L.J. Fort – Page 3 – Syndication Server

How Patrick Queen impacts the Ravens’ depth chart

With the Baltimore Ravens taking LB Patrick Queen in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, how does that shake up the depth chart?

[jwplayer 8oWxhFXu-ThvAeFxT]

Now that the Baltimore Ravens have taken Patrick Queen with the 28th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, our focus shifts to how that affects to the Ravens’ roster.

Baltimore’s depth chart at linebacker was incredibly shallow prior to the draft, even though the Ravens had just signed Jake Ryan last week and gave an extension to L.J. Fort last season. Queen should be considered an immediate starter for Baltimore, which is something they didn’t have prior to the 2020 NFL Draft. But Queen might not fit in the spot many expect him to.

The depth chart as it stands right now should look like this:

Position	1st	2nd	3rd
MLB	Chris Board	Jake Ryan	Otaro Alaka
WLB	Patrick Queen	L.J. Fort

Queen as a more rangy player actually fits in best at weak-side linebacker initially. That’s where the Ravens can maximize his playmaking ability and his speed in both coverage and as a potential blitzer, two things he showed at LSU.

One of the bigger knocks on Queen was his ability to play inside in run support. As an undersized linebacker, Queen can get caught up in the mess and struggles at times to recognize gap assignments, which makes him less effective as a traditional middle linebacker. While those are things he’ll certainly work on and he has the ability to improve dramatically at with more experience, Baltimore will get the most out of him by giving him room to run.

That makes middle linebacker a pretty hotly contested battle right now. Board, Ryan, and Alaka are all in the mix there as larger and more stout linebackers. Where Ryan comes with more starting experience, Board has more time in the playbook, which might make all the difference. Alaka still sits in third right now but could surprise people when the Ravens get back on the field for training camp.

Still, this is a group that could use more depth. The 2020 NFL Draft is far from over and there are some linebackers in the mid-to-late rounds that could come in an compete for a job as an early-down linebacker next to Queen. The second wave of free agency could even see an experienced option hit the market, which might be more up Baltimore’s alley given their lack of experience at the position.

[vertical-gallery id=46348]

11 Ravens that could be most impacted by 2020 NFL Draft

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.

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.

Pages: 123456789

What does Jake Ryan’s addition mean for the Ravens’ 2020 NFL draft plans

With Jake Ryan coming to the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year deal, does it change what the Ravens are going to do in the 2020 NFL Draft?

The Baltimore Ravens bolstered their thinnest position group with the addition of inside linebacker Jake Ryan, who agreed to terms on a one-year contract pending a physical. With the 2020 NFL Draft coming up in less than a week, the biggest question with any new signing is how it will impact the Ravens’ draft plans. For Ryan, that’s a little bit of a complicated situation.

When healthy, Ryan is a starting-quality linebacker. In fact, he did that in 27 games over three seasons for the Green Bay Packers. But injuries have kept him from the field for all but one snap over the last two seasons, with the Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars respectively. While there’s certainly hope Ryan has recovered from the knee injury that put him on injured reserve in 2018 and the hamstring injury that ended his 2019 season, betting on that seems like a shaky proposition.

However, Baltimore just needed more experienced depth. Prior to Ryan’s signing, the Ravens had just three inside linebackers under contract and only L.J. Fort has started even just one NFL game. Only Fort and Chris Board have gotten any defensive snaps. With two linebacker spots to fill on base defense, that very limited depth and production simply wasn’t going to cut it for a Baltimore defense that has a long and proud history of linebacker play.

While Ryan’s addition certainly helps that depth, it likely isn’t a huge impact on the Ravens’ draft plans. They’re still likely going to use at least one of their nine picks at the position in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, they might not necessarily be forced into taking one of the linebackers — Patrick Queen and Kenneth Murray — who have frequently been mocked to them in the first round.

As director of college scouting Joe Hortiz noted in the pre-draft press conference, there are a bunch of linebackers that can be found later in the draft to fill specific roles. If Baltimore wants to split the position group into linebackers who can cover and ones who are stout against the run, they might be able to wait until Day 2 or 3 of the draft to find their other piece of the puzzle to combine with Ryan, Board and Fort.

As with everything the Ravens tend to do in the offseason, Ryan’s addition is about giving them more flexibility. They can let their draft board come to them without having to feel like they need to reach to fill a need with an early pick. It’s a strategy that has worked out quite well for Baltimore over the years, so it’s hard to disagree with it.

[vertical-gallery id=44994]

Ravens not forced to grab LB early in 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens enter the 2020 NFL Draft with LB being one of their top needs but they can find great value in later rounds too

The way defense is played in the NFL is ever-changing. As offenses begin to spread themselves out and throw the football more often, defenses are countering that by putting more defensive backs on the field. The end result is that linebackers that can play all three downs aren’t nearly as important as they were 10 years ago.

The Baltimore Ravens enter the 2020 NFL Draft with inside linebacker being one of their most pressing needs. With only L.J. Fort penciled in as a starter right now and Baltimore effectively having no depth behind him on their roster, the Ravens will need to add at least one more linebacker to their defense. However, by not necessarily needing a three-down linebacker, Baltimore is afforded a little flexibility with how they attack the draft this year.

