Baltimore activated the following players from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, to go along with outside linebacker Matthew Judon’s activation on Thursday:
CB Terrell Bonds (restored to the practice squad)
OLB Tyus Bowser
S DeShon Elliott
LB L.J. Fort
LB Malik Harrison
LB Patrick Queen
The moves will help a Ravens defense that is pretty beat up already. In addition to Humphrey being out of this game, Baltimore placed cornerback Jimmy Smith on the injury report with a questionable designation for Sunday’s game. Added to cornerbacks Iman Marshall, Tavon Young, and Anthony Averett all heading to injured reserve and the Ravens’ defense could use all the help they can get right now.
So far, only Humphrey has tested positive for COVID-19, meaning he’ll be out for at least 10 days. The other six players were considered “high-risk close contact” cases and must isolate from the team for a minimum of five days as long as they don’t present any symptoms or test positive over that time.
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While not ideal, there’s a chance all six “close contact” players will be cleared in time for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, there’s also a chance any or all of those players could show symptoms or test positive and Baltimore will be short-handed for Week 9 around its entire defense. When added to the team placing left tackle Ronnie Stanley and right guard Tyre Phillips on injured reserve, there’s a very real chance the Ravens could be missing as many as nine major contributors and starters Sunday.
Despite it being the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 7 bye, safety DeShon Elliott is at the practice facility putting in extra work on dropped balls.
The Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of their bye week thanks to a early-season schedule change because of the Tennessee Titans having a COVID-19 outbreak. While the Ravens are likely trying to get some rest to recuperate from some of their more nagging injuries, not every player is using the week to lick their wounds. Indeed, safety DeShon Elliott is on the practice field getting some work in.
Elliott posted a picture of a JUGS machine sitting on the practice field at Baltimore’s Under Armour Performance Center on his Instagram account. Included is a caption that says, “Bye week and all, I told y’all no more dropped footballs,” clearly referring to the interception Elliott dropped in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Elliott had an excellent game against the Eagles in which he forced two fumbles, had a quarterback hit, and three combined tackles. But it was the near interception Elliott had slip through his fingers in the fourth quarter of Week 6 that haunted him. It would have been his first career interception.
Elliott isn’t the only Ravens’ defender looking to improve on the small things in their game. Rookie linebacker Patrick Queen was disappointed to not get an invite, though Elliott rectified that quickly enough.
The Ravens aren’t quite where they want to be, a theme the players had following last week’s win. But getting on the practice field and putting in extra work is an encouraging sign they’ll get there.
With Earl Thomas now out of Baltimore, the Ravens turn to another former Texas Longhorns safety in DeShon Elliott.
Following the release of Earl Thomas from the Baltimore Ravens, questions began of what is next for Baltimore? Or should we say who is next? In Baltimore or should we say the University of Texas at Baltimore, they have another former Longhorn at safety they could play. DeShon Elliott was drafted late in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Ravens in the sixth round. The former All-American safety could now find himself in a larger role in 2020.
Baltimore Ravens passing defensive coordinator Chris Hewitt spoke about Elliott recently.
“He’s definitely a confident young man – sometimes too confident,” Hewitt said. “He’s just been that kind of kid. He’s an energy bunny. He comes in the building and he’s just ready to go. When he gets out on the field, he brings the energy to the rest of the defense. He’s just one of those guys. I love the way that he plays.”
Elliott is set to become the starter for the Ravens defense at safety. The biggest question with Elliott isn’t his ability but staying healthy. After all the best ability is availability. DeShon played in just six games for the Ravens in a reserve role and missed all of his rookie season after being placed on the injured reserve list.
One player who thinks DeShon will do well in a larger role is Chuck Clark. Clark was the player who got into an altercation with Thomas. When discussing Elliott, Clark spoke about how well they mesh. They have great communication, which is something that was clearly lacking between Clark and Thomas.
It won’t be easy replacing a multi-time All-Pro safety like Earl Thomas. Elliott has the confidence to get the job done, it is just a matter of the in-game reps. Given how the Baltimore Ravens operate, they have the structure around them for DeShon Elliott to succeed.
We took a look ahead towards the 2020 NFL season and picked the players we’re most excited to see on the field.
Football continues to creep closer and closer as teams prepare for training camp. With the 2020 NFL regular season on the horizon, it has all of us here at Ravens Wire getting excited for football to return to our lives. With the season on our minds, we sat down and discussed which Baltimore Ravens players we’re most pumped to see when everyone hits the field again.
Though we all chose different players and with different reasons in mind, all of us chose young players that should be stepping up in 2020. Nearly all of us chose offensive players, which is fitting with the continued evolution of Baltimore’s offense and the development of quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Let’s get right into who we picked and why.
Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Matthew Stevens: WR Miles Boykin
I’m most excited to see Boykin this year, especially in training camp where he’ll be given more opportunities to showcase his talents. But from training camp through the preseason and into the regular season, I think Boykin could be an underrated breakout character for the Ravens.
