All Activity

I think this year will tell the tale, he will be well set in Todd's system, study film to see what defenses are doing. With Henry, the backers will have to step up, or freeze in place for a beat which should open the middle up more, a place Lamar is most accurate and where Bateman & Flowers flourish

I dont. He has never had to go that far so he doesnt do it well. By this age you are what you are.

It looks like the giants. They will screw it up.

Lamar was still adjusting to becoming a pocket passer, so he often didn't get to his 3rd read, Bateman. I expect that to be much better this year. It wasn't just Bateman that was open often and not thrown the ball, there were times when Lamar locked in on one side of the field, and missed open guys on the other. He has been great when he can throw on time, but he tended to lock in when the timing was off.

I like him, if he goes to the right coaching staff he could be a keeper. Very Mobil, smart, great accuracy, especially deep down field.

I also throw Maye in there.

Well Lamar is not good at going through progressions.

I am seeing it as crazy.

First Higgins requests a trade, now their best pass rusher, Trey Hendricksen wants out too, despite getting $14 mil and $15 mil this season and next. He has been a Ravens killer, would be glad to have him gone from that team (and on the Ravens)

Now all we need is for Lamar to throw the ball to him. He was open quite a bit last year, but the ball didn't come his way. He did drop a few and maybe Lamar didn't trust him?

There's nothing not to like about the deal. It's about as team friendly as can be.

I've seen mocks have 5 qbs go in the top 5. Wow, that would be a waste. History tells us that only 2 of the top 5 qbs in a draft will work out, at best. I cannot believe JJMcCarthy is a first round qb, no way. Nor Nix nor Penix, both struggle reading complex coverages, at least Nix can scramble a bit.

Well, reports are that they will Not pick up his 5th year option. So either they are going to extend him, cheaply, or this was a crazy trade

Sure as a steal pick.

This is a really friendly deal.

Bateman extended, good move, takes a while to recover from Lis Franc, he will break out this year... 3 years, $15 mil, great deal, if true, (the 5th year option due next week is $14 mil for 1 year) Per Espn OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Wide receiver Rashod Bateman is staying in Baltimore, after all. Bateman reached a two-year extension with the Ravens on Wednesday, which keeps the former first round pick in Baltimore through the 2026 season, the team announced. This surprising move was made eight days before the Ravens had to make a decision on whether to exercise Bateman's fifth-year option.

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after wide receiver Rashod Bateman signed an extension with the Ravens through the 2026 season on Wednesday before Thursday night’s NFL draft. Brian Wacker, reporter: Giving Bateman an extension is a calculated but risky move. In three years in Baltimore, he’s had just one fully healthy season, which came last year when he had 32 catches for 367 yards and only one touchdown. That’s middling production at best, though not all of it should be pinned on Bateman, who was open often but rarely in rhythm with Lamar Jackson, a disconnect that was at times seemingly on the quarterback. There’s no denying Bateman’s talent — he’s a fluid and fast route runner with excellent hands who can take the top off defenses. But foot injuries are unpredictable and who knows whether Jackson and Bateman can ever be consistently in sync. That said, the Ravens need Bateman and need him engaged. Beyond him, Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor, the receiving corps gets thin quickly. They could draft a receiver, but finding an immediate contributor is anything but a guarantee. Declining his option would have signaled they were ready to move on from him and picking it up would have been even more expensive. With Baltimore showing Bateman it believes in him by extending him now, perhaps he’ll be poised to break out. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Rashod Bateman signs 3-year contract extension Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering NFL draft questions and grading Eric DeCosta Baltimore Ravens | Dueling Ravens mock drafts: Two views on how to rebuild a Super Bowl contender Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next Childs Walker, reporter: The Ravens like their draft week surprises, and this was another one, given that some fans had convinced themselves Bateman would be traded. A skeptic might look at Bateman’s production through three seasons and say there’s no way he merits an extension. An optimist would counter that he has flashed plenty of talent for getting open downfield and that the interruptions to his career have been beyond his control. The bottom line is it’s a reasonable bet on a pass catcher with so much upside. On a human level, it’s cool to see the Ravens show faith in a guy who has done his best to stand tall through maddening injuries and personal anguish. Bateman is in line to start and be Jackson’s top deep target this season. This is his time. Mike Preston, columnist: General manager Eric DeCosta must have seen something in Bateman’s performance a year ago that warranted an extension. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that. Bateman has always been a player with great potential, but never lived up to the reputation. This was a surprising move. C.J. Doon, editor: I was wondering whether the Ravens would trade Bateman during the draft, let alone pick up his fifth-year option before the May 2 deadline, so this is pretty surprising to me. That said, it makes a ton of sense. Bateman’s stats haven’t been what many expected since he was drafted in the first round in 2021, but his underlying numbers and performance on film suggest better days are ahead. In ESPN’s receiver tracking analytics, which use player-tracking data from NFL Next Gen Stats to evaluate every route a pass catcher runs, Bateman posted an “open score” of 62 (on a 0-99 scale) last season that ranked 37th in the league. He might never become the true No. 1 outside receiver the Ravens and their fans have always craved, but he’s only 24 years old. The Ravens are betting he’ll ascend, and that’s probably a smart bet. And given the exploding wide receiver market (Amon-Ra St. Brown just got $120 million over four years with $77 million guaranteed from the Detroit Lions), signing a young player to a reasonable deal is prudent team building. Tim Schwartz, editor: Well, this one is a surprise. I think the terms of the deal are important here. The scuttlebutt was that the Ravens might be looking to trade their 2021 first-round pick for some draft capital this weekend or for 2025, but clearly they view Bateman as someone who fits Todd Monken’s scheme and has likely run into some bad luck since arriving in Baltimore. At the least, this gives quarterback Lamar Jackson some much-needed continuity after so much transition at the position. While Bateman has not been stellar with the Ravens, he likely has not reached his ceiling, and perhaps the peace of mind of this contract pushes him to the next level. It’s likely this deal gives the Ravens some cap room in 2025, too, considering his fifth-year option would have been fairly expensive. This feels like it could be a boom or bust move for Baltimore. View the full article

When Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was asked earlier this month if he’d made a decision about wide receiver Rashod Bateman’s fifth-year contract option, he said he had about a month to make that decision before the May 2 deadline. He didn’t wait that long. On Wednesday, the team announced a contract extension with Bateman, keeping the 2021 first-round draft pick in Baltimore through 2026. Terms of the deal were not announced. The move comes just eight days before the Ravens had to decide whether to pick up or decline his option. Declining it would have made Bateman, 24, a free agent after the 2024 season. In three injury-filled seasons with the Ravens, Bateman has 93 catches for 1,167 yards and four touchdowns, though 2023 marked the first season in which he was healthy for an entire campaign. “Congratulations to ‘Bate’ and his family,” DeCosta said in a statement. “This is a good day for the Ravens.” This story will be updated. View the full article

Nope, I could see them draft him if he is still around in the 6th or 7th, just for Todd...

And we don’t need a slot.

Ladd, good, very good receiver, great hands, smart player who understands where to go against defenses to get open. Runs well after the catch. However, he has missed numerous games, not finished games because of a back problem. He may have a nice career as a slot receiver, but I would rather that be on another team, let them take the chance that he can stay healthy.

The Ravens are looking for offensive linemen in the NFL draft, but their philosophy should change. Instead of looking for the dominant, physical maulers up front, they should seek versatile performers who can balance run and pass blocking. In recent seasons, the Ravens have been one of the best — if not the best — in the NFL at running the ball, but they can’t get to the Super Bowl because of their inability to protect quarterback Lamar Jackson. It hasn’t mattered who has lined up under center, the results have been the same. In the gut-wrenching wild-card playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals two seasons ago, backup Tyler Huntley was sacked twice and hit five times. In the 17-10 AFC championship game loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs, Jackson was sacked four times in a game that was reminiscent of the 23-17 wild-card-round loss to the Los Angeles Chargers after his breakthrough 2018 rookie season. The Ravens should stress more versatility with their offensive linemen and draft players who can do more than maul people in the running game. There are several holes to fill, including both guard spots and right tackle. This draft presents them with several opportunities to find a starter, or more than one. “It’s a very deep pool of players,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said of the offensive linemen class in this draft, which begins Thursday night in Detroit. “We see a lot of different opportunities in different rounds to get players at tackle, guard and center, and we’re excited about that.” It’s still possible that the Ravens might want to trade down from their No. 30 overall spot in the first round to acquire more picks in later rounds or for next year’s draft, which is already considered to be one of the strongest in a while. They might also want to select a receiver or a cornerback, but filling out the offensive line is the more pressing need. One of the main reasons the Ravens have struggled in the postseason is because they either can’t keep pace with opposing quarterbacks or have panicked out of fear. In the playoffs, the Ravens have to face quarterbacks such as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes or the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. The Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud isn’t going away and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, with new coach Jim Harbaugh, should be formidable. Those quarterbacks excel in the passing game, and a 10-point lead might seem insurmountable against some of those top signal-callers. That’s what happened to the Ravens in the AFC title game — Baltimore panicked and its top two running backs, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, had only six rushing attempts. Ravens training campKevin RichardsonRavens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris gives instructions to guard Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, right, during training camp last year. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) The Ravens’ struggles haven’t just been in the postseason, either. For most of the 2023 regular season, right tackle Morgan Moses had problems with speed rushers. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was constantly overpowered. The Ravens traded Moses in March to the New York Jets in exchange for draft picks, and Stanley’s monstrous contract was renegotiated to make it more salary cap friendly. The Ravens also lost their two starting guards in free agency in John Simpson to the Jets and right guard Kevin Zeitler to the Lions. So, rebuilding on the offensive line and protecting their star quarterback is the priority. The Ravens might have some capable replacements in 6-foot-8, 380-pound right tackle Daniel Faalele and 6-6, 370-pound right guard Ben Cleveland, but neither bend well at the knees and have struggled in pass protection in limited action. Perhaps if both have strong offseasons in the weight room, that will change. Stanley, in his ninth season, has struggled since his 2020 ankle injury and his best years are probably behind him. That leaves the Ravens with Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, swing lineman Patrick Mekari and possibly Andrew Vorhees, who missed all of his rookie season while recovering from an injury, as their starting left guard. Merkari can play any position on the line, but his body probably can’t hold up for an entire season as a starter. He’s more valuable in his current role. Center Tyler Linderbaum, left, and swing tackle Patrick Mekari will be playing next to new guards in 2024. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Vorhees, who had a stellar career at Southern California before the Ravens selected him in the seventh round, might be a sleeper. He was projected to be a fourth-round pick before tearing his ACL at the scouting combine. “Andrew was a guy that I’ve seen on tape, and I thought that he was a good player and that he would have a chance long term to be a player for us and be a starter for us potentially,” DeCosta said. “He’s a physical, tough guy that loves football. He’s done a fantastic job with rehab. The strength coaches and the trainers and the doctors are all very excited about him. So, we’ll see what he does.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering NFL draft questions and grading Eric DeCosta Baltimore Ravens | Dueling Ravens mock drafts: Two views on how to rebuild a Super Bowl contender Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 5.0): Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts the first round Baltimore Ravens | NFL won’t discipline Ravens WR Zay Flowers after investigating alleged domestic violence incident It will be interesting to see what the Ravens do in the first round. According to some draft experts, there could be as many as 10 offensive tackles taken in the first round. The Ravens might end up with Alabama’s JC Latham, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton or Georgia’s Amarius Mims. All could help immediately, and all of them are huge. The Ravens certainly have some inside connections with executive vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome being an Alabama alumnus and offensive coordinator Todd Moknen having spent three years in the same capacity at Georgia. After a tackle, the Ravens might target a guard, such as Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe or Connecticut’s Christian Haynes, in the second round. Regardless, though, the Ravens need to get out of that old-school mindset when it comes to evaluating offensive linemen. They had the prototype for years in Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden, who was far from one-dimensional. They also had another possible Hall of Famer in right guard Marshal Yanda who, like Ogden, was mean, nasty and preferred run blocking over being in a pass set. But they could do both. The Ravens need more linemen like them. NFL draft Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network View the full article

