By signing Nick Boyle and releasing Michael Crabtree, the Baltimore Ravens are telling everyone what they believe about Lamar Jackson.
The Baltimore Ravens made two moves in the past two weeks that told you how they feel about Lamar Jackson.
The first came Feb. 25 when General Manager Eric DeCosta released veteran wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The second came March 7 when the Ravens re-signed tight end Nick Boyle to a three-year, $18 million deal.
In short, Baltimore plans on quarterback Lamar Jackson remaining more of a runner than a passer in 2019.
Last season, the Ravens struggled mightily to generate a passing attack. John Brown led the team with 715 receiving yards, and he’s a free agent. Crabtree registered third with 607 yards. That leaves Willie Snead — who had 651 yards and one touchdown in 2018 — as the de facto No. 1 on the depth chart as of now.
Allowing Brown to test the open market while cutting Crabtree is telling. However, the expensive contract or Boyle is even more so.
Boyle, 26, caught 23 passes for 213 yards last year. He’s played four seasons and never caught a touchdown pass. Yet Boyle was highly-coveted on the market, having interest from a whopping 19 teams, a source said during the NFL scouting combine. Why? He can block.
Boyle, a fifth-round pick in 2015, graded as the 23rd-best tight end by Pro Football Focus. His value is almost exclusively as an in-line blocker, helping to pave the road for Jackson and the running backs. In the AFC Wild Card Game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Boyle played 18 offensive snaps, only 30 percent of Baltimore’s plays for the day. To pay $6 million per year, it predicts more usage from a player who is primarily in on running downs.
With Jackson entering his second year in the league, and first as the unquestioned starter, the Ravens have to declare an identity. In Jackson’s eight starts last year, Baltimore only gained more than 200 total passing yards once. The former Heisman Trophy winner completed 58.2 percent of his throws, which would have ranked 31st had he qualified.
There’s reason to believe Jackson will become a better passer in time. At Louisville, Jackson’s completion percentage rose each year, reaching 59.2 as a junior. His yardage and attempts also increased, while his touchdown-to-interceptions ratio remained steady at near 3:1.
In the short term, DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh aren’t betting on a big arm to lead the way. Instead, the Ravens will be a throwback offense with a devastating running back being the order of the day.
In that vein, keep an eye on Le’Veon Bell. Bell is the best offensive free agent on the market and certainly someone Baltimore has seen plenty of. While other teams have more cap space, the Ravens might have the greatest need for a dynamite runner. DeCosta and Harbaugh understand that without quality back in the run-option offense they’ll play with Jackson, their ship is already halfway sunk.
Two moves. One message. The Ravens are readying for free agency and beyond, knowing exactly who they are.
Power rankings
Most cap space headed into free agency
1. Indianapolis Colts – $101.34 million
2. New York Jets – $92.45 million
3. Cleveland Browns – $79.04 million
4. Buffalo Bills – $75.30 million
5. Houston Texans – $73.34 million
6. San Francisco 49ers – $66.01 million
7. Oakland Raiders – $63.68 million
8. Cincinnati Bengals – $47.10 million
9. Tennessee Titans – $42.78 million
10. Detroit Lions – $39.85 million
Quotable
"“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”"
– Frederick Douglass, and now, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton
Newton used this quote to caption his workout photo on Instagram. The former MVP is back in the gym after enduring right shoulder surgery in January. The Panthers believe he’s going to be ready in time for the season, if not training camp.
Without Newton, Carolina would be contending for the top spot in the 2020 draft. With him, the Panthers are hoping to bounce back from a season that began 6-2, only to see them finish 7-9 in the NFC South.
Podcast
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Random stat
Last season, the Arizona Cardinals’ receivers notched a league-worst 1,806 receiving yards. Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones have totaled more than that by themselves in single seasons, with Johnson holding the all-time mark at 1,964.
Info learned this week
1. Antonio Brown fiasco ends with him in Oakland
On Thursday night, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport appeared to give us the conclusion to Antonio Brown’s saga. Instead, the weirdest chapter was authored.
