ExtremeRavens

The Ravens and Steelers have long been known for their defenses. That likely won’t change in 2025. While Baltimore has five first-round draft picks in its secondary, including cornerback Nate Wiggins (2024) and safeties Malaki Starks (2025) and Kyle Hamilton (2022), Pittsburgh shook up its unit on Monday by dealing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Dolphins as part of a trade for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The Ravens also have All-Pro Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones on their defensive line, and Roquan Smith, Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh in their linebacker corps. The Steelers are loaded, too, with linebackers T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen and Alex Highsmith, as well as defensive backs Joey Porter and Darius Slay Jr. Which AFC North rival will have the better defense in 2025? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

DETROIT — NFL coach Jim Harbaugh was added Friday to a lawsuit against the University of Michigan and a former assistant football coach who is accused of hacking into the computer accounts of college athletes across the U.S. to look for intimate photos. Attorneys claim Harbaugh, who was Michigan’s coach, and others knew that Matt Weiss was seen viewing private information on a computer in December 2022 but still allowed him to continue working as co-offensive coordinator in a national playoff game roughly a week later. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel and other officials were also added to the lawsuit in federal court in Detroit. “The university’s delay in taking meaningful protective action until after a high-stakes game sends a clear message: Student welfare was secondary,” said Parker Stinar, who is the lead lawyer in a class-action lawsuit arising from a criminal investigation of Weiss. Messages seeking comment from Manuel and Harbaugh, who is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, were not immediately returned Friday. Separately, Weiss has been charged with identity theft and unauthorized computer access from 2015 to 2023. The indictment says he got access to the social media, email and cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 college athletes, as well as more than 1,300 students or alumni from schools across the U.S., to find private images, primarily of women. He has pleaded not guilty. “Had Harbaugh implemented basic oversight of his staff, plaintiffs and the class would have been protected against predators such as Weiss,” the updated lawsuit states. “Instead, Weiss was a highly compensated asset that was promoted by and within the football program, from which position he was able to, and did, target female student athletes.” The lawsuit says a staff member saw Weiss viewing private information at Schembechler Hall, headquarters for the football team, around Dec. 21, 2022, and reported it before Michigan played Texas Christian University in a playoff game days later on Dec. 31. Weiss was fired a few weeks later in January 2023 during an investigation of his computer use. Earlier this year, after charges were filed, Harbaugh told reporters that he didn’t know anything about Weiss’ troubles until after the playoff game. He said the allegations were “shocking.” Weiss worked for Harbaugh’s brother, John, on the coaching staff of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens before joining the Michigan team in 2021. The lawsuit says Weiss’ university computer had encryption software that had to be disabled by an external vendor as part of the investigation. Authorities disclosed in April that thousands of intimate photos and videos were found on his electronic devices and cloud storage accounts. View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson can make professional football look easy. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player threw 41 touchdown passes and just four interceptions this past season while adding more than 900 rushing yards. He nearly won his third MVP award, finishing second to the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. As it turns out, Jackson doesn’t just make the sport look simple for fans watching on TV or in the stands. Sometimes the game feels effortless to Baltimore’s quarterback, too. “It got easy for me my sophomore season [in Baltimore],” Jackson told comedian Kevin Hart in a new episode of Hart’s show, “Cold as Balls,” which features Hart interviewing guests as they each dip into a cold tub. “First game of the season. We blew out the Dolphins, and I’m like, ‘This is easy.’” Jackson references a 59-10 win over Miami in 2019 in which he completed 17 of his 20 passes for 324 yards and five touchdown passes. He posted a perfect passer rating and went on to win his first MVP Award later that season. While the sport has looked like child’s play at times for Baltimore’s signal caller, Jackson is still without a Super Bowl ring. Entering 2025, the Ravens have one of the best rosters in the NFL, and Jackson likes where the team stands in its championship pursuit. “We’re extremely close,” Jackson said. “As I’ve been getting older in the league, my mindset has been different and the game has gotten a lot easier for me.” Not everything comes easily to the former Louisville star, though. He acknowledged that he struggled with leading a team during the early stages of his NFL career. “I’m not really outspoken … a great motivational speech, I don’t have that,” Jackson said. “I pretty much lead by example. I go out there. I’m gonna work hard. I expect that out of you. As I’ve been growing in the league, it’s like, nah, you gotta talk to the guys. “Coaches and stuff like to tell me, ‘You’ve got to talk to the guys. I’m like, all right. Now I talk to them one-on-one.” Jackson later cited an example of those one-on-one conversations he’s becoming more comfortable having with teammates. He spoke with tight end Mark Andrews’ after the team’s playoff loss to the Bills. Andrews fumbled in the fourth quarter and dropped what would’ve been a game-tying two-point conversion in the final minutes. “I went up to him, I’m like, ‘Man, we all played a part in this game, I had my turnovers. We shouldn’t even be in this situation. I know you’ve been busting your [butt] all season. Despite what you’ve been through, you’re just gonna have to bounce back. We can’t dwell on that [stuff],’” Jackson said. Hart approved of the pep talk. “I know you said that you’re not a motivational speaker and you don’t do the inspiring talks, but I’d be damned if that didn’t pump me up,” he said. Related Articles Mike Preston: We might not have seen the last of Justin Tucker | COMMENTARY NFL suspends former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for 10 weeks READERS RESPOND: Fans split on wanting to see Orioles or Ravens win title first Diontae Johnson sheds light on time with Ravens: ‘I checked out mentally’ Document reveals details of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s previous contract saga Hart and Jackson went over serious football topics in the nearly 16-minute interview, but they also shared plenty of laughs. Over the final five minutes of the video, Jackson and Hart wore Ravens wings. While Hart’s wings used what appeared to be backpack-like straps, Jackson’s straps were much smaller and thinner. “Why mine look like a thong?” Jackson quipped. Hart also lobbied Jackson for a spot on Baltimore’s roster. Jackson wasn’t having it. “I see myself in the slot,” Hart said. “Nah, we have tall [guys] at slot,” Jackson quipped. Hart is reportedly 5 feet 5. “That’s the thing,” Hart chirped back. “That’s what [defenses] are used to.” Jackson was quick to shoot down Hart’s NFL dreams. “We might have you on the sideline,” he said. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

