tsylvester

Maybe, he didn't do much for Kc, but at the very least, I hope the younger receivers can learn from him

During a conversation with cornerback Marlon Humphrey and a strength coach this offseason, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was asked: "Since you've been on other teams, what do you think about the Ravens from the outside looking in?" Hopkins' response caught them off guard. "It seems like there's been a piece that's been missing," Hopkins told them. "I could be that addition. I could not be that addition." Hopkins' impact in his first season with Baltimore will likely come down to how much faith Lamar Jackson has in him. Hopkins' resume has been so built on pulling in tight window passes that Humphrey referred to him as "Mr. Contested Catch." During Hopkins' streak of four straight Pro Bowl seasons (2017 to 2020), he led the NFL by catching 12 touchdown passes on tight window throws, which are pass attempts when the separation between the target and nearest defender is less than one yard at pass arrival. Since entering the league in 2015, he has made 84 closely contested receptions, ranking fifth among active players. But Jackson has thrived by finding the wide open receiver. His 52 attempts into tight windows last season were the fewest among quarterbacks with at least 500 dropbacks. "You're speaking to trust," Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said. "[Hopkins is] a wide receiver that can play strong [with] big, strong hands that quarterbacks love. That's a really good comfort level for a quarterback, when you can put the ball in the vicinity and trust that guy is going to make a play. So, we look forward to what that relationship is going to be like." Hopkins is averaging 2.54 yards of separation since the statistic first started being tracked in 2016. Last season, Jackson targeted players who averaged 4.26 yards of separation, the highest in the league. How long will it take for Hopkins and Jackson to gain chemistry? Hopkins joked that he knows what it takes to connect with quarterbacks because he's probably played with more of them than any other receiver. In 12 seasons, he's caught passes from 19 different quarterbacks -- from former Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub to Patrick Mahomes. This offseason, Jackson and Hopkins have had limited time on the field. They have been together for three practices, including one at a voluntary workout and two at mandatory minicamp. "I don't think it's a [set] time frame," Hopkins said. "A guy like Lamar, who's a veteran quarterback, he's played a lot of football. Myself, I play a lot of football. We see things differently, but I've had rookie quarterbacks that have taken longer. So, it differs." Jackson has long wanted to throw passes to Hopkins. During the 2023 offseason, Jackson suggested to the Ravens that they bring in Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. Baltimore added Beckham that year, but it's taken two years for Hopkins to land. He signed a one-year, $5 million contract with Baltimore in March. It didn't take long for Hopkins and Jackson to connect during a simulated third-down situation in minicamp. Jackson's pass went low over the middle to Hopkins, who slid to make a one-handed grab. "He is different," Jackson said. "He caught the ball so smoothly and got up [easily]. I don't even think he put his other hand on the ground to get up; he just caught the ball and just started [running]. That's some super vet type of stuff. It's just dope to have him [here], and I am looking forward to throwing a lot of touchdowns to him this year." Hopkins has put together one of the most prolific careers for a wide receiver. He ranks 16th all-time with 984 receptions and is 21st with 12,965 yards receiving. Now, at the age of 33, Hopkins feels like he has a lot left for Jackson and the only offense to eclipse 7,000 yards last season. For those who doubt him, he provided a photo as proof. Hopkins posted an Instagram story from the second offseason practice of the fastest players, which showed him clocking a speed of 20 mph. He was tied for second with WR Devontez Walker and behind CB Marquise Robinson, who ran 20.2 mph. "I'm old and can't run," Hopkins sarcastically wrote on social media, adding a shushing face emoji. Hopkins has had only one 1,000-yard season over the past four years, but Baltimore doesn't need him to be the go-to receiver. Zay Flowers has become Jackson's top target, and Rashod Bateman is the Ravens' most productive downfield threat. The Ravens envision Hopkins stepping up in clutch moments, jumping high to make one of his signature contested catches. "He's been in big games before," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He's made plays in the big games. He knows how to make plays. There's not going to be any situation that's going to be too big for him." https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45582207/deandre-hopkins-baltimore-ravens-lamar-jackson-contested-catches

More on Ramsey as a Dolphin, frankly, I'm surprised he was not benched a few times and that this was kept quiet for so long. He won't get away with this behavior with Tomlin

A lot of good players, so few spots truly open.

