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If they pick up his option before the draft I think they won't take a receiver on day one or two. If not, I think they'll press ahead and pick one even if there is a few days before his option expires.

Well, at the very least I hope Zay learned a big lesson here.

The league announced that it found insufficient evidence to punish Flowers, per Espn

Eric on who he thinks will be the next break out player like Brandon Stephens was, was quite telling, perhaps. He said Bateman, that they feel they had too many receivers last year to get him the ball. But they feel comfortable this year with Bateman, Zay, Mark and Isaiah. So, maybe he is telling the truth, and they will NOT, go after a receiver via trade, nor reach for one in the draft. However, this could also be a smoke screen, Bateman is on the final year of his rookie deal, pick up his option or not in a week and a half... Now, Bateman looks great in his work out video, now going on year two removed from the Lis Frank injury, a time when most who suffered this injury usually rebound. Should be interesting.

Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers will not face discipline from the NFL after a police investigation into an alleged domestic incident earlier this year, the league announced Thursday. “Following a review, the NFL concluded there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that Zay Flowers engaged in any activity that violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy,” the NFL said in a statement. “There will be no action taken by the league and Flowers remains eligible to participate in all team activities.” The news comes after The Baltimore Sun reported in February that Baltimore County Police suspended the investigation that was connected to Flowers without any criminal charges. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, M&T Bank combine to donate $20 million to College Track, an education nonprofit Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Former Terps, River Hill star Beau Brade leans on faith, work ethic entering NFL draft | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins signing with Chargers, reuniting with Greg Roman Baltimore Ravens | As Ravens offseason workouts begin, new RB Derrick Henry has one goal: ‘Hold that trophy up’ Baltimore Ravens | ‘We’re standing up’: Former Ravens RB Willis McGahee pleased with latest ruling on NFL disability lawsuit In January, a woman told police in Acton, Massachusetts, about a “violent domestic incident” in Owings Mills on Jan. 16, in which the “suspect’s brother also drew a firearm.” She declined to name the suspect, other than to say he is an “NFL player.” The woman told police in Massachusetts that she was “physically assaulted” and left with “multiple bruises,” according to the Baltimore County report, and in that interview said she was “living with her boyfriend in a townhouse outside Baltimore, Maryland, when the incident became physical and violent.” She did not take Acton Police up on an offer of a protective order. At the NFL scouting combine in February, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the team was continuing to assess the situation with Flowers, who led the team in catches and receiving yards as a rookie last season. Ravens team president Sashi Brown said at last month’s NFL owners meetings that there has been no change to the team’s “zero-tolerance” policy on domestic violence. The Ravens began the voluntary portion of their offseason program earlier this week, with players allowed to begin working out at the facility on Monday. Flowers, who has yet to speak with the media since news of the investigation was first reported, was among those in attendance. View the full article

Bothbrothers are all about nepotism

LA Chargers are becoming the Ravens West Coast Branch. Will be interesting to see Gus and JK back in a Roman offense.

The Ravens and M&T Bank will each donate $10 million to help a national college access nonprofit, College Track, open an education center in Baltimore that seeks to assist under-served youth as they graduate high school and college. The combined $20 million gift is part of a $40 million donation to the Ravens College Access Program over the next decade: $10 million from M&T Bank and $30 million from The Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation and the Ravens, which will be split between three education programs, College Bound, Bridges Baltimore and College Track. College Track, which first started in California, has 12 locations, including one in Prince George’s County — established with the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation — and in Southeast Washington. Ravens president Sashi Brown, who’d first heard of College Track just before the coronavirus pandemic, visited both of those Washington-area locations. One of the things that drew the Ravens specifically to College Track, Brown said, is “that they actually create a physical space where students actually go and the programming is housed there.” Shirley Collado, president and CEO of College Track, said the Baltimore center will eventually support 300 to 350 Baltimore City public high school students. College Track makes a “10-year promise,” according to a news release, and will continue to assist students as they graduate college. Ninety percent of College Track’s students are first-generation college students and 84% come from underserved communities, according to the release. The center is tentatively expected to open in May 2025, but it is not yet publicly known where in Baltimore it will be located. “We target students that are constantly overlooked and underestimated,” said Collado, the former president of Ithaca College. “We want students that are often left behind but have fire in their belly and can do the work if they have the right resources and support.” The Ravens’ venue has been named M&T Bank Stadium since 2003 and, following an extension of that naming rights agreement last year, will keep that name until at least 2037. Augie Chiasera, the bank’s regional president for Greater Baltimore, said their donation is a continuation of their partnership with the Ravens. “We have shared values, we care deeply about the city, and that’s particularly true when it comes to educating our youngest citizens,” he said. The Ravens have a lease to play at state-owned M&T Bank Stadium, which is currently undergoing significant state-funded renovations, until at least 2037. The Maryland Stadium Authority is spending $430 million in bonds, to be paid off with public money generated by the state lottery, over the next three years to bolster the stadium with new suites and clubs, as well as expanded concourses and bathrooms. View the full article

I wish him the best but he just couldn't stay healthy and he wants to be the feature back.

