Tag: Baltimore Ravens signings

Ravens announce signing of OLB Pernell McPhee

The Baltimore Ravens brought back Pernell McPhee after a seven-game 2019 season that saw him highly effective as a pass rusher.

A week after the Baltimore Ravens agreed to terms with outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, they announced he’s passed his physical and is officially re-signed. In order to make room on the 90-man roster, Baltimore waived wide receiver Sean Modster.

Originally brought in last season to provide veteran depth following the loss of Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith in free agency, McPhee quickly got up to speed and impressed in training camp. Fellow outside linebacker Tim Williams struggled, ultimately seeing him cut early in the season, making way for McPhee to start seven games before a torn triceps put him on injured reserve.

Over seven games last season, McPhee accounted for three sacks, six quarterback hits, and nine quarterback pressures. While McPhee struggled outside of Baltimore — in stints with the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins — the Ravens have been able to get the most out of him. McPhee has played in 63 games over five seasons in Baltimore, posting 20 sacks, 111 combined tackles, 31 tackles for a loss, and 54 quarterback hits.

Once again, McPhee joins Baltimore as it hopes to have young pass rushers take the next step. Tyus Bowser and Jaylon Ferguson started the 2019 season slowly but became more consistent in the second half, posting solid campaigns. For Ferguson, this will be his second season in the NFL and the point the Ravens will be expecting him to take a noticeable leap forward. For Bowser, this is the final year of his rookie contract and he’ll be looking to make enough waves to cash in next offseason.

Baltimore didn’t address the lack of depth at outside linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft, using their 10 picks on other positions. But a bevy of undrafted free agents were signed following the draft, including several outside linebackers. With a history of seeing at least one UDFA make the 53-man roster, the Ravens could be hoping they’ll further bolster their depth chart with an undrafted player who explodes onto the scene.

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Ravens officially sign OL D.J. Fluker

The Baltimore Ravens had previously agreed to terms with former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman D.J. Fluker but made the deal official.

The Baltimore Ravens had previously agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, but they made the deal official, announcing it on Twitter.

Fluker had been released by the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, entering free agency. He’ll join a Ravens roster that will see competitions for multiple starting jobs along the interior of the offensive line. Right guard is the job most clearly up for grabs after Marshal Yanda retired this offseason, but general manager Eric DeCosta also said left guard and center will see competition in training camp as well.

While Baltimore has Ben Powers likely penciled in for the starting job at right guard, Fluker has the experience to make a push there as well. As a former first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and with seven years in the league, Fluker is the most experienced player on Baltimore’s offensive line behind backup tackle Andre Smith. Fluker also has played at tackle, giving the Ravens another potential backup option for Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr.

Fluker’s signing had likely been held up as Baltimore waited for the offensive lineman to pass a physical. Teams have struggled to get physicals done with states enacting stay-at-home restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Ravens, like most NFL teams, have agreed to terms with players with deals being made official when physicals were done and passed. However, Baltimore has also seen one deal — for defensive tackle Michael Brockers — get canceled due to concerns that arose with a physical.

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Ravens find comfortable spot behind Chiefs in TD Wire’s offseason power rankings

The Ravens have retooled their defensive line to remedy what got them kicked out of the playoffs and it has them sitting pretty for 2020.

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We know how the 2019 season ended and now with the first big wave of free agency over, we have a clear look at how teams are shaping up for 2020. With the top free agents now off the market, the NFL pecking order might have changed a little bit from the last time everyone was in pads. For the Baltimore Ravens, they stay about the same.

Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire put together his mid-free agency power rankings and the Ravens sit in the second spot behind the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s the same second-place they finished the 2019 season with.

Though the power rankings were made when Baltimore still had a deal with Michael Brockers, the change out to Derek Wolfe likely doesn’t impact that very much. As we covered in our look at how Wolfe will impact the defensive line and in our instant analysis of the signing, Wolfe might end up being a better value in the end.

Overall, Schofield pointed out the Ravens made clear moves to shore up their run defense and help out outside linebacker Matthew Judon as a solid strategy to this offseason, especially with how they exited the playoffs last season.

It is always fascinating to see a team take stock of how their season ended and make moves to counteract what did them in. In this case, you can see the Ravens adding reinforcements along their defensive front for one reason: stopping Derrick Henry and the running game. Henry tagged them for just under 200 yards rushing in the Tennessee Titans’ upset victory over the Ravens in the divisional round, and adding Campbell and Brockers on the inside makes this already solid defense even better up front. Now obviously Campbell can also get after the passer, so pairing him with Matthew Judon, who they used the franchise tag on, will enable Baltimore to continue pressuring passers while perhaps relying less on the blitz than they did a season ago.

