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Mike Davis Mike Davis Finds home in Baltimore
Tue, May 10, 2022, 8:29 AM
Davis signed a one-year contract with the Ravens on Tuesday.
Analysis: Baltimore explored signing other free agent running backs earlier this offseason, but the team passed on those options and only brought in rookie sixth-round pick Tyler Badie via the 2022 NFL Draft. Davis' arrival provides the Ravens with a proven veteran option while J.K Dobbins (knee) and Gus Edwards (knee) work their way back from ACL tears. Davis was outplayed by Cordarrelle Patterson with the Falcons last season, but perhaps Baltimore's scheme will give the 29-year-old better opportunities for success. Back in 2020 with the Panthers, he racked up over 1,000 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns in 15 games. |
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Tylan Wallace Tylan Wallace Moves up depth chart
Fri, May 6, 2022, 10:34 AM
Wallace (thigh) could compete for a larger role on offense for the 2022 season, with Marquise Brown having been traded to the Cardinals, Kevin Eck of the Ravens' official site reports.
Analysis: Wallace currently looks locked into the No. 4 receiver spot, behind all of Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay and James Proche. The fact that Baltimore opted not to draft another wide receiver after trading Brown seems indicative of the coaching staff's confidence in the current group of young players, though further competition could be added as the offseason continues. A 2021 fourth-round pick, Wallace only secured two of six targets for 23 yards across 17 appearances as a rookie. |
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Rashod Bateman Rashod Bateman Could see added opportunities
Fri, Apr 29, 2022, 12:38 PM
Following the trade of Marquise Brown to the Cardinals, Bateman currently heads a Baltimore wideout corps that also includes Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace, ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reports.
Analysis: The report notes that Brown had requested a trade, and by dealing him to Arizona, the Ravens now have a need at wideout that they figure to address in Day 2 or 3 of the NFL Draft, via free agency, or both. As things stand, however, Bateman -- who Baltimore took 27th overall last year -- seems poised for an uptick in opportunity in 2022, following a rookie campaign in which he put together a 46/515/1 stat line over the course of 12 contests. |
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Gus Edwards Gus Edwards May not be ready for camp
Mon, Mar 28, 2022, 11:02 AM
Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that there's a "chance" both Edwards (knee) and backfield mate J.K. Dobbins (knee) begin training camp on the PUP list, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Analysis: Edwards and Dobbins both suffered torn ACLs last offseason and subsequently spent the entire 2021 campaign sidelined. Though the backfield tandem may not be ready for the start of training camp, it appears that there's not yet reason for concern about either Dobbins' or Edwards' recoveries. "We'll probably play it safe a little bit with those guys and take our time and just bring them along for the season," Harbaugh said. Assuming neither running back encounters any setbacks, Dobbins would be the favorite to operate as the No. 1 option Week 1 of the 2022 season, while Edwards should be primed for a valuable complementary role. |
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J.K. Dobbins J.K. Dobbins May open camp on PUP list
Mon, Mar 28, 2022, 10:55 AM
Coach John Harbaugh said Monday there's a "chance" that Dobbins (knee) begins training camp on the PUP list, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Analysis: Harbaugh said both Dobbins and Gus Edwards (knee), who both missed the 2021 campaign due to torn ACLs, could need to start training camp on the PUP list. "We'll probably play it safe a little bit with those guys and take our time and just bring them along for the season," Harbaugh said. Dobbins still appears on track to return to full health in time for the start of the 2022 campaign, and there's not yet any indication that his recovery has run into any sort of setback. The fact that the Ravens have avoided any notable running back additions during free agency would appear to speak to the team's confidence in both Dobbins' and Edwards' recoveries. |
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Patrick Ricard Patrick Ricard Re-signs with Baltimore
Mon, Mar 21, 2022, 9:51 AM
Ricard is signing a three-year contract with the Ravens, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Ricard was a two-way depth player for his first three NFL seasons, but with his role on offense increasing the past two years, he hasn't played any D-line snaps since 2019. He did play a career-high 555 snaps for Baltimore last season, making him the most heavily used fullback in the league. While surprisingly nimble for a 300-pounder, Ricard has never caught more than nine passes in a season and only has three career carries. His decision to stay with the Ravens is good news for the Baltimore rushing game, namely QB Lamar Jackson and RBs J.K. Dobbins (knee) and Gus Edwards (knee). |
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Ty'Son Williams Ty'Son Williams Retained by Ravens
Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 11:09 AM
The Ravens have extended a one-year contract tender to Williams, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Through 13 appearances last season, Williams logged 35 carries for 185 yards and a TD to go along with nine catches for 84 yards on 12 targets. Now that he's slated to remain with the Ravens for the 2022 campaign, the 25-year-old figures to compete for the team's No. 3 running back role behind Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, who are both bouncing back from knee injuries that landed them on IR last season. |
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Tyler Huntley Tyler Huntley Gets contract tender for 2022
Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 10:59 AM
The Ravens have extended a one-year contract tender to Huntley, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Huntley, who drew four starts in place of Lamar Jackson last season, thus is slated to reprise his role as the Ravens' No. 2 QB in 2022. In seven appearances overall during the 2021 campaign, the 24-year-old completed 122 of his 188 passing attempts for 1,081 yards, three TDs and four picks to go along with 47 carries for 294 yards and a pair of rushing TDs. Though no threat to supplant Jackson, Huntley's ability as a runner bolsters his prospects as a streaming fantasy option when given the opportunity to fill in for Baltimore's franchise QB. |
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J.K. Dobbins J.K. Dobbins Progressing toward return
Wed, Mar 2, 2022, 4:20 PM
GM Eric DeCosta relayed Wednesday that he's "very confident" that Dobbins (knee) is "going to come back and really flourish this year."
