Tag: Kristian Welch

Packers sign LB Kristian Welch to 53-man roster from practice squad

With a roster spot opened up by placing LT David Bakhtiari on injured reserve, the Packers signed LB Kristian Welch from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

With a roster spot opened up by placing left tackle David Bakhtiari on injured reserve, the Green Bay Packers signed linebacker Kristian Welch from the practice squad to the 53-man roster ahead of Thursday night’s showdown with the Detroit Lions.

Welch, a 6-3, 240-pound linebacker out of Iowa, played in 43 games for the Baltimore Ravens before arriving in Green Bay on the practice squad this season. Of his 21 career tackles, 16 have come on special teams. He’s been on the field for 44 defensive snaps and 891 special teams snaps over three seasons.

Welch will provide depth at inside linebacker — where the Packers will be without De’Vondre Campbell because of an ankle injury this week — and give special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia another experienced player for the third phase. Expect Welch to play behind Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson at linebacker, but he could help solidify a special teams group that gave up a punt return touchdown last week.

Per PFF, Welch played 355 special teams snaps without committing a penalty or missing a tackle for the Ravens last season. He played snaps on five special teams phases: kickoff coverage, punt coverage, kickoff return, punt return and field goal block.

Welch is a Wisconsin native. He attended Iola-Scandinavia High School in Iola and was an All-State pick his senior year.

Packers sign former Ravens LB Kristian Welch to practice squad

The Packers filled the practie squad by signing Kristian Welch, an Iola, Wisconsin native who was a core special teamer for the Ravens over the last 3 seasons.

The Green Bay Packers filled their 17-player* practice squad by signing former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and special teamer Kristian Welch on Thursday.

Welch (6-3, 240) is an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2020. The 25-year-old made 21 tackles over 43 regular season games and three seasons with the Ravens (2020-22). Of his 21 tackles, 18 came on special teams.

Per PFF, Welch played 46 defensive snaps but 955 snaps on special teams for the Ravens. He was on the field for 200 special teams snaps in 2020, 380 in 2021 and 355 in 2022. PFF had Welch in on 19 total special teams tackles (13 solo, six assisted), and he committed just one penalty and missed three tackles.

Welch is a native of Iola, Wisconsin. He was an all-state pick as a high school senior and then an All-Big Ten pick during his senior season at Iowa in 2019.

Of note, the Packers did not re-sign linebacker Tariq Carpenter or defensive lineman Jonathan Ford to the practice squad on Thursday. Both 2022 draft picks were released on Wednesday after making the initial 53-man roster. It’s possible one or both could still return if a better opportunity outside of Green Bay doesn’t exist.

*The Packers get an extra player on the practice squad due to an international exemption for outside linebacker Kenneth Odumegwu.

Ravens re-sign 4 exclusive rights free agents

The Baltimore Ravens re-signed four exclusive rights free agents

The Baltimore Ravens had a disappointing 2021 season due to multiple factors, finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017. While the year wasn’t the end result that the team wanted, they were able to get some contributions from young players that stepped up throughout the season.

One of those players was quarterback Tyler Huntley, who stepped in for Lamar Jackson due to illness and injury, showing plenty of growth. On Monday, Baltimore announced that they signed four exclusive rights free agents in Huntley, center Trystan Colon, inside linebacker Kristian Welch and long snapper Nick Moore.

Ravens activate seven players from Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Ravens activated seven players from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday

The Baltimore Ravens have seen COVID-19 make its way through their locker room over the last few weeks. The team has had to place many players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, causing them to miss one or multiple games.

Despite losing so many pieces for varying amounts of time, Baltimore announced some good news on Wednesday, as they activated seven total players from the Resrve/COVID-19 list in outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tyus Bowser, inside linebackers Chris Board and Kristian Welch, safety Geno Stone, practice squad quarterback Chris Streveler and practice squad offensive tackle David Sharpe.

It’s

The Ravens getting back so many players is a big deal. Houston and Bowser are two of the team’s best pass rushing options, while stone provides depth in the secondary. Board and Welch are key on special teams, while Streveler and Sharpe are important depth pieces. As the week goes on, hopefully Baltimore can get the rest of the players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list back as well.

Ravens running out of players, place five on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Ravens continue to be hit hard by COVID, as they placed five more players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday

The Baltimore Ravens continue to be hit hard by COVID-19 as they head into a pivotal Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. It is now a concern as to if Baltimore will even have enough players to play on Sunday with all of the contributors they’ve lost due to injuries and the players who have been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

On Wednesday, the Ravens placed five new players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list in defensive lineman Justin Madubuike, inside linebackers Chris Board and Kristian Welch, safety Geno Stone and practice squad offensive tackle David Sharpe.

The five players add to a lengthy COVID-19 list for Baltimore ready as it now grows to 15. Based on the NFL’s protocols they have to opportunity to test off of the list, but it remains to be seen how many Ravens players will be able to return on time for Sunday’s massive divisional matchup.

Don Martindale details what injury to L.J. Fort means for Ravens’ defense

Don Martindale spoke about what the injury to L.J. Fort means for Baltimore’s defense

The Baltimore Ravens lost a key contributor on both defense and special teams during their Week 2 preseason matchup with the Carolina Panthers in inside linebacker L.J. Fort. The veteran defender tore his ACL in the first half of the contest, and the team placed him on injured reserve earlier in the week, effectively ending his season.

When asked about how Fort’s injury will impact his defense, defensive coordinator Don Martindale spoke on what will be missed about the veteran, as well as what opportunities will be available for fellow inside linebacker Kristian Welch.