Both kickers they had in the camps so far started out really well, then faltered in the latest camp. I am sure when real camp starts, they will, If they feel the need, bring a kicker in.

Great question, will Heyward have anything left in the tank? He looked pretty spent the 2nd half of the season

Ack, did you read the first part, most of the kickers drafted washed out of the NFL. It's OTAs, new snapper to get used to, new holder, tired leg maybe because they need to get into NFL shape. He did great in the first camp, struggled in the last camp. To be expected.

The Miami Dolphins have traded three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. As part of the trade, the Dolphins are sending a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Steelers and will receive a 2027 fifth-round pick back from Pittsburgh. Ramsey will get a $1.5 million raise this season, bringing his 2025 compensation up to $26.6 million, sources told Schefter. Smith will receive a one-year contract extension worth $12 million, agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey told Schefter. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick heads back to Miami, where he began his career after the Dolphins selected him 11th overall in the 2018 draft. The Dolphins traded him to the Steelers in 2019 as he grew unhappy with his role on the team after then-coach Brian Flores moved him from safety to nickelback. Ramsey, who has 24 interceptions in his career, joins a loaded cornerback group with the Steelers, who signed Darius Slay Jr. in free agency earlier this offseason and also have incumbent starter Joey Porter Jr. Without Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, who signed a two-year extension this offseason, is the most veteran safety at the position for Pittsburgh, but Ramsey, a cornerback throughout his nine-year NFL career, could transition to safety. The Steelers also signed free safety Juan Thornhill, a former Kansas City Chiefs second-round pick, in free agency. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45617415/steelers-acquire-all-pro-cb-jalen-ramsey-trade-dolphins

Drafting kickers is a notoriously risky proposition. To illustrate, from 2010-16, only 11 kickers were selected through the NFL draft. Of those 11 drafted kickers, only three — Greg Zuerlein, Randy Bullock, and Dustin Hopkins — are still in the NFL today In the meantime, several undrafted kickers have made impressive careers for themselves. Justin Tucker is the prime example, as he ended his time in Baltimore with him holding the highest field goal conversion percentage in NFL history. Players like Brandon Aubrey, Chris Boswell, Cameron Dicker, and Younghoe Koo have all followed in Tucker’s footsteps as undrafted standouts in recent years. The Patriots knew they were going to add a kicker at some point in the offseason, but in the sixth round of the draft, one certain factor led them to pull the trigger on Borregales. Per Reiss, the Patriots brass knew that Baltimore was going to be looking to draft a kicker at some point to address Tucker’s troubling legal situation. Four picks in front of the Ravens, they tabbed Borregales. Baltimore ended up with Arizona’s Tyler Loop instead, who has reportedly been struggling so far in offseason activities. Regardless, Borregales stands to be a key player in New England’s rookie class. Borregales never converted less that 80 percent of his kicks in four years with the Hurricanes, and he ended his time in Coral Gables with his strongest season. In a high-scoring offense led by No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, Borregales did his part converting all 62 extra point attempts and 18 of 19 field goals attempts, including a 56-yarder. https://www.profootballrumors.com/2025/06/patriots-kept-k-andy-borregales-from-falling-to-ravens

Better coaching both in kicking and especially with working out. They have specialists now in high-school for kicking. Our coach lined us all up and said try...

Dating back to the later half of the year before and now we know why. It may take a year or two, if not longer to replace him. Though kickers have been getting better

Yeah it's is early, at the same time, we are talking about replacing a guy who is/was the most accurate kicker of all time

League suspends Tucker 10 games per Espn

He has worked harder each year, you can see it in his play. He works out in the offseason with 2 of his receivers. What else, besides winning in the playoffs, do you want him to do above what other qbs do?

That was the most difficult one because of the size and the frenzy of guaranteed money. This one is more of an extension of sorts and should not take as long. He found out that other teams are not as interested in trading 2 #1's, plus all of that guaranteed money

Listening to him, he clearly wants a title and knows that he alone cannot get one. He also knows that his completion %, his td to int ratio, his average yard per pass, his rushing all make him one of the best in the game. These, if he continues on this path, will lead to the Hall of Fame. So yes, he wants top dog dollars but in a way that also allows the team to keep key players.