Analysis: While it remains to be seen when Dobbins -- who tore his ACL last August -- will be full go, DeCosta notes that the Ravens "are very, very confident that (the 2020 second-rounder) will come back and be the type of player that he was two years ago." Once Dobbins re-establishes the soundness of his knee, he'll look to reclaim his role in a Baltimore backfield that also has Gus Edwards (knee) and Justice Hill (Achilles) -- who are also bouncing back from injuries -- currently under contract for the coming season. |
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Lamar Jackson Lamar Jackson Recovers from ankle injury
Wed, Feb 16, 2022, 10:55 AM
Jackson's ankle has healed and he's resumed working out with teammates, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site reports.
Analysis: A bone bruise in his right ankle kept Jackson sidelined for the final four games of the 2021 campaign, but he should be in store for a normal, healthy offseason before the Ravens resume practicing in May and June. The bigger concern is a potential contract extension, with Jackson scheduled to make $23.1 million in 2022 under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. A new deal won't be cheap from a real-money standpoint, but it may allow the Ravens to reduce Jackson's cap hit for the upcoming season, which in turn would help the team bring in reinforcements for its offensive line and defense. |
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Marquise Brown Marquise Brown Fifth-year option likely coming
Fri, Feb 4, 2022, 9:16 AM
General manager Eric DeCosta said Friday he expects the Ravens to pick up Brown's fifth-year option, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Analysis: Baltimore will need to make a decision on Brown's fifth-year option by May, and picking up the deal would keep the speedy wideout in house through 2023. Though Brown did lose steam in terms of production down the stretch of the 2021 campaign, he spent much of that time operating with Tyler Huntley under center instead of Lamar Jackson (ankle), and also battled injuries of his own. A more optimistic view of Brown's third-year efforts, which included his first 1,000-yard season, is that the 24-year-old looked like a legitimate No. 1 option during the first half of the year. Through the first nine contests, Brown exceeded the century mark three times and caught six touchdowns. |
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Josh Oliver Josh Oliver Quiet year in Baltimore
Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 3:11 PM
Oliver caught nine of 15 targets for 66 yards in 2021.
Analysis: An offseason acquisition from the Jaguars, Oliver suited up in 14 games for the Ravens in his debut season with the team. Mark Andrews came into the year as the alpha of the Ravens' tight end group and only solidified his standing in that regard, which left few opportunities for the rest of the team's tight ends when the team went with single tight end sets. Oliver averaged just 4.4 yards per target on his limited opportunities and played the third-most snaps at his position on the team. He is due $1 million in base salary in 2022, the final year of his rookie contract. If Nick Boyle returns to full strength, Oliver will have to battle with Eric Tomlinson for the No.3 tight end spot on the roster in all likelihood. |
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Miles Boykin Miles Boykin Difficult 2021 season
Tue, Jan 25, 2022, 3:01 PM
Boykin finished the season with one catch for six yards on one target in eight games.
Analysis: Boykin's third season in Baltimore was an all-around disappointment. He opened the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and a finger injury sidelined him late in the year. When healthy, Boykin logged a total of 32 offensive snaps and played a career-high 144 special teams snaps. Meanwhile, Baltimore seemed to find its regular receiving corps of the future with Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay as the primary wideouts. Boykin may have even been surpassed by James Proche and the team has a vested interest in seeing what it has in 2021 draft pick Tylan Wallace, too. The Notre Dame product is entering the final year of his rookie deal and carries a $1.1 million cap hit. If Boykin returns to the Ravens in 2022, it will likely be due to his special teams ability. |
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Nate McCrary Nate McCrary Signs new contract with Ravens
Tue, Jan 18, 2022, 5:20 PM
The Ravens signed McCrary to a reserve/contract Tuesday.
Analysis: The running back was active for one game with the Ravens in 2021, but he will be back with the team for the 2022 season. McCrary appeared in the Ravens' Week 13 game against the Steelers, rushing once for a loss of a yard. He finished the season on the practice squad injured list with an undisclosed injury but appears healthy heading into the offseason. |
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James Proche James Proche Shows improvement in Year 2
Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 11:57 AM
Proche finished the season with 16 catches for 202 yards on 20 targets.