With Seth Roberts leaving in free agency, Boykin is being set up to be Baltimore’s primary outside receiver as a counterpoint to Marquise Brown. While all the attention is rightfully on Brown thanks to his athleticism and speed, Boykin has plenty of speed himself as well as being a big-bodied target that should dominate in contested catches and the red zone as long as he puts it all together. While we might not see as many 80-plus yard receptions where Boykin just leaves everyone in the dust compared to Brown, he has the skillset to get open and punish would-be tacklers en route to big gains.
We saw some flashes of what Boykin can do last season. While comparisons are always tricky, Boykin has the makings of an Anquan Boldin type of player in the Ravens’ offense. It’s an underrated part of the Ravens’ offense right now but just like we saw with Boldin in town, it’s one that will help keep drives alive. For an offense that led the league in points scored last season, Boykin’s transformation into a solid outside receiver could make them practically undefendable.
The Baltimore Ravens are set to add nine more players to their roster at the 2020 NFL Draft, which will help and hurt other players
The Baltimore Ravens as you know them right now is set to change next week at the 2020 NFL Draft. With nine picks in the draft, Baltimore’s roster is going to undergo quite the makeover and that’s before we even get to the second wave of free agency when the Ravens typically add those bargain veterans to round out the 90-man roster.
With 58 players already on the roster, nine draft picks will end up shaking up the starting lineup and potentially push others further down the depth chart. With that in mind, I took a look at which Ravens are most likely to be severely impacted by the 2020 NFL Draft. should help him and the team immensely.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
CB Tavon Young
It’s no wonder Baltimore handed Young a contract extension last offseason. When healthy, Young is one of the best slot corners in the league. However, that has been the big caveat for the Ravens recently, with Young missing all of 2019 and 2017 with injuries.
Though Young is expected to return this season, Baltimore would be wise to plan for his absence. At the worst, the Ravens would add much-needed depth inside at cornerback and at the best, they’d have a more obvious replacement for Young if he misses time this season.
Anyone selected at that role in the 2020 NFL Draft, especially early on, will be looked at as Young’s eventual replacement. Young is in no danger of losing his roster spot this season with more dead money than cap savings if cut, but that stops being the case as early as next offseason. If the Ravens find Young’s replacement, the $3 million in cap savings in 2021 and $5.845 million in 2022, according to Over The Cap, start looking really attractive.
Eric Weddle’s former Baltimore Ravens teammates react to his retirement announcement, including Tony Jefferson
You can tell just how respected and beloved safety Eric Weddle was by his peers in the NFL when he announced his retirement. The outpouring of congratulations and respect from his former Baltimore Ravens teammates was immediate and staggering. Within minutes, several Ravens had tweeted at Weddle to give their own personal take on the news.
Though he only spent three years in Baltimore, Weddle was widely considered to be one of the smartest players on the roster. Thanks to nearly a decade of experience when the Ravens signed him, Weddle was an on-field general for Baltimore.
Fellow safety Tony Jefferson, who played beside Weddle for those three years, sent out two tweets to not only congratulate him but to offer thanks for his mentorship.
Will go down as a NFL great. You helped change the game on and off the field , enjoy the family 🙏🏾 https://t.co/XObDc3tNjh
The breakdown of the defense and special teams Texas Longhorns of the decade.
As Longhorns Wire continues their team of the decade, the defense and special teams are up next. Much like the offense recap, each position group will have links to the original post.
Okafor played for the Longhorns in the early part of the decade from 2009-12. During that time he recorded 23 sacks, 34 tackles for loss and 150 total tackles. He added seven forced fumbles. Okafor is currently a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jackson Jeffcoat
Jeffcoat is the son of former NFL chamption Jim Jeffcoat. He played on the defense along with Okafor. During his four-year college career from 2010-2013, Jeffcoat recorded 172 total tackles with 26 sacks and five turnovers forced. He was an All-American in 2013 when he was also named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Jeffcoat is currently playing in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Poona Ford
The man in the middle of the defense, Ford played in Austin from 2014-2017. During that time he recorded 133 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also forced three fumbles. He was named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2017. Ford is currently one of a few Longhorns with the Seattle Seahawks.
Charles Omenihu
Omenihu is the final member of the defensive line. From 2015-2018, Omenihu racked up 115 total tackles, 30 TFL and 16.5 sacks. He forced four fumbles during that four-year span. Omenihu was named All-Big 12 and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2018. He is currently a member of the Houston Texans.
Jefferson is in just his second year as a pro. He was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
With the Browns in 2019, Jefferson only made an appearance in one game, and that game came in week one against the Titans. In that game, Jefferson recorded just one tackle.
Hopefully, we see Malik find a new home soon. After all, he was a third-round pick last year for a reason.
