ExtremeRavens Posted 9 hours ago Posted 9 hours ago The Ravens’ Jaire Alexander experiment is officially over. Baltimore traded the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick, the Ravens announced Saturday. The move comes just before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline and ends the 28-year-old Alexander’s brief tenure in Baltimore after he appeared in just two games and dressed for a third, playing 61 total defensive snaps. It also clears about $2 million in salary cap space for the Ravens and gives them at least eight picks for April’s draft — not including as many as three additional compensatory selections. The Eagles had been interested in Alexander for a few weeks, but Baltimore declined multiple times before finally reaching an agreement, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. It might not be the last move the Ravens make before Tuesday’s deadline. They have a need for a disruptive defensive tackle or edge rusher after losing Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) for the season and trading Odafe Oweh, and now have even more wherewithal to do so. Alexander, who spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, signed a one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $6 million with Baltimore in June after quarterback Lamar Jackson publicly campaigned for general manager Eric DeCosta to “go get” the free agent. Jackson and Alexander were teammates at Louisville and entered the NFL together in 2018. But Alexander dealt with a knee injury during training camp that sidelined him early in the season and struggled to earn playing time in Baltimore, which got off to a 1-5 start before winning two straight games to get back in contention in the AFC North. The deal is hardly surprising after Alexander was a healthy scratch the past two games and was active for Baltimore’s Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Rams but did not play a snap. Once cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie returned from injuries, Alexander fell further down the depth chart. The Ravens’ trade for safety Alohi Gilman and their use of three safeties between Kyle Hamilton, first-round pick Malaki Starks and Gilman, along with Alexander not playing special teams compared with other reserve corners, also meant that the veteran defensive back was less likely to see the field. Amid an upbeat visitors locker room after Thursday night’s 28-6 win over the Miami Dolphins, the usually-energetic Alexander sat quietly at his stall at Hard Rock Stadium. After visiting with several players around the room, coach John Harbaugh approached and embraced Alexander, offering words of encouragement and excitement. Alexander smiled, exchanged words, hugged the veteran coach and moments later, walked out to the team bus. He now joins a cornerback-needy Eagles team that leads the NFC East at 6-2 and is a strong contender to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Baltimore Sun reporter Brian Wacker and columnist Josh Tolentino contributed to this article. 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 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.