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The 2024 offseason’s top 12 free-agent safeties
The Carolina Panthers probably won’t be hunting down some of the best safeties on the open market this offseason. Heck, they’re likely to depart with a pretty decent-sized name of their own.
Nonetheless, let’s wrap these rankings up and give you the top 12 safeties of free agency.
Former Texas Longhorns and Baltimore Ravens safety Deshon Elliot is taking his talents to Detriot.
Former Texas Longhorns and Baltimore Ravens safety Deshon Elliot is signing a one-year contract with the Detriot Lions.
The three-year veteran has flashed significant upside during limited playing time since entering the league in 2018. Injuries have hindered Elliot’s playing time and development over the past couple of seasons.
Elliot brings excellent versatility to the Lions’ secondary as he can help out in the box or in coverage. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has racked up 109 tackles and seven pass breakups in 28 games played.
The deal will give the 24-year-old an opportunity to prove himself on the field a long-term deal in the future.
Source: DeShon Elliott to the #Lions on a 1-year deal. He was recently on a visit to Detroit.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 13, 2022
Elliot turned in a unanimous first-team All-American season for the Longhorns in 2017. He tallied 63 total tackles including 8.5 TFLs while grabbing six interceptions. He was named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award before declaring early for the 2018 NFL Draft.
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The Ravens released their final injury report ahead of their Week 3 game against the Detroit Lions
The Baltimore Ravens have seen injuries become a big part of their 2021 season so far. The team currently has 15 players on injured reserve, including multiple key contributors that include running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, as well as cornerback Marcus Peters.
On Friday, Baltimore released their final injury report before their Week 3 matchup against the Detroit Lions. The list features quite a few players, and the Ravens have already ruled two of their guys out in offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and defensive lineman Derek Wolfe. However, the team did give positive news on a few of their players both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
Friday's Injury Report: pic.twitter.com/5ka4FxoXl1
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 24, 2021
Good news for Baltimore from Friday’s injury report includes the fact that quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice after missing Thursday’s session with an illness. People began to speculate that Jackson’s absence was because of his flip into the endzone during Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but that was not the case.
Safety DeShon Elliott also returned to practice, as he missed both Wednesday and Thursday while dealing with a concussion. It’s unclear as to how far he’s gotten in the NFL’s concussion protocol or if he’s passed it altogether, but his return is a good sign for his availability for Week 3. Marquise Brown also returned to practice in limited fashion, following the same practice pattern as in Week 2, where he played against Kansas City.
Cornerback Jimmy Smith logged his first full practice since suffering an ankle injury in the very early stages of training camp, which means he’s at least trending towards playing against the Lions. Outside linebacker Daelin Hayes and cornerback Tavon Young also logged full sessions, so it appears that they should be good to go for Sunday barring any setbacks.
Both outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and inside linebacker Chris Board were new additions to the injury report of Friday as both did not practice. Hopefully the pair will be able to suit up in Week 3, as Baltimore’s front seven is very thin at the moment.
Steve Sarkisian is getting rave reviews from alumni of the Texas football program.
The Texas football program is in dire need of a coach who can help lift the program to its former glory of contending in the Big 12, and more importantly being a national powerhouse.
That is why Steve Sarkisian got the nod almost immediately after the firing of Tom Herman. He will be tasked with completing the resurrection process that was set back a few years by Charlie Strong, but was within reach for Tom Herman, who simply could not put the pieces together.
The Longhorns have recruited at the level of some of the top schools in the nation, but have played like an average program that has yet to reach maximum potential.
Former Longhorns Kenny Vaccaro, DeShon Elliot, and Joseph Ossai all spoke highly of Texas’ new hire and believe that he will be the coach to finish what Strong and Herman could not. Take a look to hear what the three former Texas players had to say.
A trio of NFL #Longhorns weigh in on the future of #HookEm football under Steve Sarkisian:
"I think he wants to put his name and his stamp on Texas and I think he's gonna do it." -Kenny Vaccaro@fox7austin 📹: @ClifOnFOX7 pic.twitter.com/xRC8d3DzzC
— Dennis de la Pena (@dennisonfox7) July 10, 2021
It is a new era in Austin, and having a coach that has the support of the alumni is a good sign. Sarkisian will need tangible success though, as there are huge expectations for Nick Saban’s newest protégée to come out of his coaching rehab.
