Tag: Tony Poljan

Ravens sign eight players to Reserve/Future deals

The Ravens signed eight players to Reserve/Future deals

The Baltimore Ravens have begun their 2022 offseason after finishing 2021 8-9 and missing the postseason for the first time since 2017. Their 16-13 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was a disappointing end to a very trying year, but now Baltimore has the opportunity to get better and come back stronger next season.

On Monday, the Ravens announced that they had signed eight players to Reserve/Future deals in wide receivers Binjimen Victor and Jaylon Moore, tight end Tony Poljan, center James Murray, tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith, guard/defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie, and defensive backs Robert Jackson and Kevin Toliver.

Reserve/Future deals don’t count against the salary cap until the new league year begins. Some of the players signed played in key moments for Baltimore in 2021, including Jackson, who was called upon multiple times due to the fact that the Ravens’ secondary was so decimated.

Players signed to Reserve/Future deals last offseason included quarterback Tyler Huntley and cornerback Chris Westry.

Ravens announce inactives for Week 18 matchup vs. Steelers

The Ravens announced their inactive players for their Week 18 game against the Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens are set to conclude their 2021 regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. It should be a hard fought and physical game, just like the many matchups of years past between the two teams.

Before the game, Baltimore announced their inactive players for the contest. It was a long shot for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to start this week due to the fact that he’s only practiced one time since injuring his ankle during the game against the Cleveland Browns, and he once again headlines the inactives after being ruled out on Friday.

Wide receiver James Proche II is also inactive today for the second straight week.  It’s unfortunate for Proche because it would be nice to see what he can do and improve on the game he had against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rookie outside linebacker Odafe Oweh is out for the second-straight week with a foot injury, It would’ve been nice for Oweh to sack Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in front of Terrell Suggs, who is being honored as the legend of the game for the Ravens. The rest of the inactives for Baltimore consist of guard Ben Powers, tight end Tony Poljan, defensive lineman Isaiah Mack and cornerback Anthony Averett.

Pittsburgh also announced their inactives for the contest.

 

Ravens make series of moves ahead of Week 18 matchup vs. Steelers

The Ravens made a series of moves ahead of their Week 18 game against the Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of the 2021 season. Baltimore currently stands at 8-8 and still have a slim chance to make the postseason, while Pittsburgh is 8-7-1 and also has a path to the playoffs.

On Saturday, the Ravens made a series of moves, which included signing players to the active roster and elevating practice squad players to the active roster for Week 18. They added safety Tony Jefferson to the active roster, while elevating offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith, tight end Tony Poljan and defensive tackle Isaiah Mack from the practice squad to the active roster for the game.

Jefferson has played great football during his brief time back in Baltimore, and has certainly earned a spot on the 53-man roster. Jones-Smith will provide tackle depth, while Poljan will help in the absence of tight end Nick Boyle. Mack made a big impact in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and will be defensive tackle depth.

Ravens protect four players on practice squad ahead of Week 18

The Ravens protected four players on their practice squad ahead of their Week 18 matchup with the Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens have gotten plenty of solid contributions from their practice squad over the course of the 2021 season. They’ve needed to rely on their practice squad more than some teams, as they’ve dealt with countless injuries as well as a COVID-19 outbreak.

On Tuesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic put out who Baltimore protected from their practice squad ahead of their Week 18 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The four that the team ended up protecting are tight end Tony Poljan, guard/defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie, defensive tackle Isaiah Mack and defensive back Robert Jackson.

Poljan could be called up as tight end depth, although the team does already have Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle and Josh Oliver at the position. McKenzie has positional versatility, being able to play at guard and defensive tackle, while Mack had a great game in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals when called upon. Jackson has been called up multiple times to help in the secondary, playing significant snaps during some games.

John Harbaugh ‘not too worried’ about Ravens’ tight end situation

The Baltimore Ravens have plenty of talent at the tight end position. John Harbaugh is excited about getting guys from the position in pads

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best tight ends in the league in Mark Andrews. They also boast tight end Nick Boyle, who has developed into one of the best blocking tight ends in football. However, the team has plenty of other young talent at the position that will be competing for a roster spot for the upcoming 2021 season.