Baltimore will have to prove they should be in that No. 2 spot when the helmets get buckled back up for the 2020 season. With the NFL’s highest-scoring defense last season and an always stout defense that has gotten better this offseason, teams are going to be gunning for the Ravens come Week 1. If they can handle the initial onslaught, they could jump up that final spot to No. 1 soon enough.

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Newly released OLB Clay Matthews makes too much sense for the Ravens

Newly released outside linebacker Clay Matthews is the perfect free agent signing for the Baltimore Ravens. He’ll be cheap and effective

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The Baltimore Ravens have beefed up their defensive line with the additions of Calais Campbell and Michael Brockers but they’ve yet to address their top offseason need at outside linebacker. Though the Ravens have used the franchise tag on Matthew Judon, last season proved Baltimore needs some ancillary help opposite him to create a consistent and effective pass rush without having to blitz as often.

With few pass rushers entering the market thanks to the franchise tag, the Ravens have been patient in the early days of free agency when trying to address the position. Now as we enter the second tier of free agents that are better bargains and often don’t count towards the compensatory pick formula, this is when Baltimore tends to be more aggressive. And with the Los Angeles Rams releasing outside linebacker Clay Matthews, they might have found their guy.

The Ravens were interested in Matthews last offseason, offering him more money than Los Angeles but ultimately being turned down. It’s a decision Matthews himself jokingly called a poor one, which points to some potential interest in joining Baltimore this offseason as long as the feeling is mutual.

Matthews is the textbook Ravens free-agent signing. Though he’s towards the end of his career at 34 years old when the 2020 season kicks off, Matthews was surprisingly productive last season for the Rams. He posted eight sacks and 28 total pressures in 13 games, which is actually better production than Judon on a per-game basis. There’s little doubt Matthews could help Baltimore’s pass rush this season, even if just as a rotational solution.

At this point in his career, Matthews isn’t going to get long-term contract offers. And Baltimore doesn’t need a long-term solution either with their attention likely turning towards finding pass rushers in the 2020 NFL Draft. But an incentive-laden short-term contract that would allow Matthews another shot at a Super Bowl at decent money should be pretty easy for Baltimore to put together. Matthews will have a chance to further increase his legacy (he’s 8.5 sacks away from 100 for his career) without having to necessarily play all three downs while the Ravens get the experienced pass rusher they so desperately need.

There are few situations in football that are seemingly built to happen but this is one of them. If Matthews and Baltimore are smart, they’ll figure out a way to get a deal done this time around.

GM Eric DeCosta saving Ravens from free-agency hell

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta’s philosophy of signing key players early is already having a major impact on the NFL free agency this offseason

The 2020 NFL free agency period begins in less than a month. But for Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, free agency is a never-ending process that can happen any day of the year.

Since taking over for Ozzie Newsome, DeCosta has gotten in the habit of re-signing players early. It’s partially to end the cycle of developing players for other teams by keeping key players from hitting the free-agent market and ultimately leaving. But a secondary effect is that Baltimore saves money by inking players to a deal at the current market value instead of in a year or two when the increasing salary cap will drive up salaries.

In the case of this offseason, DeCosta’s philosophy is already having a major impact. Though Baltimore started the offseason with 21 pending free agents, including key starters in Matthew Judon and Michael Pierce, things could have been a lot worse had DeCosta not gotten a head start.

The Ravens have signed a number of players early, including nine that would have been free agents this offseason:

Player Position
Patrick Ricard FB/DL
Willie Snead WR
Andre Smith T
Jordan Richards DB
Justin Tucker K
Marcus Peters CB
Tavon Young CB
Marshal Yanda G
L.J. Fort ILB

Just imagine the Ravens having to try to re-sign Pro Bowlers like Ricard, Peters, Tucker and Yanda, alongside Judon and Pierce. It’s very likely Baltimore would have struggled to retain even the number of guys they already had, at least not without breaking the bank and dipping further into their salary cap.

As we saw last offseason with C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith and even Terrell Suggs, plenty of other teams are more than capable of beating any offer the Ravens can throw out. In the case of those three free agents, all earned bigger contracts than expected. Even re-signing one at their current contracts would have bankrupted Baltimore’s salary cap for the near future, ultimately forcing DeCosta to watch them leave with no real plan to replace them. Hopefully, DeCosta’s current philosophy will change that practice and see fewer star players leave after their rookie contracts.

It’s a strategy that has its potential negatives, however. In the case of Young, who spent last season on injured reserve, the Ravens might have been able to get a better value on his contract had they waited until now. Still, signing players early eliminates some of the anxiety of having to work on multiple contracts at once. As long as DeCosta and Baltimore’s front office do their due diligence and have a good eye for talent, they should have far more hits than misses.

