Baltimore Ravens – Page 636 – Syndication Server

3-round Ravens mock draft: Picking the top-rated option on the board

In my latest mock draft for the Baltimore Ravens, I pick the top-rated option at positions of need in the 2020 NFL Draft

The first big wave of free agency is over in the NFL. Teams have picked over the top options available to them and a bunch of trades have taken place to fill immediate needs. While there will be plenty of more signings to happen between now and the 2020 NFL Draft, it isn’t likely to really affect how most teams are going to pick.

That’s certainly the case for the Baltimore Ravens, who have used free agency and trades to revamp their defensive line but haven’t addressed any of their other needs thus far. That gives us a really good idea of what Baltimore will be targeting once they’re on the clock in the first three rounds.

With that in mind, I went to NFL Mock Draft Database and used their mock draft simulator to see what options might be available for the Ravens come draft day. In this mock draft, I went with the best option remaining on their big board at outside linebacker, inside linebacker and wide receiver regardless of who else was available or where I might have them rated personally. It led to a bunch of really great picks that fit well but also some head-scratching picks too.

Let’s take a look at which prospects I was handed and do some quick analysis on them.

1st round (No. 28): LB Patrick Queen, LSU

One of Baltimore’s biggest remaining needs is at inside linebacker. Though the Ravens are back in talks with Patrick Onwuasor to potentially return, they’ll need to find a long-term option in the middle of their defense. With how little Baltimore uses their base package, finding a rangy inside linebacker who can cover and still stuff the run is pretty important unless the Ravens want to rotate guys in and out to fill the role.

Queen is that guy and getting him at the end of the first round is one of Baltimore’s best scenarios. Queen is a smart player with good instincts and can lead, which is something Onwuasor struggled with last season, leading to his demotion from the starting role. While not the biggest linebacker in the world, the Ravens boosting the beef in the trenches should allow him to use his speed and agility to scrape around and make plays all over the field.

Queen is an immediate starter in Baltimore and could very well be one of the final pieces of a historically good defense.

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7 XFL players the Ravens could target

With XFL players free to sign with NFL teams, here are seven names the Baltimore Ravens could be interested in during free agency

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted sports all across the world with several big-name events being delayed or even canceled. One such event was the 2020 debut campaign for the XFL, which stopped after just five games. With the spring league cutting its inaugural season short, any players who took part are now allowed to sign with an NFL team, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.

For many of the XFL’s players, playing a handful of live games this spring has allowed them to put some tape together and hopefully impress both scouts and general managers. Plenty of small school prospects that likely just got missed previously got a chance to show what they could do against some standouts.

With the NFL in the middle of free agency and a whole new market of players opened up to sign, here are seven players the Baltimore Ravens could be interested in bringing aboard.

WR Cam Phillips

Phillips played for the Houston Roughnecks and ending up leading the XFL in all three major receiving categories. Phillips finished the season with 31 receptions for 455 yards along with nine touchdown catches.

Phillips was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2018 although he did spend most of that season with the Buffalo Bills. Phillips played two games for the Bills, catching his only target for nine yards.

The Ravens need to get more out of their wide receivers in 2020 and haven’t really addressed the position in the early stages of free agency. Phillips’ production for the Roughnecks makes him a player that should certainly be on the radar of most NFL teams.

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Watch: TE Hayden Hurst discusses trade to Atlanta

While unproven after just two NFL seasons, Hurst has the kind of skill-set to become a big part of Dirk Koetter’s offense.

The Atlanta Falcons traded a second-round pick to the Ravens for tight end Hayden Hurst shortly after Austin Hooper signed a monster deal with the Browns. While still unproven after just two NFL seasons, Hurst has the kind of skill-set to become a big part of Dirk Koetter’s offense.

Hooper thrived last year and Hurst should have every opportunity to show he can play in 2020. It’s also not the worst situation for the 2018 first-round pick, as gets to play on the same field as Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Todd Gurley.

Speaking with Falcons reporter Kelsey Conway, Hurst discussed the trade and what he thinks he can bring to Atlanta. Check the video out below, as shared by the team’s Twitter account:

What can we expect @haydenrhurst to bring to Atlanta?

How is he training from his home?

