Broderick Washington Jr. – Syndication Server

Ravens DT Broderick Washington Jr. arrested and charged with felony destruction of property

Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr. was arrested in Arlington, VA and charged with felony destruction of property

As the Baltimore Ravens focus their attention on the start of free agency and preparing for the 2021 NFL draft, they have a new concern added to the mix. Ravens defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr. was arrested in Arlington, VA, and charged with felony destruction of property, tampering with a vehicle, as well as five counts of misdemeanor destruction of property.

According to Arlington County police via ARLnow.com, Washington was arrested after police received “multiple reports of a male suspect breaking into vehicles with a metal object.”

Washington was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Washington didn’t get a lot of playing time thanks to the Ravens fully revamping the defensive line last offseason, seeing the field for just 161 snaps. While he didn’t play much, he showed some promise as a rotational option on Baltimore’s defensive line.

According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, the Ravens issued a statement saying, “We are aware of the matter involving Broderick Washington. We have spoken with Broderick about this matter and will continue to monitor the situation.”

[vertical-gallery id=46658]

Ravens set to re-sign DT Justin Ellis on 1-year deal

The Baltimore Ravens are keeping some continuity on their defensive line, bringing back DT Justin Ellis on a one-year deal.

The Baltimore Ravens revamped their defensive line last offseason and apparently are looking to keep it rolling into 2021. According to NFL reporter Josina Anderson and confirmed by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, the Ravens are bringing back defensive tackle Justin Ellis. It’ll be a one-year deal worth $1.2 million

Baltimore originally signed Ellis midway through the 2019 season after a short stint with the Oakland Raiders. However, he was active for just four games with the Ravens that season. Still, Baltimore brought him back last offseason where he saw far more playing time, playing 34% of the defensive snaps and starting three games while Brandon Williams was out on the COVID-19 list. While Ellis hasn’t put up much in the way of stats, the Ravens’ coaching staff clearly likes what they’ve seen from him.

Re-signing Ellis would seem to be solely for depth but it is an interesting move when you consider Baltimore selected defensive tackles Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington Jr. in the 2020 NFL draft. While Madubuike battled injuries and Washington only played on 15% of the defense’s snaps, both could be in line for far more playing time in 2021.

At the same time, the move could signal a desire to adjust Williams’ contract to free up some cap space. Williams is currently in the final year of his deal and carries a $14.42 million cap hit — the third highest on the team in 2021 — according to Over The Cap. Cutting Williams outright would free up $7.5 million, which is a massive amount considering the Ravens are currently projected to have just $18 million in available salary-cap funds. Ellis is by no means as capable as Williams but at just 8% of the cost and with Calais Campbell helping solidify the defensive line, Baltimore could be preparing to make a surprising move ahead of free agency.

Regardless of what happens elsewhere on the roster, the Ravens have brought back a defensive player they clearly like who has starting experience, and all for pretty cheap. It might not be the biggest move we’ve seen Baltimore make but it’s one that makes a lot of sense for them.

[listicle id=60168]

Ravens injuries: DT Brandon Williams, CB Terrell Bonds expected to miss time

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said both Brandon Williams and Terrell Bonds will likely miss time after suffering injuries in Week 10.

The Baltimore Ravens exited Week 10 with yet another pile of injuries to deal with. Tight end Nick Boyle has already been confirmed out for the season with a knee injury but several other players went down on Sunday night against the New England Patriots and the prognosis isn’t exactly great.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave some injury updates. Cornerback Terrell Bonds will “probably be a couple of weeks” with a knee injury. Nose tackle Brandon Williams went down in the first half with an ankle injury and is expected to miss “possibly a week, maybe. Maybe more,” though Harbaugh didn’t rule him out for Week 11.

Both injuries come at one of the worst times for Baltimore. The defense is already thin at cornerback after putting four players on injured reserve. While Bonds had only been active four weeks this season, the other injuries at the position saw him take 87% of the snaps in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts. With fellow cornerback Marlon Humphrey a little banged up in the game as well, injuries are really beginning to derail what was the strength of the defense this season.

Williams’ injury might be the most pressing short-term, however. With Williams out of the lineup, the Patriots were able to gash the Ravens on the ground with running back Damien Harris, who had a career game with 121 rushing yards Sunday. With the Tennessee Titans and running back Derrick Henry coming to town next week, Williams’ potential absence will loom large for Baltimore, especially with Calais Campbell expected to be out as well.

