ExtremeRavens Posted 10 hours ago Posted 10 hours ago When you’re a sinking ship in the middle of a grueling NFL season, you’ll try anything. For the Ravens (1-4), that means adding one of the sport’s loudest trash-talkers and shipping out a former first-round draft pick on the same day. Baltimore signed veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad Tuesday and later traded defensive end Odafe Oweh to the Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman. Gardner-Johnson joins his fifth team in five seasons, while Gilman arrives as a steady producer. Together, they represent the Ravens’ latest attempt to patch a battered defense. There’s at least one connection Baltimore can lean on. Gilman was a team captain during Kyle Hamilton’s freshman year at Notre Dame in 2019, before Hamilton eventually replaced him in the starting lineup the following season when Gilman entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick by the Chargers. The two safeties reunite now in Baltimore with a built-in familiarity that could help stabilize things. Fellow safety Malaki Starks, the team’s top selection in this year’s draft, should benefit from that kind of steadiness and experience around him. The moves also create depth in the secondary after Hamilton was absent during Sunday’s loss to the Texans with a groin injury. Meanwhile, Gardner-Johnson, 27, will need to prove he can be part of that solution and not emerge as another distraction. Gardner-Johnson brings talent and swagger to a desperate unit that ranks among the NFL’s worst in nearly every major defensive category. He also carries a reputation that’s contributed to his departure from multiple teams. From New Orleans to Philadelphia (twice), Detroit to Houston, Gardner-Johnson’s career has been defined by production and provocation. He creates momentum-changing plays and enemies alike. He’s a ballhawk who talks nonstop and, at times, struggles with turning the volume down in-house. Following his first stint with the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson took a shot at his former defensive coordinator and current Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, in a since-deleted tweet: “You ain’t put us in position to make plays,” with a shoulder shrug emoji. He’s also engaged in online arguments with different fan bases, including the Eagles’ and Lions’. When the Eagles traded him to the Texans this past offseason, Houston coach DeMeco Ryans labeled Gardner-Johnson a “winner” with “Super Bowl experience,” only to release him three weeks into the regular season. According to multiple reports, Gardner-Johnson caused friction in Houston’s locker room. Leading up to his sudden release, he reportedly criticized the size of a secondary teammate’s contract, complained about his role and questioned well-regarded leaders. “I know what’s best for my team,” Ryans said following Gardner-Johnson’s Sept. 23 release. Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, shown during training camp, is tasked with improving the defense and managing a handful of big personalities. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) In Baltimore, the level of leadership required to weather this current storm already is being tested. And now the front office is bringing in one of the league’s most combustible personalities. There’s little financial risk, which makes this a smart and calculated risk by general manager Eric De Costa. Houston is reportedly paying most of Gardner-Johnson’s salary, but there’s still emotional risk attached. Just last season, the Ravens acquired talented but embattled wide receiver Diontae Johnson, a move that quickly backfired. His fiery personality contributed toward a weird dynamic in the receiver room that took time to settle. Gardner-Johnson brings a similar, if not more intense edge to a locker room that’s already experienced emotional tolls over the first five weeks. The NFL’s worst-ranked defense is giving up points at a historical clip and Baltimore is struggling to create turnovers. The Ravens’ two takeaways rank second to last behind only the winless New York Jets. Insert Gardner-Johnson, who boasts 319 career tackles, 18 interceptions and 51 passes defensed over 77 games. Unlike Gilman who is part of the active roster, Gardner-Johnson will begin his Baltimore tenure on the practice squad and can be elevated to the game day roster. The Ravens are scheduled to host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday before their Week 7 bye. This past January, Gardner-Johnson recorded six tackles, including one tackle for loss across 71 defensive snaps during the Eagles’ 28-22 over the Rams in the NFC divisional round. Maybe these additions work and help revive a broken defense. Or maybe the Ravens just invited more chaos to a room already on edge. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article Quote
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