When asked about how the young tight ends currently on the team look so far such as Eli Wolf and Josh Oliver, head coach John Harbaugh had glowing things to say, and seemed excited to see how the battle at the position will play out over the course of the next few weeks.

“…Those are guys are flashing. They look really athletic. Let’s not forget Tony Poljan from Virginia there. You saw him make some catches today. He’s probably more of a guy that’s going to show up even more when the pads come on. So, I think all those guys have done exceptionally well. I cannot wait to see them again in pads and, like we said, play out, in terms of who plays the best in those situations. So, I’m not too worried about our tight end situation; they look good out there so far.”

Harbaugh singled out undrafted rookie Tony Poljan as a name he’s excited to see in pads, but players like Wolf, Oliver, Jacob Breeland, and even Eric Tomlinson could make some noise as they battle for the No. 3 tight end spot. Baltimore didn’t use three tight ends in 2020 nearly as much as they did in 2019, where it was a big part of their offense.

It feels like the team is gearing up to use three tight end sets to their advantage during the 2021 season. Putting multiple tight ends on the field at the same time can force defenses to put heavier personnel in, which can help the passing game, especially on play-action throws. The Ravens currently have a plethora of talent at tight end, and might have to make some tough decisions as they decide who will make the final 53-man roster.

Ravens officially sign nine undrafted rookie free agents

The Baltimore Ravens have been great at finding undrafted free agents who can make an impact. The team signed nine to their team on Thursday

The Baltimore Ravens drafted eight players over the course of the three days of the 2021 draft. However, even after the last pick was made, Baltimore wasn’t done adding players.

Every year after the festivities of the draft are complete, the Ravens work hard to sign a great undrafted free agent class. They’ve done a phenominal job of finding gems who were passed up on in the draft, and have turned plenty of overlooked players into stars.

After the 2021 draft, Baltimore secured a smaller class of undrafted players due to the depth that they have on their roster this offseason, but they still managed to come away with a solid list of players.

The 2021 undrafted class for Baltimore is headlined by former TCU safety Ar’Darius Washington, who was very highly rated by many experts but fell out of the draft mainly due to concerns about his height and a poor pro day showing. Despite being 5-foot-8, Washington is a ballhawk who is extremely physical and plays with intensity. There have been multiple successful safeties who weren’t extremely tall. For example, former Ravens safety Earl Thomas III was never the biggest man on the field, but still made an impact each and every week.

Other names to watch in Baltimore’s undrafted rookie pool include offensive tackle Adrian Ealy, tight end Tony Poljan, and defensive tackle Xavier Kelly. Wide receiver Donte Sylencieux played with quarterback Lamar Jackson in high school when the two were in South Florida, so there could already be chemistry between the two.

For the Ravens, they will hope that at least one of their undrafted free agents can make an impact during training camp and the preseason. It will be an uphill climb for any of Baltimore’s nine undrafted players to make the final 53-man roster, but all of them are talented football players who certainly have the capability to stick with the Ravens for years to come.

4 mid, late-round tight ends Chargers could target in 2021 NFL draft

Even if Hunter Henry is re-signed, the Los Angeles Chargers will be in need of a reliable No. 2 option.

The Chargers should and likely will address the tight end position at some point this offseason.

Hunter Henry is set to be a free agent and even if he’s re-signed, Los Angeles needs another player to round out the positional group.

Virgil Green is a free agent and I don’t believe he will be brought back. Donald Parham is primarily a pass-catcher and Stephen Anderson hasn’t proven himself as a reliable blocker to garner consideration for the No. 2 spot.

With that being said, let’s take a look at four tight ends that L.A. can potentially target in this year’s draft, primarily focusing on mid- late-round options.

