that season and has averaged at least 11.5 per return in each of his four seasons. Both of Duvernay’s return touchdowns have come on kick returns, in 2020 and ’22, with the Texas alum offering versatility during his Baltimore career.

A shaky Ravens receiver depth chart last season paved the way for Duvernay triple duty, and he totaled 37 receptions for 407 yards. A foot injury ended Duvernay’s season in December 2022, and the Ravens operated aggressively to stock their wideout group in 2023. As a result of the Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor additions (and Rashod Bateman staying healthy), Duvernay has caught just four passes for 18 yards in his contract year.

Tylan Wallace made a memorable contribution in Duvernay’s stead this season, notching a walk-off punt return to lift the Ravens past the Rams. While Wallace has worked as Baltimore’s punt returner as of late, Duvernay should be expected to reclaim his role once activated. The Ravens have three weeks to activate Duvernay, but with the team having secured a first-round bye, it should be expected he will be back by the divisional round.

The Ravens have Duvernay and cornerback Ar’Darius Washington in the IR-return window, making it likely the team will enter its playoff opener with two such moves left. While it is not a lock Mark Andrews can come back from ankle surgery, the Ravens should be expected to save an activation to allow for the Pro Bowler’s potential return.

Ravens To Move Devin Duvernay To IR, Sign Malik Cunningham Off Pats’ Practice Squad

December 12th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots have regularly passed quarterbacks through waivers to their practice squad this season, but they will bid farewell to one of those arms. Rather than sign Malik Cunningham to their active roster once again, the Pats will let him head elsewhere.

Cunningham will trek to Baltimore; the Ravens are signing the rookie UDFA to their 53-man roster, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This will mark a reunion for Cunningham and Lamar Jackson. Despite the superstar QB being in his sixth NFL season, he and Cunningham were teammates at Louisville in 2017. Cunningham, who was at the ACC school for six years, redshirted during the ’17 slate.

As the Ravens add a quarterback, they will lose a wide receiver. Devin Duvernay sustained a back injury in Week 14, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the former All-Pro return man will head to IR. Though, Rapoport adds the fourth-year wideout will not require surgery and is expected to be ready to return in the playoffs. Duvernay will be eligible for activation to start Baltimore’s playoff journey, whenever that point comes. But he is done for the regular season.

Emerging as an intriguing gadget-type player during the preseason in New England, Cunningham did not make the Pats’ 53-man roster out of training camp. The team took a chance on exposing Cunningham to waivers on cutdown day, waiving both he and Bailey Zappe. Cunningham indeed passed through waivers and stayed in Foxborough on the Pats’ practice squad.

Cunningham will join a Ravens team that has used a Jackson-Tyler Huntley QB depth chart for the past three seasons. The team now has four QBs on its active roster, with journeyman extraordinaire Josh Johnson still with the team. This could point to a versatile role for Cunningham, for whom the Patriots had designed special packages this season. Even as the Pats moved from Mac Jones to Zappe and designed a package of plays for Cunningham recently, the athletic rookie has played only six regular-season snaps — all against the Raiders in Week 6.

This move will ensure Cunningham stays on Baltimore’s active roster for at least three weeks, though Schefter adds it could be a play for next season as well. Given an original-round RFA tender this offseason, Huntley will be a UFA in 2024. Cunningham, 25, can be kept through the 2026 season before he hits unrestricted free agency. Though, it remains to be seen if the ex-Louisville star will pan out as a QB2 option.

A thinner Ravens wide receiver depth chart last year required regular Duvernay contributions, but Baltimore reloaded at the position this offseason. The team signed Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. and drafted Zay Flowers in Round 1. With Rashod Bateman recovering from his 2022 foot injury, the Ravens have a solid top four at receiver. Tylan Wallace also became a memorable fill-in for Duvernay at punt returner, notching only the fourth overtime punt-return walk-off in NFL history.

While Duvernay caught 37 passes for a career-high 407 yards last season, he exited Week 14 with just four grabs for 18 yards. The former third-round pick had operated as Baltimore’s primary kick- and punt-return option this season. Duvernay, who is set for free agency in 2024, also finished last season on IR (due to a foot injury).

