Tag: Baltimore Ravens injuries

Ravens DB Iman Marshall needs surgery after major knee injury

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

The Baltimore Ravens are finally back on the grass in training camp ahead of the 2020 season this weekend. But not every player will be available to them as they look to build on last year’s 14-2 record and AFC North division title.

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. The injury is thought to be a torn ACL and MCL, which Harbaugh said will require surgery. If that’s the case, Marshall’s season is likely over.

This is a terrible blow for Marshall after a disappointing rookie season in 2019. Marshall spent the first 10 weeks of the season on injured reserve after suffering an undisclosed injury in the preseason. He was activated prior to Week 11 but only appeared in three games before the end of the campaign, playing just four defensive snaps in total.

Baltimore’s cornerback room is arguably the strongest position on the Ravens’ roster, with two All-Pro players in Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey joining long-time veteran Jimmy Smith in the defensive backfield. Still, the loss of Marshall is a blow to the Ravens’ depth, especially with some questions still surrounding the health of Tavon Young who missed the whole of last season with a neck injury. If Baltimore finds themselves in need of a veteran to fill out the roster, Brandon Carr remains a street free agent. Carr spent the last three seasons with the Ravens, starting all 48 games.

In other injury news, wide receiver and key special teams player Chris Moore also suffered a broken finger over the weekend. This is the second year Moore has suffered a broken finger, which will make it harder for him to lock down his spot on the 53-man roster.

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Ravens C Matt Skura passed his physical

Less than a year after a gruesome knee injury that ended his season, Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura is set to return to the field.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura has been one of the more inspirational stories this offseason. After suffering a season-ending knee injury last year, Skura has worked incredibly hard to get back on the field. And as the Ravens put on pads for the first time, Skura will be able to do that. According to the league’s transaction report, Skura has passed his physical and can practice with the team.

Skura tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, and dislocated his knee cap on Nov. 25, in a Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Rams. These types of knee injuries used to be career enders but now players routinely rehabilitate and return to the field about a year later, with it taking a little longer to actually get back up to 100% physically and mentally. Though Skura has been working hard, posting videos of his impressive workouts along the way, a return to the practice field in pads would be an impressive feat. It’s one Baltimore could really use as well.

Center is one of the few positions that have a bit of a competition at training camp. When Skura wasn’t expected to be back to 100% yet, it was figured the team would let guys like Patrick Mekari and Bradley Bozeman jockey for a potential starting spot. But if Skura truly is back, Baltimore’s coaching staff might be able to turn their attention to other competitions. They’d also return 10-of-11 starters from last season’s top-scoring offense.

In the 11 games Skura started for Baltimore last season, the offense put up 2,316 rushing yards combined (210.55 yards per game on average). That alone would have topped the entire NFL last season, not even counting the extra they put on in the final few weeks to break a 41-year old record. For his part, Skura was outstanding, earning a 68.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and allowing just one sack over 11 games.

As the Ravens truly open training camp for the first time this offseason, they’re seeing puzzle pieces come into place.

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UDFA TE Jacob Breeland clears waivers, goes on Ravens’ reserve list

UDFA tight end Jacob Breeland cleared waivers and was able to move to the Baltimore Ravens’ reserve list, stashing him for the 2020 season.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Jacob Breeland is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season with Oregon. While the Ravens won’t be able to use him this year, they were able to keep hold of him and effectively stash him until 2021.

According to the transaction wire, Breeland cleared waivers and was put to the reserve list. The move keeps Breeland with Baltimore for the rest of the season without counting towards their roster limit.

Breeland had a respectable 2019 campaign with Oregon, catching 26 passes for 405 yards and six touchdown receptions despite being injured after just six games. While Breeland was expected to be drafted, the injury ultimately saw his name not get called. Instead, Breeland signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent.

It was hoped Breeland would be able to compete for Baltimore’s third tight end job along with Charles Scarff and Eli Wolf. Instead, Breeland was sent to the reserve list while the Ravens signed veteran Jerell Adams to compete in training camp.

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Report: Ravens to waive UDFA TE Jacob Breeland as injured

Jacob Breeland is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered with Oregon last season and wasn’t going to be ready for the Baltimore Ravens.

One of the more interesting battles at Baltimore Ravens training camp is at tight end. Following the trade of Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons, the third tight end spot on the Ravens’ depth chart is wide open for someone to win. Sadly, UDFA Jacob Breeland won’t be among those competing for the spot.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Ravens will be waiving Breeland with an injury designation, after initially placing him on the non-football injury (NFI) list at the start of training camp. With Baltimore agreeing to terms with veteran tight end Jerell Adams, they needed the roster spot held by Breeland. However, Pelissero also noted the Ravens are still interested in Breeland and would like to keep him around for 2021, but first, he needs to clear waivers.

Breeland has been rehabilitating from a torn ACL that ended his 2019 season with the Oregon Ducks. He suffered the knee injury in the sixth game of the season, against Colorado, derailing what had been an impressive year that likely would have seen Breeland drafted fairly early. Sadly, with the knee injury, Breeland ended up going undrafted and signed as a UDFA with Baltimore.

Breeland caught 26 passes for 405 yards and six touchdowns over six games with Oregon last season. Over four years and 30 total games, Breeland had 1,225 receiving yards and 13 touchdown receptions on 74 catches.

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Ravens place C Matt Skura on physically unable to perform list

The Baltimore Ravens got their first look at center Matt Skura’s return from a knee injury at training camp, putting him on the PUP list.

The Baltimore Ravens got their first real look at center Matt Skura this offseason, but apparently, he’s just not 100% ready to go. The Ravens announced via Twitter they’ve placed Skura on the active physically unable to perform (PUP) list at training camp.

Skura heading to the PUP list shouldn’t be very shocking. He suffered a gruesome knee injury last season, tearing his ACL, PCL, MCL, and dislocating his knee cap in Week 11. Though Skura has been keeping fans updated on his comeback with a series of workout videos, those types of knee injuries take serious time to get back 100% physically. Beyond that, there’s the mental side of a knee injury like that, with many players needing another year to actually return to form in games.

Skura’s placement on the PUP list doesn’t mean he’s done for the year, however. Skura can return to training camp practices once cleared by Baltimore’s medical staff. That gives him the chance to continue rehabilitating with the Ravens’ trainers, something that’s been difficult to do with the coronavirus pandemic forcing everyone to remain socially distant. It’s also an open window to return to the team before the end of the offseason and potentially still start come Week 1.

However, it also means Baltimore is likely to start looking a little harder at other options on its roster right now, in the event Skura isn’t ready to return for the regular season.

Patrick Mekari filled in well at center following Skura’s injury last season. It would make sense Mekari is penciled into the starting role right now in training camp, though he’s likely going to see some competition as well. Bradley Bozeman started at left guard last season but with an influx of guards on the roster and not as many experienced players at center, he could be in the running for the starting job if necessary. UDFAs Sean Pollard and Trystan Colon-Castillo could also be in the mix for a spot on the 53-man roster as well, though it seems unlikely they’d be put into the starting lineup if there were more experienced players available.

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Ravens DC Don Martindale excited about potentially healthy CB Tavon Young

The Baltimore Ravens slot cornerback could be ready to return after missing 2019, getting defensive coordinator Don Martindale excited

The Baltimore Ravens’ pass defense was one of the strengths of the team last season, as defensive coordinator Don Martindale’s charges allowed the sixth fewest passing yards in the whole league. Only the New England Patriots allowed a lower completion percentage than the Ravens, against whom opponents completed just 58.5% of their passes. It was with some degree of justification that three members of the Ravens defensive backfield — namely Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, and Earl Thomas — were named All-Pros last year.