Noah Gray, Duke

Gray finished his senior season ranked second in the ACC for a tight end with 29 catches for 285 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In total, Gray amassed with 105 catches—the most by a tight end in program history—and eight touchdowns in 48 games. At this year’s Senior Bowl, Gray showed an area of improvement in the blocking department to compliment his combination of short-area quickness, leaping skills and body control, making him an ideal mismatch weapon in the NFL.

Tony Poljan, Virginia

Poljan played quarterback at Central Michigan, before converting to tight end. Upon making the positional change, he amassed 71 catches, 907 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns for the Cavaliers. Poljan has a large catch radius, soft hands, and enough speed to produce as a pass-catcher at the next level. Along with that, he is sound as a pass blocker, showing great technique and awareness, as well as the size, strength and effort in the running game.

Tommy Tremble, Notre Dame

The Chargers are interested in Tremble since it’s been confirmed by The Draft Network’s Justin Melo that the team has already had a pre-draft meeting with him. During two seasons, Tremble only recorded 35 catches for 401 receptions. However, he had a lot of success as a pass and run-blocker for The Fighting Irish. Outside of his outstanding blocking skills, Tremble has good athleticism and agility, with untapped potential as a receiver at the next level.

Tre McKitty, Georgia

McKitty was underutilized both at Florida State and Georgia, which is why the box score doesn’t justify how talented he really is. He proved himself at the Senior Bowl, however. McKitty was stout as a blocker and he was arguably the most athletic tight end in the passing game, showing the ability to separate at the top of routes with great hands to reel in everything thrown his way. With his combination of attitude, athleticism and blocking skills, the best football is still in front of him.

Central Michigan tight end transfer Tony Poljan could be a great fit at Michigan State

Poljan grew up in the Lansing area and is a promising tight end prospect.

One man’s loss is another man’s gain.

That will be true of whichever college football team lands standout tight end Tony Poljan, who on Wednesday announced an intent to transfer out of Central Michigan University.

Poljan, a second-team All-MAC selection in 2019, will be a coveted player in the transfer market, as some NFL scouts have him as a potential late-round selection. Michigan State could have a leg up on the competition to secure the 6-foot-7 standout for a handful of reasons.

First, Poljan is from Lansing. He played his high school ball at Lansing Catholic and the Spartans recruited him back then. The problem was that MSU recruited Poljan as a tight end/athlete and Poljan was determined to play quarterback in college. Thus, he ended up at Central Michigan. Poljan mostly played  quarterback at CMU for his first two seasons, with 147 passing attempts in 2018. He did mix in some snaps at receiver and tight end during those seasons. He switched to tight end full time for the 2019 season and caught 33 passes for 496 yards and four touchdowns while putting his name on the NFL’s radar.

Second, Poljan has familial connections to MSU. His sister Rebecka is currently on the MSU volleyball team. Between growing up in the Lasning area and having a sibling on an MSU team, it’s a safe bet that Poljan is quite familiar with Michigan State, the campus, and the football team. He was on the CMU team that traveled to Spartan Stadium in 2018 and I’m sure is familiar with a handful of players on the Michigan State roster.

Third, MSU has a need at the position. Redshirt sophomore Trenton Gillison is the presumed starter at tight end and flashed some ability in 2019. Behind him there are a lot of question marks between Matt Dotson coming off a torn Achilles and a couple of converted defensive ends in Parks Gissinger and Adam Berghorst. Offensive coordinator Jay Johnson said shortly after his arrival to MSU that the tight end would be the “MVP” of the MSU offense. If that’s truly the case, having two really good options at the position would be more ideal than just one. Transferring up in mid-to-late July is going to be tough, and I’d bet Poljan is looking to go somewhere where snaps are available. He would certainly find that at MSU.

Lastly, Poljan is 6-foot-7 and we know how much Mel Tucker and co. like their tall players.

Tony Poljan and Michigan State could be a match made in transfer heaven. With Poljan’s abilities and connections to MSU and the Spartans’ need for help at tight end, they might just be what each other is looking for.

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