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Rashod Bateman Rashod Bateman Inks extension with Baltimore
Wed, Apr 24, 2024, 12:48 PM
Bateman signed a two-year contract extension Wednesday.
Analysis: Bateman was already under contract through the upcoming season in the final year of his rookie deal, but the Ravens had until May 2 to decide whether to exercise the receiver's $14.44 million team option for 2025. By reaching an extension with Bateman, the Ravens will no longer have to decide on whether to exercise or decline the option, as he's now on the team's books through 2026. The 24-year-old appeared in 16 of the Ravens' 17 regular-season games this past season, catching 32 of 56 targets for 367 yards and one touchdown. Despite Bateman's underwhelming production during his third NFL season, head coach John Harbaugh noted earlier in the offseason that he views the wideout as a candidate to "take a big step" forward in 2024, per Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site. The Ravens' pass-catching corps should look mostly similar in 2024 as it did in 2023, as No. 1 wideout Zay Flowers is entering his second season and standout tight end Mark Andrews is back in the fold, though Odell Beckham is currently a free agent and may not be brought back. |
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Deonte Harty Deonte Harty Officially signs with Baltimore
Sun, Apr 14, 2024, 5:55 PM
Harty and the Ravens officially agreed on a one-year contract Sunday.
Analysis: Harty will join the Ravens after spending the 2023 campaign with Buffalo, securing 15 catches for 150 yards and a score. He also notched 323 yards and a touchdown while operating as a punt returner with the Bills. Now that Devin Duvernay is in Jacksonville, Harty is a decent bet to operate as the primary kick and punt returner for Baltimore in 2024. |
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Deonte Harty Deonte Harty Signing with Baltimore
Wed, Apr 10, 2024, 4:18 PM
Harty is slated to sign a one-year deal with the Ravens, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Harty, who recorded a 15/150/1 receiving line in 16 regular-season games with the Bills in 2023, gives the Ravens some added wideout depth behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. In addition to that, the Baltimore native is a candidate to fill the void created by the departure of last year's top return man, Devin Duvernay. |
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Josh Johnson Josh Johnson Back in Baltimore
Thu, Mar 14, 2024, 2:52 PM
The Ravens are re-signing Johnson to a one-year contract Thursday.
Analysis: Johnson is set to return as Lamar Jackson's backup, with second-year developmental option Malik Cunningham also waiting in the wings. The veteran, who is entering his age-38 season, spent the 2023 campaign as an emergency option behind Jackson and Tyler Huntley, the latter who is now a free agent. |
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Keaton Mitchell Keaton Mitchell Now backing up Henry
Wed, Mar 13, 2024, 2:03 PM
Mitchell (knee) is now poised to work behind Derrick Henry, who is set to sign a two-year contract with the Ravens, Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun reports.
Analysis: Mitchell and Justice Hill now become the top backups to Henry, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL rushing leader, while J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) is looking at free agency and Gus Edwards is slated to ink with the Chargers. Both boast speed and pass-catching chops, making them worthy complements to Henry's overpowering rushing style, though Hill has the benefit of not needing to work his back from an ACL tear. General manager Eric DeCosta said at the combine in February that he's confident Mitchell will work his way back from injury and contribute during the 2024 season, per Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, but the timing of the 2023 UDFA's injury (suffered in December) makes his availability for Week 1 uncertain. Mitchell showcased elusiveness and big-play potential in limited action as a rookie, so if he can avoid losing his quick-twitch ability in the rehab process, he could prove to be a valuable contributor behind Henry, when healthy. |
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Justice Hill Justice Hill Joined by No. 1 option in backfield
Wed, Mar 13, 2024, 11:54 AM
Hill is part of a backfield that's being joined by Derrick Henry on a two-year contract and slated to see both J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) and Gus Edwards depart, sadgasg reports. Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun reports.
Analysis: The Ravens are set to add a true No. 1 running back in Henry, whose size and power will complement Lamar Jackson's elusiveness, while Dobbins is scheduled for free agency and Edwards has agreed to a contract with the Chargers. Hill is coming off a career year himself, and his pass-catching skills should also allow him to spell Henry efficiently. It's possible, though, that Keaton Mitchell (knee) becomes the Ravens' preferred No. 2 option once fully recovered from his torn ACL, as long as he doesn't lose a step. Hill can be cut with a potential 'out' heading into the final year of his contract for only $500,000 in dead money, which could be a situation worth monitoring. |
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Lamar Jackson Lamar Jackson Joined by superstar RB
Tue, Mar 12, 2024, 4:00 PM
Jackson is getting help in the backfield via Derrick Henry, with whom the Ravens agreed to terms on a two-year, $16 million contract Tuesday, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.