The NFL suspended former Ravens star Justin Tucker for 10 weeks Thursday, but if a team is desperate for a kicker near the end of the season, he’ll probably get another opportunity. We’ve seen this act before with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was suspended by the NFL for 11 games in 2022 and fined $5 million after more than 20 women alleged that he committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. But Watson eventually signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Browns and has remained with the team since. If another team is in search of a kicker, Tucker, 35, will get another chance. You can bank on it. The NFL announced Tucker’s punishment for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy, which requires a six-game minimum suspension. So it’s safe to assume that the NFL found more than enough evidence to suspend him, though it didn’t release its findings publicly. The league conducted its investigation five months after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Tucker has maintained his innocence and no known civil lawsuits have been filed. Tucker, who was released by the Ravens in May, can sign with another team as a free agent and compete for a tryout and play in preseason games. His suspension goes into effect on Aug. 26, and he will be reinstated on Nov. 11. So, as of now, no team will add Tucker and invite a public relations backlash. But if a team with championship aspirations suddenly finds itself with a struggling kicker, it will probably find Tucker’s cell phone number. During the 2024 season, eight kickers had a lower field goal rate than Tucker’s career-low 73.3% mark. Five made less than 70% of their attempts. The San Francisco 49ers’ Jake Moody led the league with 10 missed field goal attempts, while the Buffalo Bills’ Tyler Bass missed five extra point tries. You get the picture. If you can’t, look closer here in Baltimore. The Ravens knew Tucker was going to be suspended, which is why they drafted Arizona’s Tyler Loop in the sixth round and later signed Wyoming’s John Hoyland to a rookie free agent contract. Neither was extremely impressive in OTAs, and both struggled during the three days that owner Steve Bisciotti attended practices. If both are costing the Ravens games, it wouldn’t be surprising if they re-signed Tucker. Heck, the Ravens drafted Marshall outside linebacker Mike Green in the second round despite him having two sexual assault allegations against him, one in high school and later at the University of Virginia. They also gambled and signed former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander last week despite the 28-year old having played in just 16 games, including the playoffs, over the past two years because of a series of injuries. Related Articles NFL suspends former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for 10 weeks READERS RESPOND: Fans react to Justin Tucker’s release by Ravens Massage therapists respond to Ravens cutting Justin Tucker: ‘Not just about him’ Will former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker ever play football again? Justin Tucker timeline: The events leading to Ravens kicker’s release If an owner or a general manager believes they are a player or two away from a possible Super Bowl run, they’ll sign someone like Tucker despite his troubled past. It’s been done many times before in NFL history. Tucker can still kick. He struggled last season, but look at his overall body of work. He has scored 1,775 points, a franchise record, and has converted 89.1% of his field goal attempts during his career to make him the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Some team might be willing to take a chance with the most successful kicker of all time, who was “Mr. Automatic” during his tenure in Baltimore. If circumstances are right, he’ll be back in the NFL again. In certain situations, kickers are almost as valuable as quarterbacks, especially when the game is in doubt. We might not have seen the last of Justin Tucker. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Justin Tucker’s Ravens career came to a shocking end in May when Baltimore released him amid an NFL investigation into voluminous sexual misconduct allegations brought against the kicker earlier this year. Now, the league has delivered its verdict on that investigation. Tucker, 35, has been suspended for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 regular season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league announced Thursday. Under the league’s personal conduct policy, six games was the minimum suspension that Tucker could receive. He can serve his suspension while a free agent. Tucker can also try out and sign with a team; if he is signed during the offseason, he is allowed to attend training camp and participate in preseason games. His suspension will take effect Aug. 26, the league’s roster cutdown day, and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11. The NFL did not release details of its findings, though that is often typical of its investigations. One of Tucker’s accusers, a massage therapist who asked to be called by her nickname Rae, said she was glad to see Tucker is paying a price for his conduct. “Living in a country where it’s difficult enough to be a woman, and seeing these powerful men getting away with everything, I’m happy to say that’s not the case here,” the 38-year-old woman said. “These people that commit acts like this should be held more accountable.” Rae, who now lives in West Virginia and has a cleaning service, said she still deals with the aftermath of what happened when she worked at the Quintessential Gentleman, or QG, downtown. She previously told The Baltimore Sun that Tucker exposed himself during massages, left what appeared to be ejaculate on the massage table and touched her leg. “I had to walk away from a career,” she said. “I don’t want to be left in a room with a strange man. If I go into a man’s house [to clean it], he can’t be there.” Tucker, who spent his first 13 years in the NFL with Baltimore, has repeatedly denied the allegations. He has not been charged with a crime and faces no known civil lawsuits. “We are disappointed with the NFL’s decision,” Rob Roche, a representative for Tucker, said in a statement to The Baltimore Sun. “Justin has always strived to carry himself in a way that would make his family and community proud. He stands by his previous statements. “In order to put this difficult episode behind him and get back on the field as soon as possible, we have advised Justin to accept this resolution and close this matter. The people who know Justin best know his character and understand that while he remains fully committed to excellence as a football player, he is deeply dedicated to his most important lifetime roles as a father, husband, and friend.” Related Articles Justin Tucker timeline: The events leading to Ravens kicker’s release Mike Preston: The Ravens cut Justin Tucker. There are no winners. | COMMENTARY Ravens release Justin Tucker, calling it a ‘football decision,’ amid NFL investigation Massage therapists respond to Ravens cutting Justin Tucker: ‘Not just about him’ Michael Belsky, an attorney representing at least 12 of the accusers, said in a statement that “the NFL’s ultimate conclusion validates the experiences told by each of the victims.” “It would have been so simple for Mr. Tucker to simply apologize many months ago. Instead, by attacking the victims’ credibility, he simply revictimized them,” he said. “This was completely unnecessary and should not be acceptable.” The NFL’s ruling comes five months after The Baltimore Banner first reported that six massage therapists said Tucker exposed his genitals, brushed two of them with his exposed penis and left what was believed to be ejaculate on the massage table following three of his treatments. In all, more than a dozen massage therapists made similar allegations, with all of the alleged incidents having taken place between 2012 and 2016. On the field, Tucker is coming off the worst season of his career, making a career-low 73.3% of his field goal attempts and missing two extra point tries. The longest-tenured Ravens player before he was released last month, Tucker had three years remaining on a four-year, $24 million contract extension he signed in August 2022. “It was a complex decision-making process, and I’m a part of it,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in late May, just over three weeks after Tucker’s release on May 5. Harbaugh added that owner Steve Bisciotti, president Sashi Brown, executive vice president Ozzie Newsome and general manager Eric DeCosta were also involved in the decision, though DeCosta’s statement at the time made no mention of the allegations. The Ravens released Justin Tucker in May. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff file) “You’re talking about arguably the best kicker in the history of the game, and like we said, it’s multilayered. It’s complicated, but in the end, it all comes back to what you have to do to get ready for your team to play the first game,” Harbaugh continued. “I think if you step back and take a look at all the issues and all the ramifications, you can understand that we’ve got to get our football team ready, and we’ve got to have a kicker ready to go. That was the move that we decided to make, so in that sense, it’s a football decision. “If it was just a black and white, simple thing, then it would be easy to understand, but I think anybody can look at the whole thing in perspective and say, ‘OK, we’ve got to have a kicker ready to go, and there’s a whole lot of moving parts of that deal. It’s just the reality of it, and you’re faced with that.” Even before releasing Tucker, the Ravens drafted his possible replacement in April, selecting Tyler Loop out of Arizona in the sixth round. They also signed John Hoyland, a rookie free agent out of Wyoming, after the draft and the two are expected to compete for the starting job when training camp opens July 22. Whether another organization is willing to sign Tucker, though, remains to be seen. Still, it’s possible. In 2022, quarterback Deshaun Watson was suspended by the NFL for 11 games and fined $5 million after more than 20 women alleged that he committed sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He was traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns amid that investigation, which began in 2021, but signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Browns before it was completed and has remained with the team since. Also in 2022, punter Matt Araiza, who was drafted by the Bills in the sixth round that year, won the starting job as a rookie but was released by Buffalo before the start of the season after being named in a lawsuit accusing him and two former San Diego State of rape became public. In December 2023, Araiza was dropped from the suit, however, and two months later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and went on to play in last season’s Super Bowl. Justin Tucker's 10-week suspension will end Nov. 11. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff file) Whatever Tucker’s future entails, it has been a stunning fall for perhaps the best kicker in NFL history and one of the faces of the Ravens franchise for more than a decade. Tucker, an undrafted free agent out of Texas who signed with Baltimore in 2012, was the last remaining player from the team’s last Super Bowl title in February 2013. He won the job as a rookie during training camp, beating out veteran Billy Cundiff, and went on to make 417 field goals, the most among active kickers and a franchise record. His 1,775 points scored are also a franchise record and rank 16th all-time. He was also responsible for many indelible images during his tenure. Among them were the game-winning field goal in the team’s “Mile High Miracle” playoff victory over the Broncos in Denver as a rookie and a 38-yard field goal that proved to be the margin of victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47 that season. In 2021, he also set the NFL record for the longest field goal with a 66-yarder as time expired to lift Baltimore to a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. Tucker was a prominent figure in the region and featured in advertisements for Royal Farms throughout the Baltimore area and The New York Times Magazine and “60 Minutes” profiled his opera singing. An All-Pro five times and selected to the Pro Bowl on seven occasions, Tucker also remains, for now, the most accurate kicker in league history, having converted on 89.1% of attempts during his career. Now the only question is whether that career has come to an end, or if it will eventually continue elsewhere, possibly even later this year. Baltimore Sun reporter Jean Marbella contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

We asked readers if they’d rather see the Orioles or Ravens win a championship. Here are the results from our online poll: Orioles — 53% (220 votes) Ravens — 47% (192 votes) Here’s what some fans told us about their desire to see Baltimore franchises win titles (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar): Unfair question … It’s like asking which of your children do you like best. — Bubba Bubba’s comment made me laugh, because it’s true! I grew up loving sports because of my father, who always had the radio on for Orioles games. We watched Sunday football together, even if the Colts weren’t on. I was at the airport welcoming home our World Series team and attended the parade in 1983 — I love both the Orioles and Ravens and want both to win! With that being said, I am voting for the Ravens, mainly to get the Lamar Jackson haters to be quiet. I just don’t understand their vitriol towards him! We have a great team, and I’m hoping this is the year! — Laurie Fisher Baltimore is blessed to have two such wonderful, playoff-destined teams. All we need now is the Baltimore Bombers, an expansion NBA basketball team! — Robin Ficker Baltimore is, and always has been, a football town. For me, there’s no debate whatsoever. The Orioles are a cute, little team that unfortunately has been mismanaged for over 40 years. It’s all about the Baltimore Ravens. — Robert It would be nice if they both did, but I gave the nod to the Orioles because the Ravens have won two titles since the Orioles’ last World Series win. The O’s have been very poorly run over most of that timeframe, though. — Burt Orioles! That’s the only answer! The last one was 1983! — Greg Sprouse If the O’s won a World Series, I would never need anything good to happen again. — Tony Giro The Orioles. The Ravens already won twice in my lifetime. — Mikey Related Articles Families and businesses are concerned about the effect of tariffs on youth sports Maryland kicker Sean O’Haire on tampering allegations: ‘That’s not true’ Orioles not concerned over 3 no-hit bids in 5 days: ‘Weird things happen’ Derik Queen draft party celebrates NBA rookie’s roots: ‘We from Baltimore’ Carroll County 2025 girls lacrosse All-County team Either. I just want to go to a victory parade in Baltimore City! — Em Cahall Ravens! I believe that this year is a must-win situation. General manager Eric DeCosta did an awesome job bringing in some veteran players to help us get where we want to be. I hope the O’s finish strong to hopefully get a wild-card spot. Injuries and pitching have been their biggest issue, and I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs. — David Cortina Orioles should have won in 2023. I want to say them, but there is no way they will win this season. They probably won’t make the playoffs, so my vote is for the Ravens. — Nicole Johnson The Orioles, and it’s not even close. — David Devaney The Orioles. It’s been 42 years. I’m 38 and haven’t enjoyed a title or even World Series appearance from the Orioles. Even so, I’ll take another Ravens Super Bowl victory, too. Those moments have been incredible. — Andrew Virgilio The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll View the full article

Diontae Johnson’s time with the Ravens was brief, but it was certainly memorable. The 28-year-old wide receiver, who was acquired in a midseason trade with the Carolina Panthers and recorded just one catch in seven weeks with the team, opened up about his tumultuous time in Baltimore in a podcast interview with former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia earlier this month. “That was a tough situation for me,” Johnson said in a “Sport and Suits” episode. “I love the players and stuff, I love the organization, but it just wasn’t for me.” Johnson said that he “checked out mentally” with the Ravens, who acquired the former Pittsburgh Steelers standout in a late-round draft pick swap before the October deadline. While he was expected to play a complementary role to wideouts Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, Johnson played just 39 offensive snaps in four games as the Ravens put together one of the most efficient offenses in league history behind two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. “I felt like I wasn’t getting used,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to say used like being selfish, but me feeling a part of [a team].” Johnson’s frustration with his lack of involvement came to boiling point during a Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles in early December when he refused to take the field after Bateman exited with a knee injury during a 24-19 defeat. Johnson was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team, and he was later excused from team activities before being released. In explaining his reasoning for sitting out that game, Johnson said that he felt cold in the 41-degree weather at M&T Bank Stadium and didn’t “want to go out there and put bad stuff on film.” “I was on the sideline just standing there, going to the heater back and forth, just waiting to hear my name called,” he said. “Then going into the fourth quarter, they’re like, ‘Tae, we need you.’ But I’m like, nah. To me I’m thinking like, ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for me.’ “And it’s not like I didn’t want to go in the game. But you’ve got to think, like, leading up to this point, I’d been through so much. … I’d checked out mentally. I was like, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ I was just rolling with the punches at that time. So I told them I wasn’t going in. I was like, ‘I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not [going to] go in.’ So I just sat on the bench, and that’s when they suspended me.” The Ravens waited three days before announcing during their bye week that Johnson would be suspended. General manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement that it was a difficult decision, while coach John Harbaugh later added that “there’s some moving parts there that we’re going to have to figure out and explore and just see where we’re at.” On Dec. 20, Johnson was officially released. Related Articles Document reveals details of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s previous contract saga Ravens’ versatile secondary has a chance to be the best in the NFL Mike Preston: It’s time for the Ravens to get over the hump | COMMENTARY READER POLL: Would you rather the Orioles or Ravens win a title? Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey lists $2.5M Baltimore condo “I already knew if I went back [to Baltimore] I was going to be in the doghouse even more,” Johnson said. “So I just asked to get released. And I got picked up by Houston.” His tenure with the Texans quickly turned sour as well. Johnson caught three passes in a pair of games with the team, including one in a wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, but was reportedly upset in the locker room after the game. Johnson said that the Texans made it sound as if he would be a bigger part of the offense when they signed him, but he quickly realized that he was playing behind younger players in the pecking order. He said that he tried to talk to coach DeMeco Ryans to understand his role, but to no avail. “After that, they said I was a distraction,” he said. “They released me. I’ve been home ever since.” In a twist, Johnson was claimed off waivers by Baltimore after the season in a procedural reunion. The Ravens hoped to gain a compensatory draft pick if Johnson signed a significant contract with another team as an unrestricted free agent, but the market for his services was slim. Johnson said that the Cleveland Browns were the only team to express interest, and he signed a one-year, $1.17 million contract in April with no guaranteed money. “We understood the risks and the rewards,” DeCosta said of Johnson after the season. “We knew that it wasn’t 100% going to be a slam dunk. It didn’t work out. We always try to mitigate our risks. … In that particular situation, I really didn’t see a lot of downside. I think we understood what the downside might be — that he would be unhappy with his role, potentially.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

When Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was asked during last week’s two-day mandatory minicamp about the conversations he’s had thus far with general manager Eric DeCosta about a possible contract extension, he demurred. “You know I never discuss contract situations here,” the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player said. “I don’t want to talk about it, if that’s OK with you.” However, details from an arbitration hearing over a November 2022 collusion grievance filed by the NFL Players Association against the NFL over concerns about teams colluding to limit fully guaranteed contracts shed some light on Jackson’s previous contract negotiations with Baltimore in 2022 and 2023. The 61-page document, which was obtained by the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast and shared Tuesday, details, among other things, DeCosta’s thought process, Jackson’s known desire for a fully guaranteed deal and, remarkably, the quarterback at one point citing a broken microphone on his phone as a reason for difficulties in the two sides negotiating. Jackson was one of three players — along with quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray — who testified in the hearing, which took place in New York City over 10 days between July and August of last year. Although the NFL ultimately won, arbiter Christopher Droney wrote in the decision, “There is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans’ contracts at the March 2022 annual owners’ meeting.” The meeting had taken place just days after the Cleveland Browns gave a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract to quarterback Deshaun Watson. As for the involvement of Jackson, who does not have an agent, he took part in the proceedings via Zoom, according to the document, which also outlined the conversations he had with DeCosta during negotiations following the 2022 season about his desire for a fully guaranteed deal. And DeCosta, according to the document, acknowledged the difficulty of those conversations with some new detail. “Mr. Jackson said that the microphone on his phone was not working, making communications with Mr. DeCosta difficult,” the document reads. It also included email and text exchanges between the two. 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.” Related Articles Ravens’ versatile secondary has a chance to be the best in the NFL Mike Preston: It’s time for the Ravens to get over the hump | COMMENTARY READER POLL: Would you rather the Orioles or Ravens win a title? Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey lists $2.5M Baltimore condo Mike Preston: For Ravens, Jaire Alexander is worth the gamble | COMMENTARY Jackson, whom Baltimore selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, went on to play that season on the fifth-year option. After the season, DeCosta offered differing three-year deals, according to the document, both of which he considered to be fully guaranteed. However, Jackson rejected both and requested to be traded. DeCosta then asked Jackson for a list of teams for which he would accept a trade, but never got one, according to the document. Meanwhile, the Ravens applied the nonexclusive franchise tag to keep Jackson in Baltimore for at least another year but also allowed him to negotiate with other teams. According to the document, only a couple of teams had expressed interest in the quarterback before the tag was applied, and none reached out after. Among the reasons for a lack of interest, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said, were the size of the contract Jackson would demand, salary cap implications, having to give up two first-round picks if they signed him to an offer sheet after he was tagged and his unique playing style, according to the document. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank also testified that Jackson’s injuries were factors in his team saying publicly in 2023 that they had no interest in acquiring the superstar. Lamar Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million deal with the Ravens in 2023. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Of course, Jackson and the Ravens finally did reach an agreement, though it wasn’t without plenty of uneasy moments. On the eve of the 2023 draft, DeCosta was “under the assumption that Mr. Jackson would no longer be playing for the Ravens,” according to the document, but he sent over another offer. To his surprise, Jackson quickly accepted the five-year, $260 million offer that briefly made him the highest-paid player in football. But with Jackson having slipped to now being the 10th-highest paid quarterback in the league, and with a prohibitive $74.5 million salary cap hit looming beginning in 2026, the two sides have been in discussion again about a new contract. Jackson finished the 2024 season as the runner-up to Josh Allen as The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player. Baltimore’s quarterback passed for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions this past season, while also adding 915 rushing yards. What the current contract talks lead to remains to be seen — it’s likely Jackson will once again become the sport’s highest-paid player — but the hearing shed further light on DeCosta’s thinking and what it could mean going forward. DeCosta testified that he’s not opposed to fully guaranteed contracts, just fully guaranteed contracts “pushed out to later years.” He also said that because Jackson is a “running quarterback” and has incurred injuries during his career, that is just one reason why he tries to minimize guarantees in the fifth and sixth years of contracts. Jackson and the Ravens open training camp on July 22. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Inside the Ravens’ facility, the names Ed Reed, Chris McAlister and Duane Starks mean something to the current players. There’s a certain level that the Ravens’ secondary expects to reach, cornerback Marlon Humphrey said, and last year’s 31st-ranked passing defense didn’t meet the standard. So Baltimore rebuilt — with first-rounders. The Ravens are the only NFL team with five first-round picks in their projected starting secondary. No other team has more than three. “I think that comes with an added expectation that we welcome,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “We really have no excuses to not go out there and do what we need to do.” The team signed cornerback Jaire Alexander on Wednesday morning and drafted Georgia safety Malaki Starks in the first round. Alexander, Humphrey and Hamilton have all earned All-Pro honors. On paper, it’s one of the best secondaries in the NFL. But this isn’t just a talented group. The five projected starters and key backups possess positional versatility, which is critical in today’s matchup-based NFL. The upgrades come at a needed time; Baltimore will look to improve from a passing defense that allowed 7.2 yards per attempt, a 91.1 passer rating and failed to force any turnovers in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Some of those numbers are inflated because of the leads the Ravens built last season, but the front office clearly felt changes were necessary. “It’s going to be a fun secondary, I think guys can kind of play wherever,” Humphrey said. “The addition of Jaire, along with the other guys we got, it can be a serious matchup [based].” Humphrey can play inside or outside, but he’s most disruptive near the line of scrimmage. An All-Pro slot cornerback in 2024, he logged over 400 nickel snaps and led all cornerbacks with six interceptions, per Pro Football Focus. On Wednesday, a nickel blitz by Humphrey forced Lamar Jackson into throwing an interception. Alexander’s signing allows Humphrey to play solely on the inside in nickel packages. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr will be faced with a tough personnel decision: does Humphrey kick outside or remain on the bench in base packages? That’s a choice Baltimore’s coaching staff is glad they get to make. “When you got corners, you don’t have to worry about your corners. And it’s kind of a big deal,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Just gives you more options with the defensive play calls.” Related Articles Mike Preston: It’s time for the Ravens to get over the hump | COMMENTARY READER POLL: Would you rather the Orioles or Ravens win a title? Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey lists $2.5M Baltimore condo Mike Preston: For Ravens, Jaire Alexander is worth the gamble | COMMENTARY Ex-Ravens LB C.J. Mosley announces his retirement after 11 years in NFL Alexander has played almost exclusively on the outside his entire career and Wiggins played over 90% of his defensive snaps at boundary corner in his rookie season. But their backups, Chidobe Awuzie and Jalyn Armour-Davis, can slide around the secondary. The embodiment of the Ravens’ versatility is in their safety duo. Hamilton is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, playing more than 200 snaps each at three positions last year. Starks moved around in Georgia’s defense. He played 178 snaps in the box, 225 as a slot corner and 349 at free safety last season, according to PFF. Baltimore’s defense can get creative with various packages, defensive designs and matchups. Orr, who seems primed for a coaching leap in his second year as defensive coordinator, can play around with disguised coverages and post-snap rotations because of his players’ ambiguity. In the offseason, former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald quoted former Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome about his drafting philosophy in the secondary. Hamilton echoed the Hall of Famer on Wednesday. “You can never have too many DBs,” Hamilton said. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