For Eric DeCosta, the stakes are clear entering the 2024 NFL draft. “There’s going to be some spots that need to be filled,” the Ravens general manager said during the team’s annual predraft luncheon earlier this month. “The burden is on me to find those players.” With nine picks, the Ravens must restock a roster that was raided in free agency after an NFL-best 13-4 regular season and the franchise’s first trip to the AFC championship game in a decade. Baltimore is expected to target players at offensive line, cornerback, running back and wide receiver, among other positions, but how those picks are spent — and where they are ultimately made — remains a mystery. Before the first round starts Thursday, Baltimore Sun reporters Brian Wacker and Childs Walker and columnist Mike Preston answer questions about positions of need, potential trades, late-round targets and DeCosta’s draft history. Which positions — offensive line, wide receiver, cornerback and edge rusher — should the Ravens target early, and which prospect is the best fit? Wacker: All options being equal, they should target the offensive line. It’s their biggest need with three starting positions to fill and they have a chance to land a top prospect they can plug in for years to come. Washington’s Troy Fautanu, who can play tackle or guard, would be ideal, but he’s unlikely to be available by the time Baltimore picks at No. 30. The next best option is Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton. He has the size (6 feet 8, 322 pounds), length, footwork and tools to be a highly productive pass protector who Baltimore can start at right tackle this year before sliding him over to the left side whenever the Ravens move on from Ronnie Stanley. Guyton had just 14 career starts in college, but the tape and results speak for themselves with the Sooners star allowing just two sacks over three seasons, including two in which he allowed none. Walker: The Ravens won’t lock in on one position, and that approach has led to a very good track record in the first round. That said, an offensive lineman makes a lot of sense given their need for multiple starters, their draft position and the depth of quality tackle prospects. Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, a potential Day 1 starter at right tackle or guard, has become the player most linked to the Ravens in mock drafts, and it’s hard to argue with his versatility. But they would be tempted by the greater upside of Georgia’s Amarius Mims or Guyton if either tackle prospect slides to No. 30. Preston: It all depends on how the draft is going and whether there are runs on certain positions in the first round. The Ravens need offensive linemen, but the consensus is that this draft is filled with quality linemen, so there might not be a sense of urgency, at least in the first round. If there is a receiver or edge rusher who the Ravens have rated highly and is available when they pick in the first round, they should go with their draft board because they can’t go wrong with a top player at either position. It’s easier to make that decision when a team has a pick in the top four, but much harder near the tail end of the first round. With that said, I’ve always been an advocate of building strong interior lines on both sides of the ball. The Ravens could target Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyler Guyton with the No. 30 overall pick in the NFL draft. (Alonzo Adams/AP) Given the state of the roster, should the Ravens trade up in the first round for a premium player or trade down to amass more picks? Wacker: Picks, picks and more picks. That’s the Ravens way and that should be the objective this year if their top player isn’t on the board when they’re on the clock, especially given the depth of the offensive line and wide receiver classes. They could slide out of the first round for a quarterback-needy team, acquire an extra pick and still get a starting-caliber cornerback, offensive lineman and wide receiver. It’s not a deep draft, but there is value in the early-to-middle rounds. Walker: A trade up would be a major upset and a sign that some prospect the Ravens love is plummeting, whereas a trade down seems very much in play given that there will likely still be excellent offensive line prospects available around pick No. 40. The Ravens never want to reach for a player when they can squeeze more total value out of a draft, and DeCosta has made it clear the next two years will present a major opportunity to rebuild the team’s roster depth. That said, the Ravens have plenty of picks in a draft that’s not deep overall. They need to come away with a starting offensive lineman, so if a candidate they fancy is sitting there at the end of the first round, they should not get too cute. Preston: If the Ravens are using this draft with the primary purpose of building the offensive line, then it might be in their best interest to trade down and acquire more picks, and certainly more talented offensive linemen. Passing on an offensive tackle such as Guyton in the first round, though, would be a tough decision. I don’t see the Ravens trading up. The history of this organization has always been to acquire more picks, so I think they will either stay put or trade down. South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette could be a player the Ravens target in the second or third round. (Artie Walker Jr./AP) Which Day 2 or Day 3 prospect are you most interested in as a potential Ravens target? Wacker: There will still be plenty of tantalizing wide receiver options in what is a deep class if the Ravens don’t go that direction in the first round. Michigan’s Roman Wilson is small (5-11, 185 