Vince Biegel

Ravens Activate RB J.K. Dobbins, Sign CB Daryl Worley

For the first time in nearly a year, J.K. Dobbins is back with the Ravens at practice. The team took its starting running back off the active/PUP list Monday.

Suffering a torn ACL and sustaining LCL and meniscus damage during the team’s final preseason game last year, Dobbins has not played since his rookie season. Monday’s news does not necessarily mean Dobbins will be in uniform when the Ravens open up their regular season, but it obviously helps open the door to that reality. The third-year back can begin ramping up in full toward debuting with his teammates in Week 1.

The Ravens also signed cornerback Daryl Worley, who worked out with the team over the weekend, and moved linebacker Vince Biegel on IR. This marks somewhat of a reunion for Worley, who finished last season with the Ravens. The veteran cover man, however, played in just one game with the 2021 Ravens. He has played for five other teams over the course of a six-year career.

Dobbins became a key presence as a rookie, averaging six yards per carry and rushing for nine touchdowns. He did this largely as a reserve, starting just one game as part of a deep backfield. The Ohio State product will be brought along slowly ahead of the regular season.

The knee injuries suffered by Dobbins and Gus Edwards threw Baltimore’s backfield into disarray last season. No Ravens running back topped 600 yards in 2021. Veterans Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman led the way, each clearing the 500-yard mark as part of a committee composed of late free agency additions. Le’Veon Bell was also briefly part of this coalition, as was Ty’Son Williams. None of these players are with Baltimore this year.

The Ravens still face significant questions about their backfield ahead of Week 1, due also to Edwards remaining on the active/PUP list. Teams have until August 23 to move players off the active/PUP list. Doing so avoids a player being shut down for the season’s first four games. Like Dobbins, Edwards is finishing up ACL recovery. Veteran Mike Davis and sixth-round rookie Tyler Badie are now part of the team’s backfield equation.

Despite his nomadic NFL run, Worley is still just 27. He worked as a primary starter for the Panthers and Raiders from 2016-19 but has been more of a depth piece since. The former third-round pick was with the Bills, Cowboys and Lions prior to catching on with the Ravens to close last season.

Biegel suffered a torn ACL last week. The Ravens had signed him in May. This represents another bad late-20s break for Biegel. The 29-year-old defender missed the 2020 season because of an Achilles tear. The former starter recovered to return as a Dolphins backup last season, yo-yoing on and off Miami’s practice squad.

Ravens Notes: Biegel, Linderbaum, Ojabo, Roster Bubble

Vince Biegel‘s season has ended before it even started. The Ravens linebacker suffered a torn Achilles on Thursday and will miss the 2022 season, per the team’s website.

The linebacker has bounced around the NFL during his four years in the league, spending time with the Packers, Saints, and Dolphins. Following a 2020 season where he compiled 59 tackles and 2.5 sacks in a career-high 15 games (10 starts) with the Dolphins, he was limited to only two tackles in five contests with Miami in 2021. He caught on with the Ravens this offseason, and according to Ryan Mink of the team website, Biegel had made a strong impression during the first few days of camp.

“Vince was fighting to make the team,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He would have had a great chance to make it, because he’s just a solid, tough, talented guy who does everything exactly right as hard as he can.”

The Ravens were already eyeing a depleted linebackers depth chart with Tyus Bowser and David Ojabo sidelined. The team’s current options consist of Odafe Oweh, Justin Houston, Daelin Hayes, Steven Means, and a handful of rookies.

More notes out of Baltimore:

  • Fortunately, there was some good news on the Ravens’ injury front. While first-round rookie center Tyler Linderbaum limped off the field during practice, an X-ray confirmed he avoided a major injury. “He’s going to be fine,” Harbaugh said (via Mink). “Didn’t get stepped on, kind of just … It’s a physical drill there, and [he] came up a little sore. They’ve looked at it, X-rayed it. They’ll do an MRI on it to make sure, but all indications are it’s nothing serious at all.” Beside the rookie, the Ravens have veteran Patrick Mekari to step in at center.
  • We previously heard that Ojabo’s brief holdout was an attempt to get more guaranteed money in the third year of his rookie contract. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the rookie ended up getting $700K of that 2024 base salary guaranteed. As our own Ely Allen previously pointed out, the player selected just before Ojabo at 44th overall is John Metchie III, who received $800,000 (55.61%) of his third year guaranteed. The pick immediately after Ojabo at 46th overall is Joshua Paschal, whose guaranteed third-year money dropped dramatically to $275,000 (22.02%).
  • Guard Ben Powers could find himself on the trade block depending on the status of Ben Cleveland and Tyre Phillips, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Powers has 19 career starts, so he’d surely appeal to a squad seeking some guard depth. Meanwhile, Zrebiec writes that running back Mike Davis could be fighting with Tyler Badie and Justice Hill for two open roster spots. The veteran was brought in this offseason to provide some depth while J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards return to full health, but he may not be needed if the duo is ready for the start of the season.
  • In a stock report of Baltimore’s minicamp, Zrebiec provides a handful of interesting tidbits related to the Ravens. Fourth-round rookie Isaiah Likely will find himself behind Mark Andrews on the depth chart, but he also “seems close to certain to have a notable Week 1 role with the Ravens.” Meanwhile, versatile defensive back Brandon Stephens has been preparing to play cornerback after starting 11 games at safety last season.
  • The Ravens’ other fourth-round rookie tight end, Charlie Kolar, had sports hernia surgery earlier this week, per Zrebiec. “It’s a thing that was lingering from college,” Harbaugh said. “He actually had a sports hernia from college, had a surgery. They’re going to redo that one as well. We’ll get it cleaned up now. I think he felt like he could manage it, but it’s gotten to the point where it needs to be fixed.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/22

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

  • Waived: CB Junior Faulk

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Signed: LS Ross Reiter
  • Waived: DB Devin Hafford, QB/WR D’Eriq King

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Claimed (from Broncos): T Drew Himmelman
  • Signed: CB Nijuel Hill, LB Bryce Notree
  • Waived: G Zack Bailey, LB Jordan Kunaszyk

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/21

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/21

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/21

Here is the Week 8 Saturday minor move blitz:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets 

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/21

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Signed: LB Connor Strachan

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/21

We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed off Broncos practice squad: CB Mac McCain

Tennessee Titans

Seattle Seahawks

Dolphins Place LB Vince Biegel On IR

To make room for Saturday trade acquisition Greg Mancz, the Dolphins are placing Vince Biegel on IR. This move will sideline the veteran linebacker for the season.

Biegel has not played in a regular-season game since the 2019 season. He suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in August 2020. Although the Dolphins re-signed Biegel, he is no longer in their 2021 plans. The fifth-year ‘backer could resurface with another team in the event of an injury settlement removing him from Miami’s IR list, however.

The Dolphins initially acquired Biegel via trade from the Saints just before the 2019 season began. Biegel spent 2018 with New Orleans and 2017 with Green Bay. The Packers drafted the Wisconsin product in the 2017 fourth round. Despite having just three years’ worth of game experience, Biegel is already 28.

The Dolphins marked the only team to use Biegel as a starter, deploying him as a first-stringer in 10 games in 2019. Biegel made 59 tackles and registered 13 quarterback hits that season, compiling 2.5 sacks for the then-rebuilding team. The Dolphins have made a few changes to their linebacking group in the time since, however.

Dolphins To Re-Sign LB Vince Biegel

The Dolphins will re-sign linebacker Vince Biegel, as Josh Tolentino of The Athletic tweets. It’s a one-year deal for the veteran as he looks to rebound from a lost season. 

[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Shaq Lawson To Texans For Benardrick McKinney]

Biegel suffered an Achilles’ tendon tear last August, stopping his 2020 campaign before it even began. Previous to that, the former Packers draftee started ten games for the Dolphins in 2019 and led the team with 13 quarterback hits. It was a big step forward — Biegel had zero QB hits in 2017 or 2018. He finished 2019 with 59 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one interception.

Biegel bounced from the Packers, to the Saints, to the Dolphins, but he now seems to have made a home for himself in Miami. If Biegel performs on his one-year, prove-it deal, he could be in line for a much larger pay day next March.