Tag: Marlon Humphrey

Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey snubbed by PFF for 2019

In spite of being named an All-Pro and being considered one of the best CBs in the game last season, Marlon Humphrey was slighted by PFF.

The Baltimore Ravens placed five players on Pro Football Focus’ list of the best players from 2019. But conspicuously absent from the list of 101 players was Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who had an All-Pro season last year.

Though Baltimore saw cornerback Marcus Peters make the cut, Humphrey was the better and more consistent player. When the rest of the Ravens’ defense struggled, it was Humphrey who was consistently amazing, creating big plays to help Baltimore win some close games. If there was a best player on the Ravens’ defense last year, it was unquestionably Humphrey.

With an injury to Jimmy Smith in Week 1 as well as Humphrey’s emergence as a top cornerback, he was moved around and tasked with shadowing some of the best wide receivers in the game. In 2019, Humphrey covered the like of Odell Beckham Jr., De’Andre Hopkins, Tyler Lockett, Julian Edelman, Tyler Boyd and JuJu Smith-Schuster — a wide variety in size, speed and how they’re utilized by their respective teams.

In total, Humphrey was targeted 88 times, allowing 51 receptions (58%) for 440 total yards and three touchdowns, while nabbing three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries including two returned for touchdowns. Quarterbacks had a 68.4 passer rating when throwing Humphrey’s way.

Humphrey emerged as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL last season, making a serious case for being a top-five defensive back. Though PFF might not believe that to be true, Humphrey is surely going to be paid like it when he gets to his first real contract.

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Will Marlon Humphrey be the next to earn a new contract for the Ravens?

The Baltimore Ravens have locked up four of their five starting defensive backs with long-term deals. Marlon Humphrey could be next

The Baltimore Ravens have gone out of their way recently to ensure their defensive backfield will remain in place. They agreed to terms with Marcus Peters in the closing days of the 2019 season, locking up the ball-hawking All-Pro for the next three years. Safety Chuck Clark was the next player to commit to the Ravens for the long haul, inking a three-year deal of his own. With Tavon Young getting a contract extension early last offseason and Earl Thomas signed through 2023, the Ravens have four of their top five defensive backs locked up for the foreseeable future.

Thoughts now turn to the only other starting defensive back for Baltimore not locked up for the long haul, cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Could he be the next young player to earn a big long-term contract from the Ravens?

Like Peters, Humphrey was named All-Pro in 2019. He was a constant thorn in the side of opposing offenses all year long, having 14 pass defenses as well as three interceptions and three forced fumbles, returning two fumbles for touchdowns and leading the NFL in that category. Humphrey also matched his career total of tackles for loss in a single year, amassing four TFL’s in 2019. Since entering the league in 2017, Humphrey has 40 pass breakups, tied for sixth-most among all players.

In pass coverage last season, Humphrey was targeted 88 times and allowed 51 receptions for 440 yards and three touchdowns. Pass catchers didn’t exactly torch him when they secured the ball, however, as they averaged a mere 5.0 yards per target.

Humphrey was a first-round selection for the Ravens back in 2017 and after playing three seasons he is now eligible for a new contract. With the Ravens’ focus on retaining their starters in the secondary, it’s possible the team acts fast to secure his long term services. However, just because they can extend him it does not necessarily mean that they will.

Humphrey is currently signed through the 2020 season but, as a first-round selection, the team has a fifth-year option available to them. The Ravens may choose to exercise this (they have until May 2020 to exercise it) giving them more time to evaluate Humphrey’s worth. They have used this option in the past, when the value has made sense, on players like C.J. Mosley and Ronnie Stanley. With last year’s fifth-year option for cornerbacks costing just shy of $10 million for one year and top players earning around $15 million per year currently, Humphrey’s fifth-year option would be a relative steal for Baltimore even if the market doesn’t explode like it’s expected to do this offseason.

With two relatively cheap years left on his contract (with the fifth-year option applied), it might seem like a no brainer to let Humphrey play out his rookie deal. However, the danger for the Ravens in not extending Humphrey now is that he’s going to command even more money in a year or two.

