Tag: Ja’wuan James

Highest rated football recruits in Tennessee history

A look at the highest rated recruits in Tennessee football history.

Third-year head coach Josh Heupel is on pace for a top 10 2024 recruiting class.

Tennessee has 19 commitments for its 2024 recruiting class ahead of the upcoming season. The Vols’ 2024 class ranks No. 8 nationally and No. 5 in the Southeastern Conference.

Tennessee’s 2024 recruiting class is headlined by five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews. Matthews ranks as the No. 13 overall prospect in 2024. He is the Vols’ ninth-highest rated commit all time.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football head coaches through the years

Prior to the 2023 season, Vols Wire looks at Tennessee’s highest rated recruits all time. The list below excludes players who committed to Tennessee and did not sign with the Vols.

3 Ravens players leave Week 3 vs. Patriots before halftime following injuries, two carted off field

The Ravens had three players leave the game prior to halftime with injuries in Week 3 vs. the Patriots

The Baltimore Ravens were in Foxborough for a Week 3 matchup with the New England Patriots. The team has had multiple health concerns throughout the first few weeks of the 2022 season, and against New England three key contributor left the game with injuries prior to halftime.

Ravens offensive tackle Patrick Mekari was carted off the field with an ankle injury with 9:33 left to play in the first quarter. Mekari could be seen holding his lower left leg. Outside linebacker Justin Houston was also injured, leaving the field with a groin injury and was listed as questionable to return. Not too long after Houston left the field, defensive tackle Michael Pierce was carted off the field and could be seen holding his left arm. Mekari and Pierce were initially ruled as questionable before being ruled out, while Houston wa listed as questionable.

Ravens rookie fourth-round pick offensive tackle Daniel Faalele came in for Mekari. During the first nine quarters of the regular season, Baltimore has used three players at left tackle in Ja’Wuan James, Patrick Mekari and now Faalele. James was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn achilles after Week 1. When it comes to outside linebacker, the team is already limited at the position with just Odafe Oweh and Brandon Copeland, aside from Houston, active.

Ravens officially make four roster moves on Wednesday

The Baltimore Ravens on Monday announced they signed veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie to their practice squad.

The Baltimore Ravens lost cornerback Kyle Fuller for the season during their Week 1 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed on Monday that Fuller suffered a torn ACL, effectively ending his season. However, the team has already made a move to add more depth at the cornerback position.

The Ravens on Wednesday announced that they signed veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie to the practice squad. Carrie was drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft, where he spent his first four professional seasons. Carrie would then play two seasons with the Cleveland Browns and another two years with the Indianapolis Colts.

A couple hours after the transaction was announced, Harbaugh spoke with the media. Harbaugh addressed the signing of Carrie and expressed excitement about the veteran joining the squad.

“Carrie will be on the practice squad. Heck of a corner. Been around. Played against him many times so we’re pleased to have him with us.”

During his first six seasons, Carrie has 386 combined tackles, nine fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, and seven interceptions with one of them being returned for a touchdown in 118 games played. Carrie can be a great veteran addition to the 53-man roster should his services be needed.

In other roster moves, Harbaugh announced that the team signed linebacker Steven Means onto the 53-man roster after starting the season on the practice squad. Offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James and Fuller were both placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh gives injury updates on OT Ja’Wuan James, CB Kyle Fuller

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gave injury updates on offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James and cornerback Kyle Fuller

The Baltimore Ravens were able to come out of Week 1 of the 2022 season with an impressive 24-9 win over the New York Jets. The team has plenty to be excited about, especially the fact that they were able to overcome a slow and sloppy first half to dominate in all three phases over the remainder of the game.

Despite the win, Baltimore didn’t come out of the game unscathed. They lost offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James in the second quarter, then saw cornerback Kyle Fuller leave the game late in the fourth quarter with an ailment of his own. The injuries didn’t look good, and after the contest head coach John Harbaugh gave an update on both players.

“..[Ja’Wuan] James has a torn Achilles; it’s the same one. It’s a little bit of a different tear; it’s off the bone. It’s not the one that is mid-tendon. So, he’s determined, and he says he’s in a way better place than he was last time, and he’s determined to come back in time. [Kyle] Fuller, we don’t know for sure. We’ll see tomorrow with the MRI with him. We have some reason for hope there.”

It’s an extremely tough break for James, who worked extremely hard to get back on the field in Week 1 after having injuries be a major storyline in his career. He was filling in for the recovering Ronnie Stanley, and if the All-Pro isn’t ready to go then Patrick Mekari will likely fill in until he’s ready.

Fuller’s injury looked serious initially, but Harbaugh expressed a bit of hope in the cornerback returning to action. If the veteran misses any extended amount of time, it’s possible that the team could look to the free agent market for an outside addition.

Ravens OT Ja’Wuan James carted off of field, ruled out for rest of game vs. Jets

Ravens offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James was carted off of the field and ruled out for the game against the New York Jets in Week 1

The Baltimore Ravens dealt with many different injuries during the 2021 season. They entered Week 1 with optimism that some of the players that they missed could return for their contest with the New York Jets such as J.K. Dobbins, Ronnie Stanley and Marcus Peters but none were able to.

