Tag: Josh Bynes

Report: Bengals add first LB of free agency with Josh Bynes

The Bengals added a veteran linebacker in free agency.

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The Cincinnati Bengals finally hit on the linebacker need in free agency, adding Josh Bynes.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a one-year deal for the veteran linebacker.

Bynes, 30, spent last year with the Baltimore Ravens after two years in Arizona and three more apiece in Detroit and Baltimore. He hasn’t played in a full 16-game season since 2015.

A seven-game starter last year, Bynes played on 40 percent of his defense’s snaps and is merely a depth add after the Bengals ignored the linebacker position in free agency to this point.

The news comes on the same day Bengals free agent Nick Vigil decided to sign elsewhere. Given the dire problems for the unit last year and losses this offseason, the Bynes move doesn’t change much for how the team will approach the draft.

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11 best remaining free agents the Ravens should be interested in

The Ravens made some noise in the early part of free agency but could still be looking for help. These 11 free agents could be the answer

With the first wave of high-profile free agents being signed, we now enter the next phase of free agency. This is where the second and third tier of players end up getting short-term contracts as a way to finish out their careers or hopefully rejuvenate them. This is also when the Baltimore Ravens typically are a little more aggressive in signing free agents.

While many of the big names are off the market, it’s these smaller deals that help round out a roster and can actually make a bigger overall impact for a team. For Baltimore, this is where they’ve added guys like Robert Griffin III, Mike Wallace, John Brown and Brandon Carr over the last three years.

So who is still available and who makes sense for the Ravens to sign? I picked out 11 free agents still on the market that could be on Baltimore’s radar still.

Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images

OLB Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney was the top free-agent outside linebacker this offseason, largely thanks to so many others getting tagged instead. With such a shallow market, Clowney doesn’t seem to be getting the type of attention he was hoping for, which might have lowered his value considerably.

While the Ravens are a little cash strapped at the moment, teams have a way of finding the money to get deals done when they need to. If Clowney is looking at a bunch of one-year deals, Baltimore being so close to a Super Bowl and having a major need at outside linebacker might be able to boost his value for next offseason.

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Reunion potential abound as Ravens’ free agents remain unsigned

The Baltimore Ravens could turn to their own free agents now that the NFL free agency period has slowed down and money has begun to dry up.

The Baltimore Ravens entered free agency with 13 unrestricted free agents set to hit the open market. And after the two-day legal tampering period and a full day of free agency, not many former Ravens have signed elsewhere. Only defensive tackle Michael Pierce and wide receiver Seth Roberts have agreed to terms with other teams, which seem to be partly Baltimore not being very interested. The lack of deals leaves a bunch of former Ravens available for a potential reunion.

Top among them is cornerback Jimmy Smith, who general manager Eric DeCosta had previously said the team would like to re-sign. While it was initially thought the market for cornerbacks would price Smith out of returning to Baltimore, especially after the Buffalo Bills signed Josh Norman. However, some of the deals done for cornerbacks during free agency indicate that might not necessarily be the case after all. Just take a look at these few deals for prime examples of the market being a little stunted.

If the market for cornerbacks remains a little stagnant, Baltimore might be able to woo Smith back on a short-term deal with terms they like. And if not, Brandon Carr — who the Ravens are set to let go by not picking up his 2020 option — remains a viable option to return on a more cap-friendly deal.

The same could be said for linebackers Josh Bynes, Pernell McPhee and safety Anthony Levine. All were solid players last season and with Baltimore tending to favor continuity instead of shaking the boat, all could be low-cost options that fill important roles as stop-gap solutions until draft picks can supplant them.

Bynes was a godsend last season, joining Baltimore prior to Week 5 and quickly earning a starting spot and a hefty percentage of the defensive snaps. In his very first game with the Ravens in 2019, Bynes recorded an interception in what was a very close game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With his experience and good play came more stability not only at linebacker but on the defense as a whole.

McPhee showed he was still a capable pass rusher, actually beating out several other players including Shane Ray for a spot on the 53-man roster. Through seven games, McPhee started each one and accounted for three sacks and nine total pressures.

Levine might be Baltimore’s most versatile player. While many casual fans might not realize it by looking at his stat sheet but Levine is asked to play all over the defense and is one of their top special-teams players.

While none of these players is really at a starter caliber at this point in their careers, they all provide valuable experience and flexibility while bringing the type of familiarity with the scheme very few outside free agents would have. If the Ravens are eyeing up some low-cost veterans to help round out their roster, looking past their own free agents would be a mistake as long as the money side of things makes sense.

