Tag: Ja’wuan James

Ravens OT Ja’Wuan James discusses how being with team in 2021 has helped him in 2022

Ravens offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James talked about coming to Baltimore in 2021 with the plan of playing in 2022 after an injury

The Baltimore Ravens signed Ja’Wuan James to a two-year contract in 2021 after being released by the Denver Broncos for tearing his achilles outside of the team’s training facility.  By signing with Baltimore for two years, it gave James a chance to train and learn the system in 2021, with the hopes that he’d be ready for the 2022 season.

After a training camp practice, James was asked about joining the Ravens in 2021. He said that being in the building last year was part of a plan to help him build chemistry with his teammates on the offensive line, as well as learn some of the playbook ahead of time so he wouldn’t have to start from square one once he returned to full strength.

“Yes, that was part of the plan. When I signed here, that’s what they talked about – getting the chance to come in, build some camaraderie with the O-line, learn some of the plays ahead of time, so when we got to this phase, it wouldn’t be like I was a fresh face or just [starting] to get to know the guys [and] getting to know the plays”

Teams can never have enough depth on the offensive line, and with Ronnie Stanley currently working his way back from ankle surgery, James has been rotating in at the left tackle spot. The former Dolphins and Broncos offensive lineman is a veteran who has proven himself in the NFL, and he will be an important piece of Baltimore’s line in 2022 whether it be as a starter or as key depth.

Ravens OT Ja’Wuan James returns to practice on Tuesday after missing Monday’s session

Ravens offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James returned to practice on Tuesday after missing Monday’s session

The Baltimore Ravens are looking to get more consistent play out of their offensive line group during the 2022 season as opposed to what the unit was able to do last season. Injuries and subpar play were reasons why the line didn’t live up to expectations, but the team made sure to make quality additions during the 2022 offseason.

One player that was on the team in 2021 but missed the entire year due to a torn achilles suffered while training during the offseason was offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James. He’s returned to the practice field over the course of this offseason, but missed the first padded practice of training camp on Monday with what head coach John Harbaugh described as a “nagging” issue. However, James returned to the practice field on Tuesday.

Harbaugh talked about how James has been training on the left side after being primarily a right tackle for his entire career. He could have a massive role in Week 1 if offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley isn’t able to suit up, so his return was a good sign for the team.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh gives update, shares thoughts on OT Ja’Wuan James

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gave an update and shared his thoughts on offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James

The Baltimore Ravens have added a few new faces at offensive tackle over the last few months. They signed free agent Morgan Moses to a three-year, $15 million deal while also drafting Daniel Faalele out of the University of Minnesota in the fourth round of the 2022 draft.

One of the other players at the position can classify as a new face, but was brought in during the 2021 offseason in Ja’Wuan James. The veteran suffered a torn achilles away from the Denver Broncos’ facility last year, prompting the team to cut him while voiding all guarantees. Baltimore scooped him up on a two-year contract, and he missed all of the 2021 season while recovering.

On Monday, James missed training camp practice after leaving the open stadium practice at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh provided an update on James, saying that he has a “nagging” thing that they want to give him rest for.

“Yes, he has a little nagging thing going on, so I just kind of decided – we decided together to give it a little rest.”

Harbaugh also shared his thoughts on the tackle, saying that he’s moving really well and playing on the left side.

“He’s moving really well. He’s moving well. He’s playing on the left side. He hasn’t been a left tackle; he’s been a right tackle his whole career. So, he probably would rather be on the right side, but sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. He’s getting an opportunity on the left side right now. So, pads come out, see how that thing feels, see how it holds up … That will be the key.”

 

Four members of Ravens organization to speak to media on Monday

The Baltimore Ravens will have four members of their organization speak to the media following training camp practice on Monday.

The Baltimore Ravens kicked off their 2022 training camp last week, and now have four practice sessions under their belt. The team appears to be eager and ready for the season, something that was evident when they hosted their stadium practice on Saturday and followed it up with a post-practice fireworks and laser show.

Multiple members of the organization have spoken to the media since training camp began, and on Monday two players will join head coach John Harbaugh and offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris at the podium in offensive tackles Ja’Wuan James and Morgan Moses.

Moses signed a three year, $15 million deal with the Ravens this offseason. He’s been extremely durable over the course of his career, missing just one game in eight seasons. The veteran could offer plenty of protection for quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Baltimore signed James to a two-year contract prior to the 2021 season. James has not played a snap since the 2019 season when he was a member of the Denver Broncos. He suffered a torn achilles away from the Denver facility, prompting the Broncos to cut him and void all guarantees since the injury occurred off of team grounds. James then filed a grievance with the NFL over the incident, and sat out all of the 2021 season recovering.

Podium members are subject to change.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh shares update on OT Ja’Wuan James

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh shared an update on offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James

The Baltimore Ravens had to shuffle around their offensive line quite a bit more than anticipated during the 2021 season. After All-Pro Ronnie Stanley was only able to play one game due to the injury he suffered in 2020, the team used multiple different options at the tackle position, with not as much working as many would have liked.

One of the other players who wasn’t available to play was offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, who had suffered a torn achilles during the 2021 offseason as a member of the Denver Broncos. When speaking to the media recently after organized team activities, head coach John Harbaugh provided an update on James, saying that he’s been doing good and moving really well.

“He’s been doing good. I haven’t really noticed the Achilles. We haven’t done any power blocking, and he hasn’t had to move anybody off the ball yet, so, obviously, that comes in training camp when the pads come on, but he’s moving really well. He looks good. He’s in great shape. I feel great about him.