That is assuming the Ravens or another team were willing to go that high! As it stands, other teams were not willing to: trade that much capital for him, pay that much money to him. Why? Injury risk, his constant illness that keeps him out of practice, caused him to miss plays, even a game. IBS? Drones? Who knows..... Then of course was the type of offense he needs, needed to be in.. All of which left few, if any teams, including the Ravens, from paying that much more to him. I'm glad they could meet in the middle, that he is a Ravens qb, as are they, he is special and has gotten a handle on the illness front for the most part, save spicy taco Tuesday from time to time...

It's worked out for him and his mom, who gets a cut of the contract as she is listed as a business partner. $350 mil, what's another $100? He will get his next huge deal in a few months. It's enough money for him, his kids & family for generations, longer if invested properly. Another $100 + mil the agent MIGHT have gotten would really only hurt the franchise, not him

The landmark, 61-page ruling finding that the NFL encouraged teams to collude (but inexplicably concluding the teams ignored the encouragement) contains plenty of stuff we didn’t already know — and that they didn’t want us to know. Specifically, the document includes details regarding the negotiations that finally culminated in quarterback Lamar Jackson signing a five-year contract with the Ravens in 2023. During the hearing on the collusion case, Ravens G.M. Eric DeCosta testified that his difficulties in negotiating directly with Jackson, who has no agent, were exacerbated by (as Jackson explained it to DeCosta) technical difficulties. “Mr. Jackson said that the microphone on his phone was not working, making communications with Mr. DeCosta difficult,” the ruling explains at page 30. Whether that was true or a simply an avoidance technique is open for interpretation. Regardless, it’s a tangible example of the practical impediments to getting a deal done between Jackson and the Ravens. And we never would have known about it, if the NFL and NFL Players Association had been allowed to continue to conceal the ruling. The document also explains that Jackson wanted a fully-guaranteed contract. Before the 2022 season, Jackson texted DeCosta: “I’m going to continue to request a FULLY GUARANTEED contract I understand you all DON’T and that’s fine.” After the 2022 season, with Jackson’s five-year rookie contract completed, he again sought a fully-guaranteed contract. The Ravens offered two different three-year deals that the team “considered” to be fully guaranteed. Jackson declined both offers and requested a trade. DeCosta asked for a list of teams to which Jackson would accept a trade. Jackson never provided a list. Only a couple of teams expressed interest in Jackson before the non-exclusive franchise tag was applied by the Ravens. After application, no team reached out directly to Jackson. The two sides were at impasse. Jackson wanted out. No one was contacting him. The Ravens believed he wouldn’t take a deal that wasn’t fully guaranteed. So how did it get resolved? Here it is, from page 32 of the document: “Mr. DeCosta was preparing for the 2023 draft in April 2023 under the assumption that Mr. Jackson would no longer be playing for the Ravens, but on the eve of the draft, sent Mr. Jackson a new offer. . . . Much to Mr. DeCosta’s surprise, Mr. Jackson quickly accepted it.” https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/lamar-jackson-cited-broken-mic-on-his-phone-during-negotiations-with-ravens

Yep, shady stuff behind the scenes

Shady talks did happen behind closed doors. In what is being hailed as a monumental reveal, an independent arbitrator wrote there is “little question” the NFL management council, with the blessing of commissioner Roger Goodell, “encouraged” teams to reduce guarantees in NFL contracts during a 2022 owners meeting. However, the arbitrator of the 2022 lawsuit by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) alleging collusion by the league and its owners ruled there is not evidence to verify that collusion occurred. “There is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veteran’s contracts at the March 2022 annual owner’s meeting,” the ruling reads, as revealed by reporter Pablo Torre. “However, the evidence did not establish a clear preponderance that the Clubs agreed to do that or participated in such a scheme. There are many Clubs whose only connection to his proceeding is the attendance at the Owners’ meeting, and the expert evidence of aggregate and average changes in various measure of spending, guaranteed and otherwise, is not sufficient, even when considered with the other evidence presented, for the NFLPA to meet its standard of proof.” ........ “While the NFL Management Council encouraged the 32 members Clubs of the NFL to reduce guarantees in future contracts with players at the March 2022 annual meeting of the Club owners,” Droney wrote, “the Clubs did not join in such a collusive agreement and did not act in accordance with one as to the three quarterbacks named in the initial arbitration demand or to other veteran players. “Accordingly, I dismiss the arbitration demands of the NFLPA in its entirety.” https://nypost.com/2025/06/24/sports/nfl-encouraged-collusion-in-shocking-reveal/

Unless Likely prices himself out, no way he leaves. But this is likely the last year for Andrews as a Raven

Tez has the perfect coach in Hopkins, same body style, skill set.