With a handful of top cornerbacks set to hit free agency over the next two years, the market for the position is likely going to be reset before Humphrey’s contract would be up. Guys like Darius Slay, Tre’Davious White and Jalen Ramsey could easily push top cornerback contracts above $17 million per year. Humphrey would have a pretty easy case to then be paid even more than those guys as one of the top cornerbacks in the league. The idea Humphrey could approach $19 million APY isn’t as far out there as one would think.

Humphrey and his representatives may be less inclined to take a “team-friendly” deal in two years’ time and as a result, he could opt for big money on the open market. Humphrey has already hinted that maybe signing now isn’t ideal when asked late last season.

“I guess that’s really my agent’s job if that’s what he wants to do,” Humphrey said per Penn Live’s Aaron Kasinitz.

As non-answers go, this one went.

The salary cap is not really a huge deterrent to a good team keeping good players, and the Ravens certainly still have money to spend on their own players over the next few years. I believe that they may look to open talks with Humphrey, but given their leverage over him, they are not likely to want to re-set the cornerback market right now when they have guys like Stanley and Matthew Judon to deal with first. But with general manager Eric DeCosta working hard to get guys under long-term contracts early, don’t count out Humphrey being the latest.

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Ravens solidify their secondary for future with Chuck Clark signing

With safety Chuck Clark getting a three-year contract extension, the Baltimore Ravens now have their entire starting secondary locked up.

With the Baltimore Ravens handing safety Chuck Clark a three-year contract extension, they’ve now locked up their entire starting secondary for the foreseeable future. With this era of football being pass-happy, that’s a huge benefit for Baltimore, both short- and long-term.

For the long-term, Clark’s extension means the Ravens have their entire starting secondary all wrapped up through the 2021 season. Outside of cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who is still on his rookie contract, the four other starting members of Baltimore’s secondary are inked through at least the 2022 season.

That gives the Ravens manageable salary cap expectations for a handful of seasons. Though Baltimore is set to have the highest cap hits at both safety and cornerback in 2020, according to Over The Cap, it gives them a proven group of young players that shouldn’t have a dramatic dropoff in play due to players leaving or getting too old. The average age of the Ravens’ starting secondary is just shy of 26 years old and if taking out Thomas — who is 30 years old — the group is nearly 25 years old on average.

For the short-term, Clark’s deal is a continuation of general manager Eric DeCosta taking care of potential holes before they open up. With extensions given to Tavon Young and Marcus Peters already as well, the Ravens enter the 2020 offseason with no dramatic needs in their secondary. While they would be foolish to completely ignore the unit and not add more depth, DeCosta isn’t forced into spending big money in free agency or having to use an early-round draft pick to find a starter. Instead, Baltimore can use its buying power on more pressing needs.

It’s rare that a team can lock up an entire group at the same time just due to the logistics of the salary cap and finding all that talent at about the same time. But the Ravens and general manager Eric DeCosta have done exactly that, which takes quite a lot of pressure off the team this offseason.

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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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How Ravens fared in the 2020 Pro Bowl

The Baltimore Ravens made up a large chunk of the 2020 Pro Bowl roster but how did they actually perform during the game?

The 2020 NFL Pro Bowl might as well have been another postseason game for the Baltimore Ravens considering they made up a large portion of the roster. Sending 12 players (cornerback Marcus Peters backed out of the game with an injury) to the Pro Bowl, there were plenty of opportunities for Ravens players to shine, even amongst the best the NFL has to offer.

And shine they did. Baltimore players led the charge on offense, posting up the most rushing yards, best passing stats and bet receiving performance of the Pro Bowl.

At the very tippy-top of the list is quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won the Pro Bowl offensive MVP award after completing 16-of-23 attempts (69.6%) for 185 yards, two passing touchdowns and one interception for a 104.4 passer rating. Check out highlights of Jackson’s performance in the game.

Running back Mark Ingram led all players in both rushing attempts and yards, posting up 31 rushing yards on five attempts for a 6.2 yard-per-carry average. Tight end Mark Andrews led all receivers in receptions, snagging nine passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.

But don’t forget the defensive stars the Ravens had on the Pro Bowl roster as well. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey led the AFC with three tackles and had a pass defended. Safety Earl Thomas had two tackles, one quarterback hit, two passes defended and an interception which he returned for 41 yards. While outside linebacker Matthew Judon might not have been able to get to the quarterback in this one, he still posted one tackle.

Kicker Justin Tucker had himself a perfect game, nailing all five of his extra points while kicking a 50-yard field goal.

Ultimately, all of Baltimore’s help notched a 38-33 win for coach John Harbaugh and the AFC over the NFC in the 2020 Pro Bowl.

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Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey considers Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins the 11th-best player in the NFL

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey revealed his NFL Top 100 ballot and had Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins at 11th overall.

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins continues to get the respect and attention from his counterparts, and a recent NFL Top 100 ballot revealed as much.

According to Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who shared his NFL Top 100 ballot on Twitter on Friday, Hopkins is the 11th-best player in the NFL.

Hopkins is the best receiver in the AFC. However, he is the third-best in the NFL as the Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones is ahead of him at No. 7 and the New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas is No. 2 overall.

Curiously, Humphrey did not face Thomas or Jones in 2019, but he did face Hopkins. The three-time All-Pro produced seven catches for 80 yards in a 41-7 loss at the Ravens in Week 11. Coincidentally, the tenor of that game may have changed if officials had called defensive pass interference on Humphrey as he aggressively guarded Hopkins and knocked away an intended touchdown in the end zone early in the first quarter.

What makes Hopkins’ case as the best receiver in the game the most compelling is that he didn’t have the luxury of a Pro Bowl quarterback consistently throwing him the ball until 2018 when Deshaun Watson completed his first full season healthy. Since then, Hopkins continues to make his case as arguably the best receiver in the game, and cornerbacks such as Humphrey are taking notice.

Former Alabama DB Marlon Humphrey has a lot to say after post-season loss

Former Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey had plenty to say after the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional round 28-12. Humphrey, who was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2017, had two tackles in the contest. …

Former Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey had plenty to say after the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional round 28-12.

Humphrey, who was a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2017, had two tackles in the contest.

The Crimson Tide product gave the media plenty of quotes after the game.

He kept this one brief and to the point.

While the words he used most likely wouldn’t have been spoken by other members of the team, he’s not wrong.

The Ravens had their season ended in the 2019 playoffs by the Los Angeles Chargers.

He also spoke on coach Harbaugh and what the mods was with the whole team after they were eliminated from their Super Bowl dreams.

It seems as if he is putting this season behind him, and he signed off on the year with this tweet:

He’s not apologizing to the fans, but acknowledges that something needs to change. Humphrey seems to be directing this tweet towards Ravens fans that were not too happy with the teams performance.

His reaction to the loss is warranted and expected, especially with how well the team has played in the 2019-2020 season, and with all the high expectations their fanbase had.

However, he still has 2020 to look forward to, plus the distance honor of being named to the 2020 Pro Bowl, along with numerous other Nick Saban products.

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Ravens optimistic about future but will need to rally this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens were disappointed but optimistic after their playoffs loss to the Titans. But they’ll have a tough road ahead.

The Baltimore Ravens had a remarkable regular season. They finished with the best record in franchise history at 14-2, held the longest active winning streak in the NFL, got 12 players named to the Pro Bowl and saw quarterback Lamar Jackson elevate himself to an MVP level. But with their loss to the Tennessee Titans in the NFL playoffs, none of that really matters now.

Following the Ravens’ 28-12 beating at the hands of the Titans, many players were disappointed in the outcome yet optimistic about the team’s future, according to WNST’s Luke Jones. In fairness to their hopefulness, Baltimore does have the likely MVP in Jackson and a roster full of great young talent that got them this far. It’s easy to see how they’ll be a regular playoff contender for the next few years.

But in reality, 14-2 seasons with an NFL-record offense and the No. 1 seed don’t happen every year. In fact, Baltimore had never held the top seed in the AFC in their 23 years of existence prior to this year and the rushing record they broke had stood for 41 years. Only four players have ever won the NFL MVP award in back-to-back seasons, dating back to 1957.

No, the Ravens had a golden brick road towards Super Bowl LIV and tripped with Emerald City gleaming within sight. It would be unfair to expect Baltimore will mirror that level of regular-season success in 2020. And in a sport where legitimate chances at greatness are fleeting, it’s not a stretch to wonder if the Ravens missed their opportunity.

