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[Baltimore Ravens]

Is Mark Andrews entering a make-or-break season?

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After catching 11 touchdowns in 2024, some analysts believe Mark Andrews could still be entering a make-or-break season with the Ravens.

When Mark Andrews began the 2024 season by going scoreless through the first five games of the season, many wondered if the standout tight end was about to experience a major regression at age 29. However, once he found the end zone for the first time, Andrews turned into a snowball that just kept on rolling through the final game of the season.

Andrews finished the 2024 season with a career-high 11 touchdowns, including scoring in each of the team’s final six regular season games. At the same time, his 673 receiving yards were the third-lowest in his career and the lowest mark when starting a minimum of 10 games.

The drop in the playoff loss to the Bills was unfortunately the lasting image in the minds of the fan base heading into the offseason and it eventually led to an offseason that held questions of Andrews’ future in Baltimore. Trade rumors were sparked and made headlines at one point but nothing tangible came from them in the end.

Now, as mandatory minicamp gets underway, analysts are still debating Andrews and his future. That’s why he was named as one of 17 players considered to be entering a make-or-break season in 2025 by NFL.com’s Nick Shook.

Here’s what Shook had to say:

“With Andrews entering the final year of his contract after surviving an offseason of uncertainty, now is the time for the 29-year-old to give the team overwhelming evidence that it should retain him beyond 2025. From a roster-building perspective, it might make more sense for Baltimore to invest in younger TE Isaiah Likely, whom head coach John Harbaugh is expecting big things from in 2025. But Andrews has held an important place in this era of Ravens football. A monster season — capped, perhaps, by some clutch postseason plays a year after his meltdown contributed to the team’s playoff exit — would help his cause. A strong campaign will fetch quality offers elsewhere, too, but if Andrews wants to spend his entire career in Baltimore, he could make that a reality by crushing it in 2025.”

So maybe I’m of the minority here but I don’t think Andrews’ 2024 season was anywhere near as bad, as a whole, as analysts are trying to make it seem. His yardage/touchdown combination was just fine for a good tight end playing in an offense that runs through it’s elite dual-threat quarterback in Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, arguably the best running back of the past half a decade. As long as Henry is on this team, the Ravens should be more than happy with seasons just like Andrews’ 2024.

When it comes down to it, do not agree that this is a make-or-break season. I don’t know what the Ravens think they could get out of Likely that Andrews is not already giving them and the idea that he’d be trade bait once again a year from now doesn’t sit well with me. Elite tight ends do NOT grow on trees and the Ravens would be wise to understand that instead of moving on from a guy who hasn’t truly shown any signs of slowing down even as he nears 30-years old.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-andrews-lamar-jackson-derrick-henry-minicamp

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Ravens triplets — both offense and defense — rank among the NFL’s elite

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The Ravens’ trios on offense and defense are — or among — the NFL’s elite.

The Ravens’ enter the 2025 season chock-full of talent. Their star-studded cast spans from on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Offensively, they take the No. 1 spot in Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame’s offensive triplets rankings.

Triplets: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers

“No team has a better trio than the Ravens. Jackson is a two-time MVP and three-time first-team All-Pro, while Henry is coming off a second-team All-Pro campaign with more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage,” Verderame wrote. “In Flowers, Baltimore has a top-end target with 1,059 receiving yards and four touchdowns last season.”

The Ravens’ offense is a juggernaut, led by the best quarterback in the NFL at his prime. Standing behind or beside him is Henry, who has demolished defenses and thus far outran Father Time. And most impressively, is a worthwhile debate on which player should be considered No. 3 in the triplets. Yes, Flowers topped the team with targets (116), receptions (74) and yards (1,059), but the likes of Mark Andrews is a fair mention. He finished the season with 673 yards and 11 touchdowns, tying him for fourth in receiving touchdowns last season.

Also a fair mention is wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who more frequently faced the opposing defenses No. 1 defender on the outside, yet finished with 756 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, tying him for ninth.

Defensively, Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano ranked the Ravens No. 2, behind the Philadelphia Eagles.

Triplets: DL Nnamdi Madubuike, ILB Roquan Smith, S Kyle Hamilton

“Smith and Hamilton remain two of the best at their respective positions. Madubuike dropped off a bit from his breakout 2023 season, but his presence in the middle of the defensive line provided favorable matchups for his teammates. All three were named to the Pro Bowl last year, with Smith and Hamilton making All-Pro teams.”

