Tag: Nick Boyle

Ravens release final injury report for Week 1 matchup vs. Jets

The Baltimore Ravens released their final injury report ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets.

The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 1 looking like a bounce-back candidate for the 2022 season after having a plethora of players injured in 2021. The team is working to get a majority of them back from their ailments, but it remains to be seen if players such as running back J.K. Dobbins, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marcus Peters will suit up for the contest.

On Friday, Baltimore released their final injury report of the week ahead of this Sunday’s matchup with the New York Jets. Many players listed did not participate in practice, with the only additions from Thursday’s injury report being a couple of veterans who were given a day of rest.

After not practicing this week, defensive tackle Travis Jones (knee) headlines the list with being out on Sunday. Jones suffered a hyperextended knee in the team’s second preseason game at Arizona. Offensive tackle Stanley (ankle) is doubtful after having two limited practice sessions this week.

Players who head into Week 1 with the “questionable” tag are running back Dobbins (knee) and cornerback Peters (knee). Both Dobbins and Peters suffered season-ending injuries prior to Week 1 in 2021. They also had a few limited practice sessions this week, giving them an opportunity to suit up for the season opener.

Closing out the injury report is tight end Nick Boyle (knee) who was given a day of rest on Friday, but is expected to play. Defensive end Calais Campbell and outside linebacker Justin Houston were also given a day of rest.

Ravens TE Nick Boyle explains why he needs to play in 2022 preseason games

Baltimore Ravens tight end Nick Boyle talks about needing to play in the preseason games.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Nick Boyle has had a trying year and a half. He suffered a gruesome knee injury during a mid-season game against the New England Patriots in 2020, then was in and out of the lineup in 2021 as he tried to fully recover. However, things are looking up for the tight end as the 2022 season approaches, as he looks to be in shape and ready to get back on the field

Boyle spoke to the media after one of Baltimore’s training camp practice sessions and answered a multitude of different questions. When answering one of them he explained why playing in the Ravens’ 2022 preseason games will be important for him, discussing how the live-game reps are ones you can’t get on the practice field.

“Oh, yes. For sure. I need to play in the preseason games. I think that would be really good for me. I wouldn’t want to not play in those. I think those are kind of reps you can’t get out on the practice field, although you’re in pads. I’m looking forward to playing.”

With Boyle back to being healthy, he will be able to help in both the running and passing game. He is a massively important part of the team’s offense, and while veterans like Boyle sometimes don’t play in any preseason games, he feels like it’s important for him to be out on the field getting reps in a game before they actually start to count.

Several Ravens players return to practice on Friday

Several Ravens players returned to training camp practice on Friday

The Baltimore Ravens are looking to bounce back in 2022 after a 2021 season in which they went through a massive amount of injuries. Many different players were sidelined for different amounts of time, including multiple stars who missed the entire year.

Baltimore has seen multiple players either leave or sit out training camp practices this year due to a multitude of different reasons. On Friday, a few different contributors missed practice, but they also saw several return in fullback Ben Mason, tight end Nick Boyle and outside linebacker Justin Houston and inside linebacker Josh Bynes.

Injuries can be common over the first few weeks of training camp, especially as things ramp up. Football is a physical game, so it’s unsurprising when injuries occur. However, Baltimore is doing multiple things differently during the 2022 offseason in order to prevent ailments as much as possible, with one change being practicing in the afternoon instead of the morning.

 

Multiple Ravens players return to practice on Saturday

Multiple Ravens players returned to practice on Saturday after missing training camp on Friday

The Baltimore Ravens had their fourth practice of 2022 training camp on Saturday, but it was a bit of a different feel than normal. The team hosted the session at M&T Bank Stadium, with tens-of-thousands of fans in attendance to see Baltimore take the field for the first time inside the venue since January.

The practice was an eventful one, with many plays being made by a multitude of different players. There was also some good news for the team, as the Ravens got back multiple players who missed Friday’s session, including tight end Nick Boyle and safety Marcus Williams. Defensive lineman Calais Campbell was also spotted back on the field, which was a good sign.

Williams got his first taste of playing in front of fans at M&T Bank Stadium, while Boyle and Campbell got to take in the experience once again as members of the team. Every rep is important when it comes to training camp, and each of the three players will look to make the most of their opportunities on the field in 2022.

Ravens have three new absences during training camp on Friday

The Ravens had three new absences during training camp on Friday

The Baltimore Ravens went through injury after injury over the course of 2021, and their record reflected just how much their roster was impacted by every player that was out for a significant amount of time. The team finished with an 8-9 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.

On Friday, Baltimore wrapped up their third full-team training camp practice of the year. However, there were three new absences to account for in tight end Nick Boyle, defensive lineman Calais Campbell and safety Marcus Williams Each of the absences were for unknown reasons, but they could have been veteran days for at least some of them.

Guard Ben Cleveland also missed practice for the third straight day for not passing his conditioning test. All three of Boyle, Campbell and Williams are expected to be major contributors for the team in 2022, and each should be able to make a massive impact on each game they play in.