It’s time for the Ravens to win serious championships. Winning two straight AFC North titles is OK, but I’m talking about major hardware here, like the Lamar Hunt Trophy as the AFC champion and Super Bowl 60. If the Ravens lose that one, that can be tolerated, but anything less is a failure. Remember, this is Baltimore, not Cleveland. Expectations are high here, but haven’t been met in the past two seasons when the Ravens had one of the top two or three rosters in the NFL. They had an NFL-best regular-season record of 13-4 in 2023, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-10, in the AFC championship game in Baltimore. In 2024, the Ravens finished 12-5 but lost to the Buffalo Bills, 27-25, in a divisional playoff game played in Orchard Park, New York, against a team they had beaten by 25 in late September. Those losses were ugly — embarrassing, in fact — because the Ravens committed three turnovers in each of those playoff losses. Granted, some credit needs to be given to both opponents. But this 2025 Ravens team is, to borrow a popular phrase from comedian Ron White, loaded. Only the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles might have a better roster because of their superiority on the interior lines, but if the Eagles are No. 1, then the Ravens are 1A. Winning a championship will be a point of emphasis and possibly distraction heading into training camp next month, but if the Ravens don’t win a title soon, the bigger question becomes, “when?” The window of opportunity closes fast in the NFL because of salary cap restrictions, but the Ravens made some strong moves in the offseason. They signed veteran free agents such as receiver DeAndre Hopkins and cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie. They even added a proven backup quarterback in Cooper Rush, even though he wasn’t impressive in OTAs. They anchored the NFL’s top running game by re-signing left tackle Ronnie Stanley and fullback Patrick Ricard and extending star running back Derrick Henry. They also brought back former Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano as the new senior secondary coach to improve a secondary that was ranked No. 31 in the league last season. This group has to get better because they can’t get much worse. The Ravens drafted Georgia safety Malaki Starks with their first pick in the draft in late April, a move that will allow them to play fellow safety Kyle Hamilton up near the line of scrimmage where he can be more impactful. If the often-injured Alexander plays near his Pro Bowl potential in 2020 and 2022, that puts him on the outside with gifted second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins and allows nickel back Marlon Humphrey to play over the slot receiver. Despite injuries to several cornerbacks in recent years, the Ravens have adequate depth in Awuzie, Jayln Amour-Davis and T.J. Tampa Jr. Overall, there isn’t much to dislike about this team, but the Ravens do have some holes. Quarterback Lamar Jackson tries to secure the football during a playoff loss to the Bills. The Ravens have lost heartbreakers in the postseason the past two seasons. (Frank Franklin II/AP) Pass blocking is still questionable even though elusive quarterback Lamar Jackson made this offensive line look formidable at times. If the Ravens can’t run, they might be in trouble. They have a surplus of receivers in Rashod Bateman, Hopkins, Zay Flowers and Tylan Wallace, and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, but Likely, Hopkins and Andrews are in contract years. What happens when they don’t catch enough passes, and which one becomes the disgruntled castoff? Defensively, the Ravens have to mix and match on the back end with all those cornerbacks, and this is a pivotal year for both weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson as well as second-year coordinator Zach Orr. Pass rush is still a priority. The Ravens have two of their best returning from a year ago in outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, but neither came through in big games. Mike Green might be the answer, but the second-round pick is only a rookie. Special teams are a concern, too. Which one of those rookie kickers, Tyler Loop or John Hoyland, will replace icon Justin Tucker, who was waived by the team in May after 13 seasons with Baltimore? Neither was extremely consistent during OTAs. The Ravens need to find a punt returner among a group that includes receivers Wallace, Dayton Wade, rookie LaJohntay Wester and possibly running back Keaton Mitchell. Every team, though, has a need, some more than others. For the Ravens, it comes down to eliminating the turnovers, and a lot of it starts with Jackson. There is the regular-season Jackson, the Most Valuable Player candidate; and then there is the postseason Jackson, who has a 3-5 record with seven interceptions and six lost fumbles. The Ravens need him to step up his game in the playoffs. Related Articles Ravens’ versatile secondary has a chance to be the best in the NFL READER POLL: Would you rather the Orioles or Ravens win a title? Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey lists $2.5M Baltimore condo Mike Preston: For Ravens, Jaire Alexander is worth the gamble | COMMENTARY Ex-Ravens LB C.J. Mosley announces his retirement after 11 years in NFL But it’s not just about Jackson. Andrews fumbled after a catch and dropped a would-be game-tying 2-point conversion pass late in the game against Buffalo. Flowers fumbled the ball just short of the goal line against the Chiefs in the 2024 AFC championship game, resulting in a Kansas City touchback instead of cutting the Chiefs’ lead to three on the first snap of the fourth quarter. It’s always something. Then there is the John Harbaugh factor. Instead of the coach trying to maintain his aggressive philosophy, he needs to rely more on gut instincts and what is happening on the field instead of analytics. This is the NFL, after all, not analytics-driven MLB. There can be no more excuses. This is a team primed for a big-time run in 2025, led by two eventual Pro Football Hall of Fame members in Jackson and Henry. They’ve been nearly injury-free in the past two postseasons, and it’s just a matter of them putting it all together. As former Ravens great and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs used to say, “I want me some of that Lombardi Trophy. It’s about time.” It certainly is. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The Orioles and Ravens appear to be on different trajectories in 2025. While the Orioles entered the season with championship aspirations, they have struggled mightily as one of the worst teams in the American League. The Ravens, who, like the Orioles, have disappointed in the postseason in recent years, also enter their campaign with hopes of winning a title for the first time since 2013. The Orioles haven’t won a championship since 1983. Which of Baltimore’s pro teams would you rather see win a title? We want to know your thoughts. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey has listed his Baltimore condominium for $2.5 million. Humphrey moved into the condo, located in the Liberty Harbor East apartments, around two years ago, according to his executive assistant and property manager, Jeremiah Pittman. Humphrey purchased the space for around $2.8 million. Humphrey listed the property for sale Feb. 11. The condo features three bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, panoramic views of Baltimore’s skyline, 3,000 square feet“] of living space and a rooftop terrace. The home offers some privacy in the midst of Baltimore’s downtown, with a separate elevator foyer leading up to the master suite, according to the listing. The condo also features 10-foot-high ceilings and oak hardwood floors, with an additional private balcony. Although Humphrey is staying in the Baltimore area, he’s looking for a larger space for his growing family, according to Pittman. “He just wanted a more family-style home for him and his family,” Pittman told The Baltimore Sun. Humphrey joined the Ravens in 2017 and is entering his ninth NFL season. Last year, he was named a first-team All-Pro for the second time and is a four-time Pro Bowl selection. Have a news tip? Contact Hannah Epstein at hepstein@baltsun.com. View the full article

Ozzie Newsome retired as Ravens general manager in 2018, but his mantra of “right player, right price” is still at the core of how the team approaches free agency. It was evident Wednesday when Baltimore signed former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million. Before everyone starts buying tickets for Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California, here is my rub: Alexander hasn’t been available lately. The 28-year-old has played just 16 games, including the playoffs, over the past two seasons because of a series of ailments — quadriceps and knee injuries last year, back and shoulder injuries the year before that. He played in just five games in 2021, a season sandwiched between his past two fully healthy seasons, during which he made the Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro each year. If he plays well (and is available), he could be the next Marcus Peters, a disgruntled cornerback the Ravens acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 before he wore out his welcome after the 2022 season. Or he could be the next Marcus Williams, the highly paid safety who played in only 32 games over three seasons because of injuries and poor play. Which Marcus will show up? No one knows, but Alexander is worth the gamble. It’s a textbook signing of a veteran to a salary cap-friendly deal. Top-tier cornerbacks are making about $25 million per year. The Ravens might be getting one who is still in his prime, despite his injury history. Here is another reason for optimism: Since changing their strength and conditioning coaches in 2023, the Ravens have been one of the healthiest teams in the postseason. So, the move to Alexander makes sense. If he returns to his 2020 and 2022 form when he was one of the best cornerbacks in the game, the Ravens have a luxury at the position. Baltimore had a glaring weakness a year ago on the back end and ranked 31st out of 32 teams by allowing an average of 244.1 passing yards per game, though the unit turned a corner in the second half of last season. The addition of Alexander allows the Ravens to start 2024 first-round draft pick Nate Wiggins at one corner spot and keep Marlon Humphrey inside over the slot receiver. Related Articles Ex-Ravens LB C.J. Mosley announces his retirement after 11 years in NFL 5 things we learned from Ravens two-day mandatory minicamp Ravens training camp dates, joint practices vs. Colts, Commanders announced Ravens defense urgent to get ‘the standard’ back by forcing more turnovers Ravens observations: What we saw and heard as minicamp winds down The Ravens have another first-round pick in the secondary in rookie Malaki Starks at free safety, and they can move strong safety Kyle Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage if necessary or keep him on the back end. If Starks performs as advertised, the Ravens might have the best safety tandem in the NFL. Jalyn Armour-Davis, T.J Tampa and veteran Chidobe Awuzie had been shuffling in as the second outside corner during OTAs, but now they can provide solid depth. Secondary coach Chuck Pagano might be the missing ingredient. Alexander will get tested because Wiggins can play. Opposing teams will challenge the two-time Pro Bowl selection to see if he is fully healthy or whether he has lost a step. That’s always a concern. Williams was a highly sought-after free agent, too, and after a successful first season in Baltimore, he tore his left pectoral in Week 1 the following season. He didn’t have surgery, missed six games, and his drop-off from there was noticeable. New Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander has an extensive injury history but has excelled when healthy. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP) Much has been said and written about star quarterback Lamar Jackson endorsing Alexander, his former college teammate at Louisville. Did it have an impact? Probably, because it’s all part of the pampering of Jackson. But if Alexander couldn’t play, the Ravens wouldn’t have signed him. The question for Jackson and the Ravens is, where is the hardware? There is no Super Bowl ring, not even a Lamar Hunt Trophy for winning the AFC. Jackson wanted Odell Beckham Jr., he wanted DeAndre Hopkins, and he wanted Marquise “Hollywood” Brown out of Oklahoma in the 2019 NFL draft. The Ravens have had the best roster in the NFL the past two years and have nothing to show for it. Now it’s time to win, and win big. A lot of it might depend on Alexander. Which Marcus will he be? Regardless, it’s worth the gamble. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

C.J. Mosley, a five-time Pro Bowl selection during an 11-year NFL career with the New York Jets and Ravens, announced Thursday, his 33rd birthday, that he’s retiring from playing football. Mosley was released by the Jets in March after playing in just four games last season because of a toe injury and later a herniated disk in his neck. A popular playmaker and leader during his career, Mosle made his announcement with a 2-minute, 10-second video post on his Instagram page titled “Once upon a time …” that included highlights of his playing career. “Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation,” Mosley said. “I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it’s time to start a new chapter with new dreams. It won’t be easy, but I’m here to tell you every sacrifice is worth it. “When you wake up, what will your legacy look like?” Mosley, the 17th overall pick by Baltimore in the 2014 draft out of Alabama, had nearly 1,100 career tackles with 12 sacks, 12 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and three touchdowns. He played five standout seasons with the Ravens before signing a five-year, $85 million contract with the Jets in 2019 and was the heartbeat of New York’s defense during his tenure as one of the NFL’s top tacklers. “Captain! Thankful for the memories we couldn’t have asked for a better leader!” former Jets teammate and current Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers commented on Mosley’s post. “Half-Man Half-Amazing congrats on a great career bro,” former Ravens teammate and current Baltimore assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine wrote. Mosley, who is from Theodore, Alabama, was rated as one of the top high school linebackers in the country before heading to Tuscaloosa to play for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide after getting offers from several top football programs. Related Articles 5 things we learned from Ravens two-day mandatory minicamp Ravens training camp dates, joint practices vs. Colts, Commanders announced Ravens defense urgent to get ‘the standard’ back by forcing more turnovers Ravens observations: What we saw and heard as minicamp winds down Baltimore man pleads guilty to flying drone over Ravens-Steelers playoff game He made a quick impact in college, earning Freshman All-American honors, and helped Alabama win consecutive BCS national championships during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Mosley also won the Butkus Award in 2013 as college football’s top linebacker. Baltimore drafted him with the 17th overall pick in the 2014 draft and he became the first Ravens player voted to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He made the Pro Bowl three more times before leaving for New York and signing what was then the largest free agent deal for an inside linebacker. Mosley had an impressive debut with the Jets with five tackles and returned an interception by Josh Allen for a touchdown against the Bills, but he injured his groin in the third quarter and played in just one more game that season. He opted out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but returned the following season and reestablished himself as a consistent playmaker who routinely led the Jets in tackles while playing in all but one game during the next three years. Mosley was voted a team captain during each season he played in New York. Mosley also was praised by then-coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in 2021 when the linebacker remade his body by slimming down from 250 pounds to 231 to be more mobile in New York’s faster sideline-to-sideline defense. He was limited to just four games last season by his toe and neck injuries and said he was uncertain about his playing future. Jamien Sherwood, who replaced Mosley last season when the veteran was injured, led the Jets in tackles and was re-signed to a three-year, $45 million contract — signaling an end to Mosley’s time in New York. “C.J. was the epitome of a class act as a teammate, player and leader for the last six seasons,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement when Mosley was released. View the full article