Say what they want about Rush, but he is by far the best backup qb this team has had behind Lamar. The other ones either always through it to the other team or couldn't throw the ball further than 10 yards. This is training camp, where qbs are expected to not just learn the offense, but take chances testing the defense. Rush will be fine after real practices start. He is a smart kid with a lot of upside

Stock up Andrew Vorhees, OL: The Ravens haven’t declared Vorhees the starting left guard, but he’ll enter training camp in the driver’s seat. It certainly helps that his primary competition for the job appears to be Ben Cleveland, who might not even be available in early September because he’s being reviewed for potential league discipline following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. The coaching staff has never embraced the idea of Cleveland being a weekly starter anyway. Meanwhile, Vorhees has gotten bigger and stronger since he lost the starting left guard position early last year following a Week 2 ankle injury. He looks poised to re-earn that job. Devontez Walker, WR: If there were a most improved award given to a returning player at the end of the offseason program, Walker would have won it in a landslide. As a fourth-round rookie last season, Walker was barely noticeable through the offseason workouts and training camp. This season, he made a play or two in nearly every practice, showcasing his size and speed. With a year under his belt, he’s playing faster and exhibiting more confidence and polish. “He’s got a chance to be really good,” coach John Harbaugh said. Keaton Mitchell, RB: There was a play during one of the OTAs where Mitchell caught a screen pass, sidestepped a defender and burst upfield, showing the speed and explosiveness he possessed in his rookie season before a significant knee injury altered the trajectory of his young career. Mitchell acknowledged earlier this month that he was still navigating physical and mental hurdles upon his return last November. He’s looked both quicker and more assertive in recent weeks, and that’s a great development for the Ravens, who’ll need to get him some touches on offense and as a kick returner. He’s far too explosive not to get utilized. Malaki Starks, S: Each phase of the offseason brought a new story about Starks’ intangibles. The one about Starks organizing walk-throughs for the rookies at the team hotel is hard to top. From his communication skills to his leadership to his playmaking ability on the field, the first-round pick has been as advertised. He’s probably been better than advertised. Starks has the look of a player who will be a core piece on Baltimore’s defense for a long time. Mark Andrews, TE: When he caught a pass from Lamar Jackson and rumbled downfield on the first day of the mandatory minicamp, Andrews got loud applause from fans on the sideline. That’s a much different reaction than he’s gotten for much of the offseason from other Ravens fans, who still haven’t gotten over Andrews’ fumble and dropped two-point conversion in the playoff loss in Buffalo. What’s done is done. All Andrews can do — and all he has done — is get back to work. He hasn’t sulked about all of the speculation that he could be traded or released. He hasn’t complained publicly that he seems primed to play out the final year on a contract that he’s outperformed. Andrews has remained focused on getting ready for the season. He didn’t miss a rep at OTAs, and he treated each practice like the Ravens had an important game to play later in the week. He looked quick and healthy. Reuben Lowery, DB: The Ravens have 20 undrafted rookie free agents, and it’s going to be extremely difficult for any of them to crack the regular-season roster for Week 1 (more on that later). However, the one that probably opened the most eyes over the past couple of weeks was Lowery, who played in college at Tennessee-Chattanooga. Lowery had a few interceptions and was regularly around the ball. During one practice, Harbaugh called Lowery over for a chat. It’s going to be hard for Lowery to win a job in Baltimore’s crowded secondary, but it’s a good thing that he already has the attention of the head coach. Sanoussi Kane, S: Washington’s injury creates a need for a No. 3 safety, and Kane has established himself as the front-runner for that role. One of the team’s busiest special-teams players last season as a rookie, Kane has looked leaner and more explosive this offseason. He also got his hands on quite a few footballs during the offseason practices. He was going to have a special-teams role regardless, but he’s playing like a guy who is intent on earning defensive snaps as well. The Ravens could still sign a veteran safety in the coming weeks, but with his play, Kane provided an argument that Baltimore should stand pat and let a drafted young player get the first crack at the No. 3 safety role. Tavius Robinson, OLB: The Ravens have some decisions to make at outside linebacker after using a second-round pick on Mike Green. However, one thing is clear: Robinson will remain a major part of the team’s outside linebacker rotation. Harbaugh and pass rush coach Chuck Smith raved last week about Robinson, the 2023 fourth-round pick who had 3 1/2 sacks and 12 quarterback hits last season. They consider him one of the team’s unsung heroes. Robinson’s ability to set the edge and also bump inside will ensure that he has a significant role in 2025. Stock down Back-end wide receivers: This is not because of anything they did or didn’t do. It’s more the reality that there may not be a receiver spot to win when training camp begins. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins are entrenched as the team’s top three. Veteran receiver Tylan Wallace is viewed as a virtual lock due to his contributions as a pass catcher, perimeter blocker and core special-teams player. It seems highly unlikely that the Ravens would give up on Walker this early, particularly with how good he’s looked over the past month. If the Ravens take a sixth wide receiver, it would presumably be as a punt returner, and that’s how rookie sixth-round pick LaJohntay Wester could win a job. It will be an uphill battle for Anthony Miller, Keith Kirkwood, Dayton Wade and Malik Cunningham. Chidobe Awuzie, CB: Assuming the recently signed Jaire Alexander stays healthy, he’s going to play, and it doesn’t seem likely that either Marlon Humphrey or Nate Wiggins are coming off the field. Alexander’s arrival has the potential to impact Awuzie’s snaps more than anyone, as Awuzie had been the likely No. 3 corner. This may push Awuzie more into a hybrid role, and he starts getting some looks at safety. Awuzie missed a few practices this offseason, first due to illness and then an ankle injury, but he was in good form by the end of the mandatory minicamp. However, his role seems less certain than it did before the addition of Alexander. Cooper Rush, QB: Rush is learning a new offense and working with coaches, wide receivers and tight ends that he has never worked with before. He was also thrust into a starter’s role with Jackson missing all but one of the team’s nine OTAs. All those front-line reps are expected to shorten his learning curve. Rush had some rough outings during the various offseason practices and put the ball in harm’s way too often. The former Dallas Cowboy will be the No. 2 quarterback with 2024 sixth-round pick Devin Leary competing for a spot on the practice squad. The Ravens will want Rush to clean up the mistakes and play more consistently in the future. Emery Jones Jr., OT: When the Ravens used a third-round pick on Jones in April, it didn’t seem out of the question that he could compete for one of the starting guard jobs. However, that ship has probably sailed. Not only do the Ravens seem committed to starting Jones out at tackle, but he’s missed so many reps while rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Harbaugh said last week that the expectation is that Jones returns to action “at some point” during training camp. It’s too early to say Jones is heading toward a redshirt season, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be a factor early in the season if he’s not able to make his practice debut until midway through training camp or later. Tyler Loop, K: Ravens senior special teams coach and kicking guru Randy Brown has made some changes with Loop, which was the plan from the beginning. The goal is for Loop to be at his best come September, not in June. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not alarming when the rookie sixth-round pick misses multiple kicks in practices. There was already going to be a ton of pressure on Loop in his kicking competition with the undrafted John Hoyland. Replacing Justin Tucker, arguably the best kicker in NFL history, is a big-time challenge. Doing it for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations and no room for a weak link makes it more significant. Loop’s issues during OTAs and minicamp with reporters and owner Steve Bisciotti looking on only put him under the microscope more. He’ll probably be the most scrutinized Raven this summer. Undrafted free-agent class: The Ravens have had a rookie undrafted free agent on the Week 1 roster in 20 of the past 21 years. It would be foolish to dismiss the possibility that it will happen again. Team officials take great pride in assembling a talented college free-agent class, but will there even be an open spot for one to stick? The late additions of Alexander and nose tackle John Jenkins underscore just how few roster spots are unaccounted for heading into training camp. The best shot probably belongs to Hoyland, who is locked in a legitimate kicking competition with Loop. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6443690/2025/06/24/ravens-stock-report-minicamp-organized-team-activities/