Bleacher Report puts together four trades for Ravens ahead of 2022 training camp

Bleacher Report put together four trades for the Ravens ahead of 2022 training camp

The Baltimore Ravens are no strangers to making trades. The organization has both brought in and sent out a multitude of players over the course of their franchise history, and it remains a great way to either bring in a quality contributor or get assets back for a player who might not be in long-term plans.

When listing out one trade that each NFL team should offer before 2022 training camp, Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report named his choice for Baltimore as acquiring Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller for a 2023 fifth-round pick. Wharton’s reasoning was that Miller is stuck behind a very talented wide receiver group in Tampa Bay, and would be able to fill the void left by Marquise Brown at a cheaper price.

“Miller’s lack of impact was shocking, considering the success he found with Tom Brady in their first year together. The speedy 5’9″, 174-pounder averaged 15.2 yards per catch and totaled 501 yards and three scores in 2020. He’s stuck behind the deepest receiving corps in the league but would catch on in Baltimore with his ability to get open quickly…Baltimore opted against adding another quality receiver despite moving Marquise Brown during the NFL draft, creating a massive hole that Miller could fill for a much cheaper price.”

Miller is a talented player, but his skillset is rather redundant to the wideouts that the Ravens currently have atop their depth chart. A big-bodied pass catcher or a speedy wide receiver are the profiles that the team should be looking for, and Miller, albeit skilled, is neither.

Wharton had Baltimore make three more appearances on his list when talking about trades for other teams. First, he has the Ravens trading safety Chuck Clark to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick.

“Clark is set to receive a new contract after this season and would surely rather be in a situation where he can build value and cash in. Dallas has the perfect opening next to free safety Malik Hooker and versatile defender Jayron Kearse. The Cowboys saw both Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee depart in free agency, and Clark could help fill the box safety role they split in 2021.”

“Baltimore recently signed veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller as depth to go with 2022 fourth-round pick Jayln Armour-Davis and Iman Marshall. It wouldn’t be shocking if Peters was made available…Indianapolis would be a natural landing spot as it goes all-in around Matt Ryan. The current array of options across from Stephon Gilmore is a gamble, as Brandon Facyson hasn’t even put together a full season of consistent play yet. Peters would raise the ceiling of that unit considerably in 2022.”

Finally Wharton moves tight end Nick Boyle out of Baltimore, trading him and a 2023 sixth-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

“Finding a new home for Golladay is complicated by the fact that his new team would need to pay his $13 million base salary in 2022. Baltimore would need to reshuffle some money to make this work, but it has a need for a playmaking receiver after dealing Marquise Brown during the NFL draft. Golladay would give Lamar Jackson a trustworthy, big-bodied threat who can win on deep jump balls better than anyone currently on the roster.”

While the Ravens certainly have some form of a logjam at tight end, cornerback and safety, they’ve build their depth to be deep at those positions for multiple reasons. Trading Clark, Peters and Boyle likely wouldn’t be worth the assets they’d be receiving back, as each is a key part of the team both on and off of the field.

Baltimore could certainly look to trade some of their depth pieces as the 2022 regular season draws closer and they need to make some tough decisions about who makes the final roster. However, moving on from some of their stars for draft capital or bad contracts while they’re still in a competitive window doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially not now.

Giants remain focus of much trade speculation

Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report breaks down four different trades the New York Giants could be a part of this summer.

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The New York Giants were rumored to be shopping several players prior to the 2022 NFL draft, but no deals were ultimately made. However, that has not stopped speculation on who they should trade or who they might acquire.

Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report recently constructed a trade speculation article that encompassed potential deals for every NFL team. Interestingly, the Giants popped up frequently.

First up, Wharton proposed a trade that would send Kenny Golladay to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round pick.

No team has more cap room over the 2023 and 2024 seasons than the Chicago Bears. This team is ripe for an upside swing on a talented but expensive player who didn’t work out elsewhere. The best marriage between fit, team need and an expendable player is wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

But Wharton didn’t stop there. Assuming no deal could be made between the Giants and Bears, he also proposed New York trading Golladay to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for tight end Nick Boyle and a 2023 sixth-round pick.

Finding a new home for Golladay is complicated by the fact that his new team would need to pay his $13 million base salary in 2022. Baltimore would need to reshuffle some money to make this work, but it has a need for a playmaking receiver after dealing Marquise Brown during the NFL draft. Golladay would give Lamar Jackson a trustworthy, big-bodied threat who can win on deep jump balls better than anyone currently on the roster.

Golladay isn’t going to be the hot commodity this article seems to paint him as.

Meanwhile, there were several other potential Giants-related trades Wharton outlined, including the acquisition of cornerback Jonathan Jones from the New England Patriots at the cost of — you guessed it — a 2023 sixth-round pick.