pounds) but a dynamic, explosive and efficient slot weapon perfect for today’s NFL. South Carolina’s Xavier Legette is big (6-1, 221 pounds) with enough speed to be a deep threat and a good complement to the smaller Zay Flowers. Central Florida’s Javon Baker, who reportedly had a predraft visit with the Ravens, is also on the bigger side (6-1, 202 pounds) with a wide catch radius and was one of the best in the country in yards per route run (5.07) last season. Another player to keep an eye on later in the draft will be Marshall running back Rasheen Ali, an instinctive runner with good burst who can also line up out wide. Walker: We’ve talked so much about offensive linemen, but this draft is also rich in wide receivers, and the Ravens need another one of those with Rashod Bateman potentially approaching the last year of his rookie deal. Legette is a big, fast (4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash) outside target who would complement Flowers after developing for a year as the team’s No. 3 or No. 4 option. He would also be an immediate candidate to help on special teams, either as a returner or in coverage, and we know how much the Ravens value that quality in rookies. Preston: Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson, Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter or safeties Beau Brade of Maryland or Trey Taylor of Air Force. Southern California running back MarShawn Lloyd is also worth a look. After saying goodbye to Tyler Huntley, the Ravens have Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham as Lamar Jackson’s backups. Should they invest a middle or late-round pick on a quarterback? Wacker: Only if they fill all their other needs and/or if the players they want are off the board at that point. Then, if someone like Florida State’s Jordan Travis falls to them, it would be good to snap him up. Walker: Never rule out a late-round quarterback, but it’s not a priority given their need to add young depth in the secondary, on the edges of their defense and at running back. Remember, Huntley was an undrafted free agent. It seems more likely the Ravens will go that route to add another arm for training camp. Preston: I would. It’s always good to have four arms in training camp, primarily to keep the starter fresh. But the Ravens brought in Todd Monken as the offensive coordinator last season, so allow him to make a selection. If he can find a quarterback to work with in those rounds, that’s a major positive for the future. DeCosta is about to oversee his sixth draft as Ravens general manager. How would you grade his performance thus far? Wacker: A former colleague once described DeCosta as a .275 hitter with occasional pop, though that was also taking into account the totality of his work and before last year’s draft and free agent signings. I’d go a bit higher and give him a B, given the immediate impact Flowers had last season, a highly successful 2022 class that included All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and fourth-round tight end Isaiah Likely. There have been several misses, too, particularly in the middle and late rounds, but no one has a high success rate in those rounds. And trading a second- and fifth-round draft pick for All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith turned out to be a steal for Baltimore. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Drafting offensive linemen who can protect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must be a priority | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Dueling Ravens mock drafts: Two views on how to rebuild a Super Bowl contender Baltimore Ravens | Why the NFL draft is so important for the Ravens, both this year and next Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 5.0): Ravens beat writer Brian Wacker predicts the first round Baltimore Ravens | NFL won’t discipline Ravens WR Zay Flowers after investigating alleged domestic violence incident Walker: DeCosta has yet to miss badly on a first-round pick, though the Ravens need a breakout year from Bateman for him to go down as a successful choice. Hamilton and Linderbaum both made the Pro Bowl in their second seasons, so the 2022 draft is DeCosta’s magnum opus. The jury remains out on his 2023 class, with players such as Trenton Simpson and Andrew Vorhees in line for major opportunities this season. DeCosta has missed on plenty of later-round picks, as most general managers do, but he usually pulls at least one major value from the middle rounds, whether we’re talking Justin Madubuike in 2020, Brandon Stephens in 2021 or Likely in 2022. Let’s go B+ overall. Preston: B. DeCosta got off to a slow start, which was to be expected because the pressure is greater being in the GM’s chair as opposed to being the top assistant. He has drafted some top players at their positions in Linderbaum, Hamilton and Madubuike while snagging some good mid- to late-round picks such as safety Geno Stone, punter Jordan Stout and Likely. The Ravens have as much depth as any team in the NFL. They’ve proved it over the past four or five years. NFL draft Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network Ravens 2024 draft picks No. 30 (first round) No. 62 (second) No. 93 (third) No. 113 (fourth, from Denver via N.Y. Jets) No. 130 (fourth) No. 165 (fifth) No. 218 (sixth, from N.Y. Jets) No. 228 (seventh, from N.Y. Jets) No. 250 (seventh) View the full article

I don't think we should go anywhere but with an OT in the first round and at this point in this mock Guyton is still available. And i think I like USC's Rice in a later round for WR.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/pfts-one-only-2024-nfl-151354180.html