Tag: Alejandro Villanueva

Ravens OT Alejandro Villanueva retires from NFL

Ravens offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva has retired from the NFL

The Baltimore Ravens have begun making a few moves as 2022 free agency is just one week away. On Wednesday they released cornerback Tavon Young and chose not to extend a tender to cornerback Chris Westry. Also on Wednesday, a Baltimore player made a decision on his NFL future.

Ravens offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva was regarded as a potential cap cut for the team, but has chosen to retire from the NFL after a seven-year career. Villanueva spent his first six seasons as a professional with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with Baltimore during the 2021 offseason.

The release of Young and the retirement of Villanueva will save the Ravens about $11.8 million in cap space.

Villanueva started every game for Baltimore in 2021, whether it was at left or right tackle. The plan was for him to move over to the right side, but with Ronnie Stanley needing another season-ending ankle surgery, he played at left tackle for most of the year. He was consistently inconsistent, and now hangs up his cleats to pursue other opportunities.

Pro Football Focus names cut candidate for Ravens in 2022 offseason

Pro Football Focus named a cut candidate for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2022 offseason

The Baltimore Ravens will be looking to improve their team in many different ways during the 2022 offseason. They need to keep up with the rest of the NFL, and although they already have many talented players in place, there are key areas that need to be addressed in free agency, the draft, and even through trades.

When listing out cut candidates for all 32 NFL teams, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus chose offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva for Baltimore. When explaining his reasoning, Spielberger talked about Villanueva’s poor play in 2021 as well as another veteran player on the roster who could take his spot.

“Even while spending the majority of his time at left tackle, Villanueva’s 58.5 pass-blocking grade was the first of his career below 70.0. The Ravens also took a flier on former Broncos right tackle Ja’Wuan James following an unfortunate Achilles injury suffered before the 2021 season. Perhaps the Ravens look to shed some salary and turn to James for 2022.”

Villanueva is slated to have a $9.25 million cap hit in 2022, and if the Ravens were to cut him they would save $6 million of that while only carrying a $3.25 million dead cap hit. That seems like a worthwhile amount of savings for a player who was consistently inconsistent on Baltimore’s offensive line in 2021.

Bleacher Report names their ideal trade candidate for Ravens

With the trade deadline approaching, Bleacher Report named their ideal trade target for the Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens currently sit at 5-1 through six weeks of the 2021 season. They’ve overcome plenty of injuries on their way to currently being the top spot in the AFC, finding quality production from not only their stars, but also from outside additions that they’ve made along the way.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, Brett Sobleski of Bleacher Report put together a list of one ideal trade candidate for each NFL team. For the Ravens, he picked Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins. When explaining his selection, Sobleski mentioned the fact that Baltimore’s offensive line group has been in flux all season.

“[Ronnie] Stanley’s absence created a void on Lamar Jackson’s blind side, which has been filled by veteran Alejandro Villanueva. Villanueva has moved from right to left tackle, and Patrick Mekari took over strong-side duties, creating a tenuous situation.”

He also talked about how Dallas might want to move on from Collins due to the fact that his salary will increase significantly after this season as well as the fact that his replacement has been playing well.

“Meanwhile, La’el Collins has been reinstated after his five-game suspension, yet he might find himself without a starting job. Terence Steele played very well for the Dallas Cowboys to open this season, and considering his improvement and Collins’ salary increase after this year, the Cowboys may consider a move.”

 

Ravens release final injury report for Week 6 matchup vs. Chargers

The Ravens released their final injury report ahead of their Week 6 game against the Chargers

The Baltimore Ravens have seen injuries become a key storyline of their 2021 season. The team has dealt with absences from multiple positions on both their offense and defense, but has still managed to put together an impressive 4-1 record through five weeks.

Entering Week 6, Baltimore has a few injuries that are worth monitoring, as certain players have already been ruled out for the contest while others are listed as questionable and will most likely be game-time decisions. Headlining the list are wide receiver Sammy Watkins and tackle Ronnie Stanley, who have both already been ruled out.

Safeties DeShon Elliott and Geno Stone appear on track to play after logging full sessions on Friday. Tackle Alejandro Villanueva was limited on Friday after not participating on Thursday, so hopefully he will be able to suit up in Week 6.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Friday after missing Thursday with an illness, while defensive lineman Calais Campbell and outside linebacker Justin Houston both were awarded rest days on Friday.

Ravens release first injury report for Week 6 matchup vs. Chargers

The Ravens released their first injury report of the week ahead of their Week 6 matchup with the Chargers

The Baltimore Ravens are set to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 of the 2021 season. It should be a very entertaining game as both Baltimore and Los Angeles boast 4-1 record through the first five games of the year and have extremely talented rosters on both sides of the football.

On Wednesday the Ravens released their first injury report of the week leading up to their matchup against Los Angeles. Baltimore held a walk-through practice, so the report reflects an estimation of how players would have participated if the team had practiced in a normal fashion.

Safeties DeShon Elliott (quad) and Geno Stone (thigh) would have been limited participants, beginning this week like they had left off last week. Offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva (knee) also would have been limited, but he was able to suit up in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts.

In terms of who didn’t practice, offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (ankle) wouldn’t have suited up, and the same goes for Sammy Watkins (thigh). Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee got a rest day.

