Tag: Willie Snead

Team-rules suspensions have been rare in the Sean Payton era

The New Orleans Saints suspended all-star wide receiver Michael Thomas for one game, marking their third team-rules discipline in 7 years.

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It’s been a while since the New Orleans Saints last sidelined a player for a violation of team rules. You have to go back to the 2017 season when cornerback P.J. Williams was disciplined during a road trip to London, opening the door for Ken Crawley’s first start (several years later, they’ll be playing together again on Monday night).

That makes it all the more unusual that wide receiver Michael Thomas was suspended for a fight in practice. He exchanged words with defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson late in the practice session before punching his teammate, leading to a one-week suspension before the bye.

Back in 2014, wide receiver Joe Morgan was suspended two weeks after a difficult stint with the team, including a 2013 DUI charge and some in-game miscues. Sean Payton’s patience eventually wore out, and Morgan was released.

Other players have been suspended by the NFL here and there; the 2012 Bountygate suspensions stand out, but they were quickly overturned by independent arbitrator Paul Tagliabue. Former Saints players including wide receiver Willie Snead and running back Mark Ingram have been suspended by the league in the past, and backup tackle James Hurst recently finished serving his own suspension (from his time with the Baltimore Ravens, coincidentally Snead and Ingram’s new team) before joining the Saints for work.

So that’s three team suspensions in seven years for the Saints. It’s hardly a trend or common tactic of preferred Payton’s, but it is something he’s kept in his toolbox. We’ll see where things go for Thomas from here.

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Ravens sign RB Kenjon Barner

The Baltimore Ravens added to their return specialist competition, signing journeyman running back and former Falcons returner Kenjon Barner

The Baltimore Ravens continue to bolster their roster at the start of training camp. After waiving fullback Bronson Rechsteiner Monday, Baltimore has announced they’ve signed journeyman running back Kenjon Barner.

Though the Ravens already have four running backs on the roster right now, Barner should be primarily viewed as a return specialist in Baltimore. Over seven years in the NFL, Barner has 100 total carries and 43 targets in the passing game, including just 10 total touches with the Atlanta Falcons last year. In comparison, last year Barner returned 35 punts for 267 yards and a touchdown as well as 17 kickoffs for 406 yards.

The Ravens have been looking for more stability in their return game over the last two years. Defensive back Cyrus Jones won the punt return job in 2018 before losing it last season when Baltimore signed De’Anthony Thomas. With Thomas opting out this season, the competition for the job has fallen to the likes of rookie James Proche, Willie Snead, and even Marquise Brown.

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John Harbaugh believes James Proche is the man for punt returner job

Former SMU wide receiver and current Ravens rookie James Proche is the “man for the job” at punt returner according to John Harbaugh

With the Baltimore Ravens in training camp, there’s a handful of starting jobs up for grabs. Among them is at punt returner where the Ravens have been struggling to find a consistent weapon for years now. According to coach John Harbaugh, sixth-round pick James Proche is the man for the job.

“It’s James’ role to win and he’s got to go win it,” Harbaugh said Friday. “I believe he’s up for the challenge, he’s the man for the job.”

It was expected there would be a bigger fight for the return specialist job this year. But with De’Anthony Thomas among the two Ravens to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Proche is now penciled into the starting spot. That’s not to say he won’t have any competition, however. Harbaugh named two other players who will get some valuable reps back there throughout training camp.

“We’ve got Willie Snead,” Harbaugh continued. “I know Willie would like to do it too, he’s back there all the time. Marquise [Brown] catches punts every day. We’ll see as we go.”

It’s safe to say Baltimore drafted Proche with special teams in mind after hearing the team talk extensively about him in that role this offseason.

Immediately after selecting Proche with the 201st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta sung the SMU wide receiver’s praises on punt returns.

“I watched him catch punts that weekend in Mobile, and I was really impressed by how he judged the ball and secured the catch,” DeCosta said following the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft. “He’s a guy that gets upfield quickly with the football in his hands as a punt returner, and that’s an important position. It’s hard to find those kinds of guys that have that special skillset.”

DeCosta and Harbaugh aren’t the only people impressed with Proche’s abilities. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton previously said Proche was in the mix for the return specialist job, echoing DeCosta’s sentiments.

For his part, Proche wants to get on the field any way he possibly can. As a late-round draft pick, Proche’s road to glory starts with special teams and returning punts. It’s something he noted in his first press conference with reporters after being drafted by Baltimore.