Baltimore was so close to a Super Bowl last season and simply bringing back most of their own guys would give them a solid roster and another good chance at a trophy. With free agency being a little slower for the Ravens’ free agents, a reunion for many of them seems to be shaping up.

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4 remaining free agents Chargers should consider signing

With about $8.5 million left in spending money, the Los Angeles Chargers can make one more signing.

The Chargers have been quite active this free agency period, signing three well-known players, which have addressed some critical positions of need.

After all of the moves made, Los Angeles has about $8.5 million left in spending money, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

In-house players like safety Adrian Phillips and defensive tackle Damion Square who remain unsigned could be who they ultimately use that money on.

However, general manager Tom Telesco could dip into the free agency pool one last time to make a signing.

With that being said, here are the 4 remaining free agents that would fill a need and fit within their budget.

Jason Peters, OT

The signing of Bryan Bulaga fills a glaring need at the right tackle position, but the left tackle spot is an unknown. The team could be looking to address it in the draft or they feel confident enough in Trey Pipkins. But I think bringing in a proven veteran like Peters would do wonders and aide in the development of Pipkins. Even at 38 years of age, Peters only allowed 21 pressures on 562 pass-blocking attempts last season. He had the fourth-highest grade in pass blocking and 17th-highest grade in run blocking, per Pro Football Focus. Peters would likely be willing to take a short-term deal worth less than $10 million annually.

Andrus Peat, OL

The Chargers have shored up the right side of the offensive line with the acquisitions of Bulaga and guard Trai Turner. However, the left side remains in a flux. Even at the guard spot, it’s uncertain how the team feels about Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp moving forward. If they wanted to bring someone that provides inside-out versatility, Peat is an option. The former Stanford product has made two Pro Bowls in his career. In his first three seasons in the NFL, he has posted overall grades of 67.1, 71.5 and 68.3 while spending time at both left tackle and left guard, per PFF. He was up and down in 2019 and has missed nine games over the past two seasons with various injuries. But overall, he is a complete blocker and has very few penalties against him.

Josh Bynes, LB

The Chargers released Thomas Davis last week, which created a bit of a hole at the linebacker position. Denzel Perryman and Drue Tranquill are slated to be the starters, with Kyzir White projected to be starting OTTO. However, the depth at the position is slim and injury concerns with Perryman are still there. Bringing in a 10-year veteran like Bynes wouldn’t be a bad idea. Bynes has been a bit of a journeyman, playing for three different teams, but he might be one of the more underrated linebackers in the league. He’s an intelligent player, stout against the run and good in coverage. According to PFF, he’s had two of his highest coverage grades in his career this past two stintsβ€” in 2019 he was the 12th best linebacker in coverage.

Taylor Gabriel, WR

I am a firm believer that the Chargers are better off taking advantage of a deep wide receiver draft class and spend the money that they have elsewhere. But if they want a guy that has been in the league for a few years and meets what they should be looking for (speed), Gabriel is proven and wouldn’t cost all that much. He averaged 7.8 yards after the catch per reception with the Falcons in 2016 and he averaged 6.6 in 2017. Gabriel spent two seasons after that in Chicago after signing a four-year deal in 2018, catching 96 passes for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns over the two stints.

8 free-agent LBs the Ravens could target this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens need to find a replacement for C.J. Mosley and could turn their attention to free agency for their next starting LB.

The Baltimore Ravens have been really searching for the long-term heir to Ray Lewis following his retirement after the Super Bowl. They thought they had the answer in C.J. Mosley but free agency came calling and with it came a huge contract from the New York Jets that didn’t make sense for Baltimore to match.

But last season, the Ravens got bit by their confidence. Patrick Onwuasor, Kenny Young and Chris Board were expected to step up and fill the inside linebacker roles on Baltimore’s defense. However, Onwuasor was far from consistent, Board never really showed up and Young was a part of the trade for cornerback Marcus Peters. Instead, it was two midseason free-agent signings that ended up being the Ravens’ savior inside.

Baltimore now enters this offseason once again trying to figure out the middle of their defense. They’ll need to find at least one definitive starter and some extra depth. While that could come in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Ravens could dip their toes into the free-agent waters for someone with experience to fill out the roster.

These eight free-agent linebackers are likely to be on Baltimore’s radar this offseason.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Cory Littleton

Littleton is the prized free agent of this group and is going to get a lot of attention which will ultimately lead to a big contract. With how important the position is to Baltimore’s defense, they could be among the teams interested in throwing bags of cash his way this offseason.

