Month: July 2022

Bleacher Report names two players Ravens should consider trading for before 2022 season begins

Bleacher Report named two players that the Ravens should consider trading for before the 2022 season begins

The Baltimore Ravens have built an extremely solid roster heading into the 2022 season. They have focused on acquiring key depth at multiple different positions through free agency and the draft, while also retaining old players and getting others back from injury hopefully sooner rather than later. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t make any other additions between now and the start of the year.

When listing off one player each team should offer before the 2022 season begins, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report named Baltimore’s player as safety Chuck Clark. However, he named the Ravens as a team that could acquire two names, the first being Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang.

“This offseason, general manager Brett Veach signed veteran Geron Christian and drafted Darian Kinnard in the fifth round. Both can play right tackle. Niang’s standing is suddenly in question after only one year…The Ravens are much older on the right side. Morgan Moses and Kevin Zeitler are 31 and 32, respectively. General manager Eric DeCosta did select Daniel Faalele in this year’s fourth round, but the Ravens experienced so many injuries along their offensive front the last two years that a small investment in another middle-round talent will give them even better depth.”

Sobleski then names Baltimore as an option for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor, stating that the Ravens are “an obvious landing spot”.

“The Philadelphia Eagles have all but given up on wide receiver Jalen Reagor just two years after making him a first-round selection…According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Philadelphia has continued to shop the 23-year-old…The Baltimore Ravens are an obvious landing spot after moving Marquise Brown during the draft. The team didn’t address the wide receiver position after doing so. Instead, Lamar Jackson and Co. will rely heavily on Rashod Bateman to blossom in Year 2 with little beyond him.”

Baltimore seems set at offensive tackle for now, especially with Morgan Moses, Ja’Wuan James, Daniel Faalele, and hopefully a healthy Ronnie Stanley in the fold. However, if the group gets hit hard with injuries, maybe general manager Eric DeCosta will pick up the phone and try to bring in a player like Niang, who still has the potential to turn into a quality starter.

As for Reagor, the Ravens’ wide receiver group has many questions surrounding it. They are relying on plenty of young talent already in players such as Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche II and Tylan Wallace, and adding another non-veteran option might be a tad redundant. Reagor has struggled in Philadelphia ever since being a first-round selection in 2020, and maybe if injuries occur he could be a solid fit for Baltimore. However, a more experienced option seems like the better option for the team if they do choose to add more at wideout.

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Ravens S Kyle Hamilton reacts to getting burnt on Twitter

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton reacted to getting burnt during the team’s stadium practice on Twitter

On Saturday, the Baltimore Ravens took the field at M&T Bank Stadium for the first time since their Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers to end the 2021 season for their 2022 open stadium practice. Fans were able to see both new and old players at the venue, while the players were able to have the feeling of playing football in front of thousands of cheers.

There were many great plays made over the course of the night, but one not-so great play for the defense was when rookie safety Kyle Hamilton got burnt by recently-signed wide receiver Bailey Gaither for a long touchdown. The video of the play was posted on Twitter, where Hamilton received plenty of criticism.

Hamilton responded to getting burnt on Twitter with one sentence, saying he’s getting “fried” on the app.

One play in a training camp practice isn’t going to determine how good of a player Hamilton can become at the NFL level. He has incredible physical tools for the safety position, can play in multiple different spots on the field and has an incredibly smart football mind. The rookie has plenty of time to work on and perfect his craft, and every aspect of his game won’t be a strength right away. Gaither got the better of Hamilton on their rep, but Hamilton is still set up to have a successful first season in the NFL.

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Son of Ravens DL Calais Campbell steals the show at training camp

The son of Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell stole the hearts of many at training camp

The Baltimore Ravens began training camp on Wednesday, with the team hungry to bounce back from a 2021 season which saw them go through a pile of different injuries. During Friday’s practice session, one thing that was learned is that a defensive lineman’s son might be following in his father’s footsteps.

Defensive lineman Calais Campbell brought his son, Dakari, to practice on Friday. The Ravens released a video on Twitter that showed the two-year-old hitting pads, running around on the field and getting some attention from outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. Dakari even tried on a Ravens’ helmet, which may suit him well in the coming years if he decides to play football.

Dakari received a lot of attention on Twitter after the video was posted. He could make a great NFL pass rusher one day, following in the very successful footsteps of his father.

Campbell is entering his 15th season and still has plenty left in the tank, even after it was revealed that he was contemplating retirement ahead of the 2022 NFL season. Baltimore is lucky to have Campbell for his production on the field and leadership off of it, and maybe one day Dakari could suit up where his dad has for the past few seasons.

LeBron James’ top 10 games of the 2021-22 season: No. 1

With a highly efficient 56 points, LeBron James led the Lakers to a big upset win over the Golden State Warriors on national television.

As March 2022 arrived, the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of participating in postseason play were increasingly in peril.

They hosted the Golden State Warriors on March 5, and just about no one expected them to have any real shot at winning, especially with Anthony Davis sidelined because of a foot injury.

But LeBron James was disgusted and motivated enough to elevate his team above the sagging sum of its parts.

He went off for one of the better performances of his life, scoring 56 points on 19-of-31 overall shooting, 6-of-11 from 3-point land and 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. James also added 10 rebounds and three assists.

The Lakers trailed 67-62 at the half and 94-89 after three quarters, but with James pouring it on, even Stephen Curry’s 30 points couldn’t keep the eventual NBA champs in the lead.