“I love punt return,” Proche said a few days after the 2020 NFL Draft. “I really just love catching the ball. Anything that involves ‘catch the ball and go make a play,’ that’s what I do. As far as punt return goes, that’s something I feel comfortable with. Kind of being back there alone, having full control, judge the ball, and showcase my abilities once I catch the ball. I’m extremely excited about being put in that role with the Ravens organization. Like I said before, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

It’s something Proche is no stranger to doing, returning at least 12 punts in three of his four seasons at SMU. Over the last two years, Proche returned 37 punts for 329 yards. Proche’s 9.6 yards-per-return average on punts in 2019 would have been one of the more successful in the NFL last season, ranking seventh among players who returned at least 10 punts.

With a clear path forward, Proche has a chance to make Baltimore’s return team consistent for the first time in years. The last two seasons have seen the Ravens rotate players into the role with pretty awful results. In 2018 Baltimore had Tim White and Janarion Grant each field several punts before signing Cyrus Jones midseason and plugging him into the position. Last year, Jones ceded the job to Thomas after fumbling several times.

Even having stability hasn’t meant adequate production for the Ravens. In 2016 Devin Hester was signed to be the return specialist but averaged a paltry 7.2 yards over 25 punt returns that season. Since 2014, Baltimore has had just two punt returners — Michael Campanaro and Jones — average more than Proche’s 9.6 yards-per-return while returning at least 10 punts.

Despite his late-round draft status, Proche is expected to do big things with the Ravens. His worth ethic, quickness, and intelligence have been called out by more than one person who has worked out with him this offseason. And if Proche can get a stranglehold on the punt return job, he’ll likely find himself on the field on offense at some point too where he can live up to the hype he’s rightfully earned.

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Willie Snead, D.J. Fluker thinner as Marquise Brown gets bigger this offseason

Several Ravens players changed physique this offseason with Marquise Brown getting much bigger while Willie Snead, D.J. Fluker got smaller

Baltimore Ravens players had a variety of different goals this offseason. For some, it was simply to improve their technique from what they did last year. For others, there was a weight change in the plans. Now as the Ravens get into training camp, we’re seeing the results of all their hard work and some impressive new physiques.

Both wide receiver Willie Snead and guard D.J. Fluker are thinner than they were last year. Snead said he’s been working out since last season ended until now and is seven pounds lighter because of it.

“I started working out [in] February until we reported last week,” Snead said on a video press conference with reporters Wednesday. “I got the results I wanted. I feel faster. I feel lighter. I dropped like seven pounds. I’m really feeling good at this weight. I haven’t been this weight since my first year in the league and I’m just feeling pretty good going into the season.”

Snead is feeling good and based on his Twitter account, he’s ready for a breakout season.

Fluker has been posting some of his workouts to Instagram. He quipped the “proof is in the salad not the pudding,” saying he’s down two shirt sizes.

On The Lounge podcast, Fluker said his goal was to get down to 330 pounds where he’s a “whole different breed of animal.” While he was listed at 342 pounds on Baltimore’s roster this offseason, it seems like he could be down to around that goal weight if his social media photos are any indication.

But it’s not all about trimming the pounds for every player this offseason. Unlike Snead, who talked about being faster with the loss of weight, Marquise Brown wanted to bulk up a bit before his second season in the NFL.

Brown said he actually lost weight last year, which was likely due to a foot injury that kept him out of the NFL Scouting Combine and a large part of training camp. But Brown entered training camp after having a screw removed from his foot and said he’s feeling “100 times better” than he did last year. Not only did Brown get to the 170-ish pounds he was at Oklahoma, but he added another 10 pounds of muscle on top of that. And for those that fear Brown’s increased weight and strength might have sapped his top speed, he said he’s just as fast as ever.

“While I was gaining weight, I made sure I was running. I kept track,” Brown said Wednesday. “I got the Ravens to send me a GPS tracker down to make sure I was still running at top speed, at good speed. Everything, with gaining weight, was keeping my speed and getting faster.”

Brown thinks the extra weight will help him with “absorbing hits off the catch” as well as blocking downfield. But more importantly, Brown believes the extra weight and strength will help with injuries.

Entering his second season in the NFL, Brown is primed for a true breakout year. He had a stellar rookie campaign, especially considering his foot injury, catching 46 passes for 584 yards and seven touchdowns. But if Brown is indeed as fast as he was last year and bigger, it stands to reason he could truly ball out in 2020 and set the league on fire.

