Tag: Malik Cunningham

Ravens select QB Devin Leary with pick No. 218 in 2024 NFL draft

Ravens select QB Devin Leary with pick No. 218 in 2024 NFL draft

The Ravens added a quarterback to their roster during the draft, selecting former NC State and Kentucky signal caller Devin Leary.

Leary was a 5-year starter who played one season with the Wildcats after transferring from NC State (2018-22).

Leary is Baltimore’s first quarterback drafted since 2019 (Trace McSorley). Last year, he threw for 2,746 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions for Kentucky.

Report: Patriots ‘had no plan’ for Malik Cunningham

Some within the Patriots’ organization reportedly told Malik Cunningham he made the right decision to leave New England

One of the biggest questions throughout the season was why the New England Patriots never gave rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham a legitimate shot under center.

He came off the bench in the preseason and rushed for a touchdown, along with showing his ability to make throws on the move. It’s a unique skill set the Patriots lacked with Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Will Grier.

So it was no surprise fans wanted to see Cunningham get an opportunity at quarterback when the season was lost. Oddly enough, the Patriots never gave the rookie signal-caller that chance, and instead, they used him as a wide receiver and occasional scout team quarterback at practice.

That was until the Baltimore Ravens signed him off New England’s practice squad back in mid-December. The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed reported on Thursday, via NESN’s Adam London, that sources told them Cunningham made the right decision to leave the Patriots.

The Herald wrote:

According to sources, some organization members told Cunningham he had made the right decision to leave New England.

The report followed up with a source claiming the Patriots “had no plan” for Cunningham.

If there was no plan in place, then why did the Patriots sign Cunningham in the first place? Not only did they sign him to a deal, but they gave him a franchise-record $200,000 in guaranteed money.

Even coach Bill Belichick admitted the Ravens were better suited for handling Cunningham’s talent.

“They (the Ravens) sold him on the opportunity, the offense, Lamar. Certainly, their offense suits Malik better than any offense in the league, so it makes sense,” Belichick said, after Cunningham signed with the Ravens.

It’s another head-scratcher of a situation for a Patriots’ organization that’s had plenty of them this season.

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Report: Patriots coaches wanted Malik Cunningham to play

A new report suggests Patriots players weren’t the only ones that felt like Malik Cunningham should have been given an opportunity.

The New England Patriots did not keep Malik Cunningham on the roster, and he ended up getting picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. That move resulted in strong reactions from both fans and former teammates alike.

Now, a new report indicates that some Patriots coaches wanted Cunningham to get an opportunity after the 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.

Quarterback Mac Jones struggled in that game, throwing for 110 yards and two interceptions. It was the second week in a row that Jones had struggled at the time, and it led to him being benched for a second consecutive game.

NBC Sports Boston’s Phil A. Perry reported that it was after the Saints game that several coaches wanted Cunningham to play.

“I think when you think about just how much support there was for him, and all we heard about Malik Cunningham after the fact, I do think there was real, genuine love for the guy’s skill set here,” Perry said. “Based on, basically, what they saw from him in practice.

“I will tell you this: I heard from coaches after the Saints game. So, two blowouts in a row, bad quarterback play. And I had coaches say to me, ‘We might as well try Malik at this point. What do we have to lose?’ And so, that may have been reflective of a greater portion of the locker room than maybe I was willing to give credit to at the time. So I think there was a real, genuine liking of the guy’s skill set, especially based on where the modern game is going, what he was able to do on the fields here behind Gillette Stadium.”

It would’ve been interesting to see what Cunningham could have done and if it would have changed the trajectory of the season. Of course, it’s too late now, as the Patriots are currently sitting at 3-11 and positioned with the No. 2 pick overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

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Trent Brown claims Patriots players thought Malik Cunningham deserved shot at QB

Trent Brown claims “everybody” on the Patriots team thought Malik Cunningham deserved a chance.

There was a groundswell of support for rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham when he was signed off the New England Patriots’ practice squad by the Baltimore Ravens.

It makes sense considering how impressive he looked in the preseason and the Patriots’ odd handling of him behind the scenes. Instead of working to help him improve at quarterback, the Patriots basically made him a tweener at quarterback and receiver.

He never got a real opportunity to lead the offense during the season, while the team struggled with a combination of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe throughout the year. For such a well-liked player in the locker room, the news of him signing with the Ravens without ever getting a real shot in New England left a bad taste in the mouths of players and fans.

Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown raised eyebrows especially with an Instagram post that might have been perceived as a shot at the Patriots.

“Go flourish where your talent is respected lil bradda,” Brown posted.

On Wednesday, via AtoZ Sports’ Sophie Weller, Brown responded when asked if he felt like Cunningham deserved a chance this season.

“Absolutely. Everybody on the team did,” said Brown.

The Patriots were never in contention this season. Even now, they’re basically playing meaningless games with Zappe under center. It would have made more sense to keep Cunningham on the roster and see what they had in the young quarterback.

Not giving him that opportunity will go down as the biggest head-scratcher in a season filled with many for the Patriots.

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Podcast: Bill Belichick’s future, Malik Cunningham and Patriots-Chiefs preview

We delved into all things Patriots this week, including Bill Belichick’s future, the fallout from Malik Cunningham’s departure and previewing the Week 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Even after an upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and multiple days off, the New England Patriots were still subjected to a week full of drama.

Couple that with the fact that an angry Kansas City Chiefs team is coming to town on Sunday and even bigger problems could be ahead for the Patriots.

Bill Belichick’s job status has been the headline of the week, following a report by NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran stating that the team already made the decision to part ways with the legendary coach back in Week 12, after the loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Meanwhile, the Patriots also dealt with the loss of rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham, who was signed off the practice squad by the Baltimore Ravens.