We caught up with our new tight end. pic.twitter.com/IaekMzRvDK

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 22, 2020

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Tony Jefferson still helping recruit for Ravens even after being cut

Even though he was cut this offseason, former Baltimore Ravens safety Tony Jefferson gave a glowing endorsement to Calais Campbell

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Baltimore Ravens players have been the team’s best recruiters in recent years. Eric Weddle used to pitch Baltimore to guys like Dez Bryant and more while he was with the team. Even recently, safety Earl Thomas has tried to convince key players to come to town. But one of Baltimore’s biggest recruiters in previous years was safety Tony Jefferson.

Even though he was released by the Ravens this offseason to help their salary cap, Jefferson is still recruiting guys. According to defensive end Calais Campbell on The Lounge Podcast, Baltimore wanted to work out an extension before agreeing to a trade this offseason. With just 36 hours to work out the details, Campbell turned to his former Arizona Cardinals teammate for some inside information about the Ravens. It was Jefferson’s glowing praise for Baltimore that helped convince him to make a deal work.

“For a guy who just got released to have that huge of an endorsement for a program was like ‘wow, I want to be a part of this, that’s pretty special'”

Jefferson isn’t the only player to commend the Ravens after leaving town. Weddle recently said it was Baltimore that helped spark his career and made him realize what good teams were like. Stars like Ray Lewis still remain close with the team after retirement, while both Jarret Johnson and Brian Billick have become broadcasters for Ravens games. Baltimore also has several of their former players still working for them in the front office. Zachary Orr is currently the team’s coaching analyst and O.J. Brigance is the senior advisor to player engagement.

The Ravens have cultivated quite the culture here in Baltimore and there’s no shortage of former players that will speak highly of their experiences with the team. And apparently, it’s still paying dividends today.

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Report: Ravens in talks to bring back LB Patrick Onwuasor

With few options remaining in free agency and even less cap space, the Baltimore Ravens have resumed talks to re-sign LB Patrick Onwuasor

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The Baltimore Ravens have been trying to re-sign several of their own free agents this offseason. They’ve brought back defensive end Jihad Ward and defensive tackle Justin Ellis while giving out some contracts early to guys like cornerback Marcus Peters, punter Sam Koch and wide receiver Willie Snead.

With the first, big wave of free agency down and the Ravens very active, Baltimore is looking back at their own free agents to help fill some of their remaining holes. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, the Ravens are in talks with linebacker Patrick Onwuasor to return.

The decision makes sense for both Baltimore and Onwuasor at this point. The market for inside linebackers has dried up with the top options signing elsewhere. If Onwuasor isn’t getting many offers or a chance to start, returning to the Ravens might be his best option. Likewise, Baltimore doesn’t have a ton of options available to them right now and what is available isn’t obviously better than Onwuasor. So for them, returning a player that they’re familiar with and knows the defense is a wise decision as long as the money makes sense.

Even if the Ravens re-sign Onwuasor, they’re likely going to look towards the 2020 NFL Draft to find a long-term starter at inside linebacker. Many mock drafts have had Baltimore picking LSU’s Patrick Queen or Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray.

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Ravens salary cap ramifications from trading Chris Wormley

The Baltimore Ravens not only get some draft capital from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for DE Chris Wormley, they get some cap space

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The Baltimore Ravens pulled off a rare intra-division trade, sending defensive end Chris Wormley to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In return for Wormley and a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Baltimore gets a fifth-round pick in 2021.

The move makes sense after Baltimore has spent the early stages of free agency bolstering their defensive line. After adding in Calais Campbell and Michael Brockers while re-signing Jihad Ward and Justin Ellis, Wormley was on the outside looking in. To get anything in return for a player that seemed destined to be cut is a positive by itself. But even better for the Ravens is they get a little more room in the salary cap thanks to the trade of Wormley.

According to Over the Cap, the Ravens will get $2.133 million back in salary cap space by trading Wormley. With all of Baltimore’s moves, it’s unclear exactly how much available salary cap the Ravens have. OTC has Baltimore at $6.78 million remaining after the Wormley trade but a one-year extension for Campbell could give them even more space depending on how the deal is set up.

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2017 NFL Draft has been boom or bust for Ravens

Of the Baltimore Ravens’ seven picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, four are now no longer on the team while two have turned into stars.

The Baltimore Ravens are one of the best teams at scouting and drafting talent. They’ve been able to find stars and key contributors in pretty much every round over the last two decades. From guys like Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis in the first round to star outside linebacker Matthew Judon in the fifth round, you can usually count on Baltimore making the most of each draft.