The guidelines to Manzano’s rankings featured a pass rusher, inside linebacker and defensive back. Which excluded the possibility of keeping cornerback Marlon Humphrey to possibly bolster the Ravens to the No. 1 spot.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...offense-and-defense-rank-among-the-nfls-elite

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Chris Simms ranks Lamar Jackson the No. 1 QB: ‘Nobody’s playing quarterback better’

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Lamar Jackson tops NBC Sports’ Chris Simms quarterback rankings.

Though NBC Sports’ Chris Simms has been a frequent supporter of Lamar Jackson, he has failed to rank him among his top three quarterbacks in annual rankings. That was until this season, where Jackson topped Simms’ list.

“Nobody’s playing quarterback right now better than Lamar Jackson,” Simms said. “He’s conquered something that I’ve only seen a few people conquer in my whole life with his skillset. Arguably the greatest running quarterback in the history of the game, he has become unreal in the pocket [with] making decisions throwing the football.”

Jackson’s edged out Buffalo Bills’ QB Josh Allen for the No. 1 spot, and Simms explained why he placed Jackson at No. 1, even though he voted for Allen for MVP.

“[The] Ravens were awesome. [Jackson] had a really good team. He had a better support system around him,” Simms said. “He didn’t always have to make magic happen on a week-to-week basis like a Josh Allen did... so that’s why I gave Josh Allen the MVP. But that doesn’t mean [Allen] played as good a quarterback play on a week-to-week basis. Lamar Jackson is out of this world. I mean out of this world.”

Simms then admitted he is questioning his MVP vote for the 2024 season.

“He’s one of those where I go back and watch and I go, ‘I don’t know, did I make the right vote?’ I’m not sure. I mean, seriously, it’s that. I mean, 41 [touchdowns] and four [interceptions]? 4,000 yards passing, 900 yards [rushing], I mean, what do you want to say? It’s incredible. And it’s through all facets of how you could do it.”

It sure sounds like Simms knew he made the wrong choice for MVP but his self-admitted fascination for “moments” and crediting the Ravens’ offense being better gave Allen the edge for him.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...he-no-1-qb-nobodys-playing-quarterback-better

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Ravens duo land on 2025 All-Paid Team of Tomorrow

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Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews are both next in line to receive big paydays amongst their respective position groups.

The Ravens have been one of the most-successful teams of the past decade and there’s no one in the building that wants to see that change anytime soon. To make that happen, the good players have to keep getting paid, and paid, and paid.

Coming up shortly, Baltimore will potentially have two stars in line for massive pay days. One is quarterback Lamar Jackson and this one is the most no-brainer decision they could possibly have. But the other is tight end Mark Andrews who is coming off a season that — while he did hit a career-high 11 touchdown catches — his year will mainly be remembered by a dropped touchdown pass in the playoff loss to the Bills.

Still, Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the league and those absolutely do not grow on trees. So will the Ravens end up paying him next offseason? Only time will tell.

But if you all want some rough numbers on what their next deals could look like for the Ravens, NFL.com senior researcher Anthony Holzman-Escareno put together a brand new All-Paid Team of Tomorrow, focusing on all of the top players at each position who could and should be next in line to reset the market.

When it comes to Jackson, Holzman-Escareno projects his next contract to reach upwards of $65 million per year. That type of money would beat out Josh Allen’s recent extension ($60million/yea) by $5 million. That’s quite the jump, but if the salary cap follows the same upwards trajectory as it did this offseason, the money should be there.

Here’s a little of what Holzman-Escareno had to say about Jackson and his placement at the top of the quarterback position:

“It seems so long ago that the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson. Any team could have signed him to an offer sheet and, if the Ravens didn’t match it, said team could have acquired his services in exchange for two first-round picks. Not one organization put forth a bid. Instead, Jackson represented himself and signed a five-year, $260 million extension with the Ravens in April 2023, setting an NFL record at the time.”

“Jackson promptly won his second NFL MVP award in 2023, then turned in the best year of his career in 2024, becoming the first player in NFL history to lead the NFL in both pass yards per attempt (8.8) and yards per carry (6.6) in the same season (minimum 125 carries). Jackson’s obvious game-changing ability on the ground — he’s already the all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks, with 6,173 rushing yards — can overshadow his passing prowess.”