Additionally, the Ravens will use one of their IR activations on cornerback Damarion Williams, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes. The 2022 fourth-rounder played in 14 games as a backup last season but suffered an ankle injury this summer. The Ravens had expected Williams back around October. Regardless of the delay, the Houston alum will be in position to contribute. Williams will fill Mark Andrews‘ roster spot. The Ravens now have four IR activations remaining.

Ravens Notes: Extensions, Hamilton, WRs

June 27th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens have a number of key players set to play the final year of their contracts in 2023, leaving plenty of decisions to be made in the near future. A mix of younger and veteran contributors could soon find themselves signing new deals.

Defensive linemen Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington are each entering the final season of their rookie deals, but it would come as no surprise if extensions were agreed to with at least one before next year’s free agency period begins. The same holds true in the case of veteran offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (subscription required).

The 33-year-old has been in Baltimore since 2021, and he has been a steady presence at right guard during that span. Zeitler has earned PFF grades in line with much of the rest of his career over the past two seasons, leading to his desire for a new contract ahead of his walk year. Zrebeic notes that Zeitler’s asking price is unknown at this point, but a mutual interest exists to extend the relationship between player and club especially on a short-term deal from the latter’s perspective.

Zrebiec adds that 2020 draftees Patrick Queen, J.K. Dobbins and Devin Duvernay could all be on the Ravens’ radar with respect to new deals, but value will be crucial for the former two in particular with other players likely a more cost-effective priority. Duvernay could find himself holding off on an extension to boost his value in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken‘s system.

Here are some other notes from Charm City:

Safety Kyle Hamilton missed just one game in his rookie season last year, but he dealt with a lingering wrist injury for much of the campaign. As noted in an interview the first-rounder had with Zrebiec, he underwent surgery this offseason to address the issue. Hamilton, 22, now feels fully healed, something which will help him take on a full-time starting role this season. The Notre Dame product totaled 62 stops, a pair of sacks and five pass deflections last year, but the trade of Chuck Clark leaves him in line as a key member of Baltimore’s secondary now and in the future.
The Ravens have invested heavily at the WR spot this offseason, signing Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor and using their top draft pick on Zay Flowers. Laquon Treadwell inked a deal with the Ravens earlier this month, giving him a chance to make the team’s roster during training camp. If he does, the four aforementioned pass-catchers, along with 2021 draftee Rashod Bateman, would combine to give the Ravens five former first-round picks at the receiver spot. No team has had that many Day 1 selections catch a pass in the same season, as noted by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Plenty of question remarks remain regarding Baltimore’s passing attack – one which has signficant room for improvement in 2023 – but the team could make an interesting piece of history this season depending on how their WR room shakes out in the summer.

Ravens Place WR Devin Duvernay On IR

December 21st, 2022 at 9:17am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 21: Duvernay broke a bone in his foot, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). This injury will require around two months of recovery time, shutting down the Baltimore starter until the offseason.

DECEMBER 20: The foot injury Devin Duvernay suffered in practice Tuesday will knock him out for the rest of the regular season, at least. The Ravens placed the third-year wide receiver on IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The team has since announced the transaction.

Duvernay went down today with what the Ravens feared was a significant foot injury. After testing, the team is moving its third-leading pass catcher off the 53-man roster. Duvernay would not be able to return until the divisional round, should the Ravens extend their season to that point.

Baltimore has already been without its No. 1 wide receiver — 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman — since he suffered a season-ending foot injury several weeks ago. Duvernay’s injury further sets back a receiving corps that already entered the season under scrutiny. The Ravens have since added Sammy Watkins, bringing the journeyman target back via waivers this afternoon.

Duvernay and Demarcus Robinson have been the Ravens’ top receivers since Bateman’s injury. A former All-Pro return man, Duvernay scored twice in Baltimore’s opener but has seen his production tail off since his hot start. On the whole, the ex-Texas Longhorn has 37 receptions for 407 yards and three touchdowns. Robinson (418 receiving yards) is now the only receiver on the Ravens’ active roster with more than 250 yards this season. Watkins barely cleared 200 during his time as a rotational Packers option this season.