“I think when we look at the board, there’s obviously guys who can do all three things – play the run, cover and blitz,” director of college scouting Joe Hortiz said at the Ravens’ pre-draft press conference. “But I think when we look at the guys throughout the draft, there are players that can help us in specific roles. There are guys in the mid-rounds that can come in and cover, maybe play the run.”

If the Ravens want to find that all-around player, they’ll likely have opportunities to do so in the first round. LSU’s Patrick Queen, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray and even Wisconsin’s Zack Baun have all been frequently mocked to Baltimore with their 28th overall pick. While each player offers a slightly different flavor, all three can do everything well enough to warrant being taken that early.

But on the flip side, the Ravens could look for role players in later rounds if they wish. Guys like Oregon’s Troy Dye and Ohio State’s Malik Harrison fit two different styles of play — one better at coming down in run defense with the other better in coverage. Or they can look for a developmental prospect that does both reasonably well in Mississippi State’s Willie Gay Jr. while finding additional help in free agency to round out the group.

The Ravens have loved going into the draft with as much flexibility as possible. By not having to necessarily chase any needs, Baltimore has been able to find star players like cornerback Marlon Humphrey and outside linebacker Matthew Judon by simply letting their draft board come to them. In the 2020 NFL Draft, things aren’t any different and with nine picks — including seven in the first 134 picks — the Ravens should be able to find immediate contributors at a number of positions of need.

[vertical-gallery id=43677]

With Josh Bynes, Patrick Onwuasor signing elsewhere emphasis is put on the 2020 NFL Draft for Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have a huge hole in the middle of their defense at inside linebacker and now both of their free agents are gone.

One of the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest needs remaining is at inside linebacker. While they’ve shored up their defensive line, which should help outside linebacker Matthew Judon get better matchups, Baltimore doesn’t even have enough inside linebackers on the roster to go into the regular season.

The Ravens had shown some interest in both of their free-agent inside linebackers — Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor — during free agency. With how Baltimore was re-signing their own players this offseason, it seemed as though a reunion was forthcoming with at least one of them. However, Onwuasor is signing a one-year deal with the New York Jets while Bynes is signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, taking both familiar options off the table. Now with only lesser or older options still remaining in free agency, the Ravens might be forced to remedy the problem in the early rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Mock drafts have frequently given Baltimore Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or LSU’s Patrick Queen in the first round, filling a need with a quality player. But there are no guarantees when it comes to the draft — either in a player falling or in any prospect being good.

If there’s a run on wide receivers, pass rushers and quarterbacks, the Ravens might see either Queen or Murray fall into their laps. But just as easily, both could be off the board which would force Baltimore to either hope they can get one of the second-tier linebackers in a later round or reach for one of them there. While the second wave of free agency following the draft could still net them a starter-quality player at inside linebacker, it’s something the Ravens rarely leave to chance.

This hypothetical is exactly why the Ravens like to address as many of their needs as possible ahead of the draft. Instead of drafting the players they like most, Baltimore is now eyeing up the possibility of having to adjust their entire draft to find a starter at a key position.

GM Eric DeCosta saving Ravens from free-agency hell

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta’s philosophy of signing key players early is already having a major impact on the NFL free agency this offseason

The 2020 NFL free agency period begins in less than a month. But for Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, free agency is a never-ending process that can happen any day of the year.

Since taking over for Ozzie Newsome, DeCosta has gotten in the habit of re-signing players early. It’s partially to end the cycle of developing players for other teams by keeping key players from hitting the free-agent market and ultimately leaving. But a secondary effect is that Baltimore saves money by inking players to a deal at the current market value instead of in a year or two when the increasing salary cap will drive up salaries.

In the case of this offseason, DeCosta’s philosophy is already having a major impact. Though Baltimore started the offseason with 21 pending free agents, including key starters in Matthew Judon and Michael Pierce, things could have been a lot worse had DeCosta not gotten a head start.

The Ravens have signed a number of players early, including nine that would have been free agents this offseason:

Player	Position
Patrick Ricard	FB/DL
Willie Snead	WR
Andre Smith	T
Jordan Richards	DB
Justin Tucker	K
Marcus Peters	CB
Tavon Young	CB
Marshal Yanda	G
L.J. Fort	ILB

Just imagine the Ravens having to try to re-sign Pro Bowlers like Ricard, Peters, Tucker and Yanda, alongside Judon and Pierce. It’s very likely Baltimore would have struggled to retain even the number of guys they already had, at least not without breaking the bank and dipping further into their salary cap.

As we saw last offseason with C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith and even Terrell Suggs, plenty of other teams are more than capable of beating any offer the Ravens can throw out. In the case of those three free agents, all earned bigger contracts than expected. Even re-signing one at their current contracts would have bankrupted Baltimore’s salary cap for the near future, ultimately forcing DeCosta to watch them leave with no real plan to replace them. Hopefully, DeCosta’s current philosophy will change that practice and see fewer star players leave after their rookie contracts.