The Ravens’ summer vacation begins now. After three weeks of voluntary practices followed by two days of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday, players are off until the start of training camp. Rookies will report July 15, while veterans will do so a week later, so they’ll only get about a month off. While there won’t be football until then and most of the 11 practices over the past month were not attended by the full roster, there was plenty to be gleaned, especially from the past two days. Here’s a look at the top five things we learned from mandatory minicamp. Kicking competition by no means decided With practice indoors and therefore space limited on Wednesday because of inclement weather, there wasn’t much to be observed from rookie kickers Tyler Loop and John Hoyland. But both had their ups and downs over the spring. “I think the biggest thing is to try to put them in tough situations as much as we can,” coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. That has at times included kicking in front of owner Steve Bisciotti, who at one point during organized team activities watched Loop, a sixth-round draft pick out of Arizona, go just 5-for-9, with all of his misses coming from beyond 50 yards. During one minicamp session Tuesday, Loop again made just two of his kicks, all from 45 yards and in, while John Hoyland, who was undrafted out of Wyoming, knocked in all four attempts from the same distances. Sure, Baltimore used a draft pick on Loop and that perhaps gives him an edge, but the Ravens are not averse to cutting a late-round selection, something they have done in the past. Harbaugh added that both kickers are working on trajectory and other tweaks to their kicking motion to try to make it repeatable and dependable. Those are just two things being charted in the process. It’s clear the job replacing Justin Tucker, whom the team cut after he was accused of sexual misconduct by several massage therapists from numerous Baltimore-area spas, is still up in the air. “All those things I think add up, and then the end result with all that going on has been really good,” Harbaugh said. “And again, we’ll pick it up in training camp.” Ravens kicker John Hoyland, shown practicing earlier this month, is firmly in the mix to land the starting placekicker job after the team's OTAs and minicamp. The undrafted Hoyland is competing with Tyler Loop, a sixth-round draft pick. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Lamar Jackson looked mostly sharp in his return Some will undoubtedly make a big deal about Jackson missing all but one of the voluntary practices, and in theory the question of, “is he doing everything he can to get over the hump to his first Super Bowl?” is perhaps a fair one. But it also doesn’t hold a lot of water when it comes to OTAs. Jackson, who has had similar attendance in previous years, was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2023 and nearly won the award again last season when he put up career highs in passing yards and touchdown passes during the regular season. The Ravens did start slowly each of the past two seasons, and maybe a few more OTAs would have helped avoid that, putting them in better position for the postseason. But again, the Ravens had the best record in the NFL two years ago, so it only goes so far. As for his performance the past two days, it was about what would be expected this time of year. He was mostly accurate, spread the ball around, was engaged, corrected young receivers on the depths of their routes, and had good timing and plenty of bounce in his step. Clearly still bothered by the divisional round loss to the Bills and the two turnovers he committed in that game, he said the team is looking to bounce back with “vengeance.” He also said that he plans to have more meetings with the players — something that began at one point last season with receivers attending some of the quarterback meetings — as well as get together with his pass catchers between now and the start of training camp. Defensive backfield loaded Baltimore executives are fond of saying a team can never have too many cornerbacks. Injuries are inevitable and depth therefore necessary, particularly for a defense that deploys a lot of nickel and dime looks. The Ravens added to that depth in a significant way Wednesday with the signing of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was also a teammate of Jackson’s at Louisville and drafted 14 picks before the quarterback in 2018. A day earlier, Jackson had implored general manager Eric DeCosta to “go get” the former Green Bay Packers standout who has also been oft-injured. In reality, negotiations had already been underway before then. The Ravens signed cornerback Jaire Alexander, shown above at the team's minicamp, to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP) Now that Alexander is here, though, the Ravens’ defensive backfield has five former first-round picks, including cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins and safeties Kyle Hamilton and rookie Malaki Starks. There are what could be solid contributors behind them, too, with cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Jalyn Armour-Davis and T.J. Tampa along with safety Sanoussi Kane. Losing safety Ar’Darius Washington to a torn Achilles tendon earlier in the offseason that could keep him out for the year stings, but it’s not insurmountable. And there’s always the possibility Baltimore could add a veteran safety at some point this summer, with plenty still available and affordable. Vorhees, Faalele front-runners to start at guard Last season, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele began the season at left and right guard, respectively, before Vorhees lost his job in part due to an ankle injury. With both healthy, they’ll be the front-runners to start there again this season, though Harbaugh stopped just short of guaranteeing it. “In one sense, every job is open,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen the next day. You’ve got to be ready for every possibility. “But those are two of the positions that I kind of think I’ve got a pretty good idea that the guys that you saw out there today are in the lead, especially Daniel. He had the most experience last year. So, he did a nice job and really played well as the season went on, and then when Voorhees got his chance, he looked really good, too, in that one game, the Browns game. But they both know they’ve got to play well. The standard will be very high, but we expect them to play up to it.” The rest of the starting offensive line, meanwhile, is set in stone with left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who has been a regular attendee through the spring after signing an extension this offseason, center Tyler Linderbaum and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. How the reserves shake out remains to be seen, but backup center Nick Samac, veteran Ben Cleveland, free agent acquisition Joe Noteboom, third-round rookie Emery Jones Jr., fifth-round rookie Carson Vinson and seventh-round rookie Garrett Dellinger all figure to have a good shot to be on the roster. That would also give the Ravens 11 offensive linemen, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for others vying for a job. Which also brings us to … Ravens executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta, left, walks with coach John Harbaugh during a practice this past season. The duo will enter training camp with a good idea for how the 53-man roster will shake out. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) There likely won’t be a lot of jobs up for grabs at training camp It’s still too early to project what the Ravens’ 53-man roster will look like, especially given the specter of inevitable injuries during training camp. But perusing the current 91-man roster, there simply are not a lot of openings. At quarterback, there’s Jackson with Cooper Rush behind him. At running back are Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell. The top three receivers are Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins, likely followed in some order by Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace and perhaps rookie LaJohntay Wester, who has a shot to win the punt return job. The tight end room is accounted for with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, along with fullback Patrick Ricard. Related Articles Ravens training camp dates, joint practices vs. Colts, Commanders announced Ravens defense urgent to get ‘the standard’ back by forcing more turnovers Ravens observations: What we saw and heard as minicamp winds down Baltimore man pleads guilty to flying drone over Ravens-Steelers playoff game Instant analysis: Ravens add to secondary with CB Jaire Alexander signing Along the defensive line are Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and John Jenkins. At outside linebacker are Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, rookie Mike Green, Tavius Robinson and likely Adisa Isaac. Inside linebacker spots stack up with Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, veteran Jake Hummel and rookie Teddye Buchanan. The defensive backfield so far shakes out with six corners (Humphrey, Wiggins, Alexander, Awuzie, Tampa, Armour-Davis) and four safeties (Hamilton, Starks, Kane, Beau Brade). Then there’s the kicker, punter (Jordan Stout) and long snapper (Nick Moore). Add it all up, and that’s 52 spots already. Even if some players start the year on the injured list, there simply aren’t that many openings. It also means outside linebacker David Ojabo and running back Rasheen Ali, among a couple of others, could very much be on the bubble. It could make for a relatively quiet training camp, but that would also be a good problem to have. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Mark your calendars, football fans. The Ravens will report to training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills on July 22 with rookies arriving a week earlier on July 15, the NFL announced Wednesday. As part of the Ravens’ ramp-up to their three preseason games in August and the regular-season opener Sept. 7 against the host Buffalo Bills, Baltimore will also hold joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts beginning Aug. 5 in Owings Mills and Aug. 21 with the Washington Commanders in Ashburn, Virginia. Ravens training camp passes will be made available on July 9 at 9 a.m. to personal seat license owners and 11 a.m. to the general public. Baltimore will open the preseason against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 7, before playing road exhibitions at the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, Aug. 16, and against the Commanders on Saturday, Aug. 23. Since John Harbaugh became coach in 2008, the Ravens have hosted joint practices four times — Commanders (2023), Jacksonville Jaguars (2019), Los Angeles Rams (2018) and San Francisco 49ers (2014) — and been the visitor five times — Carolina Panthers (2021), Philadelphia Eagles (2019, 2015), Colts (2018) and Green Bay Packers (2024). Both joint sessions this summer should carry plenty of intrigue. The Colts are expected to have a quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, and Daniel Jones, the former New York Giants first-round selection who signed as a free agent this offseason. Indianapolis is also entering a new era after Jim Irsay’s three daughters assumed control of the team earlier this month following their father’s death in May. The Commanders, meanwhile, are coming off a breakthrough season led by star quarterback Jayden Daniels, coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Washington went 12-5 and reached the NFC championship game for the first time since winning the franchise’s third Super Bowl title 33 years ago before losing to the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles. This offseason, the Commanders acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the 49ers and are expected to once again be one of the top teams in the NFC. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. Related Articles Ravens defense urgent to get ‘the standard’ back by forcing more turnovers Ravens observations: What we saw and heard as minicamp winds down Baltimore man pleads guilty to flying drone over Ravens-Steelers playoff game Instant analysis: Ravens add to secondary with CB Jaire Alexander signing Ravens sign 2-time Pro Bowl CB Jaire Alexander to 1-year deal View the full article