After making offers to multiple veterans during the 2021 free agency period — which ended with Watkins heading to Maryland on a one-year, $5MM deal — and drafting Bateman soon after, the Ravens largely stood down this year. They entered the season with Bateman and Duvernay atop their receiving corps. The team’s under-the-radar Robinson addition — on a league-minimum accord — has proven pivotal. The former Chiefs tertiary target now residing as the Ravens’ No. 1 wideout does well to illustrate the 9-5 team’s dire situation at this position. The Ravens will attempt to make do with their set of veteran wideouts, with in-season additions Watkins and DeSean Jackson supplementing Robinson.

Ravens Claim WR Sammy Watkins

December 20th, 2022 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sammy Watkins is returning to Baltimore. Following his Packers exit ahead of their Week 15 game, the former top-five pick will return to his fourth NFL team.

The Ravens claimed the ninth-year wide receiver Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. With Watkins attached to a league-minimum salary, the Ravens will not be on the hook for much money by reacquiring him. Watkins, 29, played for the Ravens last season but joined the Packers in free agency.

The journeyman pass catcher signed with the Ravens on a one-year, $5MM deal in 2021 — after talks with JuJu Smith-Schuster, T.Y. Hilton and Kenny Golladay did not produce any signings — and made contributions as an auxiliary target for Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Watkins caught 27 passes for 394 yards and a touchdown with the Ravens, playing 13 games. Playing in nine games with the Packers this season, Watkins caught 13 passes for 206 yards.

This news comes as the Ravens are potentially set to navigate another receiver injury. Devin Duvernay left Baltimore’s practice Tuesday with what the team fears could be a significant foot ailment, Pelissero tweets). With Rashod Bateman out of the picture, the Ravens have relied more on Duvernay this season. The former third-round pick has started 13 games this year and has not missed any time. Duvernay is undergoing tests today.

Concern about Baltimore’s receiving corps emerged before Bateman went down, but the team has not seen much consistency from this position group since the 2021 first-rounder was lost for the season. The Ravens signed DeSean Jackson to their practice squad and soon promoted the 35-year-old deep threat to their active roster; he has seven receptions for 134 yards in five games. Watkins’ former Chiefs teammate, Demarcus Robinson, leads all Raven receivers with 419 yards. Duvernay is just behind him with 407.

Injuries have dogged Watkins for most of his career. The Packers placed Watkins on IR early this season due to a hamstring issue. He also battled hamstring trouble in 2020, missing five games because of that ailment during his final season with the Chiefs, and saw a thigh problem sideline him for three Ravens games last year. Although Watkins carries injury baggage, he did contribute extensively during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV-winning season three years ago. Watkins posted 288 receiving yards in three Kansas City playoff games that year.

Still south of his 30th birthday, Watkins can nevertheless be labeled a post-prime player due to his health history. But he has produced at points in recent years. The Ravens, who relinquished their AFC North lead in Week 15 after a loss to the Browns, will kick the tires on a veteran who has experience in Greg Roman‘s system.

Latest On Ravens’ WR Room

July 5th, 2022 at 2:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens have frequently been mentioned as one of the teams most in need of an addition at the receiver position this offseason. That has included the team being identified as a landing spot for one of the veterans still on the free agent market.

Such speculation is unsurprising, given the current state of the team’s WR room. Four wideouts can comfortably be slotted in on the 53-man roster, led by 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman. He, like Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace, however, lacks NFL experience and a track record of success in the pros. Especially in the absence of Marquise Brown, an addition of some kind has been widely expected since the draft.

Outside of free agency, trades represent another avenue by which the Ravens could an established pass-catcher. On that point, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic opines that it is all-but guaranteed general manager Eric DeCosta has “spoken to teams about acquiring a receiver” (subscription required). A blockbuster deal such as the one involving Brown is unlikely, though, given the team’s sparse salary cap space and run-heavy offense.

Assuming a sizeable move isn’t made in the coming weeks, Zrebiec names Proche as the incumbent wideout best-positioned to see an increased workload. While Bateman is in line to take on the role of No. 1 receiver, and All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews will see a healthy target share, the 2020 sixth-rounder could be in line for a starting spot. He has totalled just 17 receptions to date, but put up substantial production during his college career at SMU.

Given his track record in player swaps (from Brown most recently, to Orlando Brown Jr. last offseason), DeCosta making a trade for another wideout would come as little surprise at this point. Even if that happens, however, the position will remain one to watch throughout training camp and into the start of the season.