Though Littleton has been in the league for four years, it’s just the last two he’s been a starter for the Los Angeles Rams. But he’s proven to be a tackling machine, posting 259 combined tackles and 15 tackles for a loss over that time span. His 3.6% missed tackle rate is the lowest in the NFL, according to Rams Wire’s Cameron DaSilva.

Littleton is also impressive when dropping back into coverage, grabbing five interceptions and 22 passes deflections over the last two seasons. He’s got the speed and size necessary to match up well against both tight ends and running backs one-on-one, which is quickly becoming a bigger part of the role in today’s pass-happy league.

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2019 Ravens recap: 5 studs and 4 duds

Which Baltimore Ravens performed well and which ones had bad years last season? We look at the biggest studs and duds from the 2019 season

Though the Baltimore Ravens didn’t finish the season hoisting the Lombardi Trophy or holding a parade, they broke several records and finished a franchise-best 14-2 with the team’s first-ever No. 1 seed in the AFC. With a lot of accomplishments during the 2019 season, there are a number of players who shone brightly while others failed to live up to expectations.

With that in mind, I took a look back at the Ravens’ 2019 season to see which players were the biggest studs and which ones were the biggest duds.

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Stud: CB Marcus Peters

Peters got traded from a team that clearly didn’t want him and didn’t value him as a long-term option to a franchise that is seemingly in better shape to win a Super Bowl and handed him a big contract extension. It’s hard to find a bigger winner this season than Peters.

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8 Ravens that stepped up in 2019

The Baltimore Ravens finished the regular season 14-2. In order to achieve that record the team needed to have multiple players step up

The Baltimore Ravens had a historic regular season, finishing with the best mark in franchise history at 14-2. The team blew past all expectations in what was deemed a “year of learning” for Baltimore, and suddenly became contenders while also being the most exciting team in football.

In order to have a team that’s so successful, there must be contributions from players everywhere on the field. Stars must play like stars and under-the-radar players have to make big plays in big situations. The Ravens constructed a young roster full of potential dotted with a few key veterans to help elevate everyone

But in order to break records and clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with their 14-2 record, Baltimore needed to have a handful of key players step up at the right moments. From stars to unsung heroes and even a few late free-agent pickups, these eight players stepped up in the biggest way in 2019.

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

QB Lamar Jackson

It would be impossible to talk about Ravens who stepped up this season without mentioning the player who makes the wheels turn on offense. After an offseason filled with criticism, hat, and doubt from fans and pundits alike, Jackson stepped up in the biggest ways in 2019.

Not only did his play on the field speak for itself but his leadership took a huge leap forward. He became more vocal and more involved, leading to his teammates and coaches trusting him more every week.

On the field, Jackson saw his numbers jump in just about every statistical category possible. He improved his completion percentage from 58.2% in 2018 to 66.1%. He led the league in passing touchdowns with 36 and threw half of his interception total in 2018 in over double the amount of starts. He even improved as a runner, setting an NFL record for single-season rushing yards by a quarterback while not being plagued by the fumbles he saw as a rookie.

Jackson showed that he is a star quarterback and consistently proved the doubters wrong with his high level of play every week. In the end, Jackson is the frontrunner for the NFL’s MVP award and had a record-breaking season that ranks among the best the league has ever seen.

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4 Ravens to watch vs. 49ers in Week 13

These 4 Baltimore Ravens players will be instrumental to a win or loss against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, making them guys to watch

The Baltimore Ravens get arguably their toughest test of the 2019 season when they play a clone of themselves in the San Francisco 49ers. With a physical run-first offense and stout defense, both Baltimore and San Francisco will look to beat each other up en route to a Week 13 win.

With the weather conditions playing a factor this week as the wintery mix continues to fall on M&T Bank Stadium, these four Ravens players will have the biggest impact on the final score.

TE Mark Andrews:

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Baltimore tight ends lead the league with four touchdown receptions in the red zone since Week 9, according to Inside Edge. Three of them have gone to Andrews, making him the easy pick here.

Though the field conditions are conducive to a rushing attack, the Ravens would be wise to incorporate a little play-action when they get into the red zone to throw San Francisco off balance and hopefully create some wide-open targets. If they do, Andrews is likely going to be the guy standing uncovered in the end zone.

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Week 11 snap counts: Ravens leaning on midseason additions

Beating the Houston Texans, 41-7, allowed the Baltimore Ravens to sit much of their starting lineup for half of the fourth quarter. It’s the third time this season Baltimore has been out to such a large lead they’ve been able to bench impact players …

Beating the Houston Texans, 41-7, allowed the Baltimore Ravens to sit much of their starting lineup for half of the fourth quarter. It’s the third time this season Baltimore has been out to such a large lead they’ve been able to bench impact players during the game.