But there is a drumbeat building around how this group could be improved this season. It’s not because of a new face in the defensive backs room but rather a familiar one. Cornerback Tavon Young missed the entire 2019 season with a serious neck injury, but he could be set to return for 2020 — at least according to him.

“He says he’s healthy,” Martindale said in a video conference with reporters last week. “He’s ready to go. Tavon is ready to go, and if he tells me he’s ready to go, I believe in him 100 percent. And he’ll be ready to go, so I’m excited about that.”

Having Young back would allow Humphrey to move back to the outside cornerback spot. Humphrey played inside on 50.2% of his snaps last season, according to Player Profiler, compared to just 4.8% in 2018 when Young played 15 games. The last time we saw Young, he was earning the highest contract for a slot cornerback after his 2018 deeds.

But (and there is a big but) no one has said that Young is definitely going to be back on the field, never mind at his best. In the same interview, Martindale joked that Young “looks healthy on the computer.” There does not appear to be any word from medical experts regarding Young’s health, and whether he has been medically cleared to resume playing.

It would be one thing if Young, as good as he has been when on the field, has been a picture of health through his career. However, that has not been the case. As well as the neck injury, Young missed the entire 2017 season with a torn ACL, while also battling hip and ankle injuries during the 2018 season. Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Young has missed 33 of 64 possible regular-season games.

A fully fit and healthy Young would give Martindale another weapon to deploy against opposing offenses in 2020. But until we get confirmation that he is good to go, Baltimore is simply hoping Young is 100% and ready to roll.

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Ravens C Matt Skura eyeing return for training camp after gruesome knee injury

After a gruesome knee injury last season, Ravens C Matt Skura is already thinking about a return and has his sights set on training camp

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura’s return from injury is going well. And that might mean a pretty miraculous return to the field come training camp.

“Whenever training camp starts, I’d like to be out there if I’m feeling really good,” Skura told BaltimoreRavens.com’s Clifton Brown. “If I’m not ready at the beginning, then maybe we’d take a week to get me back in the groove. I’m trying not to rush back too quickly, but I don’t want to delay myself too long.

Skura suffered a devastating knee injury in Week 11 last season, tearing his ACL, MCL, PCL, and dislocating his knee cap. While that type of injury might have been a career ender even just a decade ago, Skura has been making steady strides towards returning. He’s posted updates on Twitter, showing him getting back to lifting weights, though he readily admits squats are a far cry from having to fend off a defensive tackle that wants to push you out of the way and put your quarterback into the dirt.

“I’m feeling good strength wise, and obviously I’m still building that up. I just have to see how I feel when there’s a moving target, or when there’s another 300-pound dude trying to get to the quarterback or a running back. We’ll see how it feels then. But as of right now, things are feeling good.”

While lifting heavy weights that quickly after a knee injury is impressive, Skura’s return to running again back in April is an even more encouraging sign.

“I’d say I’m almost at full speed running,” Skura said, per Brown. “I can’t go from a stop all the way to full speed as quickly as I used to yet, but I’m getting close to that, maybe 80 to 90 percent.”

Though Baltimore is returning most of its starting lineup from last season, they have a few competitions being set up. None are as intriguing as the starting center job, which is surprisingly deep this year. Now on a one-year, restricted-free-agent deal, Skura will need to return quickly and fully to ensure his roster spot, much less his place on the depth chart.

Though the Ravens got good results from Skura, who made 36 consecutive starts at both center and guard before his injury last season, his job is far from guaranteed. When Skura went down, Patrick Mekari stepped in and performed admirably and will undoubtedly be considered for the job again this season. Then there’s likely going to be a further push from Bradley Bozeman — who started all 16 games at left guard for Baltimore last season — as well as fourth-round pick Ben Bredeson and UDFA Trystan Colon-Castillo.

However, if Skura can continue his rapid return, it might just be his job to lose at training camp.

“I know I’ve made a lot of big strides,” Skura said. “I’m going to keep that going.”