“What it means is … L.J. [Fort], to me, is what this league is built on [and] the player that this league is built on; those guys that come in and have the careers that they’ve had just by working their tail off and doing everything right. The thing we’re going to miss out of him, in that room – the linebacker room itself – is just leadership and experience. He’d always talk to the younger guys in helping them along – last year, for example – and he would calm things down when he’d go in the game. So, we’re definitely going to miss that. But you’re seeing these younger guys starting to step up, and it is definitely going to be an opportunity for Kristian Welch, since L.J. went down. But we’re definitely going to miss him.”

It seems that Baltimore trusts the inside linebackers already on their roster, and that includes Welch, who is entering his second year in the NFL. There are a few free agent options available, but with it being so late in the offseason, it would make sense for the Ravens to roll with what they already have and see how it works out for the first couple of weeks.

Fort’s injury also means that linebackers Patrick Queen, Malik Harrison, and Chris Board will be relied upon more during the 2021 season.

L.J. Fort reportedly suffers season-ending injury

The Ravens reportedly lose a key contributor on defense for the season

The Baltimore Ravens have had plenty of injury problems so far during 2021, but none of them had been season-ending. That all reportedly changed in Week 2 of the preseason against the Carolina Panthers, as inside linebacker L.J. Fort went down with a knee injury in the first half.

After the game, head coach John Harbaugh offered a grim injury update on Fort, saying that things didn’t look good. On Sunday, those fears were confirmed, as it was reported that the linebacker tore his ACL, effectively ending his season.

Fort is a big loss for Baltimore’s defense. In his first two years with the Ravens, the linebacker accumulated 88 total tackles and two sacks. He was a big contributor on both defense and special teams, so Baltimore will feel his loss on multiple units.

The veteran’s injury opens up more playing time for linebackers such as Malik Harrison, Chris Board, Otaro Alaka and Kristian Welch. The Ravens could also opt to bring in a player from outside the organization to soften the blow of losing Fort, including K.J. Wright or a familiar face in Patrick Onwuasor.

John Harbaugh gives grim injury update on L.J. Fort

John Harbaugh gives grim injury update on L.J. Fort

The Baltimore Ravens got out of their Week 2 preseason contest with the Carolina Panthers relatively injury free. However, the team did see linebacker L.J. Fort leave the game in the first half with a knee injury.

After the game, head coach John Harbaugh provide an update on Fort, and it was rather grim.

With Harbaugh saying that Fort’s injury doesn’t look good, it raises multiple questions. Many are wondering how many weeks or months it would keep the linebacker out, how the team would replace his defensive and special teams production and more. If Fort is out for an extended amount of time, Baltimore would lose a great contributor and a leader, which would be a big blow to the team.

There will likely be an update on Fort’s status in the coming days, but for now, things aren’t looking promising. The veteran’s absence would open up more opportunities for players such as Malik Harrison, Chris Board, Otaro Alaka, and Kristian Welch.

John Harbaugh provides injury updates after Ravens’ Week 1 preseason victory over Saints

John Harbaugh provides injury updates after Ravens’ Week 1 preseason victory over Saints

The Baltimore Ravens were able to muster a comeback victory in their opening game of the 2021 preseason, as they defeated the New Orleans Saints by the final score of 17-14. It was a defensive battle on both sides early on, but Baltimore’s defense stayed consistently strong throughout most of the game, forcing six turnovers.

Despite getting the win, the Ravens didn’t come out of the game unscathed. Head coach John Harbaugh provided injury updates following the team’s victory.

Harbaugh also mentioned that quarterback Trace McSorley was dealing with back spasms, which might have impacted his play.

Aside from those three injuries, Harbaugh mentions that running back Gus Edwards didn’t play due to a family matter, and would let the running back explain once he gets back.

With all of the injuries that the team has sustained so far during training camp, it’s refreshing to hear that Baltimore seemingly escaped the game without any major concerns from a health perspective. However, Harbaugh did say that he was knocking on wood until the ailments are confirmed as minor.

Trystan Colon-Castillo, Kristian Welch sign exclusive rights tenders

The Baltimore Ravens had two exclusive rights free agents sign their tenders on Saturday in Trystan Colon-Castillo and Kristian Welch

The Baltimore Ravens will enter 2021 training camp with plenty of young players ready to compete for a roster spot and prove that they can make an impact at the NFL level. Two of those players signed their exclusive rights tenders on Saturday, the team announced.

 

Colon-Castillo, 23, signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent after playing at the University of Missouri. While he didn’t make the final 53-man roster out of training camp, he was added to Baltimore’s practice squad shortly after he was let go.

After spending the first few weeks of the season on the practice squad, the center was signed to the active roster on October 12th. The promotion came after rumblings began that other teams were looking to poach him from the Ravens’ practice squad and sign him to their own active rosters. He appeared in two games for Baltimore during his rookie campaign, including making his first career start in the Ravens’ December 2nd game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a contest where the Baltimore was missing a plethora of contributors due to the Coronavirus.

Welch, 22, played primarily on special teams for the Ravens in 2020, and filled in nicely after fellow linebacker and special teams contributor Otaro Alaka was lost for the season with a knee injury.

The former University of Iowa Hawkeye was let go by Baltimore during final cut down day, but was back with the team the next day, signing to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 7th after being a game-day call up for multiple weeks. He totalled three tackles on the season.

Both players showed potential last year, and are viewed highly by the Ravens. They could be looking at increased responsibilities, especially after having a year with the team to learn the NFL game and figure out Baltimore does things.

Signing the tenders that they were assigned on March 10th means that both Colon-Castillo and Welch are under contract for another year with the Ravens and will make the league minimum, which is $780,000 for players with one accrued season.