Tag: Steven Means

Ravens officially make three roster moves on Monday

The Ravens officially made three roster moves on Monday

The Baltimore Ravens saw injuries deplete their team during the 2021 season, impacting the way that they were able to perform. Early in the 2022 season they’ve faced more of the same, with multiple players going down with season-ending ailments early on.

On Monday, the Baltimore announced three roster moves, with two relating to injuries. They placed outside linebacker Steven Means and linebacker Josh Ross on injured reserve, while also releasing outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell from their practice squad, who they signed a few weeks ago after being released by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Means was called up to the active roster just a few days ago, and represented the third healthy outside linebacker the team had. They are now down to just two in Odafe Oweh and Justin Houston, with another move at the position potentially on the horizon.

It’s currently unclear how serious the injury to Ross is, but he will miss at least the next four games with what the team is classifying as a foot injury.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh provides devastating injury update on OLB Steven Means

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh provided an injury update on OLB Steven Means

The Baltimore Ravens had an epic collapse in Week 2 of the 2022 season to the Miami Dolphins by the final score of 42-38. They blew a 21-point fourth quarter lead, and also were unable to get out of the contest unscathed from an injury perspective.

Baltimore outside linebacker Steven Means was carted off of the field early in the game, and was quickly ruled out with an ankle injury. On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh gave a devastating update on the pass rusher, saying that he tore his achilles and is out for the remainder of the season.

Means is a nine-year veteran, and was one of the only healthy outside linebackers on Baltimore’s roster. The team is now down to just two players at the position, and some form of an addition could happen in the coming days.

Means registered one tackle in two games during the 2022 season and will now turn his attention to rehabbing.

Ravens officially make four roster moves on Wednesday

The Baltimore Ravens on Monday announced they signed veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie to their practice squad.

The Baltimore Ravens lost cornerback Kyle Fuller for the season during their Week 1 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed on Monday that Fuller suffered a torn ACL, effectively ending his season. However, the team has already made a move to add more depth at the cornerback position.

The Ravens on Wednesday announced that they signed veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie to the practice squad. Carrie was drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft, where he spent his first four professional seasons. Carrie would then play two seasons with the Cleveland Browns and another two years with the Indianapolis Colts.

A couple hours after the transaction was announced, Harbaugh spoke with the media. Harbaugh addressed the signing of Carrie and expressed excitement about the veteran joining the squad.

“Carrie will be on the practice squad. Heck of a corner. Been around. Played against him many times so we’re pleased to have him with us.”

During his first six seasons, Carrie has 386 combined tackles, nine fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, and seven interceptions with one of them being returned for a touchdown in 118 games played. Carrie can be a great veteran addition to the 53-man roster should his services be needed.

In other roster moves, Harbaugh announced that the team signed linebacker Steven Means onto the 53-man roster after starting the season on the practice squad. Offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James and Fuller were both placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Ravens activate LB Steven Means from practice squad for Week 1 vs. Jets

The Ravens activated linebacker Steven Means for their Week 1 game against the Jets

The Baltimore Ravens will face off against the New York Jets in Week1 of the 2022 season. They’ll be looking to get contribution from many different players on all three sides of the ball, but some of the positions on the roster have more depth than others.

One of the areas where Baltimore could use more depth is at the outside linebacker position. They enter the season with just two healthy players at the position on their roster, but on Saturday announced that they activated veteran linebacker Steven Means from their practice squad for their Week 1 tilt against New York.

Means will join outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Justin Houston as the team’s edge rushers for the opening game, and will hope to slow down Joe Flacco and the rest of the Jets’ offense. The team could also use players such as defensive or inside linebacker Malik Harrison on the edge in order to eat up some snaps.

In In nine NFL seasons, Means has totaled 107 tackles and six sacks.

Two Ravens players return to practice on Monday

Two Ravens players returned to practice on Monday

The Baltimore Ravens will face off against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday in their first preseason game of 2022. They’ve gone through over a week of training camp practices to prepare to bounce back from a disappointing end to their 2021 season in which they finished the year on a six-game losing streak and ended up with an 8-9 record.

On Monday, the team saw two of their players return to the practice field after missing portions of practice time over the last few days. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman was back on the field after missing two practices, while outside linebacker Steven Means returned after leaving Saturday’s practice with an undisclosed injury.

The return of Bateman allows him to continue getting reps as the team’s top option at the wide receiver position, while Means is an important depth piece as a pass rusher, especially with the unit losing Vince Biegel to a torn achilles on Thursday.