This is the type of loss that can completely derail a team and get in their heads next season. It would be fair to wonder if last year’s playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers had a similar impact in this game, causing the players to get flustered and overextend themselves.

We’ve seen plenty of great teams that were favored to win the Super Bowl fall flat on their faces once they got to the postseason. Look at the former San Diego Chargers, who were perennial paper champs every January in the 2000s only to suffer heartbreak. Much like those Chargers, cornerback Marlon Humphrey noted Baltimore’s current identity is rightfully playoff choke artists.

 

John Harbaugh and the Ravens’ coaching staff is going to have a tough task ahead of them this offseason. They’ll have to get the players to shake this game from their memories or turn it into the type of fuel that makes them better.

Luckily for Baltimore, Harbaugh has some experience in this matter. After losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game thanks to a dropped pass and missed field goal attempt, Harbaugh faced a similar feat then. He and the team responded the following season, using the crushing loss as inspiration to not let it happen again. In the same scenario — against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game — the Ravens grew and defeated their demons en route to their Super Bowl XLVII victory.

It’ll take a little bit of that magic over the next seven months to match the players’ optimism with results but Baltimore has the right coach for the job.

Can the Ravens’ defense stop the Titans’ offense?

A look at how the Tennessee Titans offense will match up against the Baltimore Ravens in this weekend’s NFL divisional-round playoff game.

The Tennessee Titans finished the 2019 regular season as one of the hottest offenses in the NFL. They managed to pile up the yards and the points despite an old-school offensive mentality. First-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has done a tremendous job featuring Derrick Henry while also getting production out of rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Keeping the Titans quiet will not be an easy task for Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale and his players this weekend. Let’s break down the Titans’ passing and rushing attacks against the Ravens’ defense to see who has the edge in this game.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Titans’ rushing offense vs. Ravens’ rushing defense:

Like the Ravens, the foundation of the Titans’ offense is the running game. They have the league’s leading rusher in Derrick Henry, who finished the regular season with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns on his 303 rushing attempts. To put an exclamation point on the regular season Henry gained 182 rushing yards on the New England Patriots in the wild-card round to propel Tennessee to victory. Thanks to Henry’s deeds, the Titans averaged 138.9 yards on the ground per game which trailed only the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers in 2019.

At first glance, one would assume that this is a matchup that the Ravens have well in hand despite Henry’s dominance. The Ravens allowed the 5th-fewest rushing yards per game this season. However when we look closer we discover that the Ravens saw the second-fewest running back rush attempts in the regular season (296), thanks no doubt to their opponents being forced to abandon the run and play catchup. Opposing rushers averaged a not too shabby 4.4 yards per attempt against Baltimore, the 12th highest average in the regular season.

Rushing edge: Titans

If the Titans are able to keep Lamar Jackson and company in check and slow the Ravens’ offense down, Henry could be a huge thorn in the side of the Ravens defense. But it’s a very big if.

Rushing / Passing / Overall

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Fitzpatrick and Humphrey named to NFL’s 2019 All-Pro Team

Pittsburg Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and Baltimore Ravens DB Marlon Humphrey were named to the list.

On Friday, two former Alabama Crimson Tide players were named to the NFL’s 2019 All-Pro Team.

Pittsburg Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and Baltimore Ravens DB Marlon Humphrey were named to the list.

Humphrey, who was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, finished the 2019 regular season with 65 tackles, 14 pass breakups, 3 INT, 2 (FF) forced fumbles, 3 fumbles recoveries, and 2 touchdowns.

Oct 20, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) recovers a fumble and runs it back for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at CenturyLink Field. Baltimore defeated Seattle 30-16. Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Fitzpatrick, who was drafted by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft was traded to the Steelers in October of 2019. Since he arrived, he’s had 57 tackles, 9 pass breakups, 5 INT, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 TDs.

PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 10: Minkah Fitzpatrick #39 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after recovering a fumble for a 43 yard touchdown during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Heinz Field on November 10, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Both Humphrey and Fitzpatrick have also been chosen to participate in the 2019 Pro Bowl.

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