Analysis: Jackson will form one of the league's most dangerous backfield tandems by allying with the 30-year-old, two-time rushing champion who spent the last eight seasons in Tennessee and could now finally give Baltimore a sledgehammer in the rushing game to complement the reigning MVP's elusiveness. The pair of Jackson and Henry could give the Ravens a new-look rushing attack finally capable of pushing the team over the edge, with big-play threat Keaton Mitchell (knee) providing a complementary boost. Meanwhile, J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) is scheduled for free agency, while Gus Edwards is scheduled to sign with the Chargers. Jackson tallied career-high marks with 3,678 passing yards and 8.0 yards per attempt in 2023 to go with 29 total touchdowns and 821 rushing yards. Henry, meanwhile, rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns on 280 carries this past season. |
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Derrick Henry Derrick Henry Lands with Ravens
Tue, Mar 12, 2024, 11:49 AM
Henry is signing a two-year contract with the Ravens, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: It's a match that's been rumored all offseason, after the Ravens infamously attempted just six RB carries in an AFC Championship Game loss to Kansas City. For Henry, it'll be the first change of scenery in his pro career, following an eight-year stint with the Titans that featured five 1,000-yard rushing seasons, including three over 1,500 and one over 2,000. He led the league with 280 carries in 2023 and hit pay dirt 12 times, though he averaged a career-low 4.17 yards per attempt while ceding nearly half of Tennessee's backfield snaps to rookie Tyjae Spears. There's reason to believe the 30-year-old's YPC mark will rebound with the move to Baltimore, where he'll have superior QB play and likely a better offensive line. Henry's contract reportedly has a base value of $16 million over two years, with $9 million guaranteed and then another $4 million available via incentives. |
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Gus Edwards Gus Edwards Discussing deal with Ravens
Thu, Feb 29, 2024, 4:11 PM
GM Eric DeCosta said Tuesday that the Ravens and Edwards are already discussing a new contract, Clifton Brown and Ryan Mink of the team's official website report.
Analysis: Edwards can become a free agent but might end up re-signing before that happens. If so, it wouldn't necessarily prevent the Ravens from signing one of the big-name RBs available in free agency, though it would at least marginally decrease the odds of that happening. The team also has Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell (torn ACL) under contract for 2024, though the former mostly played special teams before last season and the latter might not be ready for Week 1. DeCosta also suggested that he'd still have interest in re-signing J.K. Dobbins, who is rehabbing an Achilles' tear after playing only nine games combined the past three seasons. |
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Odell Beckham Odell Beckham Wanted back in Baltimore
Thu, Feb 29, 2024, 4:07 PM
Coach John Harbaugh and GM Eric DeCosta both suggested this week that they'd like Beckham to re-sign with the Ravens, Clifton Brown and Ryan Mink of the team's official website report. "[Beckham]'s become a great friend of mine and a friend to the Ravens," DeCosta said Tuesday. "I think we'll just kind of assess and see what happens over the next couple of weeks."
Analysis: Beckham presumably would have to accept a major pay cut after signing a one-year, $15 million contract last offseason. He made some big plays but was never a full-time player after the first few games, ultimately finishing with 35 catches for 565 yards and three TDs in the regular season. Harbaugh has already mentioned viewing Rashod Bateman as a starter for 2024, in which Beckham would be coming back as the third/fourth wide receiver. The team recently re-signed Nelson Agholor, ensuring they'll have a veteran presence behind Bateman and Zay Flowers even if Beckham ends up signing elsewhere. |
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J.K. Dobbins J.K. Dobbins Posts rehab videos
Thu, Feb 29, 2024, 3:58 PM
Dobbins (Achilles) posted a video Thursday that shows him running on turf and then a treadmill.