A great landing place for Jonathan Jones would be with the New York Giants. The Giants are thin at cornerback, and Jones would immediately challenge to start at nickel over Darnay Holmes. If nothing else, his experience and leadership could help New York’s young cornerback group develop for the future.

A trade for Jones would leave the Giants with three nickel corners (Cor’Dale Flott the other) and lacking depth on the outside. We’re not sure this proposal solves any problems.

And finally, Wharton doubles down on Bleacher Report’s stance that running back Saquon Barkley should also be traded. And in this exercise, they have him going to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and a 2023 fourth-round pick.

The New York Giants have a bad but expensive roster. New head coach Brian Daboll would surely love to deploy a fully healthy Saquon Barkley in 2022, but the franchise has seen limited production and availability from the 2018 No. 2 pick. Trading his $7.2 million cap hit and getting a fresh look at Edwards-Helaire is the more prudent decision.

None of these trades seem likely or plausible, but nothing is entirely impossible. Still, it’s hard to envision any team making a strong run at Golladay at his current price or the Giants assuming some of that money to ship him off. It’s equally as difficult to envision general manager Joe Schoen adding another nickel corner when there are so many other needs.

As far as Barkley, the Giants are building their offense around him and have been very public about their desire to keep him.

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Two new Ravens players absent from final day of mandatory minicamp

Two new Ravens players were absent from the final day of Baltimore Ravens minicamp

The Baltimore Ravens wrapped up mandatory minicamp on Thursday, concluding three days worth of practices. The team was able to get valuable time in with each other and work on some of the nuances that will come in handy over the course of the 2022 regular season.

There were a handful of players that missed one or both of the first two days of minicamp while recovering from injuries or other personal reasons. However, on Day 3 there were two new Ravens not practicing in tight end Nick Boyle and outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh gave updates on both players, and also shared some news on quarterback Tyler Huntley.

“A couple little things you might be looking at from practice: ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] has a little tendinitis in his shoulder from all the throws, so we just gave him rest the last two days [for] that, so he’ll be fine. Jaylon [Ferguson] had an ankle sprain from yesterday – you saw that – so that’s why we held him out. And Nick Boyle just had the day off; it was in his rotation…”

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As Harbaugh said, Ferguson suffered an ankle sprain during practice on Wednesday, so his absence seemed to be a precautionary one. The same can be said for Huntley, who has been given rest days due to the tendinitis that he has in his shoulder. Boyle’s off day was scheduled as he continues injury management for his knee.

Ravens TE Nick Boyle shares thoughts on rookie TEs

Ravens tight end Nick Boyle spoke about the new rookie tight ends on the team

The Baltimore Ravens added many different kinds of playmakers during the 2022 draft, as they selected a total of 11 players that ranged from secondary help to offensive linemen to even a punter.

Baltimore picked two tight ends over the course of 2022 draft weekend in Charlie Kolar out of Iowa State and Isaiah Likely out of Costal Carolina . When Ravens tight end Nick Boyle was asked for his thoughts about the two rookies, he said that they both fit in really well and called them both ‘awesome’.

“I don’t know if we can compare anything to how Mark [Andrews] and Hayden [Hurst] was … It’s different. But those guys are awesome. First, when new people come in the room, it’s like, ‘Can we be friends before teammates?’ Are they cool enough, do they talk to you, do they say, ‘Hi,’ to you or walk by you? Both of these guys are awesome like that. They fit in really well. On top of that, when you see them out here running plays and catching balls, they’re really, really good. Everyone we bring in … The more competition brings out the better in everybody. They’re just going to help our team”

Baltimore has one of the deepest tight end rooms in the league, especially after adding two talented rookies at the position. Kolar has been likened to Mark Andrews by some, while Likely can line up all over the field. Both should contribute to the Ravens’ offense in 2022, and there are a number of possibilities as to how they could do so.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh discusses comeback of TE Nick Boyle

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh discussed the comeback of tight end Nick Boyle

The Baltimore Ravens were one of the most injury-riddled teams during the 2021 season. A lot of talent was lost throughout the course of the year, and one of the players that was missed the most was tight end Nick Boyle, who was recovering from a knee injury he picked up in 2020.

Following organized team activities on Wednesday, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh shared the progress Boyle has made on and off the field as the tight end looks to return to the football field. He expressed that the veteran does in fact look like a “new guy”, something offensive coordinator Greg Roman also pointed out.

“He [Nick Boyle] does look like a new guy. You can see he’s way leaner. He’s really worked hard to become lean. He’s moving really well. Last year, he just wasn’t the same guy. I mean, that injury was a bad injury, and certainly, we all hoped he’d come back last year and be ready to go, but he just couldn’t do it, and then he did have a setback or two in there along the way. Now, it’s just all clicked, and he looks like Nick, but I would say, he looks a little faster and a little quicker than he did before.”

When on the field, Boyle is one of the more important players on the offense. The tight end is regarded as one of the best blockers at his position in the entire league, and he’s also improved as a pass catcher, making him an asset in multiple aspects of both the running game and the passing game.