“The standard,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey started to say, as he crunched the water bottle between his palms. It’s something the longest tenured Ravens defenders believes has slipped since stepping into a leadership role. And it’s something — as Humphrey waxed at the twilight of last season and again after Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp practice — he wants to be responsible for helping recover. When Humphrey was drafted by the Ravens in 2017, there was an heir of reverence about the organization’s defense. He sat in meeting rooms with famed linebacker Terrell Suggs and learned what it meant to play that side of the ball in Baltimore. The ultimate history lesson came over the past few months when Humphrey dove into the team’s archival film. “I was unaware of how elite that 2000 Ravens defense was,” he said, referencing what many consider among the greatest defenses in NFL history. “When I first came to the Ravens it was all about the Ravens defense,” Humphrey said. “I’ve kinda let that standard slip.” Even in the late 2010s, well after Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Ed Reed retired, Humphrey said the “Raven flu was a real thing.” Faux hamstring injuries would pop up the week a team had to travel to Baltimore. Folklore or not, teams, in Humphrey’s estimation, feared throwing a screen pass knowing four defensive linemen would retrace and swarm the ball behind the line of scrimmage. “There was a fear when you stepped on the field,” Humphrey said. “That standard, we’re chasing to get it back. It’s an urgency to get it back.” For the first 10 weeks of last season, Baltimore’s defense ranked among the worst in the league. There was a years-long reputation set by their predecessors — even through 2023 when Baltimore became the first triple-crown defense in league history, leading in points allowed, sacks and takeaways — that last year’s group was falling short of. Its nadir was a narrow win over a division rival in primetime having allowed 421 passing yards and five touchdowns to Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow. In the locker room that Thursday night in November, Humphrey spoke for two minutes straight about the state of the defense. It ushered in a week of introspective conversation about how the group had lost their way. There was a legitimate and well-documented turnaround through the rest of the regular season, bleeding into the playoffs. All was not forgiven. Baltimore’s playoff loss in Buffalo underscored the problem at hand, the standard they lost. This offseason, going on Year 9, was Humphrey’s first spent living in the Baltimore area. Most of his teammates fled the area, as is normal. A few stuck around. Humphrey was at the team’s facility in Owings Mills sitting around a table with coaches trying to solve the mystery of where they went wrong. “On the inside, it felt like we were preparing the way we should,” Humphrey said. “It really seemed like everything was kind of where you wanted it. The answer never truly came. But, I do know the very simple answer, the one that did come.” Buffalo forced three turnovers in the divisional round. Baltimore forced zero. During the regular season, the Ravens defense forced at least one turnover in all but three games. They managed a pair of takeaways thrice, totaling 17 on the year. Come playoff time, they came up empty versus Pittsburgh and at Buffalo. Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith, shown at minicamp Tuesday, never lacks energy, his teammates say. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey says Smith's intensity has been matched by teammates this offseason. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “That’s the one thing that’s pretty evident,” Humphrey said. “It doesn’t matter how good you play defensively, if you can’t get the football, you’re not playing good enough. That’s the biggest thing to harp on. Like I said, that’s gotta be our identity.” “The [other] team is coming in trying to whoop our butt,” Zach Orr said last week. His biggest lesson in Year 1 as a defensive coordinator was to not let his players rest on their laurels. “We talked about it today. We’re going to be a little anal about it, and that’s good.” Some of that manifested in voluntary practices and mandatory minicamp. Safety Kyle Hamilton said there were scrimmages it felt like they were playing 12 on 11. Humphrey noticed a bit more juice from guys not named Roquan Smith, who in many ways embodies the standard they speak about. OTAs, in Humphrey’s estimation, “was a good glimpse of what we’re preaching.” Related Articles Ravens observations: What we saw and heard as minicamp winds down Baltimore man pleads guilty to flying drone over Ravens-Steelers playoff game Instant analysis: Ravens add to secondary with CB Jaire Alexander signing Ravens sign 2-time Pro Bowl CB Jaire Alexander to 1-year deal Ravens ‘super vet’ DeAndre Hopkins is already impressing Lamar Jackson Humphrey gave Lamar Jackson his flowers as a two-time Most Valuable Player and one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But he still wants the Ravens to be known for their defense the way Baltimore teams were in the early 2000s. It’s been a hindrance in every Ravens playoff loss of the Jackson era. Since Jackson took over at quarterback in 2018, Baltimore has played in eight playoff games. The defense has forced two turnovers in that span. To address the lack of postseason turnovers, Ravens defensive brass implemented a new, “very detailed” grading system. It’s plastered on video boards all around defensive meeting rooms. “Literally everything that you can possibly grade is graded,” Humphrey said. “I think that’s crucial to get that standard back. That’s all I’m thinking about as I go on this break.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

When nose tackle Michael Pierce announced his retirement in March, there was doubt about the Ravens having enough beef on the defensive line. The Ravens have responded well. They have enough girth, especially in first down or running situations, with possible starters in 6-foot-4, 338-pound Travis Jones, 6-3, 327-pound veteran John Jenkins and 6-2, 315-pound Broderick Washington Jr. If that’s not enough meat, the Ravens can insert 6-6, 315-pound C.J. Okoye. If it’s a pass-rushing situation, the Ravens can add or subtract with outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, who can also double as a defensive end. Robinson, 6-6 and 262 pounds, has enough versatility to be used in either a two- or four-point stance depending on the assignment. Then there is Nnamdi Madubuike, who is the most complete linemen on the defense. He needs to be careful, though. Jones, in his fourth season out of the University of Connecticut, has played well during OTAs and rebuilt that body in the offseason. There is very little baby fat on that frame. Running back rotation It’s very easy to see why team officials gave running back Derrick Henry a two-year contract extension in early May worth $30 million with $25 million guaranteed. He is a specimen, and it isn’t hard to figure out why he has basically stayed injury-free throughout his nine-year career. He is 6-3 and weighs 247 pounds. When carrying the ball, it’s hard to tell the difference between the pigskin and his biceps. Plus, who wants to hit that big train running downhill with a time of 4.54 seconds in the 40-yard dash? The biggest battle is who will be No. 2 behind Henry. Both Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill have split repetitions with the second unit. Hill, though, might be more of a third-down player as a weapon out of the backfield as opposed to Mitchell, who is certainly more of a breakaway threat than Henry. Hill is a better pass blocker than Mitchell. The Ravens have a surplus of runners, and that’s a good situation. Here’s the catch A year ago, receiver Zay Flowers seemed more focused in his second season compared with OTAs this offseason. That’s not to say that he is going to have a bad year, because few teams can cover Flowers with one defender, but he has dropped more balls in the past three weeks than usual. It’s a focus issue. Meanwhile, tight end Mark Andrews has been obsessed and looks like the Andrews of old instead of an old Andrews. He has shown breakaway speed several times in practices, and that was lacking a year ago. The best catch of the day was hauled in by Anthony Miller on a 20-yard reception despite being triple covered. Also, second-year receiver Devontez Walker has shown good acceleration and hands on crossing routes. He can make a lot out of very little. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson flashed his trademark speed on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) He’s still fast During the first drill involving quarterbacks, it was so easy to see the difference in the foot speed of Lamar Jackson compared with backups Cooper Rush and Devin Leary. In fact, it was no contest. Jackson’s feet barely touched the ground while receiving snaps, and he made Rush and Leary look as if they were in slow motion. Linebacker look Early last season, several teams attacked middle linebacker Roquan Smith, who struggled in pass coverage with running backs out of the backfield. In the season opener, Kansas City ran a lot of crossing patterns over the middle. It will be interesting to see how the Ravens have changed things up, especially with Trenton Simpson possibly performing better on the weak side. The new guy Newly signed cornerback Jaire Alexander was at practice on Wednesday, but in a sideline role. Alexander spent the two and a half hours watching the Ravens’ defense, chatting with team owner Steve Bisciotti and standing with his new defensive teammates. “You can never have too many DBs,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “It’s gonna be great to have [Alexander] in the room.” Alexander seemed eager to get on the field, trying on a helmet and twirling a football in his hands for the majority of practice. He’s expected to immediately start as an outside cornerback alongside Nate Wiggins, with Marlon Humphrey manning the slot. “I thought we had an excellent bunch of corners yesterday and we added one more excellent corner today,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of signing Jaire Alexander. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Secondary looks sharp Alexander’s addition was the big news of the day, but Baltimore has other talented defensive backs. The defense recorded three interceptions Wednesday, including one off Jackson. “I thought we had an excellent bunch of corners yesterday and we added one more excellent corner today,” coach John Harbaugh said. Related Articles Baltimore man pleads guilty to flying drone over Ravens-Steelers playoff game Instant analysis: Ravens add to secondary with CB Jaire Alexander signing Ravens sign 2-time Pro Bowl CB Jaire Alexander to 1-year deal Ravens ‘super vet’ DeAndre Hopkins is already impressing Lamar Jackson Ravens QB Lamar Jackson quiet about possible contract extension Wiggins picked off Jackson when an errant throw sailed past Rashod Bateman. Bateman tried to run a stop route, but Jackson’s pass missed the receiver and Wiggins easily picked it off. Safety Beau Brade made an easy interception on an overthrown deep ball and cornerback T.J. Tampa recorded another interception, his second in as many days. “You can see the trajectory that we think we’re on,” Hamilton said. “We’re off to a great start, it seems like we’re playing 12-on-11 out there sometimes.” Defense demands Humphrey knows that Jackson is the best and most popular player on the Ravens, but as the longest tenured defensive player, he remembers the elite defenses Baltimore routinely fielded since the record-setting group in 2000. The Ravens weren’t exactly stellar on that side of the ball last season; they finished 31st in the league in passing defense, allowing an average of 244.1 yards per game. But a lack of turnovers has been the biggest issue in Baltimore’s playoff woes, Humphrey said. In Jackson’s eight playoff games as a starter, the Ravens’ defense has forced just two total turnovers. Humphrey wants that to change. “You got to get the football,” Humphrey said. “I think it will ultimately help us be the defense that I feel like Baltimore deserves.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