Throughout the entire offseason, every player we’ve had a chance to talk to has given off the energy of being hungry, going the extra mile to reach a new level. After back-to-back disappointing postseasons, that desire certainly makes sense. Now it’s time to see if that hard work results in more wins and a Lombardi Trophy and not just the need for a new wardrobe.

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The NFL’s 11 best slot receivers

With the three-receiver set the new default in the NFL, slot receivers are more important than ever. Here are the NFL’s 11 best.

In the 2019 regular and postseason, per Pro Football Focus data, slot receivers regardless of position (receivers, running backs, and tight ends) accounted for 32% of all targets, 31.6% of all receptions, 32.3% of all receiving yardage, and 34.3% of all receiving touchdowns. In a league where the three-receiver set is by far the default formation (it happened on 69% of all snaps last season, per Sports Info Solutions), having a versatile and productive slot receiver is an absolute necessity in the modern passing game.

Moreover, there is no one kind of slot receiver in the modern NFL. It used to be that you wanted the shorter, smaller guy inside, and your bigger, more physical receivers on the outside. Then, offensive coaches started to realize that by putting bigger receivers and tight ends in the slot, you could create mismatches with slower linebackers and smaller slot cornerbacks. Teams countered this by acquiring linebackers built like safeties, eager to do more than just chase after run fits, and also by moving their best cornerbacks into the slot in certain situations.

Now that offensive and defensive coaches have worked hard to create as many schematic and personnel ties in the slot as possible, the best slot receivers are the ones who consistently show the ideal characteristics for the position. These receivers know how to exploit defenders who don’t have a boundary to help them — they’ll create inside and outside position to move the defender where they want him to go. They understand the value and precision of the option route, and how you can hang a defender out to dry with a simple “if this/then that” equation based on coverage rules. They know how to work in concert with their outside receivers to create route combinations which create impossible math problems for defenses. And they know how to get open in quick spaces.

But don’t automatically assume that slot receivers are just taking the dink-and-dunk routes — they’re actually tasked to catch everything from quick slants to vertical stuff down the seam and up the numbers. Last season, per PFF data, the NFL average for yards per completion for outside receivers was 11.28. For slot receivers, it was 11.63. So, over time and based on the play design and the makeup of the receivers, teams could find just that many more yards by throwing to their slot targets.

The best slot receivers in the game bring unique and highly valuable traits to the game, and here are the best among them.

More Top 11 lists: Slot defenders | Outside cornerbacks | Safeties | Linebackers | Edge defenders | Interior defensive linemen | Offensive tackles | Offensive guards | Centers | Outside Receivers

Honorable Mentions

(Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)

Had we dropped the qualifying floor to under 50% slot snaps, two guys would have easily made it — Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, and Baltimore’s Marquise Goodwin. Evans led all slot receivers with at least 25 targets with a passer rating when targeted of 151.3, and Brown was an absolute force against defenses in the slot — especially when he was using his speed in empty formations.

San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, who was probably the MVP of the first half of Super Bowl LIV before things started to go backward for his team, would have received a mention as well — Samuel had just 33 targets, but caught 28 of them and helped his quarterback to a 135.3 rating when he was targeted in the slot. Kansas City speed receiver Mecole Hardman had just 23 a lot targets, but he was also highly efficient with them, helping his quarterbacks to a 133.9 rating. Though Danny Amendola was the only Lions receiver to make the 50% threshold, both Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay were highly efficient when tasked to move inside. Other former slot stars like Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs and Minnesota’s Adam Thielen saw their roles change more to the outside in 2019 from previous seasons.

Of the receivers who actually qualified, Nelson Agholor of the Eagles was quietly efficient and had just two drops in the slot last season — which would go against several memes on the subject. Buffalo’s Cole Beasley just missed the cut, through he was one of several receivers on the Bills’ roster who didn’t always get the accuracy and efficiency they deserved from quarterback Josh Allen. And though Randall Cobb was productive for the Cowboys last season and should be so for the Texans in 2020, his nine drops as a slot man… well, we can only have one guy with nine slot drops on this list. More on that in a minute.

Now, on to the top 11.

