Tag: Anthony Levine

Possible Titans free-agent target Geno Stone has strong connection to coach Anthony Levine

Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson isn’t the only Titans coach who has a connection to Ravens pending free agent Geno Stone.

With a potential need at safety, Baltimore Ravens pending free agent and safety Geno Stone has been a name thrown around by Tennessee Titans fans and media as a free-agent option, especially after the Titans hired his former position coach, Dennard Wilson, as their defensive coordinator.

But Stone has another strong connection to the Titans’ coaching staff in special teams assistant Anthony Levine, who played for the Ravens for 10 seasons, two of which overlapped with Stone’s tenure.

Levine, who was a special teams ace during his career, was hired in 2023 and survived the firing of former head coach Mike Vrabel.

In an interview with NFL Network’s Patrick Claybon on “NFL Total Access” on Tuesday (H/T Nick Shook, NFL.com), Stone credited Levine with being the veteran who had the biggest impact on him early on in his career.

“I just had great vets around me really,” Stone said. “I had a guy, Anthony Levine, that was next to me every day and preaching what to do. I just kind of followed what he did. His lead. He was in the league for 12 years, so I had a guy like that to lean on. And guys like Chuck Clark, the other guys I could name, but I’ll say Anthony Levine was probably the main one. The guy that had been through the kind of same process I was going through and kind of just staying by his side and picking his brain each day. He told me one day, he said, ‘You’re gonna make it one day. Just make sure you’re going through the process and stay humble.'”

Stone is coming off a career year in 2023. Not only did he tally a career-high seven interceptions, the second-most in the NFL, but he posted solid numbers in coverage, giving up completions on 63.6 percent of the passes thrown his way, a passer rating of just 63.8, and he posted an elite PFF coverage grade (84.9).

While Stone has made it clear he’d like to return to Baltimore, he certainly isn’t ruling out the possibility that he ends up elsewhere.

“At the end of the day, Baltimore is always home, but business is business,” he said. “You know that being in this league this long. I’ve been through it all, especially my rookie year. I just want to be somewhere I’m appreciated, you know, who wants me and for me to be a starter, whatever it may be. I just want my value to be there.”

Depending on how the new coaching staff feels about Elijah Molden, the Titans may or may not have an in-house solution to start alongside Amani Hooker at safety.

However, if the team does want to upgrade the position with a better option than Molden, Stone, who is projected by Spotrac to make a very reasonable $7.2 million per year in a three-year deal, is certainly a realistic possibility for Tennessee.

And, chances are Stone will have his eye on the Titans, as not only can they afford him thanks to a ton of cap space, they can offer him a starting role.

It also doesn’t hurt to have a pair of familiar faces on the coaching staff.

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Titans add ex-Ravens assistant Anthony Levine to coaching staff

Former Ravens assistant Anthony Levine is joining the Titans’ coaching staff as the assistant special teams coach.

The Tennessee Titans have filled a vacancy in their coaching staff, hiring former Baltimore Ravens assistant Anthony Levine as their new assistant special teams coach.

The news comes from Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, who notes that Levine served as a scouting and coaching assistant in 2022 before leaving the Ravens for Tennessee this offseason.

Levine, who also spent 10 seasons in the NFL (all with the Ravens), will be replacing former Titans assistant special teams coach Chase Blackburn after he left to take the special teams coordinator job with the Los Angeles Rams.

The 35-year-old will work under embattled special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, who has been on the hot seat with fans for multiple years now with the Titans not having a ton of success in that area.

The Titans have a good amount of stuff to figure out on special teams going into 2023. On top of having to fill out their units, Tennessee needs to add more returner options and competition at kicker for Caleb Shudak.

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AFC North watch: Ravens Anthony Levine St., a key special teamer, retires

Special teams is important so the Ravens losing a key member of that unit to retirement is notable:

The turnover in the AFC North this offseason could be unusual. Generally, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers were stable franchises with very little change but a lot of success. The Cincinnati Bengals were stable, without a lot of turnover, but without consistent success while the Cleveland Browns had neither stability of success.

The 2022 offseason has already been different from the past. The Ravens fired their defensive coordinator. The Steelers defensive coordinator retired. Ben Roethlisberger has likely played his last down in the NFL.

Three huge changes in a short amount of time for the two very stable franchises.

Wednesday came news that Baltimore will see another big change, just not on the scale of the others already mentioned. The team announced that their key special teams player, Anthony Levine Sr., is retiring:

Ravens special teams ace and team leader Anthony Levine Sr. announced Wednesday that he is retiring after a decade-long run in Baltimore.