The Ravens will likely rely on newly acquired cornerback Tramon Williams with Bonds out, while they turn to rookies Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington Jr. if Williams misses any time.

[listicle id=55899]

Ravens’ rookies handled NFL debut well

Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, the Baltimore Ravens got excellent play from their 2020 NFL Draft class, including three starters.

The Baltimore Ravens selected 10 players in the 2020 NFL Draft. With how talented and deep Baltimore’s roster already was, it was expected few of the rookies would actually see the field early for the Ravens, much less make an immediate impact. But with Week 1 in the books, it turns out Baltimore might have something special in its 2020 draft class.

Three rookies — guard Tyre Phillips, and linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison — started the game. While Queen was expected to start, Phillips and Harrison getting the nod over veterans is a bit of a shock. The Ravens have typically gone with the more experienced player in these situations before, including starting James Hurst at right tackle over the clearly better Orlando Brown Jr. in 2018.

But it wasn’t just those three rookies that saw the field a bunch to open the season. In total, seven of Baltimore’s draft picks got playing time in Week 1. Take a look at their snap counts for a better idea of just how much they all played:

Player	Position	OFF/DEF Snaps	OFF/DEF %	ST Snaps	ST %
Patrick Queen	LB	54	74%	3	12%
J.K. Dobbins	RB	23	39%	–	–
Devin Duvernay	WR	11	19%	8	33%
Malik Harrison	LB	21	29%	15	62%
Tyre Phillips	G	56	95%	–	–
Broderick Washington Jr.	DT	28	38%	–	–
James Proche	WR	5	8%	4	17%

Those are pretty impressive totals for a team that typically likes to start their rookies off slow and let them earn more playing time over the course of the season.

And with the spotlight firmly on them, they performed incredibly well. While no rookie had a perfect outing, which would be ridiculous to expect, there weren’t any massive mistakes either. And for quite a few of the rookies, they announced their presence in the NFL with big plays.

Queen showcased his speed on a blitz, knifing into the backfield and taking down Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. In total, Queen led the team with eight tackles, had a sack, a quarterback hit, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble.

Dobbins was expected to eventually be the heir to starter Mark Ingram but he made his debut one to remember. He showed some speed and power on his seven carries, even if he only gained 22 yards on the day. But Dobbins had a nose for the end zone, finding it twice on the ground, including one run where he showed great patience running behind an offensive lineman.

Harrison had four combined tackles and a pass defensed. Washington had one tackle assist but helped plug up the rushing lanes to keep Cleveland’s running backs contained. Duvernay caught his lone target for 12 yards, picking up a key first down early in the game and had a great kickoff return to set up a scoring drive.

Proche was the only player with a truly noticeable mistake. He was a little too cautious on a punt return, allowing the ball to hit the ground and roll to the goal line. It looked like he had enough time to call for a fair catch and secure the ball, which would have gone a long way to helping the offense on the drive. Even still, Proche had a solid punt return for 17 yards at another point in the game and showed the speed and agility to be a dangerous weapon there.

It might be a bit much to expect this level of performance from the rookies every week but they certainly showed they have a place on the field and in the NFL. When added to a roster that was already considered a favorite to win Super Bowl LV, the future looks really strong in Baltimore.

[vertical-gallery id=52802]

Ravens start 2020 season behind Chiefs on USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings

The Baltimore Ravens have tried to make themselves better than last year’s 14-2 team but sit in No. 2 in the first NFL power rankings list

The Baltimore Ravens were the best team in the NFL during the 2019 regular season. While the playoffs were a different matter for Baltimore, they enter the 2020 season as one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LV. So it should come as no shock the Ravens are near the top of the power rankings ahead of Week 1’s showdown against the Cleveland Browns.

Nate Davis of USA TODAY Sports placed Baltimore at No. 2 on his first power rankings of the 2020 regular season.

While the Kansas City Chiefs are rightfully at the top of the power rankings list due to winning Super Bowl LIV, the Ravens have made a serious case themselves. With the disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans still in their minds, Baltimore went out and remedied their biggest problem this offseason.

Before free agency even opened up, the Ravens had pulled off a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to land defensive end Calais Campbell. Baltimore would eventually sign defensive tackle Derek Wolfe after a deal with Michael Brockers fell through. Further gains to the defensive line came through the 2020 NFL Draft, with Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington Jr. adding much-needed youth to the unit.