A Baltimore man pleaded guilty Wednesday to flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium in January, interrupting a Ravens-Steelers wild-card playoff game, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Alexis Perez Suarez, 43, was sentenced to one year of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $500 fine on charges of violating national defense airspace. According to the plea, Suarez flew his drone over M&T Bank Stadium, despite the Federal Aviation Administration placing a temporary flight restriction on the stadium during the football game. This restriction blocked aircraft, including the drone Suarez was operating, from flying near the stadium. Federal law restricts unmanned aircraft systems, such as drones, from flying at or below a 3-mile radius of any stadium with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more people. NFL security suspended the game — halting play during a Steelers’ drive in the third quarter — when Suarez’s drone was spotted, to assess the potential threat posed, but eventually resumed the contest. The Ravens went on to win the game, 28-14, advancing to the divisional round. Maryland State Police and the FBI tracked the movement of the drone back to Suarez, obtaining and executing a warrant for his arrest on Feb. 18. “It is not just irresponsible and reckless, but illegal to fly a drone over a major sporting event such as a Ravens playoff game. Capturing a photo is not worth the risk of hurting any spectators, players, or employees,” said FBI Special Agent Amanda M. Koldjeski, who was in charge of the investigation. In his guilty plea, Suarez admitted the drone he was flying was not registered, and that he knew there was a flight restriction over the stadium during the game. He captured seven photos of the stadium while flying over it. Suarez wasn’t the first person to face consequences for flying a drone over a Ravens home game — Matthew Herbert of Pennsylvania pleaded guilty last year to flying a drone over the team’s playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2024. Have a news tip? Contact Mathew Schumer at mschumer@baltsun.com, 443-890-7423 and on X as @mmmschumer. View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say after the Ravens signed free agent cornerback Jaire Alexander on Wednesday. Brian Wacker, reporter: Adding Alexander was a no-brainer and not a surprise. The affection between Lamar Jackson and his former Louisville teammate is genuine. It’s also a low-risk, low-cost move for a player who when healthy was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. He also adds depth and talent to a secondary that has plenty of players with injury histories. That injury history of course includes Alexander, who was on the field only about half of the time during his seven years with the Packers. But if he can stay healthy, he is another piece who can help turn what was one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last season into perhaps one of the best. Sam Cohn, reporter: Not 24 hours after Jackson admitted he made some phone calls and publicly pleaded for general manager Eric DeCosta to go sign Alexander, Jackson’s former Louisville teammate put pen to paper on a deal bringing him to Baltimore. The one-year deal worth up to $6 million is below what other teams offered, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If Alexander comes to Baltimore and is comfortable being one piece of a larger puzzle in a loaded secondary — and more importantly, stays healthy — this could prove to be a dynamite signing. The 28-year-old helps make the secondary even more malleable than they already were, playing opposite second-year corner Nate Wiggins and allowing All-Pro Marlon Humphrey to push inside. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the ninth best cornerback in the NFL going into this season, with the understanding that injuries hampered his 2023 and 2024. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr and senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano probably shared a crisp high five in light of the news and got right to work on molding the Ravens’ new addition into their planning meetings. Baltimore’s secondary was a strong suit for the final seven weeks of the 2024 season. It just got stronger. C.J. Doon, editor: Death, taxes and the Ravens signing a solid veteran to a team-friendly deal. As soon as the Packers released Alexander, Baltimore immediately came to mind as a destination, not only because of his connection with former Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson but the Ravens’ glaring need for more depth at cornerback. Having Alexander in the fold allows Marlon Humphrey to play in the slot more often and takes some pressure off Chidobe Awuzie — another solid veteran pickup earlier this offseason — and the young corners behind him. T.J. Tampa and Jalyn Armour-Davis are great options off the bench to mix and match in a versatile secondary that now looks like one of the league’s best after an extremely disappointing season. Health is always a concern, especially for a player like Alexander who has missed time in all but one of his seven seasons, but there’s very little risk in a move like this. If Malaki Starks is the star rookie the Ravens expect him to be, Kyle Hamilton keeps ascending and Wiggins and Humphrey continue to play at a high level, there’s a good chance that Baltimore fields one of the league’s top secondaries this season after spending last year trying to fix one of the worst. Zach Orr and Chuck Pagano should be happy. Bennett Conlin, editor: Does Baltimore have any obvious weaknesses? While Alexander’s health has been a question mark in recent seasons, he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL when available and he’s coming to the Ravens on a cheap, one-year deal. There’s minimal risk to bringing in Alexander, who joins a secondary that includes stars like Kyle Hamilton, Humphrey and Wiggins. The secondary now looks plenty strong after lingering questions from the 2024 season. Add in perhaps the NFL’s most dangerous offense, and there’s little reason the Ravens shouldn’t contend for this year’s Super Bowl. Plus, adding Alexander should only benefit Jackson’s confidence and comfort level. The former college teammates at Louisville are good friends, and Alexander’s presence should please the two-time MVP as he aims to lead Baltimore to a championship. What’s not to like about this signing of a talented free agent looking to prove his worth on a one-year deal? Eric DeCosta deserves his flowers for this signing, which bolsters Baltimore’s Super Bowl chances. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Related Articles Ravens sign 2-time Pro Bowl CB Jaire Alexander to 1-year deal Ravens ‘super vet’ DeAndre Hopkins is already impressing Lamar Jackson Ravens QB Lamar Jackson quiet about possible contract extension Ravens observations: Here’s what stands out so far at mandatory minicamp Lamar Jackson wants Ravens to sign CB Jaire Alexander: ‘Go get him, Eric’ View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson stood at the podium after a practice Tuesday and exhorted general manager Eric DeCosta to “go get” free agent and two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. Jackson and Alexander were teammates at Louisville, entered the NFL together in 2018 and have remained close. Less than 24 hours later, DeCosta obliged. On Wednesday, Alexander, who spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, signed with Baltimore, the team announced. It’s a one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $6 million, according to a source with direct knowledge of the contract. About a dozen teams were interested in signing Alexander, and one of his prerequisites was playing for a contender, the source said. The move was the latest splash for the Super Bowl contender Ravens, who last offseason signed five-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry and this offseason landed free agent wide receiver and three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins. Alexander’s addition, meanwhile, bolsters a a Ravens pass defense that ranked 31st in yards allowed per game (244.1) and was 17th in interceptions with 12. He also adds depth to a secondary that already includes All-Pro slot cornerback Marlon Humphrey, fast rising Nate Wiggins, veteran Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa and Jalyn Armour-Davis. Alexander also comes with question marks, mostly centered around health. The 28-year-old has missed at least 10 games in three of the past four seasons. Last season, he played in just seven games because of quadriceps and knee injuries. Still, Alexander has been one of the game’s best cornerbacks when healthy. Despite appearing in only seven games last season, he finished second on the team in pass breakups (seven) and tied for second in interceptions (two). In 2022, he had five interceptions and 14 pass breakups in 16 games, and in 2019 had 17 pass breakups and two interceptions, also in 16 games. Over his seven seasons, including the playoffs, Alexander has 15 interceptions. This story will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Ravens ‘super vet’ DeAndre Hopkins is already impressing Lamar Jackson Ravens QB Lamar Jackson quiet about possible contract extension Ravens observations: Here’s what stands out so far at mandatory minicamp Lamar Jackson wants Ravens to sign CB Jaire Alexander: ‘Go get him, Eric’ Ravens’ Lamar Jackson defends Mark Andrews after playoff backlash View the full article

DeAndre Hopkins cut over the middle of the field and full-stretched to haul in a throw from Lamar Jackson. The newly acquired Ravens wide receiver, taking passes from the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player during their second practice together, rolled over the catch without planting his hand in the turf for balance, sprung up and bolted. “He’s different man,” Jackson said, his eyes widening. “He caught the ball and I’m like, that’s some vet — that’s some super-vet type stuff. It’s just dope to have him and I’m looking forward to throwing a lot of touchdowns to him.” Super veteran is an apt descriptor for the newest Ravens receiver. Hopkins is entering Year 13, having been selected to five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, now here in Baltimore joining his fifth team. Hopkins laughed that he’s played with far more quarterbacks than any other Ravens receiver, which means he knows a thing or two about getting acclimated. The key to developing trust between quarterback and receiver is simple, Hopkins said. It’s practice and effective communication. Even if the only times he and Jackson have worn purple jerseys and run plays together at the team’s facility in Owings Mills have been the first day of organized team activities in May and Tuesday for their first mandatory minicamp, the back and forth has been sharp. “He’ll come up to me and tell me what he’s seeing on a route and stuff like that,” Jackson said. “I’m like, ‘That’s what I saw! That’s what I was telling coach I wanted you to do.’ Stuff like that. That’s what you like to see from your receiver, like to hear from your receiver. Like engaging with those guys. All my receivers are like that.” It showed on Wednesday, even if manifesting in small sample sizes. Jackson’s first throw to Hopkins was a go route up the right sideline. Cornerback Nate Wiggins was tight to the receiver’s inside hip. Safety Kyle Hamilton came crashing toward the boundary. Their timing was about a step off, the throw just beyond Hopkins’ reach, falling incomplete. Hopkins saw three other passes thrown his way during 11-on-11 drills. He caught all three. The first was a simple crossing route that he hauled in and stepped upfield for what was presumably a touchdown in a no-tackling practice. Later, Hopkins made the catch that had Jackson all giddy. And the final was a rifle into Hopkins’ hardened hands about 5 yards upfield. What Baltimore is getting is a go-up-and-get-it type of “X” receiver. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman rely on their quick feet to create enough separation to find open grass. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, both big-bodied tight ends, are the only 50-50 ball catchers in the Ravens’ offense. That is, until Hopkins — who offensive coordinator Todd Monken said he views as a third starter, rather than a No. 3 receiver — joined the fold. Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins impressed quarterback Lamar Jackson on Tuesday during portions of minicamp. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) There is no tried-and-true timeframe for when he and Jackson will be in lock step on the field. It differs. But Hopkins is the kind of guy who only recently started playing chess on his phone and already thinks he’s a champion. He’s up late at night studying football formations with his girlfriend. He can’t wait to wake up for practice the next day. That implies training camp should be plenty of headway for the two to be ready by September. “You’re speaking to trust,” quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said. “You’re speaking to catch radius. Stuff that you see with Mark and Zay, Likely, you can now see with DeAndre Hopkins cause he’s very similar. He’s a wide receiver that can play strong. Big, strong hands that quarterbacks love.” Martin went on to laud Hopkins’ ability to compete for the ball. To go after the ball and bring it down. “Early on,” Martin said, “his communication has been great. His expectation as a very veteran, highly productive wideout is something that we haven’t seen in a while. Hopefully it’s a good thing for us.” Hopkins was in a similar situation last season, joining a high-octane offense powered by a superstar quarterback. The Tennessee Titans traded him to Kansas City before the deadline. With the Chiefs, Hopkins played 10 games, catching 41 passes from Patrick Mahomes for 437 yards. It was a truncated ramp-up to arrive in Kansas City and hit the field days later. A full offseason in Baltimore will only offer more time to strengthen the communication between quarterback and receiver. Hopkins is a “quick study,” according to Martin, who “loves talking to the quarterbacks.” Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson quiet about possible contract extension Ravens observations: Here’s what stands out so far at mandatory minicamp Lamar Jackson wants Ravens to sign CB Jaire Alexander: ‘Go get him, Eric’ Ravens’ Lamar Jackson defends Mark Andrews after playoff backlash Trial date set for Ravens OL Ben Cleveland over arrest on suspicion of DUI There have been plenty of initial conversations about what Jackson likes and what Hopkins likes. Maybe more importantly, what they each don’t like. They’ll use this mandatory minicamp and training camp to get on the same page for the start of the season. Hopkins was asked if, within those conversations, anything stands out about the type of quarterback Jackson is. Hopkins swatted that question as if it were a pesky gnat. “I can’t give a [public service announcement] about Lamar Jackson,” he said. “Lamar Jackson is a great quarterback all around. I’m not gonna come up here and try to PSA about Lamar Jackson. He puts that on display every Sunday.” Jackson’s competitiveness takes center stage every time he enters the building. Hopkins saw him before Tuesday’s practice shooting on a mini basketball hoop in the locker room, and even there “he didn’t want to lose.” Hopkins didn’t want to compare Jackson with Mahomes or any other signal-caller he’s played with either. “Lamar is a unique quarterback, he’s a great quarterback,” Hopkins said. “I’m just excited to go out first game against the Bills and put something on tape with him.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