Willie Snead IV | Julian Edelman | Tyler Boyd | Jared Cook | Golden Tate | Keenan Allen | Larry Fitzgerald | Allen Robinson | Cooper Kupp | Chris Godwin | Tyler Lockett 

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Ravens WR Willie Snead goes after Myles Garrett, Browns on Twitter

Ravens WR Willie Snead goes after Myles Garrett, Browns on Twitter, and Garrett and Mack Wilson clap back at Snead

Once upon a time, Willie Snead was a hungry young receiver hoping to catch on with the Cleveland Browns. Back in 2014, Snead signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent from Ball State. He didn’t quite make the team, but did show enough to land with the Carolina Panthers after the final roster cutdowns.

Snead has progressed to have a nice NFL career. He’s spent the last two years in Baltimore, catching 93 passes while starting 21 games. But he apparently still holds it against the Browns for not keeping him all those years ago.

Snead, in a Twitter post he deleted, called out the Browns for signing Myles Garrett to his 5-year, $125 million contract extension while referencing Garrett’s fine and suspension for his actions in the Week 11 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year.

He explained why he was taking shots at Cleveland in a response to the deleted tweet.

Given time to think about his words and the considerable blowback, Snead apologized. Sort of…

That’s where Garrett stepped in and reminded Snead of the 40-25 beatdown the Browns put on the Ravens in Baltimore last season.

 

Linebacker Mack Wilson got in on the act too, posting a telltale photo from that game.

Ravens WR Willie Snead disses Browns, DE Myles Garrett on Twitter

Baltimore Ravens WR Willie Snead retweeted a picture making fun of the Cleveland Browns and DE Myles Garrett for his new contract

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Willie Snead openly mocked the Cleveland Browns and defensive end Myles Garrett on Twitter. Snead retweeted an image that joked about the Browns giving Garrett a record-setting contract after hitting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with his helmet, adding the caption, “That’s the Cleveland Browns for you” and a shrug emoji.

Cleveland signed Garrett to a five-year, $125 million contract extension with $100 million in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The guaranteed money and average cap hits are both the highest of any defensive player in the NFL. Though Garrett is one of the best young pass rushers in the league, some used the contract extension to make light of Garrett’s on-field assault and the Browns’ lack of success in recent years.

When one Browns’ fan reminded Snead that Cleveland gave him his first chance, the Ravens’ wide receiver snapped back.

Snead came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014, initially signing with the Browns. But just a few months later at the 53-man roster deadline, Cleveland cut Snead, allowing him to eventually join the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad and then the New Orleans Saints where Baltimore would eventually snag him from.

Since joining the Ravens in 2018, Snead has caught 93 of his 141 targets for 990 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He’s entering his third season with Baltimore after signing a one-year contract extension last year. Over his six-year career, Snead has 2,961 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns on 242 receptions. Snead is 2-2 against Cleveland in his career, catching eight passes for 141 yards and one touchdown in those four games combined.

Snead and Garrett will have their chances to battle it out on the field this season. The Ravens are currently scheduled to face off against the Browns in Week 1 and in Week 14 on Monday Night Football.

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Despite additions, PFF thinks Ravens’ WR corps is among NFL’s worst

Though they led the league in touchdown passes last season, the Baltimore Ravens aren’t seeing much love for their wide receivers in 2020.

The Baltimore Ravens have come a long way over the last three years at wide receiver. After failed draft experiments and short-term success in free agency, Baltimore completely gutted their wide receiver corps and began building one from scratch. Even though things are going well and this is arguably the best unit the Ravens have had over the last five years, it still isn’t great compared to the rest of the league, according to Pro Football Focus, who ranked Baltimore as the eighth-worst in the NFL.

That’s a bit of a shock considering Marquise Brown performed well last season and is finally healthy as he enters his second season. If his offseason workouts are anything to go by, Brown should cement himself as a true No. 1 receiver in 2020. Though, to their credit, PFF agrees with the idea.

However, they critique the group behind Brown, saying the Ravens don’t have a No. 2 receiver figured out yet. While that’s true, Baltimore also hasn’t relied on their wide receivers to fill specific spots like many other teams, instead picking and choosing which player will get highlighted based on their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Though that inconsistent production isn’t great for fantasy football owners, it worked well enough for the Ravens given their league-leading touchdown passes last season.

Still, it’s a group that might be getting underrated here, even individually. Miles Boykin is primed for a breakout year of his own with the Ravens seemingly having enough confidence in him to man the outside possession role. Willie Snead and Devin Duvernay have proven to be playmakers from the slot, with Duvernay having breakaway speed with the ball in his hands. If PFF were to factor in tight end Mark Andrews, it’s an even more effective and explosive unit, even if there’s no designated second-best receiver.