Offensively, the Ravens are largely the same as they were last year, though they’re trying to replace the recently-retired Marshal Yanda at right guard. But a motivated and in-shape D.J. Fluker looks to be a solid answer to Baltimore’s problems. With rookie wide receivers Devin Duvernay and James Proche added to help reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back J.K. Dobbins brought in through the 2020 NFL Draft, the Ravens’ offense has the makings to be even better than last year’s record-setting unit.

With the Ravens recently jettisoning safety Earl Thomas from the roster following his fight with fellow safety Chuck Clark, Davis wondered if Baltimore actually got better. All eyes will be on Thomas’ replacement, DeShon Elliott, to see if that’s the case or if the Ravens should have swallowed the bitter pill and kept the Pro Bowl safety.

With the very first live-action football in months coming this week, we’ll see exactly where Baltimore and the rest of the league stands.

[vertical-gallery id=47631]

What Daylon Mack being cut means for rest of Ravens defensive line

The shocking cutting of DT Daylon Mack at training camp has a lot of implications for the rest of the Baltimore Ravens defensive line

The Baltimore Ravens surprised many by making defensive tackle Daylon Mack one of their early cuts as they work to get down to the 80-man roster limit for training camp. A fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, it was expected Mack would at least be given a chance to win a spot on the 53-man roster, if not the potential for a rotational role in certain packages in the regular season.

Mack’s early dismissal is a pretty big deal for several other guys on the roster bubble. It also might indicate what Baltimore wants to do on their defensive line moving forward.

For one, it gives UDFA defensive tackle Aaron Crawford a chance to finally breathe. With the Ravens needing to make quick cuts as training camp opens, the undrafted players were the ones with the biggest targets on their backs. UDFAs are developmental projects that likely won’t offer much impact this season, if ever. It also means the Ravens’ fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, Broderick Washington Jr., will have a better chance to make the final 53-man roster as well.

With the pandemic making training camp the first and only time the players will get on the field before the regular season begins, no one would blame Baltimore if it wanted to keep more experienced players over those that haven’t played a snap in the NFL yet. That’s especially the case with late-round and undrafted rookies on the depth chart.

Brandon Williams is set to be the starting defensive tackle this season, with Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe likely flanking him on the defensive line most of the time. That means the remaining players at defensive tackle are fighting to be Williams’ primary backup. It’s a role that should get a decent number of snaps this season and could effectively be an unofficial interview for a starting spot if the Ravens move on from Williams’ high cap number next season.

Mack being out of the picture would mean that battle is likely to be centered around Justin Ellis and rookie Justin Madubuike. Ellis has more experience, having started 42 games over his six-year career, which might give him the edge there. But as a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Madubuike is no slouch either. Though Mack was a fifth-round pick last year and only got nine defensive snaps before heading to injured reserve, he would have been somewhat of a middle ground in the competition to be Williams’ backup.

Perhaps, more importantly, is the future of the position. Williams is a potential cap casualty next offseason, with Baltimore set to get back $9.5 million on a potentially lowered 2021 NFL salary cap, according to Over The Cap. If that happens, Madubuike and Washington would be the only two defensive tackles currently on the team still under contract. While Baltimore could easily sign a free agent or draft another defensive tackle to bolster the group next offseason, it narrows down the Ravens’ options early and points to those two being in line for a significant role in 2021.

A lot of things can and probably will still happen in this unusual offseason. But Mack is the first truly interesting cut for Baltimore and it has wide-reaching implications.

[vertical-gallery id=50943]

Ravens sign 5th-round pick DT Broderick Washington Jr.

The Baltimore Ravens have signed their first 2020 NFL Draft pick, getting fifth-round DT Broderick Washington Jr. under contract

The Baltimore Ravens have signed the first of their 10-man 2020 NFL Draft class, inking defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr., according to a press release from the team.

Washington was the second defensive lineman Baltimore selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, being picked in the fifth round (170th overall). The Ravens grabbed defensive tackle Justin Madubuike in the third round as well, as part of their complete makeover of the defensive line this offseason. The two rookies combine with defensive end Calais Campbell and defensive tackle Derek Wolfe as newcomers to Baltimore’s defensive line for the 2020 season.

As a fifth-round pick, Washington isn’t likely to be in the running for many snaps this season but should be a factor in the Ravens’ long-term plans. He’ll likely compete with Daylon Mack, Baltimore’s fifth-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, as a backup for Brandon Williams this season. However, with such a crowded defensive line, neither Washington or Mack are guaranteed spots on the Ravens’ 53-man roster this season.

Over four seasons with Texas Tech, Washington accounted for 138 combined tackles, including 15.5 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks.