Analysis: Meanwhile, GM Eric DeCosta told reporters Tuesday that the Ravens plan to discuss new contracts with both Dobbins and Gus Edwards. The former is still rehabbing the Achilles' tear that ended his 2023 campaign after Week 1, while the latter is nearly four years older but just set career highs for carries (198), rushing yards (810) and rushing TDs (13). Edwards also averaged a career low 4.1 YPC, to be fair, after running for 5.0 or better in each of his previous NFL seasons. The rumor mill connects Baltimore with big-name RBs scheduled for agency like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, but DeCosta made sure to mention Dobbins, Edwards, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell (torn ACL), with the latter two still under contract in Baltimore. Re-signing Dobbins or Edwards wouldn't necessarily preclude adding a bigger name, particularly in Dobbins' case given the poor track record of RBs coming back from Achilles injuries and the accompanying likelihood he'll have to settle for a contract without much guaranteed money. The 2020 second-round pick has played nine games since his rookie season, losing all of 2021 to an ACL tear and half of 2022 to ensuing issues with the same knee. |
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Rashod Bateman Rashod Bateman Step forward expected in 2024
Wed, Feb 28, 2024, 12:31 PM
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh reiterated Tuesday that he expects Bateman to "take a big step" forward in 2024.
Analysis: According to Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site, Harbaugh made similar comments earlier this month, noting that the 2021 first-round pick will be a starter in 2024 and is expected to take on more snaps. On the other hand, the Ravens have already re-signed wideout Nelson Agholor, and Harbaugh said he's also hoping to keep soon-to-be free agent Odell Beckham around. Neither Agholor nor Beckham would automatically block Bateman from a starting job, but both could be threats to his quantity of snaps and routes, just as they were in 2023. Bateman seemed to get open more often as the 2023 season unfolded, perhaps regaining some explosiveness with time after undergoing season-ending Lisfranc surgery the year prior. A breakout of sorts is certainly possible, but it probably wouldn't translate to much production in fantasy terms, given that the Ravens routinely rank near the bottom of the league in pass attempts and have wideout Zay Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews to account for a large chunk of the targets. |
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Rashod Bateman Rashod Bateman Falls flat in Year 3
Tue, Feb 20, 2024, 9:59 AM
Bateman finished the 2023 season with 32 catches for 367 yards and one touchdown on 56 targets.
Analysis: The bright spot for Bateman was that he was able to stay healthy for most of the season and play a career-high 16 games. Other than that, it was a down season in what was an important year for the former first-round pick. He caught just 57 percent of his targets and had a 7.1 percent drop rate. Bateman was also not a threat after the catch with an average of 2.1 YAC per reception. Quarterback Lamar Jackson averaged 8.0 yards per attempt but Bateman averaged just 6.6 yards per target. Bateman's role was sound with the second-most snaps on the team among receivers, he just wasn't able to draw targets rapidly or convert those targets efficiently. Bateman now enters the final year of his rookie deal with significant pressure to produce. It's also worth noting that the Ravens could look to add a receiver in what is widely considered to be a strong group in the draft. |
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Dalvin Cook Dalvin Cook Struggles in 2023
Tue, Feb 20, 2024, 9:30 AM
Cook finished the year with 62 carries for 204 yards and no touchdowns while adding 12 catches for 52 yards on 17 targets, including the postseason.
Analysis: The veteran began the year with the Jets before mutually parting ways with Gang Green in time to sign with a playoff contender. Cook latched on with the Ravens and was saw some action in the Division Round win over the Texans with eight carries for 23 yards. Unfortunately, this was the worst season of the 28-year-old's career by any metric. Cook was on a one-year deal and it does not appear likely that Baltimore will re-sign him, so the veteran projects to hit the market as an aging running back coming off of a tough year. He figures to land somewhere in free agency, but the days of Cook garnering a long-term deal are likely behind him. |
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Isaiah Likely Isaiah Likely Arrow pointing up after Year 2
Tue, Feb 20, 2024, 9:21 AM
Likely finished his second season with 30 catches for 411 yards and five touchdowns on 40 targets. He added four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown in two postseason games.
Analysis: Though Likely's target count dropped from 60 to 40 despite Mark Andrews' lengthy absence, his counting stats and efficiency both ticked up significantly. He bumped his catch rate from 60 percent to 75 and his yards-per-target mark from 6.2 to 10.3 while topping his rookie totals for receiving yards and touchdowns. Those are impressive steps forward for the second-year tight end. Though Andrews is still a major factor in this passing game when healthy, Likely is overqualified to be a traditional No.2 tight end. Baltimore's receiving corps is still a work in progress beyond Zay Flowers, so it will be interesting to see how free agency and the draft transpire in Charm City. Likely has downfield ability and plenty of experience working from the slot (231 of 567 snaps in 2023) so his role should expand in his second year in the Todd Monken scheme. |
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Tyler Huntley Tyler Huntley Capable showing in contract year
Tue, Feb 20, 2024, 9:12 AM
Huntley finished the season completing 21 of 37 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He added 15 carries for 55 yards.