Analysis: The second-year wideout moved into a larger role within the offense after playing a mere 25 offensive snaps as a rookie and recording one reception. Proche showed the skills that made him effective in college, running sharp routes and demonstrating good hands by catching 80 percent of his targets and dropping zero passes. Baltimore will likely go into next season with Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay as its top three receivers and Proche will have a chance to slot in as the No.4. However, 2021 draft pick Tylan Wallace could improve and Baltimore could opt to mine for more receiving depth through free agency and the draft. |
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Devin Duvernay Devin Duvernay Earns All-Pro honors as returner
Sat, Jan 15, 2022, 10:52 AM
Duvernay finished the season with 33 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns on 47 targets. He was also was voted to the first-team All-Pro team as a punt returner, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Analysis: The second-year player out of Texas made his biggest impact in the return game as he finished second in the league in punt return yards and led the NFL in punt returns of 20-or-more yards with six. In terms of his role on offense, Duvernay consistently played over a third of the snaps but never played more than 50 percent of the snaps in any game. Baltimore deployed Duvernay on short routes for the most part, as evidenced by his 6.2 aDOT. He was efficient with those looks, catching 70 percent of his targets and finishing the year with zero drops. He projects to be the No.3 receiver in the offense in 2022 as the primary slot alongside Marquise Brown and Rashod Bateman. |
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Ty'Son Williams Ty'Son Williams Disappears as season progresses
Fri, Jan 14, 2022, 3:29 PM
Williams had 35 carries for 185 yards and a touchdown over 13 games in 2021. He added nine receptions for 84 yards on 12 targets.
Analysis: Williams was a hot name at the end of draft season as the lone remaining running back on the roster after J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards went down late in the preseason with season-ending knee injuries. The early returns were promising; he scored a touchdown in the opener and had 13 carries for 77 yards in Week 2. However, issues such as blitz pickup forced the Ravens to go away from Williams after that as the team pilfered the pile of veteran free agents like Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray and even Le'Veon Bell to handle the backfield duties. Williams' role diminished from there and he had all of 20 offensive snaps and two total carries after the Week 8 bye. With Dobbins and Edwards primed to return, Williams projects to be the No.3 running back going into the offseason assuming the team doesn't retain Freeman and Murray. |
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Devonta Freeman Devonta Freeman Serviceable addition to offense
Fri, Jan 14, 2022, 10:53 AM
Freeman (ribs) had 133 carries for 576 yards and five touchdowns over 16 games with the Ravens in 2021. He added 34 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown on 42 targets.
Analysis: Baltimore's backfield attrition late in training camp led to the Ravens inking Freeman to the practice squad shortly before the season, and he ultimately got promoted to the active roster. Injuries to both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards left Baltimore light on experienced options, but Freeman proved to be a shrewd pickup. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry and was effective as a pass catcher, but he struggled to pick up yardage after contact as Freeman ranked in the ninth percentile in that category. The veteran was on a one-year deal this season and will turn 30 this offseason. With Edwards and Dobbins set to return, it's unclear whether the Ravens will keep Freeman or Latavius Murray for 2022. |
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Rashod Bateman Rashod Bateman Solid rookie season
Fri, Jan 14, 2022, 10:40 AM
Bateman finished the season with 46 catches for 515 yards and a touchdown on 68 targets in 12 games.
Analysis: The rookie first-round selection started the season on injured reserve due to a core-muscle injury that required surgery and didn't debut until Week 6 against the Chargers. From there, Bateman ranked third on the team in target share (15.7 percent), behind only Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews. He had one 100-yard performance on the season (Week 14 versus Cleveland) and caught his lone touchdown of the season two weeks later against Cincinnati. It's difficult to put a definitive grade on Bateman's rookie season due to the missed time coupled with Lamar Jackson's absence over the final month of the campaign. Bateman had some promising peripheral metrics, most notably a 67.6 percent catch rate and a yards per route run that ranked in the 71st percentile among receivers. With a healthy offseason and a full-strength Jackson behind center, Bateman is primed for a breakout in Year 2. |
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Lamar Jackson Lamar Jackson Season hindered by injury
Fri, Jan 14, 2022, 9:59 AM
Jackson (ankle) finished the season completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 games. He added 133 carries for 767 yards and two scores.
Analysis: Jackson endured a health-challenged season, with an illness sidelining him for a game and a right ankle injury keeping him out for the final month. When he was available, Jackson showed improvement as a passer, especially in terms of generating explosive plays; his 41 completions of 20-plus yards nearly matched what he did in 15 games during his 2019 MVP season. He also led to Ravens to comeback wins from double-digit deficits against the Chiefs, Colts and Vikings. Still, it wasn't a perfect season from Jackson, who committed 16 turns in total, including a career-high 13 picks. It's important to note that the Baltimore offense was upended late in training camp with its top two running backs suffering season-ending injuries and its first-round receiver going out with a core-muscle injury that sidelined him well into the regular season. The absences of key skill-position players put more on Jackson's shoulders, and he still managed to put the Ravens in playoff position before the illness and injury railroaded his season. Jackson enters 2022 on the fifth year of his rookie deal, and he'll make north of $23 million unless the he and the team negotiate a long-term extension. |
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