[vertical-gallery id=46348]

5 winners and 4 losers from the Ravens’ 2020 draft

With all the 2020 NFL Draft picks in, which Baltimore Ravens have to look over their shoulders and who can breathe a sigh of relief?

The 2020 NFL Draft came and went, and Baltimore Ravens once again were able to secure another impressive draft class. The team had 10 total draft picks and were able to capitalize on each of them by either taking the best player available on the board or getting great positional value.

Baltimore filled a lot of holes on their roster, got new weapons on both sides of the ball, and continued to stock up not only for the upcoming season but for the future as well. The long-term view by general manager Eric DeCosta and company is a big reason why the franchise has stayed so successful for years.

Although the Ravens got a great haul in the draft, 10 draft picks is a lot to house on a roster that is already so deep and went 14-2 just a season ago. For all the excitement a new draft class brings, it also means a few players have to look over their shoulders as their role on the team could be reduced or their roster spot will go elsewhere entirely.

Let’s take a look at four winners and three losers for Baltimore based on their 2020 draft.

Winner: QB Lamar Jackson

Jackson already led the Ravens to their best regular-season record in franchise history, won the league MVP and set a ton of franchise and NFL records in the process. While his second year was magical, a third-year ascension could be in play thanks to all the work DeCosta and the front office put into the 2020 NFL Draft.

While the team addressed defense in the first round, they selected running back J.K. Dobbins with the 55th overall selection. Dobbins was considered one of the best, if not the best, running back in the class. His selection proves that the Ravens are committed to building up the system that fits Jackson so well.

In the third round, the Ravens selected Devin Duvernay, the wide receiver out of Texas. In the sixth round, the team traded up and selected SMU wide receiver James Proche. The two wide receivers come to Baltimore known for their great hands and they’ll help Jackson by catching everything he throws while being versatile enough to be moved around to create mismatches. They’re a great fit with what offense the Ravens currently run.

The addition of extra offensive linemen are always welcome, and Tyre Phillips and Ben Bredeson should immediately compete for a starting job with Ben Powers and D.J. Fluker.

Jackson might have been sitting around watching the draft this year but he automatically becomes a winner in this process. The Ravens built around him, giving him weapons and protection for the next few years, clearly believing that he can grow even more as a quarterback in his third year.

Pages: 1234567

Ravens earn ‘C’ grade for DT Broderick Washington pick in 5th round

Whether or not Washington becomes a considerable force on the defensive front will take some time discern.

[jwplayer CxqcH1C2-ThvAeFxT]

Eric DeCosta continues to make revamping and building up the defensive front-seven a top priority this offseason for the Baltimore Ravens, selecting Texas Tech DT Broderick Washington with pick No. 170 in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Draft Grade: C

Washington is considered undersized for a defensive tackle but makes up for that with aggressive hands and upper-body power. He does bring a solid work ethic, as well as instincts and leadership qualities with him to the Ravens, something that Baltimore brass both admire and covet.

While this pick certainly adds depth to the defensive line that has gone through a bit of an overhaul, it just doesn’t feel like it addresses a need, which the Ravens haven’t done enough of thus far in this draft. Aside from selecting Patrick Queen in the first round, many of the early picks felt like “best available” choices, having completely ignored their need at edge rusher.

Whether or not Washington becomes a considerable force on the defensive front will take some time to discern. Until then, I’m not sure depth trumps need at this point in the draft.

[vertical-gallery id=46658]

Ravens pick Texas Tech DT Broderick Washington Jr. at No. 170 in 5th round

The Baltimore Ravens add more defensive line depth to their roster, picking Texas Tech DT Broderick Washington Jr. in the fifth round.

[jwplayer dNhfWIQr-ThvAeFxT]

In the pick they acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in their trade of kicker Kaare Vedvik, the Baltimore Ravens take Texas Tech defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr. at No. 170 in the fifth round.

Once again, the Ravens end up bringing more depth to the defensive line, which has been a theme all offseason. They added Calais Campbell via trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars and signed Derek Wolfe in free agency to give them new starters. Baltimore drafted Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike in the third round as well, making it a very crowded defensive lineman room.

Washington Jr. started 35 games for Texas Tech over the last three seasons, accumulating 71 combined tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks in the process.

At 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds, Washington is a little undersized for a space-eating defensive tackle. But with some serious strength and a great work ethic, Washington will likely compete for one of the bottom spots on the depth chart.

[vertical-gallery id=46658]