“Jackson still has three years remaining on his current contract, but with a cap hit that will reach $74.5 million in 2026, an extension to bring that number down seems likely. Odds are Jackson will be the quarterback to dethrone Dak Prescott ($60 million APY) on the top of the NFL salary scale. His first long-term deal made him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time of its signing. His next one will do the same again.”

As for Andrews, Holzman-Escareno put things into perspective. Regardless of his final catch attempt of the 2024 season, Andrews did some amazing things last year. Whether he ends up staying with the Ravens for the latter part of his career or not, some team is going to pay him a lot of money to be their TE1.

“The focus will be on his nightmarish game against the Bills in the playoffs, which is understandable, but Andrews quietly had an efficient and productive 2024 season leading up to that day.”

“He returned to play in every game after missing seven contests in 2023. After not scoring in the first five weeks of the season, Andrews led all tight ends with a career-high 11 receiving touchdowns. From Weeks 6-18, the only player with more TD grabs than Andrews was Ja’Marr Chase, with 12. Andrews’ production did decline in some categories, which can largely be attributed to his role in the Baltimore offense. Andrews commanded just 4.1 targets per game, his first time finishing with fewer than six per game since his rookie season. He caught 55 of his 69 targets (79.7%) and averaged nearly 10 yards per target, his most since first becoming a Pro Bowler in 2019.”

“Entering the final season of a four-year, $56 million extension he signed in 2021, Andrews returns with a contract to play for and something to prove. If Andrews can put together a good season, he could be able to challenge George Kittle’s position-leading $19.1 million APY. If it happens, I would expect it to be on a shorter-term deal.”

So what do you all think of Jackson and Andrews being included on this team? Is Jackson going to be that next big quarterback deal to get done? What about Andrews? Do you foresee any other tight end pushing for a new deal before him? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...amar-jackson-mark-andrews-contract-extensions

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Which player will lead the Ravens in receiving yards in 2025?

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The Ravens have a talented group of pass catchers

The Baltimore Ravens enter the 2025 NFL season with the most talented group of pass catchers in the Lamar Jackson era. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins lead the way at wide receiver while Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely form the best tight end duo in the league.

Andrews was Jackson's go-to target for most of his career, but Likely has given him some competition in that regard. Flowers became the first receiver to cross 1,000 receiving yards in a season for Baltimore since Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in 2021, while Bateman developed into a big-play threat and monster in the red zone last season with nine touchdowns.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Which player will lead the Ravens in receiving yards in 2025?​

My answer: Zay Flowers

I predict the third-year receiver will repeat as the receiving yards leader. With 1,059 receiving yards in 2024, Flowers finished with over 300 more yards than the runner-up. It may be hard for Flowers to crack 1,000 yards again this season with so many viable options for Jackson to target through the air, but I still predict he will get the most schemed touches of any of the wide receivers while remaining a consistently reliable option for Jackson on extended scramble plays. Flowers’ after-the-catch ability is second to none on the team as well.

Which player do you think will lead the Ravens in receiving yards? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know!

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-2025-zay-flowers-rashod-bateman-mark-andrews

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Do the Ravens have a Thurman Thomas/Barry Sanders problem at tight end?

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When you have the greatest in franchise history as your starter, it’s hard pivoting to the younger player who may be greater.

One of my favorite stories in the history of football is the Bedlam Series of 1987. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are facing the Oklahoma Sooners.

“It was my senior year. We were getting ready to play the University of Oklahoma,” Cowboys running back Thurman Thomas said in an interview on A Football Life: Barry Sanders. “And Barry Switzer, who is the head coach at the University of Oklahoma said, ‘Whatever you do: Don’t. Hurt. Thurman.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’”

“They all looked at me like I was crazy,” Switzer said. “And I said, ‘You don’t want to play against this freshman back that they have named Barry Sanders.’ Well, they’d never heard of Barry Sanders. And I said, ‘We have a tough enough time with Thurman, but you won’t even touch this kid.’”

Thomas finished his college career with 4,596 rushing yards, 551 receiving yards and 43 total touchdowns. He would go on to become a Hall of Fame running back, collecting 12,074 rushing yards, 88 total touchdowns, five Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pros and win the 1991 MVP.

Yet, the backup was greater. Sanders proved it the next season with the Cowboys, rushing for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in an 11-game season. At the NFL level, he rushed for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns, earned 10 Pro Bowls, five First-Team All-Pros and the 1997 MVP.

Which brings us to the potential problem in the Baltimore Ravens’ tight end room.