It’s a strategy that has its potential negatives, however. In the case of Young, who spent last season on injured reserve, the Ravens might have been able to get a better value on his contract had they waited until now. Still, signing players early eliminates some of the anxiety of having to work on multiple contracts at once. As long as DeCosta and Baltimore’s front office do their due diligence and have a good eye for talent, they should have far more hits than misses.

As it stands now, the Ravens head into free agency this offseason with a clearer picture of how the salary cap looks for the next few years. With just two major free agents set to hit the market, Baltimore is in far greater shape to make decisions about the future of the franchise and be aggressive in making moves as soon as free agency begins on March 18.

The Ravens will likely turn their attention to tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey next in an effort to keep their two biggest pending free agents in Baltimore for the long haul.

[vertical-gallery id=40419]

Orlando Scandrick, L.J. Fort among former Eagles entitled to playoff bonus

Orlando Scandrick’s time with the Eagles was drama-filled and ended with the former NFL cornerback getting released by Philadelphia and then heading to FS1 to air out his dirty grievances. During his first trip to the Undisputed set, Scandrick all …

Orlando Scandrick’s time with the Eagles was drama-filled and ended with the former NFL cornerback getting released by Philadelphia and then heading to FS1 to air out his dirty grievances.

During his first trip to the Undisputed set, Scandrick all but guaranteed that the Eagles would implode and not make the playoffs.

The Eagles made the playoffs and Scandrick was forced to apologize for his “snake” ways. Now after all the drama, Scandrick and a handful of other Eagles will cash out on the playoff bonus allocated to each team.

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia via the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, players who spent at least three weeks on an NFL team’s roster are entitled to a half playoff share if the franchise they played for reaches the postseason and they’re not currently under contract to another team in the same conference.

Players who were on the roster for at least nine weeks get a full share.

Playoff shares for division winners this season were $31,000.

Scandrick, L.J. Fort, Zach Brown and Jay Ajayi will each receive $15,500 in playoff bonus.
Scandrick and Fort played four games, while Brown and Ajayi were on the roster for six.

Mack Hollins gets a full $31,000 of the Eagles playoff bonus for spending 13 weeks on the roster.

Fort, who signed with the Ravens after being released by the Eagles, earned a starting job with Baltimore and will receive playoff shares from two teams since the Ravens also made the playoffs.

Fort will pocket $15,500 from the Eagles on top of the $31,000 he’s guaranteed so far for being on the Ravens.

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 …

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.

Pages: 12

Ravens’ midseason defensive additions are key to their ascension

The additions of L.J. Fort, Josh Bynes and Marcus Peters in the middle of the season have been the key to Baltimore’s rise.

[jwplayer rzKgNnfu-ThvAeFxT]

Sitting at 7-2 and practically a shoo-in for a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, the Baltimore Ravens look like one of the most complete teams in the entire NFL.

Things weren’t always this sunny this year.

The Ravens got off to a fast 2-0 start but quickly faltered against good teams, which dropped them back down to earth. Following Week 5, the Ravens sat at 3-2, and doubts were starting to creep in. It took overtime in Week 5 to beat a hapless Pittsburgh Steelers squad that needed to turn to their third-string quarterback after Baltimore knocked out backup Mason Rudolph.

In spite of a winning record, the thought of the schedule getting significantly tougher was a real worry for anyone looking closely at what Baltimore was doing. The Ravens were being questioned as pretenders, and many expected that tougher opposition would put them in their place. But quick thinking by general manager Eric DeCosta and great performances from new players have helped turn the team around and now have pundits questioning whether there’s any team in the league capable of slowing them down.

For as much praise as the Ravens offense as gotten — and rightfully so — it’s the defensive turnaround that has sparked this team. The additions of linebackers L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes in Week 5, as well as the trade for cornerback Marcus Peters, have had immediate effects on the stat sheet.

Through the first five games of the season, Baltimore’s defense had given up an average of 370.2 yards and 24.6 points per game. In the subsequent four games — all wins — the Ravens have given up just 311.5 yards and 16.5 points per game, with a margin of victory of 18.25 points.

And it’s not like the competition has gotten any easier. Baltimore’s opponents through Week 5 now have a combined 19-27-1 record, while their last four opponents have included the best team in the AFC (New England Patriots) and one of the best in the NFC (Seattle Seahawks).

While improvements were expected as the new-look defense — featuring five new starters and 10 new players — jelled over the course of the year, the biggest difference has been the midseason additions. Combined, Bynes, Fort and Peters have 56 tackles and one sack. Peters has three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. They’ve helped solidify troubled positions and allowed defensive coordinator Don Martindale to be more creative with his schemes and how he manufactures pressure.

The end result is a five-game winning streak and the improvement of a defense that was among the worst in the league but now sits at 14th in yards and points allowed. Not too shabby for two guys that were midseason free agents and a trade that cost a backup linebacker and fifth-round pick.

If the Ravens continue on their current pace and get a first-round bye in the playoffs, it’d be easy to point to the offense as the difference. But in typical Baltimore fashion, the catalyst will have been a hot defense led by midseason roster changes.

[vertical-gallery id=36838]