There were sidearm slings to Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in stride and completions to Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins and Mark Andrews. Some throws were on target, some were off, some were intercepted. The difference was who was throwing them. It was in many ways the full Lamar Jackson experience, at least as much as it can be this time of year, with plenty of bounce in his step. Tuesday afternoon, the Ravens quarterback made his first appearance in Owings Mills since the first day of voluntary organized team activities last month. It marked the first of a two-day mandatory minicamp and every player was in attendance with the exception of safety Ar’Darius Washington and rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr., both of whom have been sidelined this spring with injuries. Shortly after Jackson took the field for the two-plus hour practice, quarterbacks coach Tee Martin asked him what he’d been watching this offseason. “The first thing he said was the games that we lost,” Martin said. “He’s like, I just wanna know how we lost ‘em and what we did and how we can be better.” The answer is easy. Baltimore turned the ball over three times in its 27-25 divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills. Two of them came from Jackson, with a fumble on one play and an interception on another. What, then, was his focus in rewatching the misery? “Try to make the game a lot easier for us,” Jackson said. “Going into a game and knowing what a defense gonna do before they do it.” Martin added that the loss to Buffalo was also a “deep-felt” one for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. “The last two seasons it kind of ended that way with some really emotional losses,” Martin said. They’ve stuck with Jackson. “I felt like when we protected the ball we had no problems moving the ball down the field,” he said of the defeat in Orchard Park, New York, in January. “Just the turnovers. [Without] turnovers, I feel like we win.” How long did it take for him to get over? “I don’t think I get over any loss,” he said. “I got losses from youth football that still haunt me.” Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin told the media that Lamar Jackson spent the early part of the offseason watching film of the team's recent losses to find areas of needed improvement. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) He was also still bothered by the vitriol directed at Andrews — his most trusted confidant since the two entered the NFL together in 2018 — after the wide-open tight end dropped a would-be game-tying 2-point conversion with 93 seconds remaining against the Bills. Speaking for the first time since after that loss, Jackson offered an impassioned and impromptu defense of his favorite target. “That guy’s different,” he said. “I been seeing my guy be getting talked about and I really don’t like that. He’s done so much for us.” The same can easily said about Jackson, of course. Entering his eighth year in the league, he has risen to perhaps the best player in the sport and is coming off his best season. In 2024, Jackson posted career highs in passing yards (4,172), touchdowns (41) and nearly took home a third NFL MVP Award, narrowly beaten out by Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Which is why the Ravens and Jackson have already engaged in contract extension discussions this offseason. Though Jackson, 28, still has three years remaining on the $260 million contract extension that he signed during the 2023 offseason, general manager Eric DeCosta has said extending the quarterback’s deal is a priority. With a prohibitive salary cap hit of $74.5 million slated for 2026 and 2027, it would behoove Baltimore to do so sooner than later. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, center, completes a drill during Tuesday's practice. Jackson is in contract negotiations with the Ravens, but he declined to discuss the status of those conversations. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Asked about the status of those discussions, however, Jackson declined to answer questions pertaining to his contract. Whenever a deal gets done, though, it’s likely Jackson will be among the highest paid players in football. Though he was briefly the highest paid player in the league when he signed his most recent deal, Jackson’s annual average salary has since slipped to 10th. The longer things go without a new deal, the costlier he could become. For comparison, the Bills signed Allen to a six-year, $330 million extension earlier this offseason. In the meantime, Flowers has said that Jackson has talked about wanting to gather players for more meetings, while Jackson said he plans to get together with his pass catchers before the start of training camp in late July. Martin added that Jackson has also been a far more vocal leader than he was a few years ago. “I feel like just bonding with my guys that’ll help us out a lot more,” Jackson said. “Picking each other’s brains, being around each other a lot more we’ll probably know what one of us is thinking ahead.” How exactly that manifests remains to be seen. Related Articles Ravens observations: Here’s what stands out so far at mandatory minicamp Lamar Jackson wants Ravens to sign CB Jaire Alexander: ‘Go get him, Eric’ Ravens’ Lamar Jackson defends Mark Andrews after playoff backlash Trial date set for Ravens OL Ben Cleveland over arrest on suspicion of DUI READER POLL: Which part of the Orioles’ roster are you most confident in right now? Jackson attended just one of the team’s nine voluntary practices earlier this spring, though he did recently get together with Flowers for at least a couple of throwing sessions down in South Florida, where both live in the offseason. And it was clear that the Buffalo loss was still on his mind. One of those sessions included the quarterback being captured on video voicing his displeasure on a miscommunication and likening it to his interception against the Bills. “We just make each other better,” he said of the sessions with Flowers. “We gonna talk trash to one another because we wanna see each other win.” He’s also confident about what’s ahead. Said Jackson: “We gonna bounce back.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

It’s hard to predict if the Ravens’ secondary has made significant progress, but the unit already looks better this offseason. The Ravens had their first of two straight mandatory minicamp practices Tuesday, and the secondary has been nowhere near as bad as a year ago when it gave up the deep ball consistently and allowed 244.1 passing yards per game, second worst in the NFL. Those Ravens couldn’t find tight ends or running backs, much less receivers. But the team has used several different combinations in practices thus far, mixing safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks, the team’s first-round draft pick out of Georgia in April, along with cornerbacks Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, Jalyn Armour-Davis and Reuben Lowery. Keep an eye on Lowery, a rookie free agent out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is only 5-9 and weighs 204 pounds, but the 22-year-old continues to make plays and is always near the ball. It will be interesting to see what the Ravens do with Hamilton and Humphrey this season. Hamilton is an impact player near the line of scrimmage and Humphrey can play inside or outside but is better playing over a slot receiver. He still has decent speed, but isn’t as fast as he used to be. Jackson watch Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw the ball reasonably well in his first appearance in two weeks. His short passes were tight and most were thrown to the outside, which is the perfect location. His long ball had some touch and he even threw some high and tight passes to the outside around 12 to 15 yards down the field, which hasn’t been a strength throughout his career. But as general manager Eric DeCosta continues to negotiate with Jackson about a contract extension, I wonder what would happen if the Ravens changed directions and stopped pampering him. For instance, schedule practices in the morning instead of allowing Jackson to sleep in. Maybe stop allowing him to miss practices in the middle of the week and practice like other players on the roster. After eight years, it’s worth trying something else, but maybe the Ravens believe this is their year to reach the Super Bowl despite Jackson’s 3-5 record in the postseason. Well, it’s just a thought. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman jogs behind LaJohntay Wester during Tuesday's practice. Bateman received a contract extension earlier this offseason. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Intrigue on offense It will be interesting to see what offensive coordinator Todd Monken dials up this season. So far, we’ve seen waggles, throwback screens, rollouts, straight drop-backs, tosses to running back Derrick Henry and quick hitters to running back and speedster Keaton Mitchell as well as passes over the middle to Mark Andrews and even the long ball to fellow tight end Isaiah Likely. So far, receivers Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace have made plays, but the most improved might be second-year player Devontez Walker out of North Carolina. His route running has taken a step forward, so the potential is still high for the 2024 fourth-round pick. D-line dealings The more I watch rookie defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles play, I like his technique. He is small at 6 feet and 289 pounds, but has good technical skills. If you aren’t overly big, it helps to have good technique, especially if you are fast. Peebles has a good explosion and gets off the ball well. If he can get into the backfield early, the sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech might cause some problems, especially for slower developing plays such as counters or traps. While on the subject of defensive linemen, second-year player C.J. Ravenell works too high and veteran nose tackle John Jenkins appears to be a perfectionist. Jenkins can get sloppy at times, but always works hard to improve. Undrafted rookie John Hoyland, shown Tuesday, is battling with sixth-round pick Tyler Loop to be the Ravens' kicker. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Just for kicks The best moment of the day belonged to a Ravens security officer who stopped the media and fans from walking behind the goal posts when rookie John Hoyland was attempting a field goal. Really? Do you think Steelers fans in Pittsburgh won’t be screaming and yelling obscenities among other things if Hoyland or fellow rookie Tyler Loop are attempting a field goal in crunch time during the last game of the regular season? Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson quiet about possible contract extension Lamar Jackson wants Ravens to sign CB Jaire Alexander: ‘Go get him, Eric’ Ravens’ Lamar Jackson defends Mark Andrews after playoff backlash Trial date set for Ravens OL Ben Cleveland over arrest on suspicion of DUI READER POLL: Which part of the Orioles’ roster are you most confident in right now? Get low Here’s a suggestion for outside linebacker David Ojabo, the fourth-year player and 2022 second-round pick out of Michigan: If he stayed low and wasn’t so stiff coming out of his stance, he would have more success. When you watch outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, they usually stay low, even though Oweh gets too high at times. Mike Green, the rookie second-round pick and outside linebacker out of Marshall, stays low and works the leverage game. Pressure’s on With the additions of Green and veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins, it’s apparent that the Ravens are loading up for the season. Owner Steve Bisciotti also gave coach John Harbaugh a three-year contract extension in late March, but that’s all meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Bisciotti gave former Ravens coach Brian Billick a four-year extension at the end of the 2006 season but fired him a year later after the Ravens went 5-11. Of course, Harbaugh is more polished and a better overall coach then Billick, but anything is possible in the NFL if there aren’t enough wins. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Jaire Alexander famously jumped up and down with jubilation when his Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson was drafted by the Ravens during Alexander’s post-draft interview. Tuesday afternoon, Jackson matched his former teammate’s energy. The Ravens’ star quarterback advocated for Baltimore to sign Alexander, who was recently released by the Green Bay Packers. Jackson said that he’s reached out to the 28-year-old cornerback. “Go get him, Eric,” Jackson said, dropping to his knees in his pitch to Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. The fit makes sense on paper. Jackson previously requested that the team sign wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins. Both have ended up in Baltimore. Now he wants his former college teammate here. “I hit him up. You don’t know with Jaire,” Jackson said after the Ravens’ mandatory minicamp practice. The Baltimore Sun previously reported that the Ravens had interest in Alexander at last year’s trade deadline, though the discussion didn’t go far because Baltimore preferred not to give up draft compensation. Alexander will almost certainly sign a one-year deal, which helps the Ravens’ chances. Baltimore could afford to bring the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback in on a cheap one-year deal, allowing Alexander to essentially play on a “prove-it” contract, chase a Super Bowl ring and sign a longer deal in the offseason. And cornerback depth is one of the biggest question marks on a loaded Ravens roster. Baltimore’s passing defense ranked 31st in yards allowed per game (244.1) last season and recorded 12 interceptions, six fewer than 2023. When healthy, Alexander has played like a premier corner, earning an 89.5 Pro Football Focus coverage grade over the past three seasons, which is tied for second in the NFL across that span. But he’s rarely been available in recent years, missing at least 10 games in three of the past four seasons. He appeared in just seven games last year because of quadriceps and knee injuries. In his seven NFL seasons, he’s played a full campaign just once. Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson quiet about possible contract extension Ravens observations: Here’s what stands out so far at mandatory minicamp Ravens’ Lamar Jackson defends Mark Andrews after playoff backlash Trial date set for Ravens OL Ben Cleveland over arrest on suspicion of DUI READER POLL: Which part of the Orioles’ roster are you most confident in right now? Baltimore also seems to like its group of young corners. Jalyn Armour-Davis and T.J. Tampa have impressed during offseason practices, and the team also drafted two sixth-round cornerbacks in Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam. Alexander’s talent would almost immediately place him as one of the Ravens’ starting outside cornerbacks, allowing veteran defensive back Marlon Humphrey to play in the slot and Nate Wiggins and Alexander to man the outside. “I love all our corners, but go get him Eric,” Jackson said. If Jackson’s wishes are granted again, Alexander could be the next high-profile camp addition in Baltimore. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article