Ravens release final injury report ahead of Week 5 matchup vs. Colts

The Ravens released their final injury report ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Colts

The Baltimore Ravens are set to take on the Indianapolis Colts in a Week 5 matchup that could be better than many anticipate. Baltimore comes into the game boasting a 3-1 record, while Indianapolis has underachieved by a lot of standards, going 1-3 through four weeks.

Both teams have dealt with plenty of injuries so far during the 2021 season, and will be missing key contributors in this game. While the Ravens have been the unluckiest team in the NFL in that regard, the Colts aren’t far behind. Baltimore released their final injury report ahead of their game against the Colts, with only one player being ruled out initially.

Tackle Ronnie Stanley will miss his fourth-straight game as he continues to recover from the ankle injury that he suffered during the 2020 season. His replacement at left tackle in Alejandro Villanueva is questionable with a knee injury, but his return to practice at least bodes well for his chances to play on Monday.

Safeties DeShon Elliott (quad) and Geno Stone (thigh) are both questionable leading up to the contest. Elliott missed Baltimore’s Week 4 game against the Denver Broncos, but his return in Week 5 would be great news for the Ravens’ defense. Stone provides Baltimore with good safety depth, so his availability is something to watch.

Rounding out the injury report on Saturday were three veterans getting rest days in wide receiver Sammy Watkins, defensive tackle Calais Campbell, and outside linebacker Pernell McPhee.

The Colts ruled four players out for Monday night, with one more being questionable.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh gives injury update on OT Alejandro Villanueva

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh provided an injury update on offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Denver Broncos by the final score of 23-7 in Week 4 of the 2021 season. It was an impressive win all things considered, especially when factoring in a very sloppy first quarter for the team.

While Baltimore got out of the game relatively unscathed, offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva left the game and did not return with a knee injury. After the contest, head coach John Harbaugh provided an update on Villanueva.

It’s great news that Villanueva seemingly escaped with nothing serious, as he plays an important role on the Ravens’ offensive line. Andre Smith entered the game as Villanueva’s replacement, and had a face mask penalty that wiped out a big play.

7 winners, 2 losers from Ravens’ 36-35 win over Raiders in Week 2

We look at winners and losers from the Ravens’ Week 2 win over the Chiefs

The Baltimore Ravens came out on top against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, earning a hard fought 36-35 victory in thrilling fashion. The win marked Baltimore’s first win against Kansas City in four seasons, and the Ravens finally defeated their “kryptonite”.

There were many winners in this game for Baltimore as well as a few losers. Players from both sides of the ball stepped up and were key reasons why the Ravens were able to come out with a win.

Below we look at seven winners and two losers for the Ravens in their big victory over the Chiefs in Week 2.

6 winners, 5 losers from Ravens’ 33-27 loss to Raiders in Week 1

We look at winners and losers from the Ravens’ Week 1 loss to the Raiders.

The Baltimore Ravens came out on the losing end of an instant classic during Week 1 of the 2021 season, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders by the final score of 33-27. It was a tough game to lose, and puts Baltimore at 0-1 heading into a big Week 2 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

There were plenty of winners and losers from this game, as the Ravens had multiple positives and negatives to take away from it. Some players performed very well while others had a tough time. It was Week 1, so some sloppiness was expected, but still it was a bit of a surprise to see some struggle as much as they did.

Below we look at five winners and four losers from the Ravens’ opening week loss to the Raiders.

Instant analysis of Ravens’ 33-27 loss to Raiders

The Ravens lost a heartbreaker to the Raiders in Week 1

The Baltimore Ravens dropped a very important game to the Las Vegas Raiders by the final score of 33-27 in overtime. It was a wild, crazy game that saw multiple unbelievable sequences happen in a short amount of time, but Baltimore came up short in the end

Baltimore got off to a strong start early, going up 14-0 behind a rushing touchdown from Ty’Son Williams and a beautiful 10-yard passing touchdown from Lamar Jackson to Marquise Brown. However, the offense began to cool off, and things got dicey in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders tied the game up twice, once at 17 and once at 24. However, after the team exchanged kicks and the game went to overtime, Baltimore wasn’t able to get the job done, even after an interception of Derek Carr in overtime.

Jackson finished the game completing 19-30 passes for 235 yards and one passing touchdown while also rushing 12 times for 86 yards. He also lost two fumbles, both of which were extremely costly. He made some amazing throws, but also made a few poor decisions as well. However, he didn’t have much time to think for most of the game, as the offensive line was not good in the slightest.

New acquisition Alejandro Villanueva was beaten all night by a combination of Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue and Carl Nassib. The same thing happened to Ronnie Stanley early in the game, but he seemed to get a bit better as the contest went on. Kevin Zeitler was a mixed bag and Tyre Phillips left the game with what looks like a serious injury. Bradley Bozeman played well, and Ben Powers filled in for Phillips at left guard.

On defense, there was very little consistent pressure, even when the team was blitzing. There were a few positives out of players like Justin Houston and Odafe Oweh, and Calais Campbell played well too. However, for how much the Ravens blitzed, they shouldn’t be giving up almost 500 total yards to a Raiders team that was dealing with a very inexperienced offensive line.

Baltimore will look to bounce back at home in Week 2 in their Sunday night matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, which will be no easy task.