Baltimore’s wide receiver depth chart is far from perfect and there’s more hope than actual production from the unit. However, it’s a unit that is on the cusp of something special when paired with MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Though I can understand why they’re ranked so poorly, it’s also the perfect recipe for fans to be pleasantly surprised when they excel in their individual roles this season.

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Don’t lock Devin Duvernay into a single role with the Ravens

After producing from the slot at Texas, wide receiver Devin Duvernay wants everyone to know he isn’t just a one-trick pony for the Ravens

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One of the main reasons why the Baltimore Ravens selected wide receiver Devin Duvernay in the 2020 NFL Draft was his blazing speed. Duvernay was clocked running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Many believe the Ravens will line up Duvernay as a slot receiver, but he was quick to point out he has more than one string to his bow.

“I feel like I can do both (play outside and in the slot),” Duvernay said at his press conference after being drafted. “My freshman year and senior year, I played strictly slot. My junior and sophomore years, I played strictly outside. So, I feel like I can be productive at both, and be able to move around on the field.”

Duvernay isn’t the only one that has a say in where he lines up. But when asked about the bevy of choices the Ravens have in the slot, coach John Harbaugh noted that they like to move their players around and don’t lock someone into a specific position.

“We don’t just have an X and a Z and an S and a Y, a U and an H,” Harbaugh said following the final day of the draft. “We play all the guys in different spots, the same as we do on defense.

“So really, I don’t think we really have a ‘slot’ player or an ‘outside’ player. You’ll see those guys play in all the different spots in different times. And then, we try to put them in position to do the things that they do well. The things you see Willie Snead doing are the things we think he does best, and he’s a very versatile player, for instance. We’ll try to do that with all the guys we have.”

While all the pre-draft talk had Duvernay playing in the slot, the thought of being pigeonholed was something he clearly wanted to put out of people’s minds. When asked what he brings to the Ravens, Duvernay talked about his intangibles first, mentioning his “versatility, toughness, physicality,” while also noting he can take on a number of different roles, like “being able to not just go deep but go short, take it the distance, be involved in the screen game and with blocking.” Duvernay said he’ll be “an all-around player” in Baltimore.

Harbaugh continued to back up Duvernay’s belief, dissuading anyone from believing either he or James Proche would be locked into one specific role or one specific spot on the field.

“So, when Devin [Duvernay] can go outside – and then James Proche has been outside, too – outside, inside, in motion, runs, twitch routes, out of the backfield.”

While this versatility will no doubt be utilized by offensive coordinator Greg Roman, it’s likely that Duvernay will spend a good deal of time in the slot for the Ravens. In 2019, Willie Snead led all Baltimore wide receivers with 409 snap slots, averaging 7.7 yards per target. Given his speed and all-round game, it would surprise no one if Duvernay was to eclipse these marks as a rookie.

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11 Ravens that could be most impacted by 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens are set to add nine more players to their roster at the 2020 NFL Draft, which will help and hurt other players

The Baltimore Ravens as you know them right now is set to change next week at the 2020 NFL Draft. With nine picks in the draft, Baltimore’s roster is going to undergo quite the makeover and that’s before we even get to the second wave of free agency when the Ravens typically add those bargain veterans to round out the 90-man roster.

With 58 players already on the roster, nine draft picks will end up shaking up the starting lineup and potentially push others further down the depth chart. With that in mind, I took a look at which Ravens are most likely to be severely impacted by the 2020 NFL Draft. should help him and the team immensely.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

CB Tavon Young

It’s no wonder Baltimore handed Young a contract extension last offseason. When healthy, Young is one of the best slot corners in the league. However, that has been the big caveat for the Ravens recently, with Young missing all of 2019 and 2017 with injuries.

Though Young is expected to return this season, Baltimore would be wise to plan for his absence. At the worst, the Ravens would add much-needed depth inside at cornerback and at the best, they’d have a more obvious replacement for Young if he misses time this season.

Anyone selected at that role in the 2020 NFL Draft, especially early on, will be looked at as Young’s eventual replacement. Young is in no danger of losing his roster spot this season with more dead money than cap savings if cut, but that stops being the case as early as next offseason. If the Ravens find Young’s replacement, the $3 million in cap savings in 2021 and $5.845 million in 2022, according to Over The Cap, start looking really attractive.

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