Tag: nick moore

Former Georgia Bulldog Nick Moore ruled out for NFL season

Former Georgia Bulldog Nick Moore is expected to miss the 2023 NFL season

The Baltimore Ravens will be without former Georgia long snapper Nick Moore for the 2023 NFL season. Moore suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the offseason.

The Ravens are turning to Tyler Ott to serve as their long snapper.

Moore attended Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. He came to Georgia in 2015 as a Mark Richt recruit. The Red Sox drafted Moore before he arrived at Georgia, and Moore played four years of minor league baseball.

Moore, from 2015-18, played in 23 games for the Bulldogs. The New Orleans Saints gave Moore a chance to make their team in 2019, but Moore was unable to earn a roster spot. Prior to making Baltimore’s practice squad in 2020, Moore was a member of the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers.

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Former Bulldogs visit Georgia football practice

George Pickens & Nick Moore were at spring practice this week…

Former Georgia Bulldogs George Pickens and Nick Moore took a trip to Athens this week to check out spring practice.

Pickens is a second-year wide receiver for the Pittsburg Steelers and Moore, a third-year long-snapper for the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bulldogs consistently host former players in Athens. When you have as much NFL representation as Georgia, it’s good for young players to see where success in Athens could possibly take them.

A new NFL class of Bulldogs will make the transition in the 2023 NFL draft, which is scheduled to kickoff in Kansas City on April 27.

 

 

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’ special teams rated No. 1 in Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings

The Ravens special teams play of 2021 got them ranked No. 1 in Rick Gosselin’s annual NFL special teams rankings.

The Baltimore Ravens have been known to have great special teams talent over the years. When the most-accurate kicker in NFL history, a punter who in 2021 tied for eighth in the league with punts inside the 20-yard line and a wide receiver who finished second in punt return yards and ninth in kickoff return yards are on the same squad, people take notice.

On Thursday, Rick Gosselin of FanNation released his annual NFL Special Teams Rankings. It’s no surprise that with the talent Baltimore has on special teams that the team would find themselves No. 1 on the list.

Gosselin ranked all 32 teams in 22 kicking-game categories. Points were assigned according to their standing – one for best and 32 for worst, according to the FanNation article. The Ravens finished with 241.5 points, 30 points better than the runner-up Indianapolis Colts (272).

Gosselin said Baltimore’s special teams unit finished first overall due to the team finding themselves in the top 10 of 14 different categories. They also had two special teams players voted to the Pro Bowl.

“The Ravens, under special teams coach Chris Horton, finished first in five of the 22 categories, Gosselin said in the article. “They also finished in the Top 5 in four other categories and the Top 10 in five others. Tucker was voted to the AFC Pro Bowl team – one of two Baltimore special-teamers so honored. Devin Duvernay also was selected as the return specialist after leading the NFL in punt returns with his 13.8-yard average.”

Here is the breakdown of where the Ravens ranked best:

Field goal percentage: No. 1 (94.5 percent)

Punt returns: No. 1 (13.8 yards)

Extra point percentage: Tied 1st (100 percent)

Opponent field goal percentage: No. 3 (75 percent) 

Kickoff coverage: No. 4 (18.6 yards)

Field goals: No. 4 (35)

Penalties: No. 4 (10 for 74 yards)

With Baltimore having a head coach in John Harbaugh who is known for his history as being an NFL special teams coach, it’s not shocking to see the Ravens take the crown in Gosselin’s rankings.

Ravens breaking up ‘the wolfpack’ by moving on from long snapper Morgan Cox

The Baltimore Ravens are shutting down “the wolfpack” by moving on from long snapper Morgan Cox this offseason.

It’s the end of an era and the Baltimore Ravens are officially breaking up “the wolfpack.” The Ravens won’t be re-signing long snapper Morgan Cox this offseason, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

Long snappers don’t get much attention in the NFL unless they’ve seriously messed up, and in those situations, they’re usually cut not long after. In fact, I’d be willing to bet most fans couldn’t name more than one long snapper from memory. But Baltimore embraced Cox throughout his 11 seasons with the team as a member of “the wolfpack” — a trio with kicker Justin Tucker and punter Sam Koch. Unfortunately, the business side of the NFL rears its ugly head in situations like these.

While the Ravens’ special teams unit has had so much success over Cox’s 11 seasons in Baltimore, he’s 34 years old and one of the highest-paid long snappers in the game. Now the Ravens appear set to turn to Nick Moore, a former XFL long snapper who came in clutch for the Ravens in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers while Cox was on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

It’s a decision that won’t get much attention if Moore performs well but it’ll become an anchor around the team’s neck if Tucker struggles next season. I once sat down with former Ravens kicker Matt Stover, who pointed to the continuity being a big part of what makes Baltimore’s special teams unit so great.

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Ravens protect S Nigel Warrior, 3 others on practice squad for Week 3

The Baltimore Ravens protected some familiar names on their practice squad this week but added Nigel Warrior to the list for the first time

The Baltimore Ravens continue to change who they protect on the practice squad each week. Though some of the names have persisted over all three weeks, this week sees a new player getting protected.

According to the transactions list, the Ravens have protected the following four players for Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs:

  • C Trystan Colon-Castillo
  • G Will Holden
  • LS Nick Moore
  • S Nigel Warrior

Colon-Castillo and Moore have been regulars on the protected list this season, which makes sense. With center Matt Skura returning from a gruesome knee injury and Patrick Mekari being his only backup, it’s a little extra insurance at the position. The same could be said for Moore at long snapper, though Baltimore has never really had a long snapper stick around in previous years.