The 34-year-old veteran has long been known as “Co-Cap” for his status as captain of the Ravens’ premier special teams unit. It’s been a nickname he’s carried with honor as a highly respected and highly effective player in Baltimore.

As Browns fans saw this season, special teams is often a key component in competent team play. The Green Bay Packers saw their special teams fail them in the playoffs and likely cost them their season.

As Cleveland looks to rebound after a failed 2021 season, the changes around the division will be interesting to watch. For the Ravens and Steelers, a few big ones have already happened.

Ravens pending free agents priority list: Who should Baltimore call first?

In total, Baltimore has 24 pending free agents they’ll have to discuss.

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The Baltimore Ravens played their final game of the season and have made a clear transition into the offseason. Coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta have held their annual season-ending press conferences and some initial roster moves have been completed. But as the Ravens begin the offseason, the very top of their to-do list involves figuring out their own roster and pending free agents.

In total, Baltimore has 24 pending free agents they’ll have to discuss. Who should be brought back and at what cost? Those are the questions only the front office can truly answer as they measure production (both current and potential) against what it’ll likely cost to re-sign them and try to fit it all into a very tight salary cap situation.

But with our general manager hats on, we here at Ravens Wire wanted to take a closer look at who we’d be calling if we were in control. Four of us independently ranked our free-agent priorities — not based on expectations of cost or who we felt would return — but on who we’d be most eager to start negotiations with.

Take a look below to see how we ranked the Ravens’ free-agent priorities and a quick analysis of why we placed them in their respective positions.

Steelers vs. Ravens: Baltimore will be without starting RB Sunday

A key starter for the Ravens will be on the sidelines for the Steelers game.

Per the Baltimore Ravens injury report, they will likely be without their starting running back for Sunday’s game. Mark Ingram is listed as doubtful with an ankle injury he suffered versus the Eagles in Week 6. Ingram has 250 all-purpose yards and two scores on the season.

Baltimore could also be without cornerback Jimmy Smith (Achilles) and safety Anthony Levine (abdomen) who are listed as questionable.

Given that the Steelers are first against the run (413 yards allowed), I didn’t see Ingram having much success anyway. Instead, the defense will have to contend with Gus Edwards who has enjoyed a 5.3 yards per carry average. Backing up Edwards is rookie J.K. Dobbins.

Steelers Wire reported injuries from Pittsburgh’s side earlier.

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Reunion potential abound as Ravens’ free agents remain unsigned

The Baltimore Ravens could turn to their own free agents now that the NFL free agency period has slowed down and money has begun to dry up.

The Baltimore Ravens entered free agency with 13 unrestricted free agents set to hit the open market. And after the two-day legal tampering period and a full day of free agency, not many former Ravens have signed elsewhere. Only defensive tackle Michael Pierce and wide receiver Seth Roberts have agreed to terms with other teams, which seem to be partly Baltimore not being very interested. The lack of deals leaves a bunch of former Ravens available for a potential reunion.

Top among them is cornerback Jimmy Smith, who general manager Eric DeCosta had previously said the team would like to re-sign. While it was initially thought the market for cornerbacks would price Smith out of returning to Baltimore, especially after the Buffalo Bills signed Josh Norman. However, some of the deals done for cornerbacks during free agency indicate that might not necessarily be the case after all. Just take a look at these few deals for prime examples of the market being a little stunted.

If the market for cornerbacks remains a little stagnant, Baltimore might be able to woo Smith back on a short-term deal with terms they like. And if not, Brandon Carr — who the Ravens are set to let go by not picking up his 2020 option — remains a viable option to return on a more cap-friendly deal.

The same could be said for linebackers Josh Bynes, Pernell McPhee and safety Anthony Levine. All were solid players last season and with Baltimore tending to favor continuity instead of shaking the boat, all could be low-cost options that fill important roles as stop-gap solutions until draft picks can supplant them.

Bynes was a godsend last season, joining Baltimore prior to Week 5 and quickly earning a starting spot and a hefty percentage of the defensive snaps. In his very first game with the Ravens in 2019, Bynes recorded an interception in what was a very close game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With his experience and good play came more stability not only at linebacker but on the defense as a whole.

McPhee showed he was still a capable pass rusher, actually beating out several other players including Shane Ray for a spot on the 53-man roster. Through seven games, McPhee started each one and accounted for three sacks and nine total pressures.

Levine might be Baltimore’s most versatile player. While many casual fans might not realize it by looking at his stat sheet but Levine is asked to play all over the defense and is one of their top special-teams players.