After James suffered his injury in Denver, the Broncos cut him while voiding all of his guarantees due to the fact that it happened while working out away from the team’s facility. Baltimore then swooped him up on a two-year deal, and now that he’s back on the field he could be a very valuable piece on the Ravens’ offensive line in 2022.

Bleacher Report names best player who could be cut from Ravens’ roster in 2022 offseason

Bleacher Report named the best player that could be cut from the Ravens’ roster during the 2022 offseason

The Baltimore Ravens have a very talented roster in all three phases of the game. They’ve had a busy 2022 offseason that’s seen them add and subtract a lot of good players, but they will also get back many from injuries that were suffered in 2021, both in the offseason and during the year.

One of those players is offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, who suffered a torn achilles while a member of the Denver Broncos in the 2021 offseason. Denver cut James, and he latched on with Baltimore soon after. However, when listing out the best player from every NFL roster that could be cut during the 2022 offseason, Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report made his choice for the Ravens the veteran offensive tackle, talking about Baltimore’s depth at the position.

“James did miss the 2021 season as expected, but the Ravens aggressively chased other options to ensure the right tackle position wouldn’t be an issue in 2022. They signed veteran Morgan Moses to a three-year deal and selected Daniel Faalele in the fourth round of the draft, which reduced their need for James.”

Wharton also discussed how much money the Ravens could save if the part ways with James.

“The Ravens could save $2.5 million by cutting James, and they’d be left with only a $750,000 dead cap hit. They could use the money they save on him to spend on a veteran receiver after trading away No. 1 option Marquise “Hollywood” Brown during the 2022 draft.”

Ravens announce jersey number updates for multiple players

The Ravens announced new jersey numbers for multiple players

The Baltimore Ravens have seen a number of new faces enter their organization over the past few weeks. Safety Marcus Williams and offensive tackle Morgan Moses are among them, and both look to be great fits with what the team will want to do on the field during the 2022 season.

One of the big questions surrounding Baltimore’s big free agent acquisitions was the number that each would wear. On Wednesday, the Ravens revealed the numbers of Williams and Moses, as well as jersey updates for offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James as well as safeties Tony Jefferson II and Ar’Darius Washington.

Williams joins a solid list of safeties to wear No. 32 over the course of the last decade, including James Ihedigbo, Eric Weddle, and DeShon Elliott. Weddle and Williams both played their collegiate football at the University of Utah.

Moses wore No. 78 with the New York Jets in 2021, but had donned No. 76 in every season before that with the Washington Commanders. Jefferson wore No. 23 during his first stint with Baltimore, but had to wear No. 31 when he rejoined the team in 2021 due to cornerback Anthony Averett having the number.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh updates status of OT Ja’Wuan James

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gave an update on the status of offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James

The Baltimore Ravens signed offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James to a two-year contract after he suffered an injury away from the Denver Broncos’ facility and was subsequently cut from the team. It was a smart move by Baltimore, as they secured at least one season of a quality offensive lineman at a low cost.

On Wednesday, head coach John Harbaugh gave an update on the status of James, who was designated to return from injured reserve a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, Harbaugh didn’t have great news, as he said that he isn’t preparing to have him back this year, saying that he thinks the ship has sailed.

“I haven’t talked to [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] about that at all, so I think that ship has sailed, apparently. But that’s not really … That hasn’t been a topic. My position on it was he’ll do the best he can and really make the determination for himself. You’re talking about an Achilles, that’s something that the player has to decide, really, if he feels like he’s ready to go. There hasn’t been any talk along those lines. So, as a coach, we’re not preparing for him to be back. Of course, you could always be pleasantly surprised, but that’s not where we’re going right now, I don’t think.”

There was always a big possibility that James wouldn’t be ready to play at any point during the course of the 2021 season, as an achilles injury is a big deal to come back from. Based off of Harbaugh’s comments, it seems like James won’t be playing this year, but it seems like they are excited about his prospects for 2022.

Ravens designate OT Ja’Wuan James to return to practice in series of moves

The Baltimore Ravens have designated offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James to return to practice in a string of moves

The Baltimore Ravens have had to shuffle around their roster at a rapid rate over the course of the 2021 season so far. They have dealt with a massive amount of injuries, which has forced them to add and subtract players from their roster at a rapid rate.

In a series of moves on Wednesday, Baltimore placed cornerback Marlon Humphrey on injured reserve, activated cornerback Kevon Seymour from the Reserve/COVID-19 list and designated offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James to return to practice.

The Ravens now have 21 days to decide if they want to activate James to their roster. With the offensive line struggling, the designation for James to return can be a good sign, if and when he is ready to play. James tore his achilles in offseason workouts away from the Denver Broncos’ facility as a member of the team, which allowed the Broncos to cut him while voiding his guarantee.

Depending on if James gets activated and plays this season, he could suit up at the right tackle position. That could mean Patrick Mekari moves to the left tackle position if he returns from his hand injury. However, the team could want Mekari as the sixth offensive lineman, while playing Tyre Phillips at left guard instead.  That should be an improvement from where the Ravens have been lately at the position.

Ex-Broncos players with the biggest ‘dead money’ salary cap hits in 2021

Six ex-Broncos players are costing Denver more than $26.5 million in “dead money” cap hits this season.

The Denver Broncos have a healthy salary cap situation as they approach 2022, but it’s not a perfect cap situation. Denver has more than $26 million worth of “dead money” — funds from players who count against the Broncos’ salary cap despite no longer being on the team.

Here’s a quick look at six ex-Denver players who have the largest dead money cap hits this season, with data courtesy of OverTheCap.com.