Analysis: The bulk of Huntley's production came in his lone start in the final game of the regular season when he went 15-for-28 for 146 yards with one touchdown. His other appearances came in blowout wins over the Browns, Lions, Seahawks and Dolphins. Huntley could be heading toward an impasse with the Ravens now; he's set to become an unrestricted free agent and with Lamar Jackson's contract extension set to start kicking in in earnest, Baltimore may opt for a more cost-efficient option as its backup quarterback. The fact that Baltimore traded for rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham during the season only strengthens that notion. Should Huntley hit the open market, he'd be a strong option for any team looking to bolster its quarterback room. However, it's unlikely that Huntley would be brought in anywhere with a serious expectation to start. |
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Nelson Agholor Nelson Agholor Re-ups with Baltimore
Sun, Feb 18, 2024, 5:14 PM
The Ravens signed Agholor to a one-year contract extension Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Agholor will stick with the Ravens after a solid first season with the team in 2023, in which he caught 35 of 45 targets for 381 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-foot speedster didn't enjoy a significant uptick in his overall production compared to his previous two-year span with the Patriots; but, his pass-catching efficiency greatly improved, as he had caught just 68 of 117 targets during this stint in New England. He was also reserved into much more of a depth role in Baltimore while playing behind top wideouts Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham -- the latter of which is currently set to free agency after he also signed a one-year contract with the Ravens last offseason. Agholor, who is entering his age-31 season, should reprise a role as a solid depth piece in Baltimore's receiving corps behind Flowers and Bateman as well as standout tight end Mark Andrews next season. |
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Lamar Jackson Lamar Jackson Wins second MVP Award
Thu, Feb 8, 2024, 9:52 PM
Jackson was named the Most Valuable Player on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Jackson was the favorite for the award since the Ravens downed Brock Purdy and the 49ers in Week 16 in decisive fashion. His overall resume was deserving of the honor as well, as Jackson tallied 29 total touchdowns while racking up career-best marks in passing yards (3,678) and yards per attempt (8.0). It was the second time that he's been named MVP of the league, with the first coming in 2019. |
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Justice Hill Justice Hill Enjoys career year in 2023
Wed, Jan 31, 2024, 3:52 PM
Hill finished the 2023 regular season with career highs for carries (84), rushing yards (387), rushing TDs (387), catches (28), receiving yards (206) and receiving touchdowns (one).
Analysis: Hill was Baltimore's RB of choice for obvious passing situations for most of the season, though rookie Keaton Mitchell (knee) took some of that work away from early November to mid-December before suffering an ACL tear. Hill also ended up with a larger-than-expected role in the rushing game, especially early in the season after J.K. Dobbins suffered an Achilles' tear Week 1. The two-year, $4.5 million contract Hill signed in March ended up working out well for the Ravens, as he played nearly as many snaps on offense (436) as in his first four NFL seasons combined (554). It is possible Hill plays more special teams and less offense in 2024, though that's far from a certainty with both Dobbins and Gus Edwards scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Hill is scheduled for a non-guaranteed $2 million base salary and $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses for the second and final season of his contract. |
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Odell Beckham Odell Beckham Three grabs in season-ending loss
Sun, Jan 28, 2024, 6:52 PM
Beckham secured three of six targets for 22 yards in the Ravens' 17-10 AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Analysis: Beckham didn't get on the stat sheet until the fourth quarter, recording his first catch with 8:47 remaining in the contest. The veteran wideout was third in receptions and targets on the afternoon for Baltimore, but his underwhelming numbers were representative of the type of afternoon it was for anyone not named Zay Flowers in the Ravens' air attack. Beckham's comeback campaign following an idle 2022 season due to a knee injury resulted in 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns on 64 targets across 14 games, with his 16.1 yards per catch representing a career high. Beckham played 2023 on a one-year, $1.15 million contract, so it remains to be seen whether a reunion with Lamar Jackson is in the offing over the coming months. |
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