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Watch: Ravens C Matt Skura back to squatting 300-plus pounds after knee injury

After tearing his ACL, PCL, MCL and dislocating his knee cap last season, Baltimore Ravens C Matt Skura has been hitting the weights hard.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura suffered a devastating knee injury last season, dislocating his knee cap and tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in the process. It put him on injured reserve, ending what had been a great start to the 2019 season and has him facing an unclear timeline for his return in 2020. But Skura has been keeping up with rehab this offseason and is getting some mighty fine results in the process.

Skura has posted updates on Twitter this offseason as he works his way back from the injury and has rapidly increased what he’s able to do. Back in January, Skura told fans he was finally off crutches — a big milestone for any knee injury. At Marshal Yanda’s retirement press conference in early March, Skura said he was back to squatting and deadlifting before posting a video of him riding the stationary bike and squatting a week later. Now in April, Skura is back at the weight rack once again, this time squatting even more weight.

While it’s still unclear if Skura has an expected timeline to return to the football field in any major way, his increasing workouts are a positive sign. After the Ravens gave Skura a low tender this offseason, Baltimore could be looking at getting their starting center back for the 2020 season. With Yanda’s retirement, the Ravens could use all the interior offensive line help they can get.

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Derek Wolfe says dislocated elbow that ended 2019 season is ‘fine’

After suffering a dislocated elbow that sent him to injured reserve last season, Derek Wolfe says he’s healthy for the Baltimore Ravens.

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One of the top concerns for new Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Derek Wolfe has been his health. Wolfe has missed 15 games over the last five seasons, including four in 2019 after going on injured reserve with an elbow injury. Considering the Ravens walked away from their deal with Michael Brockers over a medical concern with his ankle, Wolfe’s injury history has drawn a few question marks.

Wolfe says he understands the concern over what was a dislocated elbow and the coronavirus limiting teams from getting physicals done. However, he believes his elbow is just fine.

“I think the coronavirus happened and you can’t get guys in for physicals and you can’t meet guys,” Wolfe said, per Mike Klis of 9News. “I dislocated my elbow and that scares people. But I posted a video that showed that it’s fine.”

Wolfe put up a video of him lifting weights with full extension and seemingly no major pain. While that’s far from a physical from an independent doctor, it’s certainly a good sign for both Wolfe and the Ravens. While Baltimore has yet to make the deal official yet, they must be good with what they’ve seen to once again agree to terms on a signing.

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On a one-year “prove-it” deal, both Wolfe and the Ravens are hoping he’s healthy and can remain that way through the 2020 season. When on the field, Wolfe has proven to be a solid run defender that brings some upside as a pass rusher. When combined with fellow new Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell, Baltimore looks to be in good shape in the trenches.

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Marquise Brown had surgery to remove screw in his foot

After dealing with a nagging foot injury in his rookie campaign, Baltimore Ravens WR Marquise Brown had surgery to take out a screw.

When the Baltimore Ravens took wide receiver Marquise Brown in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, they knew he was coming to them as damaged property. Roughly a year after having foot surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury, Brown went back under the knife to fix the fix.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Brown had surgery this offseason to remove a screw from the previous surgery. The hope is that the surgery will allow Brown to get back to 100% this season, even if he’ll be limited in the offseason program.

Brown still had an impressive rookie season, though he admitted he wasn’t 100% and could actually run faster. Brown caught 46 passes for 584 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns over 14 games last season, including a breakout performance in Week 1 where he torched the Miami Dolphins to the tune of 147 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns on four receptions. Brown is expected to get even better in 2020, especially if he’s finally able to get healthy.

Coming into the 2019 NFL Draft many pundits wondered if Brown’s small frame would lead to durability issues and it haunted his rookie campaign. Brown not only dealt with the nagging foot injury but injuries to both his hip and ankle that caused him to have a “questionable” designation on the final injury report of seven games while missing two entirely.

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