The Ravens have one of the NFL’s best tight ends in Mark Andrews. He’s second in receiving yards in franchise history with 5,530 yards, 248 yards from breaking the record. He holds the franchise record for most touchdowns and receiving touchdowns. A three-time Pro Bowler and one-time First-Team All-Pro. And yet, there’s a possibility their second tight end, Isaiah Likely, could be better.

Is this on par with Thomas/Sanders? No. But the similarities are there. Andrews is undeniably a dominant player. And yet, there’s potential for Likely to be greater.

This offseason, there was potential of the Ravens trading Andrews. During the NFL Owners Meetings, Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta was non-committal about retaining Andrews.

“I never know what’s going to happen,” DeCosta said. “I never want to say this or that. But I can tell you this: Mark Andrews is a warrior and he’s played his butt off for us and his competitiveness and his talent, his attitude, his leadership is so valued here and he’s a great player. And I think we’re in the business of keeping as many great players as we can. So, there’s always a lot of unpredictability with the draft. You just never know.”

The issue was a combination of Andrews’ sizable cap hit of $16.9 million and having two quality backups in Likely and Charlie Kolar. Ultimately, the Ravens retained Andrews and now all three are heading into their contract year.

Like Andrews, Likely is a challenging player to defend. First-round safety Malaki Starks named Likely the toughest player he’s had to defend thus far.

“Isaiah, I had a rep against Isaiah the other day, and he is a lot quicker than what he looks on TV and in person,” Starks said.

A benefit for the Ravens is they have both. and unlike running backs, you can include more than one tight end on the field as threats. It’s on the Ravens coaching staff and quarterback Lamar Jackson to utilize both marquee players.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...man-thomas-barry-sanders-problem-at-tight-end

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Pass rush coach Chuck Smith sets record straight on Ravens’ defensive turnaround: ‘Zach Orr did it’

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Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith shared that it was Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr was the one to turn the Ravens’ defense around in 2024.

Five weeks into the season, the Baltimore Ravens sat with a 3-2 record. They’d lost by a toe against the Kansas City Chiefs in the opener, 20-27, but followed up with a disappointing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, 23-26. Only their win over the Buffalo Bills, 35-10, was a true defensive showing. They’d allowed 25.2 points per game, and 280.2 passing yards per game.

Three days after their overtime win against the Cincinnati Bengals, 41-38, the Ravens announced they were hiring former defensive coordinator Dean Pees as a Senior Advisor.

The defense continued their struggles until Week 11, when significant changes were made, benching safety Marcus Williams in favor of Ar’Darius Washington and new alignments for safety Kyle Hamilton in a more traditional free safety role.

From Week 11 on, the Ravens’ defense became the best in the NFL. Allowed the fewest yards, points, yards-per-play, opponent quarterback rating, passing touchdowns and best third-down percentage.

Speculation emerged on who made the changes. Was it Pees? Was it more/less decisions from Orr? What was the catalyst? On Wednesday, Pass Rush Coach Chuck Smith set the record straight, crediting Orr.

“I know last year a lot of people in the media were saying, ‘Well, this guy came in and helped.’ No, Zach Orr did it,” Smith said. “Zach Orr, in those rooms, with the coaches, he led, he made the changes in support with [head] coach [John] Harbaugh and the guys on that staff. But, Zach Orr truly led the charge. I’m a witness to it, and I’ve been wanting to say this, because the dude is the truth.”

The decision to change the secondary and put Washington on the field and the Ravens’ blue-chip free agent of 2022 on the bench? Orr did it.

“I wanted to set the record straight because I’m a part of it, and I have no reason to come up here and ‘B.S.’ you all, because you know how I roll,” Smith said. “But, Zach Orr was the one who changed what we did last year, and give John Harbaugh a lot of credit. He was in there with us, too. But, I’ve got to give Zach most of the credit for the adjustments that happened in that secondary, and also [in] helping us coaches. He’s like the ‘youngest in charge,’ that’s what I call him. He’s a special coach, and I’m really blessed to be around a guy like that.”

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...n-ravens-defensive-turnaround-zach-orr-did-it

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Predicting the Ravens’ stat leader for every major category in 2025

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Predicting which Raven leads in each major category in the 2025 season.

The Baltimore Ravens were among the league’s best as a team in a number of different offensive and defensive rankings last season. From an individual perspective, they similarly had several players rank highly and produce career-best campaigns.