Beau Brade is past the nervous stage of the NFL draft, which begins next week in Detroit. He just wants to get started on his pro career. As far as he is concerned, it’s time for a new scheme, playbook, home and opportunity. “It’s all part of a cool process,” said Brade, a Clarksville native and former University of Maryland safety. “It’s been a long process and I’ve been waiting for some time, so I’m just ready to get that full-time job and start playing. “I’m not nervous anymore. I’m just interested to see where I could end up across the country.” The consensus on Brade, a former standout at River Hill, is that he will be picked anywhere from the third to the fifth round. That depends on whether there are any “runs” on safeties, which is not as deep of a position as offensive line or wide receiver and is not considered as valuable across the league. But the two things that stick out about Brade are his work ethic and aggression. He wants to hit. He likes collisions. In the Terps’ 2023 season, the 6-foot, 203-pound safety recorded a team-high 75 tackles, including 48 solo. He also broke up seven passes, forced a fumble and had one interception. With the draft nearly one week away, Brade has visited the Washington Commanders and the Ravens, who need someone to replace Geno Stone after he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Like current Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, Brade can play near the line of scrimmage or off the ball. And like most college players from Maryland, Brade learned the game while studying Ray Lewis, the Ravens’ Hall of Fame middle linebacker. “I grew up a Ray fan,” Brade said. “He was that guy I tried to be so I tried to hit people hard like Ray Lewis, and I had that work ethic too.” Maryland safety Beau Brade participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, in January. (Butch Dill/AP) Brade is a Christian and there are no pretenses about his faith. He talks about it openly, and the challenges and temptations he faces in college life these days. On the field, though, the aggression surfaces. Those who have watched him play consistently this season emphasize his ability to dissect plays and slip into gaps to make tackles. He plays with force, which allowed the Terps’ cornerbacks to be more aggressive knowing that Brade was there on the back end. But his strength also appears to be his weakness. He doesn’t always take the proper pursuit angles and is vulnerable to giving up big plays off play-action fakes. Brade also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds, which is serviceable but not ideal for playing in the deep third of the field. His versatility is his primary asset. “I feel like part of my upside is that I’ve had three different defensive coordinators my whole time in Maryland,” Brade said. ​”Initially, it was really tough. After my junior year, I started to see the bright side and learn from different coaches that are experts in their crafts. “I feel like in the long run it made me better, but at the time it was hard to really create a relationship with someone that’s there for less than 12 months.” Doug Kapustin / Baltimore Sun Media GroupRiver Hill senior safety Beau Brade was named Howard County football Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. (Doug Kapustin/Freelance) According to Brade, 17 colleges recruited him out of high school, including several from the Atlantic Coast Conference such as North Carolina, Syracuse and Wake Forest, as well as Big Ten power Michigan. But he chose Maryland because of the school’s business department and because it was close to home. The Terps originally offered him a spot as a running back before allowing him to play safety. At the time of his graduation, his 450 career tackles at River Hill ranked second in Howard County history. But it’s the shot at the NFL that has him buzzing, not nervous. “I believe my faith and my work ethic, which were instilled in me by my parents [Ron and Angela], are my biggest assets,” Brade said. “That’s what has gotten me to this point in my life and really pushes me. I just want a shot with a team that is aggressive and has a shot at winning the Super Bowl. “The Ravens have been a winning organization for a long time and they have a lot of grit about them. I grew up a big Ravens fan but I’d be happy with anywhere right now. I just want to get to work.” View the full article

Looks like JK Dobbins is off to join Gus Edwards and Greg Roman with the Chargers.