While none of these players is really at a starter caliber at this point in their careers, they all provide valuable experience and flexibility while bringing the type of familiarity with the scheme very few outside free agents would have. If the Ravens are eyeing up some low-cost veterans to help round out their roster, looking past their own free agents would be a mistake as long as the money side of things makes sense.

Baltimore was so close to a Super Bowl last season and simply bringing back most of their own guys would give them a solid roster and another good chance at a trophy. With free agency being a little slower for the Ravens’ free agents, a reunion for many of them seems to be shaping up.

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7 pending free agents Bears should keep eye on in Saturday’s divisional playoffs

With all eyes turned to the divisional playoffs, there are seven pending free agents the Bears should keep an eye on Saturday.

The Chicago Bears haven’t played in the NFL divisional playoffs since 2011, which hurts more than usual given the lofty expectations surrounding the team before the season.

Free agency is just about two months away, and the Bears have plenty of decisions to make both in-house and on the open market. With multiple areas of need, free agency and the NFL Draft will be important for general manager Ryan Pace.

With all eyes turned to the divisional playoffs, here are 7 pending free agents the Bears should keep an eye on Saturday:

QB Marcus Mariota

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Tennessee Titans

Technically, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Marcus Mariota won’t see the field on Saturday against the Ravens. And yet, he’s someone the Bears are surely keeping their eyes on this offseason.

Before Ryan Pace risked it all for Mitchell Trubisky, he was enamored with Mariota back in 2016 before Tennessee selected him second overall. Given the fact that both Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray are set to become free agents, Mariota is someone that Pace could target as competition for Trubisky this offseason — and perhaps as a backup plan should Trubisky struggle in 2020.

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Which Jets player would you most want on the Ravens’ roster?

A look at the undisputed star of the Jets defense and a player that would be an asset were he a member of the Baltimore Ravens roster

The New York Jets come to M&T Bank today to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15. It’s a game that looks like a bloodbath waiting to happen on the surface but that doesn’t mean New York is devoid of talent.

When looking over the Jets’ roster, they have quite a few key players but just haven’t managed to put it all together yet. Partially due to an injury report that looks more like a league transaction list than an individual team’s game status and partially due to the team still figuring out all the parts in between their stars.

But one player stands out above the rest and is a player that would look good in purple. In fact, it’s one player that could very well end up in Baltimore next season given how the Jets were shopping him earlier this season.

New York, for reasons best known only to themselves, were entertaining trade offers for safety Jamal Adams prior to the deadline. He remained with the team, but the Ravens were among the teams interested in making a deal. If they were open to the idea during the season, it makes sense they’ll draw more offers in the offseason.

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

This is Adams’ third season with the Jets after they spent the sixth-overall pick on him in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was fairly quiet as a rookie but has stepped up in a big way in the last two campaigns. He has 18 passes defended in his last 28 games along with two interceptions. One of these he took all the way for a touchdown. This season he has also improved his play in pass coverage too.

In 2018, he was allowing 55% of passes sent in his direction to completed for an average of 12.3 yards per completion and 6.8 yards per target. This year, he’s allowing only 51.7% of the passes to be completed, at a 9.2 YPC and 4.8 YPT average.

Adams has also been used more to apply pressure on the quarterback this year, with 65 blitzes in 12 games compared to 69 in 16 a year ago. This usage has seen him rack up 6.5 sacks this season, the most among all safeties. Adams has become a much surer tackler too. In 2018, 9.4% of his tackle attempts were missed. This year he knocked this average down to 4.5%.

Adams is likely to be missing on Thursday night as he nurses a foot injury. It’s possible then that he has already played his last game for the Jets, especially if teams show a renewed interest in trading for him this offseason. But don’t be terribly shocked if Baltimore is among those calling New York to see if they can make a deal happen as they look to bolster their secondary further thanks to an expected large amount of cap space available.

The Ravens have got by at safety with Earl Thomas, Chuck Clark, and Anthony Levine ever since Tony Jefferson and DeShon Elliott were lost for the season in October.

Clark has shown vast improvement after a shaky rookie season in which he gave up 11 receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns in pass coverage. But Adams offers so much versatility in both pass and rush defense that a defensive mind like coordinator Wink Martindale would probably think all his Christmases had come at once if Baltimore were to land him.

The asking price is still likely to be high, but maybe Adams’ disenchantment with the Jets could force them to accept a more palatable offer. Adams was angry that the Jets had seemingly gone behind his back in shopping him.  Adams and Thomas together, in concert with Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey at cornerback, would make the Ravens’ secondary one to be rightly feared.