As the 2025 season approaches, who will lead the Ravens in the major offensive and defensive statistical areas? Let’s break it down with some early predictions.

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Passing Yards and Passing Touchdowns​

Prediction: QB Lamar Jackson

This is self-explanatory, as Jackson will undoubtedly lead the Ravens in every major passing category. The only question is how he’ll follow up a historic statistical season in 2024, where he threw a career-best 41 touchdowns with only four interceptions and crossed the 4,000-yard passing mark — while completing 66% of his throws. There’s only one possibility of Jackson not leading the team in each passing statistic, which is the worst-case scenario of an extended absence due to injury.

Rushing Yards and Rushing Touchdowns​

Prediction: RB Derrick Henry

Similar to above, it’s a no-brainer that Henry will pace the Ravens in the major rushing statistical areas. Henry instantly became the team’s workhorse last season and rushed for 1,921 yards with 16 touchdowns and a career-high 5.9 yards per carry. He may not be able to quite match these lofty numbers again in 2025, but Henry should once again thrive as the offense’s bell cow. Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell are more likely to exceed Henry’s receiving production as third-down running backs, but will not come close to his rushing stats.

Receiving Yards and Receptions​

Prediction: WR Zay Flowers

Flowers comfortably led the team in receiving yards last season, crossing the 1,000-yard threshold in his sophomore campaign while also catching a team-high 74 passes. Between him, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and newcomer Deandre Hopkins, the Ravens have a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game. However, Flowers has become Jackson’s go-to target, and he should continue to build upon his strong campaign in 2024. Flowers figures to continue leading the team in targets, which means he will also pace all pass-catchers in receptions as well. Even if his target share remains the same, Flowers combination of big-play ability and yards-after-the-catch prowess allow him to rack up receiving yardage.

Receiving Touchdowns ​

Prediction: TE Isaiah Likely

This category is a tougher to predict. Andrews has now long been the team’s leading receiving touchdown scorer. Even as his production declined a little in 2024, Andrews recorded a career-high 11 touchdown catches. However, the momentum for a breakout season from Likely continues to build and there very well may be a more even-split between the two at tight end in 2025. Likely caught his own career-best six touchdowns last year with a mix of red zone targets and long scores. He’d need a few more than that next season to match or exceed Andrews and Rashod Bateman’s scoring to lead the Ravens in touchdown catches. Jackson may spread the ball around enough for that to happen as his chemistry and connection with Likely takes another step forward.

Total Tackles ​

Prediction: ILB Roquan Smith

It’s hard to pick anyone other than Smith, who has long been one of the NFL leaders in total tackles year after year. Last season, he led the Ravens in this category with 154 tackles — well ahead of Kyle Hamilton in second with 107. Smith is heavily involved in all defensive action as the team’s anchor in the middle of the field.

Tackles for Loss ​

Prediction: DT Nnamdi Madubuike

Kyle Van Noy led the team in tackles for loss (TFL) last season with 14, which was the best mark of his career. In 2023, Madubuike’s 12 TFL ranked No. 1 on the defense during his breakout season two years ago. Madubuike had only one less tackle for loss last year with 11, so his production in this area has been stable for consecutive seasons now. The two-time Pro Bowler has become a disruptive force, but the Ravens will need him to be especially consistent and wreak havoc this coming season. With Michael Pierce gone, Madubuike is now the veteran leader of the defensive line group.

Sacks and Quarterback Hits ​

Prediction: EDGE Odafe Oweh

Van Noy was also the defensive leader in sacks with another career-high total of 12.5. He ranked two quarterback hits behind Oweh, who racked up a team-high 23. Van Noy should be productive once again but at 33 years old, the Ravens may opt to ration his snaps a bit to keep him fresh later in the season — especially with a plethora of young edge rushers behind him on the depth chart. Oweh appears primed to take another step forward and build upon his 10-sack performance in 2024. He was only 2.5 sacks behind Van Noy last year, so it’s not a high mountain to climb for him to lead this category.

Interceptions ​

Prediction: S Kyle Hamilton

All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey had a career-high six interceptions last season which led all defenders. He was the only player on the Ravens with more than two. However, while Humphrey is a great playmaker, this interception total was a bit of an outlier. as his previous single-season best was three and he totaled six interceptions combined in the previous four seasons from 2020-2023. Hamilton had only one interception last season but recorded four in 2023; and he could have had more in 2024 if not for a couple of drops.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...very-major-category-in-2025-baltimore-players

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Ravens’ three biggest minicamp competitions

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Three competitions to key in on for the Ravens’ mandatory minicamp this week.