Former Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins is headed west. Dobbins is planning to sign a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, his agency LAA Sports confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday evening. The move reunites the 2020 second-round draft pick out of Ohio State with his former offensive coordinator in Baltimore, Greg Roman, who was hired by the Chargers for the same role in February. The 25-year-old running back is just the latest former Raven to migrate to Los Angeles. Running back Gus Edwards, fullback Ben Mason, tight end Hayden Hurst and center Bradley Bozeman all joined the Chargers after previously playing in Baltimore. Former Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz bolted for Los Angeles earlier this year as well, taking over as the team’s general manager, while Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s younger brother Jim was named the Chargers’ coach in January. Though his Ravens career ended unceremoniously, Dobbins was one of the NFL’s most efficient running backs when healthy, rushing for 1,347 yards and 12 touchdowns on 234 carries across three seasons. But over the past three years, he has been sidelined for 42 of 51 games because of injuries, including 16 games last year after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 1. Dobbins missed all of 2021 after tearing the ACL, LCL and meniscus in his left knee, along with his hamstring, in the preseason finale, and he missed half of 2022 after another knee surgery. Last year, after he sat out of team drills for three weeks at the start of training camp and expressed his displeasure over the lack of a contract extension, Dobbins hit the practice field in mid-August and said that he felt 100% healthy for the first time in three years. He also said he wanted to finish his career in Baltimore. “I do think that healthy, I can be one of the top backs in the league,” Dobbins said at the time. “I just gotta prove it and I am gonna prove it. One day, one day it will happen.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | As Ravens offseason workouts begin, new RB Derrick Henry has one goal: ‘Hold that trophy up’ Baltimore Ravens | ‘We’re standing up’: Former Ravens RB Willis McGahee pleased with latest ruling on NFL disability lawsuit Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens would be wise to target Ed Reed’s cousin, Trey Taylor, in NFL draft | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens signing Deonte Harty, 2019 All-Pro kick returner and former Archbishop Curley star Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens star Terrell Suggs arrested, charged with assault in Arizona after allegedly threatening to kill another driver But after catching a short pass early in the third quarter of the season opener against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium, he suffered a torn Achilles as he was tackled short of the end zone. Dobbins missed the remainder of the season, and the Ravens moved on this offseason by signing four-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry. Still, when Dobbins has been on the field, he has been effective. His career average of 5.8 yards per carry is the highest among running backs with at least 200 carries since 2020. Now, he’ll join his former backfield mate Edwards, as well as third-year back Isaiah Spiller and reserves Elijah Dotson and Jaret Patterson, as he tries to rekindle his career yet again. The Ravens are set to play the Chargers in SoFi Stadium next season. View the full article

New Ravens running back Derrick Henry strolled out of the team’s weight room at the Owings Mills facility alongside Zay Flowers, the sleeves of his workout T-shirt struggling to contain his biceps and his 6-foot-2, 247-pound frame dwarfing the second-year receiver — as well as the sun trying to poke through a nearby window. Monday marked the start of Baltimore’s offseason workout program and Henry, when not running over and past would-be tacklers, lives to work out, so it was hardly a surprise that he was in attendance for the voluntary sessions after signing with the Ravens last month. “I’m the new guy,” Henry said Wednesday in a soft tone that belies his size. “I wanna make sure I show up, show my teammates, show the organization that I’m committed. I wanna come and put the work in, be around my teammates and develop that relationship with them and just put the work in and work as hard as I can when I’m in the building.” The nine-week offseason program consists of three phases — the first spans two weeks and covers strength and conditioning along with meetings; the second includes on-field workouts; and the third includes organized team activities. All of them are voluntary, until a three-day mandatory minicamp in mid-June. But for Henry, along with quarterback Lamar Jackson, inside linebacker Roquan Smith, center Tyler Linderbuam and others, it provides a good opportunity to begin the process of a new season and put last year’s mistake-filled AFC championship game further in the rearview mirror. “It was definitely very tough, after all you go through throughout the year physically, emotionally,” Smith said. “To come up short, it sucks. “Obviously last season is last season. … I think everyone is very excited about what all we have coming forward, the potential that we have with this team, with added pieces, and I’m sure throughout the draft and throughout the rest of the offseason we’re gonna add more pieces.” Henry, literally and figuratively, is the biggest one. A four-time Pro Bowl selection and NFL leader in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2019 and 2020, he is easily the best backfield mate Jackson, the reigning and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, has had in what will be his seventh season in Baltimore. Only once in Jackson’s tenure has he had a 1,000-yard rusher (Mark Ingram II), which was in 2019, when he won his first NFL MVP award. Henry, 30, is one of only eight running backs to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a season, recording 2,027 and 17 touchdowns in 2020 when he was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. And while it remains to be seen how exactly the Ravens will deploy the bruising and speedy back in an offense that transitioned from a heavy ground-and-pound scheme under former offensive coordinator Greg Roman to a more spread-out attack under Todd Monken, Henry’s ability should make Baltimore much more potent. If nothing else, his presence should at least take some pressure off Jackson, who led the team in rushing again last season while throwing for a career-high 3,678 yards. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head strength and conditioning coordinator Scott Elliott talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens strength and conditioning coordinator Scott Elliott talks with the media about the team’s offseason workout program at the Under Armour Performance center. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Show Caption of Expand “Shoot, the guy’s very built and strong and fast,” Linderbaum said of Henry. “He’ll be a good addition for us.” Smith was even more bullish, calling the running back’s addition “huge,” and that he’ll help the team stick to what they do best. “Having a guy like that, anytime you need a play with him and Lamar back there, I think it’s gonna be crucial,” Smith said. “It’s gonna open up a lot for everyone. … It’s gonna be scary.” It’s also a change for Henry. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | ‘We’re standing up’: Former Ravens RB Willis McGahee pleased with latest ruling on NFL disability lawsuit Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens would be wise to target Ed Reed’s cousin, Trey Taylor, in NFL draft | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens signing Deonte Harty, 2019 All-Pro kick returner and former Archbishop Curley star Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens star Terrell Suggs arrested, charged with assault in Arizona after allegedly threatening to kill another driver Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft will be more essential in 2024, offensive linemen abound and playmakers wanted | TAKEAWAYS After eight years with the Tennessee Titans and missing the playoffs each of the past two seasons with a combined 13-21 record, he’s excited about the opportunity to play alongside Jackson and for a team that had the NFL’s best record during the regular season last year. “Lamar’s a cool guy,” Henry said. “You can tell he’s a great leader by how everybody flocks to him. He has great energy as well. “His body of work speaks for itself.” As does Henry’s. Among his myriad accolades, about the only thing he hasn’t done is win — or even get to — a Super Bowl. Neither, of course, has Jackson. “I love playing this game,” Henry said when asked about his motivation at this point of his career. “I really want to hold that trophy up at the end of the year. It starts right now with putting the work in.” View the full article

Good stuff, Papa...thanks for posting. Sounds like a lot of OT talent in this draft even where we are drafting. I like McConkey, but not as our first pick. Right about not needing DL help now that Justin is with us for the long haul. Right now we're 3 offensive lineman short from last year. We should probably be drafting help there with our first and third (second?) picks.

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2024-nfl-mock-draft-qb-jayden-daniels-minnesota-vikings-at-no-3 https://www.nfl.com/news/rhett-lewis-2024-nfl-mock-draft-1-0-two-teams-trade-up-for-qbs-bears-pick-wr-at-no-9 I dont see this with Justin coming back.

https://www.nfl.com/news/gennaro-filice-2024-nfl-mock-draft-2-0-jets-go-get-rome-odunze-pats-raiders-trade-back-into-round-1 https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2024-nfl-mock-draft-j-j-mccarthy-nearly-falls-out-of-top-10-while-vikings-trade-back-twice-6-qbs-go-round-1/ WTH is with this pick? I would be very disapointed if this went down. As for a trade with LV and us getting the 44 pick. Throw in their 25 first round pick and I am in.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2024-nfl-mock-draft-afc-contenders-land-potential-steals-in-back-half-of-round-1-bears-pair-qb-with-top-wr/ I am seeing him more and more. https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2024-nfl-mock-draft-two-rounds-dak-prescott-trade-broncos-qbs-caleb-williams-jj-mccarthy/

I havent done the research like in yrs past. I am taking the experts word at how loaded the class is.

Papa, who do you have in mind?

WR this yr I think some studs will be found in the 3rd and 4th.

I wouldn't advocate trading up unless it was to jump just a few spots for a guy who can start right away. But I think there will be opportunities at 30 and even up to high round 2 to get an OT. I wouldn't move up unless it was for that stud offensive lineman we need so bad. After round 1, things really become a crap shoot whether you're looking for RB, WR or another lineman. But that's the hand we have.

I don't know that the "quality of player" is that great once you get outside the top 12 or so. Thus, moving up would be, essentially a waste, given how much it would cost to move that high, or even to move up to the mid 20's to nab a player you can essentially get at 30. If anything, I would hope that they move back, gain an extra pick or two if there is nothing obvious about who is there at 30. They lost a lot of free agents, many of them role players, some, special teams players and they need to replace them, cheaply

Former Ravens running back Willis McGahee sometimes struggles to find the words. “You don’t know how long you’re gonna be here or you don’t know when you can receive the proper healthcare that you need,” he told The Baltimore Sun in a Zoom interview last week. “It’s tough. I think about my kids more than anything. I wanna be here for my kids.” In his darkest hours, McGahee, a two-time Pro Bowl selection whose career spanned 10 years, 151 games, 8,882 rushing yards, and more than a dozen surgeries across 10 seasons with four teams, said he contemplated taking his own life “a few times” given the physical and emotional burden the sport left on him. But the 42-year-old is spurred on, he said, by his 10 children, one of whom, Willis McGahee IV, will play outside linebacker at Nebraska this fall. His spirits have also been lifted more in recent days, thanks to a court decision that could potentially allow him and other former players to receive the disability benefits that McGahee believes have long been owed by the NFL for injuries suffered during their careers. A class-action lawsuit filed by 10 former players, including McGahee in February 2023 against the league’s disability board, which is based in Baltimore, is moving forward after the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled two weeks ago that it can proceed to discovery and trial, though not against Commissioner Roger Goodell or trustees individually because they were not accused of wrongdoing. The lawsuit alleges that doctors in the plan are financially incentivized to deny disability claims. It also says that data shows a “disturbing pattern of erroneous and arbitrary benefits denials, bad faith contract misinterpretations and other unscrupulous tactics,” that include flagrant violations of federal law, according to lawyers Chris Seeger and Sam Katz. Other plaintiffs include Eric Smith, Jason Alford, Daniel Loper, Michael McKenzie, Jamize Olawale, Alex Parsons, Charles Sims, Joey Thomas and Lance Zeno. The NFL disability plan, which came out of a 2011 collective bargaining agreement between the players and the union, has been touted as a way to help debilitated former players with claims that can lead to payments between $65,000 and $265,000. However, the plaintiffs’ lawyers say few players receive the top amount and many are denied disability benefits altogether. For example, Katz cited a statistical example in which the board’s 14 highest-paid neuropsychologists all had a 100% denial rate in evaluations for permanent disability, while physicians in the program who had around a 25% success rate were paid significantly less. The complaint also alleges that the board relied only on physicians’ conclusions and did not review all related material for claims, even though it consistently told players they’re required by law to review all of the evidence in the record. “Willis has so many different impairments — physical, neurological, neurocognitive, psychological,” Katz told The Sun. “We based the claim not only off those things individually but the cumulative impact of all of his impairments together. … Despite multiple courts telling [the disability board] they have to do it, they’ve continued this unlawful practice of compartmentalizing and only considering impairments in silo with no one coming together and saying … Willis can’t work from all those things combined.” One of the denials for McGahee, who lives in Miami, took place in Atlanta in 2016. Of the more than 37 exams done by that same neurologist on players, all were denied benefits, according to the complaint. And in McGahee’s most recent claim, in late 2022, he was denied again. “My injuries, physical and mental, have gotten worse because of the disability board refusing to provide the proper benefits that I need,” McGahee told The Sun. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens would be wise to target Ed Reed’s cousin, Trey Taylor, in NFL draft | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens signing Deonte Harty, 2019 All-Pro kick returner and former Archbishop Curley star Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens star Terrell Suggs arrested, charged with assault in Arizona after allegedly threatening to kill another driver Baltimore Ravens | Ravens draft will be more essential in 2024, offensive linemen abound and playmakers wanted | TAKEAWAYS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh bullish despite questions ahead of NFL draft: ‘We’re going to have a heck of a team’ The NFL had no additional comment from the statement it issued last February when contacted by The Sun because of the ongoing litigation, though it has said it expected annual payouts for the disability plan to reach $330 million last year. The league has until May 24 to respond to the latest ruling. The news of the judge’s decision brought a momentary smile to the face of McGahee, who suffered more than 40 injuries over a decade in the NFL that included four years with the Ravens from 2007 to 2010, during which he was knocked unconscious twice, including against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2009 AFC championship game. McGahee also said that other players have reached out to him in recent years, including one former Raven who “didn’t know where to turn” after multiple benefit denials left the player in a dark place. What McGahee hopes to come out of the lawsuit, he said, is that the players show the NFL disability board that “we’re not pushovers, not going to take no for an answer.” They also hope to have doctors who their data alleges are not neutral removed from the program. In the meantime, McGahee said he will continue to fight for what he believes is just, for himself and other players in the league past and present. “I have my ups and downs. That’s everyday life,” he said. “But that we’re standing up to them shows that we have a lot of character amongst each other. We’re not gonna give up.” View the full article

That makes sense. Do you have any opinion on Renfrow?

I think it depends on how guys are coming off the board. If a great player fall to them you pick. If a guy rated for that spot they like is there you pick him. If what you want is gone then you look to slide back.