Two Ravens players don’t finish practice on Saturday

Two Ravens players didn’t finish practice on Saturday

The Baltimore Ravens went through a brutal number of injuries during the 2021 season, losing many key contributors in a year where it felt like the team could have made a serious run at a championship. As a result of the injuries and other factors, Baltimore ended the year on a six-game losing streak and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

The team has gone through over a week of training camp practices, and there have been many good reports about players stepping up and contributing. However, on Saturday the team saw two of their players not finish practice in tight end Mark Andrews and outside linebacker Steven Means.

The scare with Andrews luckily seems like it’s nothing too serious, which would mean many in the organization can breath a sigh of relief. It’s unclear what happened to Means, but with fellow outside linebacker Vince Biegel tearing his achilles in practice on Thursday, the Ravens could bring in another option at the position.

Grading Ravens’ signing of LB Steven Means

We grade the Ravens’ signing of linebacker Steven Means

The Baltimore Ravens have made plenty of solid additions to their roster over the course of the 2022 offseason. They’ve made sure to fill out most of their positions with quality depth, something that should help them combat any injuries that they may go through this year.

On Friday, the team announced that they signed linebacker Steven Means, a move that provides them with another depth piece on defense. The veteran was a fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013, and spent parts of the 2014 and 2015 seasons with Baltimore. He’s also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and most recently the Atlanta Falcons.

Over the course of seven seasons playing in the NFL, Means has accumulated 107 total tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles in 64 games played. His production might not pop off of the box score, but he’ll try to earn a roster spot with the team for the 2022 season.

Means tried out for Baltimore at their mandatory minicamp, and impressed the organization enough to bring him in full-time. He’s a player that has been a leader during his NFL career, giving pre-game speeches and working hard to achieve his goals.

He also had positional versatility, as he can line up both as a stand-up rusher as well as move inside to play on the defensive line. The Ravens value players that can move around and play at multiple positions, and Means has plenty of experience at doing so.

Overall, Means isn’t someone that moves the needle in any sort of direction. He’s a low-risk, high-reward player that could potentially pay off in a big way if everything goes right. The signing of Means shouldn’t discourage Baltimore from signing another pass rusher with a more proven track record such as Justin Houston or Jason Pierre-Paul, but for now he’s a fine rotational piece that could turn into something more.

Grade: B

Ravens sign LB Steven Means

The Ravens signed linebacker Steven Means

The Baltimore Ravens have built up a good amount of depth over the course of the 2022 offseason. After going through an injury-filled 2021, the team is making sure that they have plenty of quality playmakers at a plethora of different positions.

On Friday, the team announced that they signed linebacker Steven Means. The veteran was at Baltimore’s mandatory minicamp on a tryout basis, and clearly did enough to earn a roster spot and a chance to try to work his way onto the final team.

Means was a fifth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in the 2013 NFL draft, but was released following his rookie season. He then spent parts of 2014 and 2015 with the Ravens, and has also had stints with the Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, and Atlanta Falcons.

Through seven seasons playing in the NFL, Means has totaled 107 total tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles.

Falcons sign DT Jonathan Bullard, re-sign DE Steven Means

The Atlanta Falcons announced three signings on Thursday afternoon, adding free-agent defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard and offensive lineman Josh Andrews to one-year contracts, while re-signing EDGE Steven Means to a one-year deal as well.

The Atlanta Falcons announced three signings on Thursday afternoon, adding free-agent defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard and offensive lineman Josh Andrews to one-year contracts, while re-signing EDGE Steven Means to a one-year deal.

Andrews’ signing had already leaked, but Bullard’s is news to Falcons fans.

Bullard, 27, was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Bears in 2016 and played three seasons before one-year stops in Arizona and Seattle, respectively. While he’s only suited up for 15 games combined over the past two seasons, Bullard has played in 51 career games — recording 92 tackles (62 solo), 14 QB hits and 3.5 sacks.

As for Andrews, he went undrafted out of Oregon in 2014, but should provide good depth at all three interior line spots. He has only four career starts, which each took place in 2020. Andrews has appeared in 40 games for three different teams — the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles — in his seven-year NFL career.

Means, Atlanta’s Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate, has been a good depth addition that always seems to come up big. In 2020, Means recorded 38 tackles (21 solo), six QB hits and a career-high three sacks.

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Falcons select Steven Means as Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee

The Atlanta Falcons selected defensive end Steven Means to be the team’s 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

The Atlanta Falcons selected defensive end Steven Means to be the team’s 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. The award recognizes players for their performance on the field and their contributions off of it. Means has been a pleasant surprise on the field this season, with 33 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

He’s better known for his impact on the city of Atlanta. This year, Means used his platform to help get young people out to vote in the 2020 election.

“Voting is the number one thing we believe in and that we are driving hard on because we can get the right people in the right place to make a change,” said Means.

The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award gets $250,000 donated to the United Way, and up to another $250,000 donated to a charity of their choice.

Check out this video of Means finding out he’s the team’s 2020 nominee below, as shared by the Falcons’ Twitter account.

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