The Baltimore Ravens gather for mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and there’s a host of roles players will be vying for. In unique circumstance, the majority of the Ravens’ top players are returning, yet many important positions will be sifted through to find the starters.

Starting Left Guard​

The left guard role has been a revolving door for a few years. It hasn’t been a bad rotation — especially when they had Mekari throughout the years to be a sixth-man before seizing the role in 2024, it’s been a cycle of players.

• 2024: Patrick Mekari
• 2023: John Simpson
• 2022: Ben Powers
• 2021: Powers/Mekari
• 2020: D.J. Fluker/Mekari/Bozeman

Once more, it will be a competition as the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Mekari to a three-year, $37.5 million deal.

The current favorite is expected to be Andrew Vorhees, who many anticipated being the starter last season. He was the Week 1 starter but a combination of poor play and an ankle injury opened the door for Mekari to seize the role for himself as Vorhees rehabilitated the injury and learned from the veteran.

Vorhees isn’t competing unopposed, with fifth-year Ben Cleveland attempting to earn a starting role.

Cleveland, a third round pick in 2021, has long been a player many have optimism for. His size and production when he does play in games has flashed, but consistency and earning the role has been a tall task.

There’s also the potential for Cleveland to face league discipline after he was arrested on Feb. 12 for driving under the influence and failure to dive within a single lane.

No. 3 Safety​

The Ravens’ safety unit was all but secured this offseason with the addition of first-round pick Malaki Starks and Ar’Darius Washington signing his tender offer. But Washington suffered a torn Achilles on May 13 and is unlikely to play until late in the 2025, if at all.

This injury has given critical rotational snaps for the No. 3 safety role for either of the younger safeties, Sanoussi Kane and Beau Brade.

According to WNST’s Luke Jones, Kane is a player to keep an eye on during minicamp.

“Sanoussi Kane, who was a late-round safety that they drafted last year, played special teams, kind of had a body that looked like a strong safety/linebacker,” Jones said. “He slimmed down, and John Harbaugh was kind of over-the-top the other day. It was a little more praise than usual, talking about Sanoussi Kane, who, like I said, I think he’s in better shape as for what the role might be for him that they’re asking him to play. Of their internal options, I think Sanoussi Kane is someone to at least keep an eye on.”

As Jones said, Harbaugh was giving him props after OTAs on June 11.

“I saw [Sanoussi Kane] flashing today,” Harbaugh said. “You saw it too, right? Flying around, showing up where he’s supposed to show up. I think he’s taken a big step this year. It’s starting to look like he could be that guy, maybe play that role as a third safety, perhaps. [He’s] got a long way to go still, but he’s looking like he’s got a shot.”

However, both Jones and The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec both are all but expecting a veteran safety addition before it’s all said and done.

“It’s possible the team’s No. 3 safety in September isn’t currently on the roster,” Zrebiec wrote. “There are quite a few free-agent safeties still available, including Justin Simmons, Julian Blackmon and Quandre Diggs.”

“I still think when it’s all said and done if you asked me to bet a dollar, they’re going to sign a veteran safety to add to the mix,” Jones said.

Kicker​

Hearty competition will follow the two rookie kickers this offseason as both sixth-round pick Tyler Loop and undrafted John Hoyland will kick for the starting job this season. As it stands, Loop is the favorite after the team spent their first-ever draft pick on a kicker, but the decision will come down to who performs best in training camp and the preseason.

The competition has been as fierce as a kicking competition can be. Both Loop and Hoyland have done well but stumbled. Most notably, Loop went 4 of 9 last week (all misses from 50+) in the presence of owner Steve Bisciotti. This occurring a day after Hoyland went 6-for-6 on his attempts.

This is the most open and notable competition for the Ravens. The winner will be the player they can count on most in 2025 and beyond.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2025/6/16/24450107/ravens-three-biggest-minicamp-competitions

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Which under-the-rader player will have the biggest impact for the Ravens in 2025?