The new addition is Warrior. With cornerback Tavon Young suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, the Ravens are likely to bump someone up from the practice squad. The top candidate is safety Jordan Richards, who has already been elevated for gameday in both games so far. That would make Warrior an important depth option on the practice squad, in need of some protection.

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Ravens protect QB Tyler Huntley, 3 other practice squad players for Week 2

The Baltimore Ravens protected 4 practice squad players once again, including training camp standouts QB Tyler Huntley, RB Ty’Son Williams

As we saw last week, the Baltimore Ravens are going to use their practice squad protections in some unique ways. They got a little more traditional in Week 2, protecting more than just offensive linemen.

According to the transaction report, the Ravens protected two of the same players from last week as well as two new ones. Here’s who is protected this week:

  • QB Tyler Huntley
  • RB Ty’Son Williams
  • C Trystan Colon-Castillo
  • LS Nick Moore

As we noted last week, there’s a new practice squad rule allowing teams to protect up to four reserve players every week. This means other teams can’t poach a player from the practice squad, allowing teams to continue developing their most important young reserve players

This is far more what everyone expected to see from Baltimore’s protections list last week.

Huntley was a shocking cut at the roster deadline with the Ravens choosing second-year quarterback Trace McSorley despite Huntley playing better in training camp. Williams was a surprising standout in his limited time at Baltimore’s training camp, popping off a few big runs in practice after being a late addition to the 80-man roster. Colon-Castillo once again makes this list after being protected last year.

It’s still a little head-scratching why they’re using such a valuable spot on a long snapper. But with how many kickers missed chip-shot field goals and extra points in Week 1, maybe Baltimore has the right idea there after all.

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Baltimore Ravens sign pair of Bulldogs to practice squad

The Baltimore Ravens have signed former Georgia football TE Eli Wolf and LS Nick Moore to 2020 practice squad.

The Baltimore Ravens have signed former Georgia tight end Eli Wolf as well as former Georgia long snapper Nick Moore to their 2020 practice squad.

Wolf transferred to UGA from Tennessee for his senior year.  He caught 13 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown for the Bulldogs in 2019.

Wolf was not selected in the 2020 NFL Draft but was signed by Baltimore as an undrafted free agent shortly after.  The Ravens trimmed Wolf for their 53-man roster cuts but have decided to keep him on as a practice squad member.

Long snapper Nick Moore hails from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. He came to Georgia in 2015 as a Mark Richt recruit after being drafted by the Red Sox and playing four years of minor league baseball.

Moore, from 2015-18, played in 23 games for the Dawgs. He was given an opportunity by the New Orleans Saints but was unable to earn a roster spot.  Prior to making Baltimore’s practice squad, Moore was a member of the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers.

Ravens protect 3 OL, 1 LB on practice squad in Week 1

The Baltimore Ravens protected two offensive linemen, a linebacker and long snapper Nick Moore for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.

An extra wrinkle has been added to the 2020 NFL season in the form of a new practice squad rule. Teams can now protect up to four practice squad players from getting poached by other teams. The Baltimore Ravens took advantage of the new rule to ensure they keep a few key players.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Ravens protected the following four players:

  1. LB Aaron Adeoye
  2. C Trystan Colon-Castillo
  3. G Will Holden
  4. LS Nick Moore

The decision to protect both Holden and Colon-Castillo isn’t much of a shocker.

While listed as a guard, Holden would actually be a tackle for Baltimore. Considering their lack of depth — rookie Tyre Phillips is the only listed backup for both Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr. — keeping him with the team for another week is a wise move. Colon-Castillo is similarly fitting with starting center Matt Skura returning from a gruesome knee injury that sent him to injured reserve last season. With limited depth behind him, protecting Colon-Castillo is just a little added insurance in case Skura isn’ actually ready to go yet.

The real interesting decision is at long snapper with Baltimore protecting Moore. There are few teams in the league that value special teams as much as the Ravens but protecting a long snapper when they have a proven guy in Morgan Cox is a head-scratcher. It could be that Baltimore really loves what they’ve seen out of Moore and have long-term plans for him, or it could be that Cox has been quietly battling some type of injury and they want a little depth at the position without spending a roster spot.

It’ll be interesting to see how this list changes from week to week this season to pick up on any potential patterns the Ravens have that might hint at their strategy.

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Ravens sign former XFL long snapper Nick Moore

The Baltimore Ravens made their first signing of an XFL player, bringing in Tampa Bay Vipers long snapper Nick Moore

When we looked at which XFL players the Baltimore Ravens could be interested in, we never put a long snapper on the list. Yet, that’s exactly who the Ravens are bringing in, signing former Tampa Bay Vipers long snapper Nick Moore, according to ESPN’s Field Yates and The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.

While most fans think about early free-agent signings as big names and immediate starters, this certainly isn’t the case. In reality, this is likely just Baltimore filling out their roster and bringing in a little competition to keep things fresh. The Ravens have had Morgan Cox as their long snapper for the last 10 years as a crucial part of what the players call “the wolfpack” — punter Sam Koch, kicker Justin Tucker and Cox.

Moore is Baltimore’s first XFL signing. With the league initially suspending play and then stopping the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, XFL players are able to sign with NFL teams. It also marks a connection to the Ravens in a different way as Moore’s coach with the Vipers was former Baltimore offensive coordinator Marc Trestman.

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