On the snap counts for Week 11, we see that reflected as guys like Robert Griffin III, Patrick Mekari and Bennett Jackson got some playing time when they normally wouldn’t. But when I looked a little closer at the snap counts, something interesting popped off the page for me.

On defense, the Ravens saw their midseason additions get significant playing time. In this game, six different players added in Week 5 or later played at least 34% of the defensive snaps. In many cases, these free-agent signings and trade acquisitions actually played more snaps than their long-tenured counterparts.

For instance, cornerback Marcus Peters played 100% of the defensive snaps, significantly more than the 67% Jimmy Smith and 7% Anthony Averett played. Linebackers L.J. Fort (48%) and Josh Bynes (39%) played more than Patrick Onwuasor (15%). Jihad Ward (56%) played more than Brandon Williams (54%). Even Justin Ellis (34%) and Domata Peko (36%) — added last week — played a significant amount.

I contend the Ravens are the best team in the NFL, and a large part of that argument revolves around their defensive turnaround over the last six games. With six players added during the season getting significant playing time in their Week 11 win, a giant glowing sign points to general manager Eric DeCosta’s work behind the scenes.

Seven of the 21 players of the active defensive roster this week were added during the season. That group accounted for 195 of the 671 total defensive snaps (29.1%) against the Texans. That’s practically unheard of for a group that’s playing this well and a testament to both DeCosta and the coaching staff for finding them, signing them and getting them up to speed so quickly.

Click on the next page for the full snap counts for the Ravens in Week 11 against the Texans.

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The Ravens are the best team in the NFL without question

I’m going out on a bit of a limb here but it’s a pretty thick one after watching the Baltimore Ravens for 10 games.

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After beating up on the Houston Texans 41-7 in Week 11, the Ravens have firmly announced they are the best team in the NFL right now and it’s not even close.

In a game against an opponent leading their division and sitting in the third seed in the AFC playoff picture coming off a bye week, Baltimore didn’t flinch. They pressured Deshaun Watson — an MVP-contending quarterback — all game long, forcing him into big mistakes. They locked down the then-No. 8-ranked scoring offense to just seven points, which came in garbage time. They ran over and around the Texans’ third-ranked rush defense to the tune of 263 yards and a touchdown — more than the entire Texans offense put up. Quarterback Lamar Jackson continued to make his case for the NFL’s MVP award with a 70.8% completion rate, 222 yards, four touchdown passes and no interceptions, proving he’s just as deadly through the air as with his legs.

For Houston, this was a complete embarrassment and proved they’re nowhere near Baltimore’s level. But the Texans aren’t alone there this season.

The Ravens have dismantled three of the best teams in the NFL over their last four games. They’ve made the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and now Houston look unprepared, incapable and downright silly, beating them by a combined 108-43. Now keep in mind that those three teams were considered real Super Bowl contenders before getting on a field with Baltimore. And yet the Ravens beat all three teams in the exact same fashion, looking better each week along the way.

The offense is physical yet capable of explosive plays. They’ve punched defenses in the mouth on the ground, even when everyone knows the run is coming. They’ve created mismatches through the air and raced by defenders for huge plays. They’ve used misdirection as an art form.

Jackson has been a huge part of that, earning serious talk as the NFL’s MVP this season. He’s gone 185-of-279 (66.3%) for 2,258 passing yards and nearly a 4-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s added another 788 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He’s likely on his way to his third consecutive AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

But the defense has been the icing on the cake. The midseason additions of impact players like cornerback Marcus Peters and linebacker Josh Bynes have turned this defense around completely. After it started the season looking unorganized, confused and just plain bad, there’s a case to be made that it’s now the best defense in the league.

The Ravens are generating a potent pass rush in spite of not having a star pass rusher or enough depth at outside linebacker. They’ve been locking down some of the better receivers in the NFL, with Watson, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady throwing for an average of just 206 yards. At the very least, the Baltimore defense should be considered the most dangerous in the league; it’s notched nine takeaways over the last four games, including five returned for touchdowns. Regardless of what their opponents do well offensively, Baltimore has shut that exact thing down.

What’s the final and perhaps the best argument is that with how young and new the roster still is, this is a team that should actually continue to improve in the final six weeks. As guys like Peters and Bynes get more acclimated to the playbook and their defensive teammates, they should steadily improve their play. Jackson continues to improve each week, both in his awareness and as a passer. The coaching somehow gets better each week as well, with silly mistakes quickly getting eliminated.

With yet another playoff contender checked off their schedule, the Ravens have looked unstoppable over the last four games and seem to be picking up speed with each win.

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