Many are doubting Sark, as CBS Sports ranked him as the eighth best coach in the Big 12, but he like the Texas football program are hoping for the third time to be the charm.
Watch: Ravens players talk about teammates in part one of ‘Which Teammate’ series
The Baltimore Ravens like to provide fans with an inside look at what their players are like off of the football field. The team put out a plethora of videos of their 2021 draft class answering questions about their preferences and personal life, which was a fun way to get to know the rookies.
Baltimore released a new video of many Ravens players answering questions in part one of their “Which Teammate” series. The players were asked which one of their teammates were most likely to get lost, talk trash, and more.
"What??? Can I get an explanation on why my teammates said me?" 🤣🤣
What teammate is most likely to get lost? 🗺 🔍
AND what teammate talks the most 🗑? 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/rbScAVhjMP— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 24, 2021
J.K. Dobbins was a popular choice for the Raven most likely to get lost, while Marcus Peters and DeShon Elliott were the most chosen for the teammate most likely to talk trash award. With this being part one of the series, more videos are likely to come soon that will give people a glimpse of what Baltimore teammates think of each other and who is most likely to do certain things both on and off of the football field.
The Baltimore Ravens got a lot out of their young talent last year, featuring a few breakout stars. Which players could break out in 2020?
The Baltimore Ravens had nothing short of a fantastic season in 2019, taking the league by storm by breaking record after record, dominating opponents, and finishing with the best record in franchise history. It was a truly unexpected breakout on many levels by a team that was being written off early and often. However, it wasn’t just pure luck the Ravens were able to pull off such an impressive season.
They build an offensive system around their quarterback, attacked on defense with an exotic blitzing scheme, and relied not only on their stars, but also the young players that were looking to make a name for themselves. That lead to players like Chuck Clark, Orlando Brown Jr, Mark Andrews, and more stepping up and breaking out.
Looking ahead to 2020, there are a plethora of Ravens who could break out. Let’s take a look at who they are.
When the Ravens selected Brown with the 25th pick in the 2019 pick, they expected great things. However, they knew picking him came with risks too.
Brown stands at just 5-foot-9 and weighs 166 pounds. Those are extremely small measurables for a wide receiver, but Baltimore was clearly confident that his ability outweighed his small stature. Brown also wasn’t completely healthy when he was drafted by Baltimore. He suffered a foot injury late in the year playing for the Oklahoma Sooners and had to have lisfranc surgery to correct it. The surgery kept him out for an extended period of time, which included most of training camp and the preseason. No one knew how Brown would perform once the regular season started, but it’s safe to say he didn’t disappoint, hauling in 46 targets for 584 yards and seven touchdowns across 14 games.
Those numbers by themselves are impressive for a rookie wide receiver playing in a run-heavy offense, but what makes Brown primed for a breakout sophomore campaign is the fact that he played all of 2019 hindered by that same lisfranc injury. He was playing with a screw in his foot and said he wasn’t yet at 100%. Now with a full season under his, an offseason of hard work, and a screw removed from his foot, Brown could very well be on his way to his first 1,000-yard season.
Continuing the tradition of DBU at Texas, we look at the best players at Safety to play for the Longhorns throughout the decade.
Continuing the tradition of DBU at Texas, we look at the best players at Safety to play for the Longhorns throughout the decade. Having a great tradition of producing stars at this position, it takes a lot to be considered a great Longhorn play at Safety. Complimenting the great cornerbacks throughout the decade, both of these players were outstanding at Texas.
Dylan Haines and DeShon Elliot both played for former Head Coach Charlie Strong. Elliot played for one season with Herman, but Strong recruited him to the program. While they have two different paths, the two played together for two years in 2015 and 2016.
Not seeing the field until 2014, Haines came into the program in 2012 as a walkon. Redshirting his freshman year, he was on the scout team in 2013 and was awarded the ‘scout team player of the week’ before the Red River Shootout. Getting a scholarship in 2014, Haines quickly became an impact player. Securing 13 career interceptions, that ranks tied for the fifth-most in program history.
Elliot is one of the top players at the position in the history of Texas. Really becoming a key player in his junior season, he ended the year with 63 total tackles, six interceptions, and nine passes defended. Add in three forced fumbles and all he did was create turnovers. Drafted in the sixth round by the Ravens, Elliot is the best safety Texas has seen this decade.
Here are your Longhorn Safties of the Decade:
