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  1. Today
  2. NFL owners made the right decision by approving a drastic change to the kickoff rules this week, potentially putting a game-changing play back on the field. The call was made after kickoff returns dropped to a record-low 23.7% in 2023. Now the kicking unit will line up at the opposing team’s 40-yard line with at least nine players on the receiving team lined up in a “setup” zone between their own 35 and 30 and two returners in a “landing zone” between the goal line and the 20. Only the kicker and returner(s) will be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone. No fair catches will be allowed, and touchbacks will be marked at the 30. There will be some other minor changes, but now the kick return can have a major impact like a long pass or an interception returned for a touchdown. One of the most demoralizing aspects of any game is for an offense to go on one of those run-dominated, 12-play, 85-yard scoring drives, which can crush the psyche of a team. But on the next play, the opponent can return the kickoff for a touchdown and change the course of the game. The NFL might get some new stars, such as former game-changing kickoff returners Mel Gray, Gale Sayers, Devin Hester and Billy “White Shoes” Johnson. Even back in the late 1960’s, the Green Bay Packers had a top-flight kickoff returner in Travis Williams and the Dallas Cowboys answered with Bob Hayes, who were two of the fastest sprinters in the world. In football, there needs to be as many big plays as possible. The NFL finally returned one of the biggest to the game. Hip-drop conundrum Owners also decided to ban the hip-drop tackle, in which a defender grabs a ball carrier, twists and then drops his hips onto the player’s knees and/or ankles. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson used one on Ravens tight end Mark Andrews in a Week 11 matchup, and the three-time Pro Bowl selection was sidelined with an ankle injury for seven games. The hip-drop tackle, which now results in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down, will be as subjective as pass interference and will vary from official to official and game to game. Some defensive players are already squawking because a lot of the rules are already in favor of the offense. But when a ball carrier is near the goal line, like Andrews was when he was tackled, defenders aren’t concerned about legality. They just want to bring the player to the ground by any means necessary. That’s why the interpretation of the rule will vary, like we see with pass interference. In the postseason, some officials will let defensive players virtually mug receivers down the field compared with the soft approach during the regular season. Bring back Van Noy The Ravens need to keep pursuing pass rusher Kyle Van Noy now that fellow outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney reportedly agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with the Carolina Panthers. Last year, the veterans combined for 18 1/2 sacks. Even if Van Noy re-signs with the Ravens, they still need to pursue another pass rusher, perhaps in free agency or the draft. The Ravens would like to build their hopes around current young linebackers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, but they did that at the beginning of training camp last year and it didn’t work out well. Oweh started 13 of 17 regular-season games but had only 23 tackles, including five sacks. Ojabo was placed on injured reserve Sept. 30 with a partially torn ACL. He missed his entire rookie season in 2022 with an Achilles tendon injury. The assumption here was Clowney was going to sign a lucrative deal because he played so well with the Ravens. Van Noy might not sign a contract until after training camp starts, and at age 33, he won’t be in any hurry to get there. Clowney, though, had a better season. “Yes, I think David is going to just break out,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said at the NFL owners meetings. “I think he and Odafe are going to be partners in crime. I think those guys are going to play great together. They are ready to roll, man. Every time I talk to them [and] every time I see them, they are brimming with enthusiasm. They are working hard, and [David] is healthy. They are both healthy. I can’t wait to get to work with those guys.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Jadeveon Clowney agrees to huge deal with Panthers after resurgent year with Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh: NFL kickoff overhaul raises ‘a lot of questions’ Baltimore Ravens | National Rugby League provides path to how NFL ban on hip-drop tackle can be coached, officiated Baltimore Ravens | Ravens express interest in Baltimore hosting NFL draft: ‘We’ve begun talks’ Baltimore Ravens | What will the Ravens offense look like with Derrick Henry? John Harbaugh says ‘it’ll look different.’ From good to great? I love the Ravens talking about quarterback Lamar Jackson’s possible new role in the offense, but it won’t change much. It can’t. After six years, Jackson is a running quarterback, and if the Ravens take that element out of the offense then he becomes just an average passer. The Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry to a two-year contract worth $16 million on March 12, and he’ll be able to handle most of the loaded offensively. This will not be the same Henry who has rushed for 9,502 yards throughout his eight-year career, but the Ravens should be able to get at least one more good year out of him. It will come down to offensive coordinator Todd Monken — again. Entering his second year, he has proven he can make an average offense good, but can he make a good offense great? Best of Beckham The Ravens aren’t bringing back veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for another season, but they got exactly what I expected from him on his one-year, $15 million contract. He appeared in 14 regular-season games and had 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns. He was a leader, a positive player in the locker room and completely opposite of all the foolishness we’ve heard about him during his five-year stay with the New York Giants and three seasons in Cleveland. He could still run slants and had some explosiveness, but he wasn’t going to beat the best cornerbacks on the outside. His experience will be missed in the classroom and on the field. Calling out Kolar Message to tight end Charlie Kolar: Get strong in the weight room during the offseason. With Andrews coming back and Isaiah Likely ready to step up after a strong season in 2023, Kolar’s only chance to get on the field is as a blocker. He is 6 feet 6 and already weighs 270 to 275 pounds. Andrews doesn’t really want to block, even though he has improved in that area, and Likely has shown he wants no part of mixing it up. Time for Kolar to step up. View the full article
  3. Yeah, he did great here, but no way the Ravens could match that offer. Good for him
  4. Clowney's gone to Charlotte. 2yrs $24 million with incentives. Guess you can't blame a guy for wanting to go home.
  5. Sigh...I'd would love to get Mims or Guyton but I'm afraid they'll be gone by pick 30.
  6. https://walterfootball.com/draft2024_1.php
  7. Yesterday
  8. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2024-nfl-mock-draft-cowboys-lions-make-big-splashes-to-improve-offense-nfc-team-moves-all-around-the-board/
  9. https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2024/03/24/nfl-mock-draft-2024-trades#google_vignette https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-mock-draft-trades-galore-as-one-of-the-best-qb-prospects-slides-outside-the-top-10-163307532.html This is a new one. I havent seen him before.
  10. https://www.nfl.com/news/bucky-brooks-2024-nfl-mock-draft-3-0 https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2024/03/27/nfl-mock-draft-2024-trade-quarterbacks-vikings-jj-mccarthy/73098364007/ 30. Baltimore Ravens – Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia The offseason defections were to be expected, but Baltimore was still left with a number of holes and limited resources for patching them. If the Ravens were able to secure the massive Mims (6-8, 340 pounds), it would have an answer at right tackle after the trade of Morgan Moses − and potentially a contingency plan at left tackle if Ronnie Stanley can't shake his injury woes.
  11. Outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney had perhaps the best year of his career with the Ravens. Now he’s cashing in. Clowney, 31, has agreed to sign with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced Wednesday. The deal is worth a whopping $20 million over two years, according to ESPN, and could reach as high as $24 million. It comes after Clowney tied a career-high with 9 1/2 sacks for Baltimore last season and was a key contributor on a defense that became the first to lead the NFL in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game. After an ugly exit from the Cleveland Browns following a 2022 season in which he registered just two sacks in 12 games, Clowney signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Baltimore last August and thrived with the Ravens under defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. In addition to ranking second on the team in sacks, he had his best pressure rate, pass-rush win rate and most total pressures in a season, according to Pro Football Focus, and was a disruptive force against the pass as well as the run. He also had 43 tackles and two forced fumbles. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh: NFL kickoff overhaul raises ‘a lot of questions’ Baltimore Ravens | National Rugby League provides path to how NFL ban on hip-drop tackle can be coached, officiated Baltimore Ravens | Ravens express interest in Baltimore hosting NFL draft: ‘We’ve begun talks’ Baltimore Ravens | What will the Ravens offense look like with Derrick Henry? John Harbaugh says ‘it’ll look different.’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: No. 3 Duke men’s lacrosse bounces back with 11-7 win over No. 8 Denver at Spalding | COMMENTARY Another big reason for his success was his health: He played 15 of 17 games and logged 654 snaps, his second-highest total since 2018. Clowney also said two-time All-Pro Roquan Smith was the best inside linebacker he ever played with, raved about Baltimore as an organization and called his teammates a “special group.” “Sure hope so,” Clowney said a day after the Ravens lost in the AFC championship game when asked if he would like to return to Baltimore. “I enjoyed coming to work. It made my life a lot easier this year. That’s probably why I played at a high level because I [didn’t] have any pressure. I would just come in, have fun and be yourself and just play ball. There was never any pressure throughout the week on anybody, but yes, I would love to come back here.” Baltimore had hoped to bring Clowney back for another season as well, but he became largely unaffordable for the salary-cap strapped Ravens, particularly after they made a free agent splash and added running back Derrick Henry, who signed a two-year deal earlier this month that will pay him $9 million next season. Clowney’s addition to the Panthers, meanwhile, helps fill their pass rush void after they traded outside linebacker Brian Burns to the New York Giants earlier this month. It’s also a homecoming of sorts for the South Carolina native and former Gamecocks star, who joins a Panthers team that finished with the league’s worst record last season (2-15) and hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales after Frank Reich was fired midseason. However, it leaves the Ravens continuing their search for a replacement at edge rusher. Currently, their only outside linebackers are Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, who is coming off a torn ACL, and second-year players Tavius Robinson and Malik Hamm, who was an undrafted rookie last season. View the full article
  12. And a few more ORLANDO, Fla. -- NFL owners agreed Tuesday to move the trade deadline back one week to the Tuesday after Week 9 and authorized a significant expansion to the league's replay assist program. Three penalty categories -- intentional grounding, roughing the passer and hits out of bounds -- were added to the list of plays replay assist can advise officials on
  13. Last week
  14. ORLANDO, Fla. — The biggest change to the NFL in years will take place when next season kicks off. NFL owners approved a major overhaul of kickoffs Tuesday at the league’s annual meeting. Beginning next season, kickers will continue to kick from the 35-yard line, but the other 10 players on the kicking team will line up at the opposing team’s 40 with at least nine players on the receiving team lined up in a “setup zone” between the 35 and 30 and up two returners in a “landing zone” between the goal line and 20. Only the kicker and returner(s) will be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone. No fair catches will be allowed and touchbacks will be marked at the 30. If a team wishes to attempt an onside kick, it will have to tell the officials and would be allowed to line up in a traditional formation, thus eliminating the surprise element. Twenty-nine of the league’s 32 owners approved the proposal, competition chairman Rich McKay said. A proposal needs approval by 24 of the 32 owners to pass. The new rule, which will be in place for one season before it is reviewed and voted on again, is designed to increase the number of returns per game after a steady decline — including a record-low 23.7% in 2023 — while also attempting to decrease the number of injuries from high-speed collisions. “I think it will [be a positive]. I say that with a little bit of hesitation. We will still have to tinker with it,” commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday. “We will reevaluate it as the season goes on. I think it will be a big improvement. I think it will bring it back to a relevant play, an exciting play.” Not everyone agrees, however. The Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers were the three teams that voted against the proposal. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, meanwhile, voted for the proposal, but coach John Harbaugh is not entirely sold on the new format. “It’s always in the details, and that’s the challenge we’re going to have right now with that,” Harbaugh, who spent nine seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles’ special teams coach before Baltimore hired him in 2008, said Monday, the day before the proposal passed. “The line of scrimmage is a big part of football. It’s been around for quite a while, and that play takes the line of scrimmage out of it. “It’s just a different kind of a football play. I just appreciate that we’re exploring every option up to that point to where we have to make that kind of a move. Is that the right move at this time? I don’t know. I think that’s to be determined.” The new format follows that of the XFL, though in that league players are lined up between the returning team’s 30 and 35. In the XFL’s two seasons, more than 90% of kickoffs have been returned. “We’re in the business of creating an entertaining product and putting a product on the field that should be competitive in every moment,” McKay said. “And we had created a play that was no longer competitive, and our [goal was] to try to find a way to make that play competitive. This was, in our opinion, our best option. “Yes, it’s a big change, but the time has come to make that change.” In an effort to reduce head injuries, including concussions, the NFL over the past 15 years had made incremental changes to kickoffs, including moving the kick from the 30-yard line to the 35, banning wedge and double-team blocks and last year allowing a fair catch to be marked at the 25. Touchbacks increased and return rates fell, but concussion rates per kickoff, the league said, remained relatively stable even with the changes. With kickoffs having trended toward a ceremonial act, discussion began just a couple of years ago of taking it out of the game entirely. Now the league has gone the other direction. Several coaches are in favor it. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | National Rugby League provides path to how NFL ban on hip-drop tackle can be coached, officiated Baltimore Ravens | Ravens express interest in Baltimore hosting NFL draft: ‘We’ve begun talks’ Baltimore Ravens | What will the Ravens offense look like with Derrick Henry? John Harbaugh says ‘it’ll look different.’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: No. 3 Duke men’s lacrosse bounces back with 11-7 win over No. 8 Denver at Spalding | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Five questions facing the Ravens heading into NFL owners meetings “You felt like that took a significant amount of plays out of the game, and those were from special teams,” Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday. “And you don’t make it up really anywhere else. So, we put an emphasis on it. So, I believe in it.” Added Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, whom Harbaugh served under in Philadelphia: “I’m all for it. You have 2,000 dead plays. Nobody wants to see that. It’ll add excitement and newness.” What kind of impact it has — from the types of players who are used on returns to how rosters are constructed to how many returns and big plays it will spark — remains to be seen. There is some thought, for example, that the formation could play like a cover-zero defense, with only one layer of defenders to get past before a player can break free. It will also call on kicking teams to devise new ways to attack returners. The Ravens also lost their top returner, two-time Pro Bowl selection Devin Duvernay, to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency earlier this month. “The kickoff return has been around for a long time in football,” Harbaugh said. “I’m passionate about that myself. “Everybody wants to get returns back. Everybody’s on the same page with that. How you go about doing that, there’s a lot of questions because it’s a big change. I think there are just a lot of questions.” View the full article
  15. More changes approved In addition to approving a rule change allowing for replay reviews to see if the game clock expired before a snap, the NFL announced on Tuesday that reviews of rulings that a quarterback was down or out of bounds are also going to be allowed. The Competition Committee proposed that rule change and it was approved by a vote of teams at the league meetings in Florida. 24 of 32 teams must approve a change for it to take effect. Reviews to see if a quarterback was down or out of bounds were already allowed, but they were not permitted to overturn an incorrect ruling the other way by officials. This will now change and the new rule says that a completed pass will stand if replay shows the officials were wrong, but no yardage gained after the catch will be added to the play. If the pass is incomplete, the down will still count but the offense will not lose any yardage that they would have under the original ruling
  16. ORLANDO, Fla. — The tackle that left Ravens tight end Mark Andrews with a fractured fibula, ligament damage to his left ankle and caused him to miss seven games last year was officially banned by the NFL on Monday at the league’s annual meeting. The vote was unanimous among the league’s 32 owners. The hip-drop tackle — in which, according to the competition committee, a defender “unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee” — will result in a 15-yard penalty beginning next season. “I’m not a politician, but I’m for it,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said earlier in the day. “I think taking the hip drop out of the game is the right thing to do.” But even with its outlawing, there are questions, most notably will defenders be less effective stopping a ball carrier moving at speeds sometimes faster than 20 mph while avoiding committing the penalty, and how will referees be able to officiate it accurately? The answers perhaps can be found in another game whose origin traces back nearly 200 years, is played with an oblong ball and became popularized in a faraway land nearly 10,000 miles from the United States. Rugby union was first played in Australia in 1839, with its next iteration, rugby league — the sport’s closest thing to the modern day NFL — holding its first full season nearly six decades later in 1907. Like football in this country, rugby union has seen the speed of its players increase exponentially over the years. With speed, of course, comes danger — and a higher risk of injury. Before the hip-drop tackle became a buzzy phrase and fast-rising concern around the NFL, it was already something the National Rugby League, headquartered in Sydney, was looking to eliminate from its game. “We were noticing three or four years ago we were getting a lot of lower leg injuries, ankle injuries, in some cases knee injuries, where they all had fairly similar attributes in relation to the type of tackle that was performed,” NRL’s head of football Graham Annesley told The Baltimore Sun. “They all had three common elements: holding the player with both hands, the tackler twists their body, then the bulk of their body weight falling onto the lower limb. “We got to the point a few years ago where we said this is causing too many injuries, we’ve got too many players out of the game for extended periods of time as a result of it, and we need to make a concerted effort across the game to try and eliminate it as much as possible and significantly reduce the incidents of it.” Unsurprisingly, the NFL, which says it routinely consults with a variety of football leagues around the globe and reached out to the NRL two years ago, had also seen its own increase in injuries as a result of the tackle, some of which were high profile. In addition to Andrews, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith were among the players who suffered injuries related to hip-drop tackles. In 2022, Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and then-Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard were also injured after being tackled that way. And last month, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said the league’s research found that hip-drop tackles resulted in an injury rate 20 to 25 times greater than other tackles. Ravens vs. BengalsKenneth K. Lam/Baltimore SunThe hip-drop tackle that injured Ravens tight end Mark Andrews in November has been banned by the NFL starting next season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) It had also become a problem for the NRL, which is why in 2020 it sent a memo to clubs outlining its concerns about the injuries involved. Three years later, the league formally banned it. In the NRL’s initial conversations, though, the pushback was predictable and foretelling: Players and coaches said the injuries were simply the consequence of playing a contact sport. Not long after, however, the league outlined the specifics of the new rule, how players could be coached on how to avoid committing the offense and worked with match officials on how to call it. The league also sent instructional videos to clubs and referees and had dialogue with both. “We brought it down to hold, twist, drop,” Annesley told The Sun. “We kind of simplified it as much as possible.” Still, there was a learning curve, as there likely will be in the NFL next season. Said Annesley: “We did have some confusion initially where we were seeing some action taken where it wasn’t necessarily a hip drop because we had to educate them that the drop component needed to be a direct drop onto the limb, rather than subsequent contact with the limb.” In the days after Andrews’ injury, suffered when he was dragged to the ground by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson in the opening quarter of a November game at M&T Bank Stadium, then-Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen and safety Kyle Hamilton, like many rugby players before them, were against the idea of outlawing the tackle. “How else do you want us to tackle?” Queen said, in part. “Just let the guy run past you? … At the end of the day, we play football. We have pads on. We have all that stuff on for a reason.” Added Hamilton: “I feel like you can’t necessarily [avoid it] because you don’t know exactly what’s gonna happen. You’re trying to get them down by any means necessary.” Banning the hip-drop tackle resulted in a “significant” decrease in injuries, the National Rugby League’s head of football Graham Annesley told The Baltimore Sun. (David Becker/AP) But the NFL believes, as does the NRL, that there is a safer and more effective way for players to continue to tackle while lowering the injury risk, and that it can be officiated consistently. “We still see a number of similar tackles that aren’t necessarily offenses,” Annesley told The Sun. “The ones that we see that aren’t charged under our judiciary code — they still have the grab and the twist, but in many cases the players are much better at their body weight actually hitting the ground before it hits the leg. That’s how most of our coaches have dealt with it here to try and avoid it. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens express interest in Baltimore hosting NFL draft: ‘We’ve begun talks’ Baltimore Ravens | What will the Ravens offense look like with Derrick Henry? John Harbaugh says ‘it’ll look different.’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: No. 3 Duke men’s lacrosse bounces back with 11-7 win over No. 8 Denver at Spalding | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Five questions facing the Ravens heading into NFL owners meetings Baltimore Ravens | Ravens tap Chicago-based Levy for concessions at M&T Bank Stadium “There’s still the occasional one that goes wrong … but we’re now seeing much more awareness from the players where they try to move their body weight out of the way of the leg so the body weight hits the ground. The ball carrier’s leg may still finish under the body of the tackler, but we’ve avoided as much as possible the full body weight dropping directly onto the leg.” Still, the NFL Players Association has been steadfast in its opposition to it being banned. “The players oppose any attempt by the NFL to implement a rule prohibiting a ‘swivel hip-drop’ tackle,” it said in a statement after the league’s competition committee’s rule change proposal became public. “While the NFLPA remains committed to improvements to our game with health and safety in mind, we cannot support a rule change that causes confusion for us as players, for coaches, for officials and especially, for fans. We call on the NFL, again, to reconsider implementing this rule.” But the league and its 32 owners disagreed, approving the change with a swift vote Monday. In Australia, meanwhile, the NRL has had its share of controversial calls over the tackle with some players being penalized and others not, causing confusion and discontent with some players, coaches and fans. But it has also resulted in a “significant” decrease in injury, according to Annesley, who said there was always going to be an adjustment period for players and officials but that the change will be beneficial for the long term. “No one wants to see players hurt,” Annesley told The Sun. “We have to balance that against the fact that these are body contact sports where accidents do happen. But we have to make sure there’s a duty of care and that we are always exercising our duty of care to try to keep the players safe as possible.” View the full article
  17. BS. Fine wrap get your feet under you and suplex the runner down.
  18. ORLANDO, Fla. — The NFL draft could be coming to Baltimore. Ravens president Sashi Brown said Monday at the NFL owners meetings that he would like to see the city and M&T Bank Stadium host the league’s annual event, and that he has raised the possibility with the NFL. “We’ve begun talks with the NFL,” Brown told reporters in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes. “The draft has become such a major tentpole event for the league. A lot of cities are interested.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | What will the Ravens offense look like with Derrick Henry? John Harbaugh says ‘it’ll look different.’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: No. 3 Duke men’s lacrosse bounces back with 11-7 win over No. 8 Denver at Spalding | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Five questions facing the Ravens heading into NFL owners meetings Baltimore Ravens | Ravens tap Chicago-based Levy for concessions at M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore Ravens | Hip-drop tackle that injured Ravens TE Mark Andrews could be outlawed by NFL next season The first draft took place in 1936 in Philadelphia, where 90 names were written on a blackboard and teams made their selections. It has grown exponentially in size and spectacle since. In its early years, the draft moved around until the league settled on holding it in New York beginning in 1965. It remained there for 50 years until 2015 when it moved to Chicago. It then returned to Philadelphia in 2017, was held in Arlington, Texas, in 2018, Nashville, Tennessee, in 2019, ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, Cleveland in 2021, Las Vegas in 2022 and Kansas City, Missouri, last year. This year’s draft will be held April 25-27 in Detroit, while next year’s will be in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Beyond next year, the NFL has yet to announce future draft sites, though the Steelers announced that they have submitted a bid for Pittsburgh to host it in either 2026 or 2027. M&T Bank Stadium, meanwhile, is currently undergoing extensive renovations that began last season and will be rolled out in phases over the next three years with completion slated for 2026. “We think Baltimore’s a great venue for it,” Brown said. “We’re also talking to folks who are developing the Inner Harbor. We’d certainly have to convince the NFL, but we’ll put that pressure on ourselves to try and bring one to Baltimore in the relatively near future.” View the full article
  19. A half-assed result. What's a fine and letter worth to the team that commits the foul: peanuts. Either keep the damned thing or ban it by penalty.
  20. NFL owners have approved a rule proposal to ban the swivel hip-drop tackle, the league announced Monday. The violation will result in a 15-yard penalty if flagged in games, but Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, strongly implied last week that it is likely to be enforced similarly to the "use of helmet" rule, which typically leads to warning letters and fines in the week after a game rather than flags during play https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39806754/nfl-owners-approve-ban-hip-drop-tackling-technique
  21. ORLANDO, Fla. — As Ravens coach John Harbaugh sat down with reporters Monday morning at this week’s NFL owners meetings, he checked his phone and texted quarterback Lamar Jackson. By the time the 35-minute session was over, he still hadn’t heard back from the NFL’s two-time Most Valuable Player. Harbaugh just smiled — there was no need to fret, unlike during last year’s gathering when Jackson revealed in a tweet just as the coach arrived that he’d asked Baltimore to trade him after he said the organization failed to meet his value during contract negotiations. With Jackson’s future in Baltimore ensured in the form of a $260 million extension signed in April and the Ravens coming off an NFL-best 13-4 record with an appearance in the AFC championship game, there is far less drama swirling around the team this time around. Still, there was plenty to discuss, most notably an offense that figures to be revamped again with the splash free agent addition of four-time Pro Bowl running back and two-time NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry, an offensive line that will feature three new starters, several players lost to free agency and multiple coaching changes. Asked how different things could look with Henry — easily the best back of Jackson’s tenure and one of the game’s all-time greats who was the centerpiece of the Tennessee Titans his first eight years in the NFL — the coach said he wasn’t sure. Then he used an anecdote about a book on snipers that his wife, Ingrid, was reading on their flight to Florida, in which the subject talked about being able to take advantage of patterns the enemy had fallen into during war. “It’ll look different, there’s no doubt about that,” Harbaugh said. “That’s the one thing we believe in is keeping it moving. You can never keep it the same. “No patterns. We don’t want patterns. We don’t want to be predictable in what we’re doing.” In that unpredictability, however, also comes some uncertainty — at least for now. Jackson has never played with a dominant feature back of Henry’s ilk, and his arrival comes just one season after offensive coordinator Todd Monken was hired to transform Baltimore from a heavy, ground-and-pound scheme to a more wide-open, spread attack. The change last year resulted in career highs for Jackson in passing yards (3,678) and completion percentage (67.2) and Baltimore came within a game of its first Super Bowl appearance in more than a decade. But in its AFC title game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Ravens running backs strangely accounted for just six carries. Who will block for Henry is also a question. Guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson both departed in free agency to the Detroit Lions and New York Jets, respectively, while right tackle Morgan Moses became essentially a salary cap casualty and was traded to the Jets in a pick swap that also cleared $5.5 million in cap space. The only returning starters are Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who reportedly took a pay cut in restructuring his contract that now features various performance-based incentives after the 30-year-old missed four games because of injury last season and was rotated in a late in the year. One of the keys to the Ravens’ offense in 2024 with Derrick Henry will be unpredictability. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Who will fill the openings remains to be seen, but Baltimore has some potential in-house options between tackle Daniel Faalele, whom Harbaugh said Monday will get a shot to start, along with recently signed guard Josh Jones, Andrew Vorhees, who is a “full go” after suffering a torn ACL at last year’s NFL scouting combine, and Sala Aumavae-Laulu as well as Ben Cleveland. “I expect it to be better than last year,” Harbaugh said of the line. “That’s always the goal, to improve.” Whether the Ravens can improve, or even come close to matching, the kind of success they had on defense and, in particular, getting to the quarterback is also uncertain. Former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald is now the coach of the Seattle Seahawks, while Ravens inside linebackers coach Zach Orr, 31, was promoted to the role. Former defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and former defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson are now the defensive coordinators for the Miami Dolphins and Titans, with Dennis Johnson and Doug Mallory replacing them. And outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, who were second and third on the team in sacks last season, are both free agents. But Harbaugh did not rule out the possibility of Clowney or Van Noy returning. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: No. 3 Duke men’s lacrosse bounces back with 11-7 win over No. 8 Denver at Spalding | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Five questions facing the Ravens heading into NFL owners meetings Baltimore Ravens | Ravens tap Chicago-based Levy for concessions at M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore Ravens | Hip-drop tackle that injured Ravens TE Mark Andrews could be outlawed by NFL next season Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens face an even tougher test from stronger AFC North | COMMENTARY “There’s optimism about both,” he said. “Been texting with J.D. and Kyle here and there the last [few] weeks. I’m hopeful we get there.” Asked about a potential timetable for re-signing them, Harbaugh wasn’t sure, saying, “I think it’s just business.” The Ravens’ wide receiver group is also undergoing something of a smaller overhaul after Odell Beckham Jr. was released earlier this month in a salary-related move. Though he is still a free agent, he is not expected to return. For now, Baltimore’s top three receivers are Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor, who re-signed last month. “We drafted two great players in the last three years the first round,” Harbaugh said about Flowers, a rookie last season who led the team in catches and yards, and Bateman. “I would think Rashod and Zay would be excited to step to the front together. That’s where it begins. Then we get a veteran player back in Nelly who did such a great job last year. … He played at a high level, he’s a real versatile player.” From there, however, things get murky with Tylan Wallace and Sean Ryan the only other receivers currently on the roster, though free agents Michael Gallup and Josh Reynolds visited Baltimore recently and there’s always the draft. Jackson has his wish list of potential additions, too. Of course, Jackson and the quarterback position isn’t one Harbaugh has to worry about, unlike this time a year ago. Now it’s about the two of them taking that next step: getting to a Super Bowl. “He’s looking at every aspect of his game,” Harbaugh said. “He starts with himself. That’s what I love about him.” View the full article
  22. No. 5 Syracuse beat No. 3 Duke by six goals on Wednesday, and it was clear Sunday that the Blue Devils were eager to redeem themselves. It took a while before they hit their stride but Duke eventually did, pulling away for an 11-7 win against No. 8 Denver before a crowd of 2,111 at Archbishop Spalding’s Whittles Field in Severn. As expected, it was a physical and highly competitive game until the Blue Devils scored four goals in the final 4:14 to secure the win. That 10-4 loss to Syracuse wasn’t the only motivating force, but it was a factor. Related Articles Sports | No. 7 Maryland men’s lacrosse upset by No. 19 Michigan, 12-11 | ROUNDUP Sports | No. 3 Maryland women’s lacrosse beats Ohio State, 12-6 | ROUNDUP Sports | McDonogh girls lacrosse star Kate Levy, daughter of North Carolina coach, raising game with film study Sports | No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse hands No. 2 JMU first loss, 11-8 Sports | No. 7 Maryland men’s lacrosse edges Brown in OT, 14-13 | ROUNDUP A big factor. “We always want to hit the field after losing,” Duke attackman Brennan O’Neill said. “We don’t want to dwell too much on the loss but we want to learn from our mistakes. We want to show each other that one loss doesn’t define us but neither does one win. We don’t want to get too high or get too low, we have to stay on an even keel.” O’Neill paced Duke (9-2) with three goals and midfielders Benn Johnston and Max Sloat and attackman Dyson Williams each had two. Midfielder Joshua Carlson and Michael Lampert had two apiece to lead Denver (6-2). The Blue Devils took control of the game in the final minutes as O’Neill, attackman Josh Zawanda and Williams scored goals. Williams came on an extra-man opportunity and scored to put Duke up 10-6 with 1:30 to go. O’Neill scored an empty net goal with 29 seconds remaining to complete the scoring. But the story of this game wasn’t Duke’s offense but rather its defense, which limited Denver to only one goal and 14 shots in the first half. The Blue Devils, led by long poles Henry Bard, Kenny Brower and Jake Wilson, long stick midfielder Tyler Carpenter, and goalie Patrick Jameison, have held the opposition to only 20 goals in their past three games. Jameison is only a freshman and had nine saves Sunday. This Duke team might be different from the Blue Devils of the past, which were known more for their high-powered offenses. “Every team is unique, every team is different,” Blue Devils coach coach John Danowski said. “In preseason you have a vision of what you want to be, but you don’t know until you play the games. We’re growing and adjusting to what we’re becoming. Our goalie has started to stand up as a freshman and no one really expected that.” Duke supporters celebrate a goal scored during the second half of Sunday’s game at Spalding. The Blue Devils beat Denver, 11-7. (Terrance Williams/Freelance) Danowski also did a good job of neutralizing Denver faceoff specialist Alec Stathakis. The Blue Devils put two long poles on the wings and he won 12 of 22, sometimes outrunning his Duke counterparts to loose balls. But Denver couldn’t win all the scrums, which allowed the Blue Devils to slow the transition game. It was a typical Duke versus Denver game, a physical matchup between two teams that weren’t going to back down. “They are big, athletic and very physical,” O’Neill said. “It was one of those games you knew you had to grind it out and that was expected before the game.” There weren’t many other differences between the two teams except Denver failed to score on three extra-man situations. Pioneers goalie Malcolm Kleban played as well as Jamieison and finished with 10 saves. The Blue Devils, though, led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter and went ahead 4-0 on a goal by Johnston two minutes into the second. Denver finally scored on a shot from attackman Cody Malawsky with 8:05 left in the quarter, but Duke maintained the three-goal lead going into the half. March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devil players stretch during pre-game warm-ups before an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Denver Pioneers, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers players workout during pre-game warm-ups before an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Duke Blue Devils, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers players walks off the field during pre-game warm-ups before an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Duke Blue Devils, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devil players walks onto the field before an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Denver Pioneers, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devils Max Sloat (15) handles the ball against Denver Pioneers Jake Edinger during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devil players celebrate a goal scored by Max Sloat during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Denver Pioneers, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devils Brennan O'Neill controls the ball and scores a goal during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Denver Pioneers, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devils Kenny Brower (29) looks to pass the ball against Denver Pioneers JJ Sillstrop (5) during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers Mic Kelly (21) handles the ball against Duke Blue Devils Tyler Carpenter during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers Malcolm Kleban (53) attempts a shot as Duke Blue Devils Henry Bard (5) defends during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers Cody Malawsky (17) scores a goal against several Duke Blue Devil defenders during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers players celebrate a goal scored by Cody Malawsky during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Duke Blue Devils, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devils Jack Gray (20) passes the ball during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game against the Denver Pioneers, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devil and Denver Pioneers players compete for the loose ball during the first half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers Ty Hussey (28) controls the ball as Duke Blue Devils Aidan Maguire (23) defends during the second half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Denver Pioneers Stephen Avery (50) looks to pass the ball as he’s defended by several Duke Blue Devils during the second half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) March 24, 2024: Duke Blue Devils Brennan O'Neill (34) handles the ball against Denver Pioneers Jack DiBenedetto (31) during the second half of an NCAA men’s lacrosse game, in Severn. (Terrance Williams/for Capital Gazette) Duke players celebrate a goal scored by Dyson Williams in the second half of Sunday's game against Denver at Spalding in Severn. (Terrance Williams/Freelance) Fans watch as Duke men's lacrosse takes on Denver at Spalding on Sunday. (Terrance Williams/Freelance) Duke supporters celebrate a goal scored during the second half of Sunday's game at Spalding. The Blue Devils beat Denver, 11-7. (Terrance Williams/Freelance) Show Caption of Expand View the full article
  23. I don't think Paul would be a reach unless there was a 5 star prospect at WR available.
  24. It was nearly a year ago to the day that the collective NFL world — or at least all of Baltimore — momentarily shook. Ravens coach John Harbaugh was about to sit down with reporters at the annual NFL owners meetings in Phoenix when his quarterback, Lamar Jackson, revealed in a tweet that he’d asked to be traded after it was clear the organization had “not been interested in meeting my value.” Harbaugh, who doesn’t have an account on X (formerly Twitter), was of course aware of the request, which had been made privately weeks earlier, but was not expecting it to come out at that moment. A table that had about 10 reporters awaiting his arrival swelled into the dozens with a palpable buzz throughout the Arizona Biltmore ballroom, where there were tables for each of the 15 other AFC coaches. Later, a handful of teams around the NFL strangely disclosed their disinterest in acquiring the Ravens’ star, and things got even wilder when New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told reporters that rapper Meek Mill had texted him a few days earlier saying Jackson would like to play for the Patriots. Jackson, of course, is still in Baltimore after signing a five-year, $260 million extension a few weeks later, and this year’s meetings in Orlando, Florida, figure to be decidedly less dramatic for the Ravens. Still, there are plenty of questions for owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Eric DeCosta and Harbaugh after a season in which the Ravens were an NFL-best 13-4 during the regular season, had the league’s Most Valuable Player in Jackson and reached the AFC championship game. In the weeks since that defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, they lost a handful of key coaches and front office staff, along with several players in free agency. Bisciotti is not expected to be available to the media for a second straight year, though team president Sashi Brown will meet with reporters Monday afternoon. Harbaugh and the other AFC coaches, meanwhile, will speak Monday morning, NFC coaches on Tuesday morning and most other owners and/or general managers are also generally available. Here’s a look at the most pressing questions facing the Ravens going into this year’s meetings. What will the offense look like with the addition of running back Derrick Henry? Henry, who signed a two-year deal with the Ravens earlier this month, was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time NFL rushing champ in eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he also had at least 215 carries in five of the past six years (2019, when he missed the final eight games because of a foot injury, was the