Ryan O’Leary and I break it all down in this week’s episode of the Patriots Wire Podcast, including previewing the Patriots-Chiefs game.

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Please share your thoughts and opinions on the topics covered in this week’s show. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Are we witnessing the final days of Belichick as the Patriots’ coach? Will the team regret losing Cunningham? Can the Patriots pull off an upset victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs?

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Matthew Judon makes plea for Patriots to bring back Malik Cunningham

Matthew Judon thinks Malik Cunningham could do big things with the Ravens.

Malik Cunningham’s move to the Baltimore Ravens has garnered responses from New England Patriots fans and players alike. The disappointment has been felt all around after the Ravens signed the quarterback from the Patriots’ practice squad.

Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon expressed his desire to have Cunningham back on the team via Instagram.

Cunningham only saw six snaps for the Patriots during the season, after playing significantly more during the preseason as both a quarterback and wide receiver. Nevertheless, he offered a bit of a different style in comparison to the other quarterbacks in the room.

Bailey Zappe showed his support for Cunningham on Wednesday afternoon, and Judon did the same.

The odds of Cunningham coming back to New England anytime soon are slim, but it’s clear the positive impact he made on both fans and his teammates in the short time he was there.

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Bailey Zappe admits to being upset and excited for Malik Cunningham leaving Patriots

Bailey Zappe had strong feelings about Malik Cunningham’s departure.

New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe commented on former teammate Malik Cunningham signing with the Baltimore Ravens.

The two spent plenty of time together in the Patriots quarterbacks room. Cunningham, an undrafted rookie out of Louisville, worked his way up to the main roster a few times, but his actual time on the field was limited during the season.

He was activated from the practice squad for the last two games with Zappe getting the start.

“He’s a great teammate,” Zappe said, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “Of course, I was upset that he’s not going to be here with us anymore. But I was also excited that he was getting an opportunity somewhere else. I believe he signed to the 53(-man roster), so that’s a great opportunity for him.

“I texted him, I wished him all the best and told him to stay in contact. He’s a great guy.”

Cunningham finished his run with the Patriots playing only six snaps in total. He will look to find a new role with the Ravens, serving as a backup to Lamar Jackson.

One has to wonder what he could’ve achieved in New England, if he was given more opportunities on the field.

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Bill Belichick admits Ravens offense suits Malik Cunningham better

Bill Belichick wanted to keep Malik Cunningham, but the Ravens had the better pitch in the end.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick wanted to keep rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham, but he also admits the Baltimore Ravens had the better pitch in the end.

The Patriots have spent months trying to convert Cunningham into a wide receiver, while also having him moonlight at quarterback on occasion. But the Ravens offered him a chance at quarterback in their offense, which is headed by former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

Belichick believes the move makes sense for Cunningham in the end.

“They (the Ravens) sold him on the opportunity, the offense, Lamar. Certainly, their offense suits Malik better than any offense in the league, so it makes sense,” Belichick told reporters on Wednesday morning.

The Ravens’ run-heavy offense would certainly put Cunningham in a better position to find success. He’ll also be learning under Jackson, who is his former college teammate from Louisville.

It’s still hard to understand why Belichick and the Patriots never fully embraced Cunningham’s unique skill set as both a runner and passer. Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown seemingly took a shot at the team on Tuesday in a goodbye post to Cunningham.

The Patriots have started Bailey Zappe the last couple of weeks, but there’s still no real direction at quarterback for the team. How could there be when the head coach isn’t even willing to name the starter?

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Patriots Twitter in shambles following Ravens signing rookie QB Malik Cunningham

Patriots fans were not happy with the team losing rookie QB Malik Cunningham.

The Baltimore Ravens signed New England Patriots quarterback Malik Cunningham off the team’s practice squad on Tuesday afternoon. In doing so, they reunite Cunningham with his former college teammate from Louisville, Lamar Jackson.

Cunningham was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in May. Aside from playing in the preseason, he did see limited action at quarterback with two snaps under center against the Las Vegas Raiders back in October.

The Patriots tried him at both the wide receiver and quarterback positions. However, they never seemed to be able to find a consistent spot for him on the roster.

Patriots twitter, in particular, had strong reactions to the Ravens prying Cunningham away from the team.

Instant analysis of Ravens signing former Patriots QB Malik Cunningham

Malik Cunningham is another missed opportunity for a Patriots team that seems to be out of touch.

There has been a mixture of anger and disappointment from fans following Tuesday’s news that the Baltimore Ravens had signed rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham off the New England Patriots’ practice squad.

The reality is Patriots coach Bill Belichick never valued Cunningham as a quarterback on the roster, aside from mimicking opposing players at the position on the scout team.

There was never any clear direction on what the team wanted him to be. On one hand, they worked him out behind the scenes at receiver, but then he would suddenly be back under center taking reps at quarterback.

Even when he showed promise at quarterback in the preseason, the Patriots were oddly baffled by what to do with him. They clearly liked him on the team, but they did him no favors in a critical year of development.

To make matters worse, the team is currently sitting at 3-10 with no hope of making the playoffs. Wouldn’t it have made sense to at least play Cunningham for a half and see what you have in the young signal-caller?

Instead, the Patriots have opted to lean on the Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe formula that obviously isn’t working.

Joining the Ravens could work wonders for Cunningham, who will finally be with a team that knows what to do with his unique talents as both a runner and passer. He’ll be able to learn the ropes of quarterbacking at the next level under a former NFL MVP and his former college teammate, Lamar Jackson.

Meanwhile, the Patriots can sift their way through this lost NFL season with some combination of Zappe, Jones and Will Grier.

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