As it stands now, the Ravens head into free agency this offseason with a clearer picture of how the salary cap looks for the next few years. With just two major free agents set to hit the market, Baltimore is in far greater shape to make decisions about the future of the franchise and be aggressive in making moves as soon as free agency begins on March 18.

The Ravens will likely turn their attention to tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey next in an effort to keep their two biggest pending free agents in Baltimore for the long haul.

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How Marcus Peters’ signing affects Ravens offseason plans

The Baltimore Ravens have made it far clearer what they plan on doing this offseason after inking CB Marcus Peters to a three-year deal

The Baltimore Ravens continued their new tradition of re-signing their high priority free agents early with the three-year contract extension given to cornerback Marcus Peters. Peters is now one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league with quite a lot of guaranteed money on his deal. Though the 2019 season hasn’t even ended yet, Peters’ signing has pretty big implications on what the Ravens will end up doing in the offseason.

Peters will join Marlon Humphrey as the two top cornerbacks on the team with Tavon Young returning to his typical slot role after ending this season on injured reserve. While the Ravens have loved having a wealth of top cornerbacks this season, they’ll have quite a bit of money invested in the position after giving Young a three-year, $25.8 million deal in February. That will likely jeopardize the standing of both Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr this offseason.

Smith is set to hit free agency this offseason after yet another down year in which he missed a bunch of games due to injury. Smith went down in Week 1 with a knee sprain after just six snaps, sitting out until Week 9. His 10 games played this season are his fewest since 2014 and make 19 games missed in the last four seasons. Though it’s possible Smith could return on a short-term deal with a low cap hit, it seems far more likely he’ll find bigger money elsewhere if another team is willing to bet he can remain healthy for 16 games.

Carr is still signed through the 2020 season but has a $1.5 million roster bonus due on March 10, according to Over The Cap. With only $1 million in dead money for next season, Baltimore would effectively save $6 million by cutting Carr before his roster bonus is due.

Much like Smith, it’s possible Carr could return to Baltimore, especially if the Ravens want to retain some experienced depth. Carr has played both inside and outside coverages and has even bounced back to safety this season in a floater role that allows him to still see plenty of snaps in spite of being the fourth cornerback on the depth chart. Given the injuries the Ravens have had at cornerback over the last few years and Carr’s age (he’ll be 34 next season), he could be a low-cost option to be cut and re-sign for Baltimore.

More importantly, Peters’ signing gives the Ravens a little more flexibility with regards to Humphrey in a few years. As a first-round pick, Humphrey has a fifth-year option available that would keep him signed through 2021. Baltimore would then have a clearer picture of their salary cap at that time and which cornerback they’d want to retain long-term.

Peters’ signing effectively makes him the Ravens’ No. 2 cornerback next season and continues Baltimore’s infatuation with having the league’s most talented and deep secondary. It also ensures the defense won’t change too much, continuing their Super Bowl window a little further.

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Ravens sign C Hroniss Grasu, waive DT Zach Sieler

The Baltimore Ravens wanted some more experienced depth on their offensive line, signing a familiar face in center Hroniss Grasu

The Baltimore Ravens are entering the final stretch of the season and they want a little more experienced beef on their offensive line. According to the team’s Twitter account, the Ravens signed center Hroniss Grasu off of waivers and waived defensive tackle Zach Sieler to make room on the roster.

Grasu was recently with the Tennessee Titans but spent time with Baltimore last season, seeing 80 snaps and starting one of three games he was active for. With starting center Matt Skura heading to injured reserve, the Ravens needed some extra experienced depth in the middle of their offensive line. Though Patrick Mekari has played well in Skura’s stead and Bradley Bozeman has experience playing center as well, it seems as though Baltimore wants to keep their starting lineup elsewhere intact and not move players around unless necessary.

To open up a roster spot for Grasu, the Ravens waived Sieler. This is the second time this season Sieler has been cut from the team. Sieler was released at the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline but re-signed with Baltimore on their practice squad. He was elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster in early October but has been active for just four games this year.

With the additions of Justin Ellis and Domata Peko, as well as the return of Michael Pierce from injury, Sieler was often relegated to being a healthy scratch each week. With depth needed more on the offensive line, Sieler was expendable.

Report: Patrick Ricard’s contract extension worth $7.3 million

Ravens two-way player Patrick Ricard went from undrafted free agent to the second-highest-paid fullback in the league with his extension

From undrafted to a multi-millionaire, Baltimore Ravens fullback/defensive lineman Patrick Ricard has played himself to better and better situations. The Ravens announced they inked Ricard to a two-year contract extension that will keep him signed through the 2021 season. But now we know how much it’ll cost Baltimore to keep the key two-way player.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ricard’s two-year contract extension is worth $7.3 million.