However, the 2017 NFL Draft apparently ran hot or cold for the Ravens. With news that Baltimore is trading defensive end Chris Wormley to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it marks yet another 2017 draft pick that is no longer on the team.

Of the Ravens’ seven selections in that draft, four are now with different teams, with Wormley being the highest-drafted of the group. Offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor and Wormley have both been traded, guard Nico Siragusa was cut and eventually signed off Baltimore’s practice squad and outside linebacker Tim Williams was outright cut after struggling for four games last season.

On the flip side, when Baltimore hit, they hit hard. The Ravens’ first-round pick was Marlon Humphrey, who has turned into one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Safety Chuck Clark was Baltimore’s sixth-round pick and their final of the 2017 NFL Draft. Though he might not be well known around the league, the Ravens clearly think highly of him, signing him to a three-year contract extension early.

The only player remaining that hasn’t situated himself in the hot or cold category is former second-round pick outside linebacker Tyus Bowser. Prior to last season, it seemed as though Bowser could be on his way out as a failed project but he stepped up his game over the course of the 2019 season. Bowser finished with five sacks, 14 pressures and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. As Bowser enters his final year, this is his make-or-break season and the last chance for Baltimore to ring everything out of the 2017 NFL Draft.

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Ravens trading DE Chris Wormley to Steelers for 2021 NFL Draft pick

After revamping their defensive line this offseason, the Baltimore Ravens are shipping off one of their young players to the Steelers

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We have a rare intradivision trade on our hands. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Baltimore Ravens are shipping defensive end Chris Wormley and a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft off to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2021.

Trading Wormley makes sense considering how much Baltimore has done to revamp its defensive line this offseason. The Ravens have traded with the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive end Calais Campbell, signed free agent defensive tackle Michael Brockers and brought back both Justin Ellis and Jihad Ward. With defensive end now being pretty full for the Ravens, Wormley seemed to be the odd-man-out.

Wormley played in all 16 games last season, starting seven. He accounted for 1.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures and 33 combined tackles. Wormley had been a third-round pick for Baltimore in the 2017 NFL Draft.

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Ravens announce they re-signed DE Jihad Ward on 1-year deal

The Baltimore Ravens continue to keep their own and revamp their defensive line by re-signing DE Jihad Ward in free agency

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As previously reported and expected, the Baltimore Ravens are bringing back defensive end Jihad Ward. According to the team’s Twitter account, they’ve re-signed Ward to a one-year deal.

Baltimore has worked hard to bring back several of their key contributors for last season. Though Ward was added late, he quickly found a role for himself at defensive end and helped transform the Ravens’ defense from one of the worst units in the league into a fourth-place ranking by the end of the season. Ward played in 11 games for Baltimore in 2019, playing 38% of the entire season’s defensive snaps. He accounted for two fumble recoveries and one sack over those games.

It’s another step in the Ravens’ attempts to revamp their defensive line. Baltimore traded for Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell, signed former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers and re-signed Justin Ellis. All these moves should help the Ravens stuff the run better, something they struggled with at times last season and ultimately was the reason for their early departure in the playoffs.

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11 best remaining free agents the Ravens should be interested in

The Ravens made some noise in the early part of free agency but could still be looking for help. These 11 free agents could be the answer

With the first wave of high-profile free agents being signed, we now enter the next phase of free agency. This is where the second and third tier of players end up getting short-term contracts as a way to finish out their careers or hopefully rejuvenate them. This is also when the Baltimore Ravens typically are a little more aggressive in signing free agents.

While many of the big names are off the market, it’s these smaller deals that help round out a roster and can actually make a bigger overall impact for a team. For Baltimore, this is where they’ve added guys like Robert Griffin III, Mike Wallace, John Brown and Brandon Carr over the last three years.

So who is still available and who makes sense for the Ravens to sign? I picked out 11 free agents still on the market that could be on Baltimore’s radar still.

OLB Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney was the top free-agent outside linebacker this offseason, largely thanks to so many others getting tagged instead. With such a shallow market, Clowney doesn’t seem to be getting the type of attention he was hoping for, which might have lowered his value considerably.

While the Ravens are a little cash strapped at the moment, teams have a way of finding the money to get deals done when they need to. If Clowney is looking at a bunch of one-year deals, Baltimore being so close to a Super Bowl and having a major need at outside linebacker might be able to boost his value for next offseason.

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