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This second-year safety has a prime opportunity ahead

New players emerge as worthwhile contributors to their respective teams in the NFL every season. Despite having one of the league’s best rosters on paper, the Baltimore Ravens will need a few unknown players to step up and fill roles on both sides of the ball.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Which under-the-radar player will have the biggest impact for the Ravens in 2025?​

My answer: Sanoussi Kane

Baltimore suddenly has a need at the safety position after Ar’Darius Washington tore his Achilles during offseason conditioning. While the two starters are set with All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and first-round rookie Malaki Starks, a third reliable safety will be needed to fill in on the backend of the defense to free up Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage, where he has been one of the most impactful defenders in the league.

The Ravens could opt to bring in a veteran safety to fill the role, but after the signing of Eddie Jackson backfired last season, general manager Eric DeCosta could decide to see what the younger in-house options could provide first. This opens the door for both second-year safeties Sanoussi Kane and Beau Brade to carve out a meaningful role on defense after primarily playing special teams as rookies. Reports of Kane’s play through OTAs have been positive. The 2024 seventh-round pick came down with a leaping interception during last Tuesday’s practice, which earned him some praise from head coach John Harbaugh.

“I saw [Sanoussi Kane] flashing today,” Harbaugh said. “You saw it too, right? Flying around, showing up where he’s supposed to show up. I think he’s taken a big step this year. It’s starting to look like he could be that guy, maybe play that role as a third safety, perhaps. [He’s] got a long way to go still, but he’s looking like he’s got a shot.”

Which under-the-radar player do you think will have the biggest impact for the Ravens in 2025? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know!

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...t-impact-for-the-ravens-in-2025-sanoussi-kane

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Baltimore Ravens 2025 training camp report dates, joint practices released

Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The NFL announced training camp report dates and joint practice dates for the 2025 season.

Excitement for the Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 season has reached a higher level after the addition of cornerback Jaire Alexander. Fortunately, we now have dates on when the team will report for training camp and their scheduled joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders.

According to the NFL, the Ravens’ rookies will report on July 15. A week later, July 22, the veterans will report to camp and will be the first day of media availability.

For the @NFL 2025 Training Camp and Joint Practice Dates and Locations, click here: https://t.co/IDDLWxm8t8 pic.twitter.com/MXfpUt3aYb

— NFL345 (@NFL345) June 18, 2025​

With regard to joint practices, the Ravens will be working with two teams this offseason. First, they’ll welcome the Colts on Aug. 5, three days before their first preseason game on Thursday, August 8 at 7 p.m.

Before their final preseason game against the Commanders on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 12 p.m., the Ravens will have two practices in Ashburn, Va.

Joint practices will be a great benefit for the Ravens to prepare for their early-schedule gauntlet. In the first four weeks of the season, they face the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs. It’s unlikely the majority of the Ravens’ starters will be in the preseason games, so work for the starting units in practices against other competition will be a boon.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...ng-camp-report-dates-joint-practices-released

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

C.J. Mosley attempted reunion with Ravens before ultimately retiring

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

C.J. Mosley nearly reunited with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring.

The Baltimore Ravens are on a quest for the Lombardi Trophy, with their latest moves indicating they’re all in. And yet, they nearly managed to add another star defender in former 2014 first-round pick C.J. Mosley.

According to WJZ’s Rick Ritter, Mosley was hoping for a reunion with the Ravens to close out his career, and the Ravens were interested. Unfortunately, he could not pass a physical due to a neck injury, which resulted in him retiring on June 19.

I’m told C.J. Mosley was hoping for a reunion in Baltimore to chase a championship.

There was mutual interest there but unfortunately, he couldn’t get cleared with his neck injury @wjz @WJZ13sports @CBSSports

— Rick Ritter (@RickRitterWJZ) June 19, 2025​

Arguably, the biggest weakness for the Ravens’ defensive roster is WILL linebacker. To have added Mosley, a star MIKE and have him paired with Roquan Smith would’ve been a surplus of riches, especially after the addition of cornerback Jaire Alexander.

Do the Ravens need him? No.
Do the Ravens have the money for him? No.

Do we want to see Mosley beside Roquan Smith anyway? Hell yes. https://t.co/CzRvlYisUR

— Baltimore Beatdown (@BmoreBeatdown) March 12, 2025​

Instead, the Ravens will continue with Smith, third-year linebacker Trenton Simpson and rookie Teddye Buchanan, a formidable unit that looks to lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2025.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...eunion-with-ravens-before-ultimately-retiring

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

Former Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley announces retirement

Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

The former 2014 first-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens has retired.

After Ray Lewis retired from the Baltimore Ravens following their Super Bowl XLVII win, the team needed to ask for the impossible: a replacement.