Los Angeles stood tall in its 124-116 victory, perhaps its best of a disastrous season.

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Kayvon Thibodeaux can’t wait for the pads to go on at practice

New York Giants rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux is looking forward to showing off his pass-rushing moves in a more realistic scenario

The New York Giants landed two of the best overall prospects in the 2022 NFL draft with their pair of top-10 picks, and one of them can’t wait for full-pad practices.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, is excited for the chance to show off his arsenal of pass-rushing moves in a more realistic training camp scenario, per John Fennelly of Giants Wire:

“I’m very excited. There are a lot of things as a pass rusher, as a defensive guy, you aren’t able to do without pads. The offense has the baggy jerseys you can just pull on them. Now it’ll be more of a fair game. I’ll be able to use all the moves I’ve been working on.”

Thibodeaux was a dominant force at Oregon, though he was slowed by injury for much of last season. At full strength, Thibodeaux should give the Giants the impact player off the edge that they’ve desperately needed for the last few years.

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Ravens DL Michael Pierce praises DL Travis Jones

Ravens defensive lineman Michael Pierce had high praise for rookie defensive lineman Travis Jones

The Baltimore Ravens reshaped their defensive line room over the course of the 2022 offseason, adding in veteran pieces during free agency such as Michael Pierce and Brent Urban while also drafting rookie talent such as Travis Jones, who fell to Baltimore at No. 76 overall. The team will be looking for many things out of their new group up front, including an improved interior pass rush.

The Ravens hosted their 2022 open stadium practice at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, and many players stepped up and contributed at a high level. When talking about the performance of Jones, Pierce had high praise for the rookie, saying that he’s going to be special.

Jones was known for his pass rushing prowess at the University of Connecticut, racking up 8.0 sacks over his final two college seasons. He was able to get consistent pressure on quarterbacks, and could carve out a nice role for himself in the Baltimore defense if he’s able to translate those skills over to the NFL early on.

2022 Jaguars training camp: 5 takeaways from Day 6

After both flashing on Day 5, Jaguars OLBs Josh Allen and Travon Walker once again showed up on Day 6 as the team had their first fully-padded practice.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars making it to Day 6 of training camp, the team had its first fully padded practice on Sunday. Needless to say, that made it an eventful day for the Jags, especially when it came to 1-on-1 drills.

The circumstances made it a day where the offensive and defensive linemen were more of a focal point, and several players the Jags paid well this offseason like Brandon Scherff, Cam Robinson, and Travon Walker stood out, as did veteran Josh Allen. Then when it came to team drills, the big story was the slow start the offense got off to before closing practice on a high note in the last 11-on-11 showdown.

With all of that in mind, here are the top takeaways from Sunday’s practice:

Anthony Davis’ top 10 games of the 2021-22 season: No. 1

Anthony Davis played especially big and tall on Feb. 5 to help the Lakers overcome a sizeable deficit and defeat the New York Knicks.

On Feb. 5, the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the New York Knicks in a nationally televised game, and it was one of the few times all season they were healthy.

LeBron James had just returned after missing five contests because of a knee ailment, while Anthony Davis had recently come back from a sprained MCL.

Still, as was the case many times all year, Los Angeles started poorly, trailing 42-29 at the end of the first quarter and 71-56 at halftime.

But Davis wouldn’t allow his team to lose again.

He helped lead a big third-quarter rally that gave the Lakers a lead. Even when the Knicks fought back to force overtime, the big man wouldn’t capitulate.

Davis finished with 28 points on 13-of-19 shooting, 17 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, three assists, three steals and four blocked shots.

Thanks to his giant performance, the Lakers gained a much-needed overtime win, 122-115.

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Derek Stingley Jr. getting punt return reps for Texans

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft is getting some work in the return game during his first training camp

The Houston Texans spent the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft on LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. with the expectation that he’ll be come a shutdown artist on defense.

While he develops in that area of his game, the rookie is also finding other ways to make an immediate impact, working as a punt returner during training camp, per Mark Lane of Texans Wire:

“Yeah, Stingley can do a lot of things,” said Smith. “Punt returner is one of them. Now I’m not saying that he for sure is going to for sure be our punt returner, but the more things you can do. You probably noticed Derek getting more reps today. We’ll continue to bring him along at the pace that we had set up before camp started. He gets a little better each day, too.”

Stingley was slowed by injury last season, but was still impressive enough on tape for the Texans to make him the first cornerback off the board in this year’s draft.

If he’s able to stay healthy, Stingley could easily develop into one of the best corners in the league. Until then, he’s athletic enough with the ball in his hands to make a big splash in the return game, as well.

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Russell Westbrook’s top 10 games of the 2021-22 season: No. 1

Without LeBron James, Russell Westbrook had a monster game to lead the Lakers to a win over the Spurs in late October.

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook last summer, many expected they would be a top contender for the NBA championship.

Some, however, saw he would be a tough fit on the team, even though it needed some of his skills.

Westbrook’s Lakers tenure started badly. He averaged 12 points a game on 34.9% overall shooting and 0.91% from 3-point range in his first three games.

But in L.A.’s fourth contest, which came against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 26, Westbrook had what may have been his best outing of the season.

He put up 33 points on red-hot 15-of-27 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

With LeBron James sitting out due to an ankle injury, Westbrook and Anthony Davis stepped up. The guard had 15 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to help Los Angeles rally from a 12-point deficit.

The Lakers ended up earning a 125-121 win to improve to 2-2.

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