With Stanley missing the game, offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James stepped into his spot as the starting left tackle. However, during the second quarter James went down with an ankle injury and had to be carted off of the field. The team initially ruled him as doubtful, but quickly downgraded his status to out.

It’s unclear how serious the injury is at this point, but bringing out the cart for a player is usually not a good sign. Head coach John Harbaugh will likely give an update after the game on the veteran.

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Ravens downgrade status of OT Ronnie Stanley for Week 1 vs. Jets

The Ravens ruled out offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley for the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Jets

The Baltimore Ravens will be heading into Week 1 against the New York Jets on Sunday looking to bounce-back from an injury-riddled 2021 season that saw the team lose multiple starters due to injury. However, one of the players Baltimore was hoping to have return for the regular-season opener was downgraded to out.

The Ravens on Saturday announced that veteran offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley would miss the team’s Week 1 matchup. The news is not surprising, as Stanley was given a”doubtful” tag on the team’s final injury report on Friday.

Stanley has played in just seven games over the last two seasons due to injury. His last start came in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. When on the field, Stanley is regarded as one of best players at his position. Baltimore won’t try to rush the veteran back, taking the cautious approach with their star offensive lineman as well as the rest of the players returning from major injuries.

Until then, Baltimore has talent that can help fill the void. While Stanley remains sidelined, offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James is expected to step in and start at left tackle.

Ravens OC Greg Roman discusses progress of OT Ja’Wuan James at left tackle

Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman talked about Ja’Wuan James’s progress at left tackle

The 2021 Baltimore Ravens were an injury-riddled team that started the year off strong at 8-3, but went through a six-game losing streak en route to an 8-9 final record. During the 2022 offseason, Baltimore prioritized their depth at multiple different positions, and also got back players who missed some or all of last year. One of those players was offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, who tore his achilles during the 2021 offseason as a a member of the Denver Broncos, but found his way onto the Ravens’ roster shortly thereafter.

Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman was asked about his comfort level with James’ progress and potential to start at left tackle. The coach talked about how the veteran has progressed, making real strides in the past three weeks.

“Yes, that’s still up in the air. I love how Ja’Wuan [James] is progressing. From – what – three weeks ago till now, I feel like he’s become pretty ambidextrous, and he’s really made strides. There are a couple little tweaks that he’s got to make, we’ve got to make – he understands that – but that’s coming, and that’s going to come. So, we feel really good about him. He’s a very talented individual, very smart and is a good teammate, so he’s really working hard to get his job done for his buddies.”

While All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley was activated off of the PUP list on Friday, he has yet to practice throughout the course of the week, bringing up major doubts about his Week 1 availability. James seems to be the team’s top option at the position until Stanley returns, and while he’s primarily played right tackle for his entire career, Roman and the rest of the team seems to feel very good about where the veteran is at in his progression.

Ja’Wuan James’ legal battle with Broncos has been resolved

Ja’Wuan James filed a $15 million grievance against the Broncos in 2021. It appears that grievance has been settled for $1.09 million.

After right tackle Ja’Wuan James tore his Achilles while working out away from the team’s facility last offseason, the Denver Broncos cut him with a non-football injury designation.

The Broncos were able to void James’ entire 2021 salary with the NFI designation (and they were able to use that designation because the injury did not happen at their facility).

James fought back and filed a $15 million grievance — $10 million for his 2021 salary plus $5 million that would have been guaranteed for injury in 2022 if the Broncos had not cut him with a NFI designation last spring.

It appears that James and the team have now reached an agreement on a settlement, and it’s not anywhere close to $15 million.

James will receive $1.09 million from Denver, according to ProFootballTalk.com’s Charean Williams. It’s unclear if this settlement will have any impact on the team’s 2022 salary cap.

After being cut by the Broncos last year, James signed with the Baltimore Ravens. He’ll earn $3 million in Baltimore this season.

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Ravens OT Daniel Faalele discusses how helpful his veteran teammates have been

Ravens offensive tackle Daniel Faalele talked about how veterans have helped him in training camp

The Baltimore Ravens drafted offensive tackle Daniel Faalele in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Standing around 6-foot-8 and weighing around 380 pounds, the former University of Minnesota star will be able to provide depth on Baltimore’s line, something the team lacked in 2021.

Faalele spoke to the media following a training camp practice, answering multiple different questions. One of the things he spoke about is how his veteran teammates have helped him and what kind of lessons he’s learned so far during his first training camp in the NFL.

“Yes, ‘Zeit’ [Kevin Zeitler] and Morgan [Moses] have been huge helps as veterans, and Ja’Wuan James, as well. And, Ronnie [Stanley] too. Just all of the older tackles are helping me get comfortable with the playbook and the environment. Just learning from them on how to prepare and practice, and just be a pro, really.”

The drafting of Faalele was another example that signified how the Ravens’ front office was committed to protecting quarterback Lamar Jackson. If the team’s line can stay healthy, then they’ll be able to have more success on the offensive side of the ball as opposed to 2021, where they struggled at times, especially during the back half of the year.