Two years later, they came as close one can fairly ask when drafting Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley with the No. 17 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Immediately, Mosley became a force, earning Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro honors and second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, behind Aaron Donald.

Mosley would play five seasons for the Ravens and delivered four Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro seasons. And after a 10-year career, bisecting his time between Ravens and New York Jets, he has called it a career.

Five-time All-Pro linebacker CJ Mosley is retiring, he tells @CBSSports.

The former Ravens and Jets captain posted over 1,000 tackles in 11 NFL seasons. At The University of Alabama, Mosley won the Butkus Award, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and back-to-back national titles. pic.twitter.com/geMDsbDzKA

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) June 19, 2025​

Mosley started all 77 games he played for the Ravens and totaled 579 tackles, 43 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, nine interceptions and two defensive touchdowns.

His nickname at one point was “half-man, half-amazing,” and he was. To step into the impossibly large middle linebacker role for the Ravens following Lewis and deliver the way Mosley did was nothing short of amazing.

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...ns-linebacker-c-j-mosley-announces-retirement

 

[Baltimore Ravens]

NFL World reacts to the Ravens signing Jaire Alexander

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The NFL World gives their reactions to the Baltimore Ravens signing cornerback Jaire Alexander.

The NFL Media world is reacting to the Ravens’ big-time signing of cornerback Jaire Alexander, and all are lauding the execution from General Manager Eric DeCosta.

While there was no dissent, the only complaint about Alexander is the issue of health. But when healthy, he’s among the NFL’s elite.

Trey Wingo: “So the Ravens continue to have an aggressive offseason signing Jaire Alexander to a one-year deal worth $6 million. Listen, this is a quality pickup for the Ravens,” Wingo said. “They already have a really good secondary and adding Jaire is going to help with that — especially when they have to get past the likes of the Chiefs and all their receivers and Buffalo and the things that they can do with Josh Allen in the air. The biggest issue for the Ravens here is will Jaire Alexander see the field and how much will he see the field? Since 2020, he’s only played in 16 regular season games one time and he’d only been on the field in seven games each of the last two seasons. It is a quality signing for a quality player but there’s a reason you only got a one-year deal because the Ravens still want to see if he can bring it for 16 or 17 games.”

105.7 The Fan’s Bob Haynie and Vinny Cerrato:

“Jaire brings instant credibility and stuff back there,” Cerrato said. “And if, if he can stay healthy, probably replaces [Jalyn] Armour-Davis on the outside when Marlon Humphrey moves on the inside. Then, Armour-Davis and [T.J.] Tampa are your two backup corners... You got a team that’s ready to go win a Super Bowl, you can’t worry about hurt feelings [of the younger cornerbacks]. This is a business right now and you got to put the best — and Eric [DeCosta] is doing his job. He’s putting the best people on the field.”

Are the Ravens the best team in the NFL? They certainly have a strong case. pic.twitter.com/Ozr11nU1W2

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) June 18, 2025​

Jaire Alexander has forced a tight window on 31.9% of his targets since 2018, the 4th-highest rate in the NFL (min. 250 targets).

Alexander joins a pair of Ravens CBs, Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, who also rank in the top five over that span.@Ravens | #RavensFlock https://t.co/OzNF9a6GdF pic.twitter.com/zzZx9kJ9LA

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) June 18, 2025​

https://t.co/j6EXaruGld pic.twitter.com/C6bOnFQ06a

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) June 18, 2025​

CB2 was arguably the biggest question mark on the roster. Even if they don't get a full season out of him this makes a ton of sense. https://t.co/Bc7fcpoO2K

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) June 18, 2025​

The #Ravens rivals have elite QBs, of course. How to best stifle them? You now have versatility & depth in the secondary + improved pass rush (on paper).

Defense was mostly fine last year in big games. It was the offense that made mistakes.

But they needed to add playmakers.

— Dev Panchwagh (@devpanchwagh) June 18, 2025​

"The Carolina Panthers are interested in Jaire Alexander and I think there's other teams that are offering him more many than Baltimore can..

The Ravens are in the conversation and there is mutual interest" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/vmxlf5UFU2

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 18, 2025​

The Ravens' defense is STACKED with the recent addition of Jaire Alexander pic.twitter.com/xzy9LiATW8

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 18, 2025​

Source: https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2...-reacts-to-the-ravens-signing-jaire-alexander