exception). The last time Baltimore had a running back with that many carries in a season was a decade ago, when Justin Forsett rushed for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns on 235 carries in 2014. Charles Krupa/APFormer Titans running back Derrick Henry, left, gives Baltimore a new dimension in the backfield. But how he will be utilized is a key question. (Charles Krupa/AP) But Harbaugh rightfully isn’t worried about Henry fitting into a shotgun-heavy scheme that transitioned into a spread attack under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken last season. “I think you always try to build the offense around the players that you have,” Harbaugh said. “What Derrick does really exceptionally well is going to be where we’re going to move toward, but we’re versatile. “It’s not just his specific talents, because he can run out of any kind of backfield. He can be in the pistol. We can be under . We can be in the gun. He can move around.” To that point, Henry logged the most snaps of his career from the shotgun each of his past two seasons in Tennessee. His 33 and 28 catches in his final two years there were also career highs. And he had success — albeit in small doses — alongside speedy Titans backup quarterback Malik Willis, next to whom Henry averaged 6 yards on 78 carries. Henry is the best back Harbaugh has ever had at his disposal, so it will be both fascinating and critical how he deploys him. What will the starting offensive line be? Of course, how Henry fares will also be dependent upon the Ravens’ reshaped offensive line. Guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson have moved on (to the Detroit Lions and New York Jets, respectively), while right tackle Morgan Moses was traded to the Jets. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens tap Chicago-based Levy for concessions at M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore Ravens | Hip-drop tackle that injured Ravens TE Mark Andrews could be outlawed by NFL next season Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens face an even tougher test from stronger AFC North | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Who will be the Ravens’ backup quarterback? Here are some options, plus other free agents still worth pursuing. Baltimore Ravens | Detroit Lions will reportedly sign former Ravens guard Kevin Zeitler to 1-year deal There’s now way around it: Filling three starting roles is a difficult task under the best of circumstances, never mind doing so on a tight budget and with question marks about possible in-house replacements. Harbaugh has been adamant about the offensive line since the Ravens hired him in 2008, and in many years Baltimore has boasted one of the league’s best units. But how he sees next season’s group piecing together will be worth watching. Does he see the recently signed Josh Jones as a starter at right tackle? What about Daniel Faalele and the versatile Patrick Mekari? Can he find two starting guards among Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Andrew Vorhees, let alone two? These are all questions that will come up in Orlando and continue to play out in the months ahead. What about all the coaching and front office turnover? The biggest departure on the Ravens’ coaching staff was defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, now the coach of the Seattle Seahawks. But he was hardly the only one, with defensive line coach Anthony Weaver taking the defensive coordinator job with the Miami Dolphins and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson leaving for the same role with the Titans, among other changes, including in the front office. Harbaugh at least knows his new defensive coordinator well, with Zach Orr having played linebacker for the Ravens from 2014 to 2016 before a congenital neck issue forced him to retire. However, it will be the first time calling plays for Orr, 31, who was Baltimore’s inside linebackers coach for two seasons and an outside linebackers coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars for one. Given all the new hires on his staff, that will undoubtedly put more pressure on Harbaugh. As the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, he’s used to it, but it will put him in the spotlight. Jadeveon Clowney is still a free agent. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Where will the Ravens’ sacks come from next season? Last year, the Ravens became the first team in the modern era to lead the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game. Many of the players who helped them do that, however, could be or will be elsewhere next season. Outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy are free agents. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen signed with the Steelers. Geno Stone went to the Cincinnati Bengals. Cornerback Ronald Darby is with the Jaguars. Baltimore still has defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who signed a four-year extension, and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, but who else will provide pressure is a valid concern. Again, the Ravens don’t have the salary cap space to make a big splash on the free agent market, so presumably they’ll turn to the draft and veteran castoffs as usual. There are also questions about what kind of impact outside linebacker David Ojabo will have after he suffered a torn ACL last season following a torn Achilles tendon the previous year. What do the Ravens think of the potential rules changes for next season? The biggest possible change for next season could be on kickoffs. Under a proposal from the competition committee, kickers would still kick from the 35-yard line but the other 10 players would line up at the receiving team’s 40, while at least nine members of the receiving team would line up in a “setup zone” between the 35 and 30. Up to two returners would be allowed to line up in a “landing zone” between the goal line and the 20, and no one other than the kicker and returner(s) can move until the ball hits the ground or a player inside the landing zone. Touchbacks would be marked at the 35 and no fair catches would be allowed. The idea is to increase return rates while also lowering concussion rates. Meanwhile, hip-drop tackles could also be banned. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews suffering a significant ankle injury on one from Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson last season was only the latest moment that has cast scrutiny on the play. Both proposals, among others, could be voted on at the meetings. View the full article
  25. Paul wouldn't be bad, a bit of a reach at 30, if there is such a thing that late in the 1st.
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