While the Ravens were likely to retain Ricard this offseason thanks to being a restricted free agent, they get an extra year and potentially at a steal. It’s unclear exactly how the contract will be split up, but $7.3 million for two years could be considered cheap for a player as important as Ricard.

The last time Baltimore had a fullback hit free agency, Kyle Juszczyk signed a record-setting four-year deal worth $21 million. Though Juszczyk was used far more in the Ravens’ passing attack than Ricard currently is, Juszczyk also didn’t play defense as well.

Don’t rule out an increased role for Ricard in the passing game either, as he has eight receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown this season. It took until Juszczyk’s third season with the Ravens before he became an impact receiver out of the backfield. Given Ricard is well known as “project Pat” for being developed into his current two-way role, he might take an extra year to reach the same level of productivity as Juszczyk had.

Regardless of if his role is ever increased, $3.65 million per year for a guy that plays offense, defense and special teams seems like a bargain.

Ravens sign FB/DL Patrick Ricard to a 2-year contact extension

The Baltimore Ravens have locked up fullback/defensive lineman Patrick Ricard to an early contract extension through the 2021 season

The Baltimore Ravens have seen enough out of fullback/defensive lineman Patrick Ricard this season. According to the team’s Twitter account, they’ve locked him up to a two-year contract extension that will keep him through the 2021 season. Ricard was set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. While likely to return for at least a season, Baltimore’s extension ensures they keep him for the near future.

Ricard is one of the few two-way players in the NFL, playing both on offense and defense. But that actually doesn’t do Ricard justice as he plays a significant number of snaps on special teams as well.

Sadly, what Ricard does for Baltimore doesn’t tend to show up on the stat sheet. Ricard has eight receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown while posting nine combined tackles, a pass defensed, one sack and two quarterback hits. While those stats are underwhelming for a guy getting a contract mid-season, the Ravens clearly feel he’s an asset on their roster.

He’s a big portion of Baltimore’s depth on the defensive line but he’s been a star at fullback. Ricard is a huge reason the Ravens have had such success on the ground, blocking the way for guys like Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and quarterback Lamar Jackson. A quick look at film from any game will show Ricard blowing up defenders and pushing them downfield, opening holes for big rushing yards. Ricard’s play has him headed towards his first Pro Bowl nomination, as he leads fan voting at fullback.

Baltimore has aimed to extend their pending free agents early when possible. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has been able to lock up cornerback Tavon Young, kicker Justin Tucker, guard Marshal Yanda and wide receiver Willie Snead to extensions during the regular season. Ricard is just another in a line

Ravens sign DTs Domata Peko, Justin Ellis; punt returner Cyrus Jones waived

The Baltimore Ravens beefed up the center of their defensive line with defensive tackle Michael Pierce expected to miss time with an injury.

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With defensive tackle Michael Pierce having suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of Week 10’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens brought in reinforcements.

The Ravens announced they signed defensive tackle Justin Ellis, a five-year veteran who had been with the Oakland Raiders. Over his time in the league, Ellis (6-2, 350 pounds) has accounted for 119 tackles and a half-sack.

In addition, Baltimore added former Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko. Initially reported by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec and confirmed by his agent, Peko adds a wealth of experience to the defensive line. Peko played 11 years with Cincinnati and the last two with the Denver Broncos, amassing 589 combined tackles, 20 sacks, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 50 quarterback hits.

To make room for Ellis and Peko, the Ravens announced they have waived punt returner Cyrus Jones and defensive end Ufomba Kamalu. A Baltimore native, Jones became dispensable after Baltimore signed return specialist De’Anthony Thomas last week and made him a healthy scratch for Week 10. Kamalu had been signed off New England’s practice squad but had not been active in a game this season for the Ravens.

While Pierce’s injury is considered day-to-day, according to coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have been thin on the defensive line. They initially entered the season with just five defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, a departure from the usually stacked units Baltimore carried in previous years.

With no clear timetable set for Pierce’s return from injury and rookie Daylon Mack only being active for one game this season, the Ravens needed some beef in the middle of their defensive line. Peko and Ellis give them exactly that right at a time when they’ll go up against two of the best rushing teams in the league: the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

Baltimore has found quite a bit of success with signing free-agent defenders this season. The Ravens added linebackers L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes earlier in the year, and both have provided a major impact for the defense. So there’s plenty of hope both Ellis and Peko could do the same in the second half of the season.

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