Brown was reportedly all but officially dealt by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Buffalo Bills before everything went haywire. Two days later, Brown ended up as a member of the Oakland Raiders, with Pittsburgh receiving only third and fifth-round draft picks as compensation. The Steelers are also on the hook for $21 million in dead money this year.
For the Raiders, the move brings up a litany of questions. For starters, is Oakland still trying to rebuild around a young core after amassing a trio of first-round picks in 2019 and a pair in ’20? Or have Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock decided to change course? Additionally, after giving Brown a new deal that includes $30 million in guaranteed money, does this almost demand that Oakland spend lavishly in free agency?
As for the Steelers, this has to be seen as a surrender. Brown is mercurial, but he remains an elite talent. Trading him away for a pair of mid- and late-rounders while incurring a dead money charge larger than 10 percent of the cap is crushing. Pittsburgh now has JuJu Smith-Schuster and little else in the form of significant weapons for Ben Roethlisberger.
If the window wasn’t closed before for the Steelers, it is now.
2. Le’Veon Bell’s market will be hot
No free agent has been talked about more than Le’Veon Bell. Don’t expect that trend to change come Monday.
Bell, 27, is drawing some level of interest from at least half of the NFL. If the All-Pro had it his way, Bell would play with the Miami Dolphins. However, there’s a question of mutual interest. My understanding is Bell also has eyes for the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City features a high-powered offense that would allow him to rack up numbers and not be leaned heavily upon, but the defense requires the Chiefs’ cap room.
That said, the Raiders and New York Jets remain the favorites for his services. Baltimore is also worth watching as mentioned above. Per league conversations, Bell is seeking a contract within the range of $70 million overall with $45 million guaranteed. To land that amount will take a team with a large amount of cap space, something Kansas City and Miami are without.
3. Think the Pats are out on Flowers? Remember Hightower.
Take a lesson from the past. In 2017, the New England Patriots were coming off a Super Bowl title. Donta Hightower was one of the heroes throughout that season. He was expected by many to get the franchise tag. Instead, the Patriots let him hit the open market.
For a moment, it appeared the Tennessee Titans were going to land Hightower and build their defense around him. Then, New England swooped in. Hightower just won his third Super Bowl, by the way.
This could be a roadmap for how the situation plays out between Trey Flowers and the Patriots. Yes, New England acquired Michael Bennett from the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, but that doesn’t rule out the return of a long-term asset. Flowers is a versatile, front-seven chess piece in the same way Hightower is. In each scenario, the player was looking for a lucrative second deal and had many suitors.
New England could lose Flowers if the cost becomes prohibitive, but if the Patriots believe they can match the price, they likely will. New England has long benefitted from an ameba-like defensive front that can play any scheme on a weekly basis. Flowers fits that bill.
4. Dwayne Haskins gets an interesting comparison
While Kyler Murray is all the rage within the NFL, Dwayne Haskins has somewhat receded into the shadows. Haskins, a one-year starter with the Ohio State Buckeyes, is almost universally believed to be a top-10 pick. However, he’s been drawing an interesting comparison from FanSided sources: Byron Leftwich.
Leftwich was selected No. 7 in the 2003 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. While his career had its bright spots — Jacksonville went 12-4 in his third season — Leftwich ultimately became a journeyman quarterback over his 10 seasons.
The comparison is based off Leftwich being slow-footed and deliberate in his delivery. If Haskins can’t work through some of his mechanical issues, there’s reason to believe he’s not worth being an early first-round pick.
Will any of that give pause to the Jaguars, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins or Denver Broncos, all teams that could use a young, franchise quarterback? Remains to be seen, but there are certainly concerns in league circles.
5. Seahawks, Clark at stalemate over franchise tag
Frank Clark isn’t accepting the tag quietly. In fact, Clark isn’t accepting it at all.
The Seattle Seahawks decided to place their star defensive end on the franchise tag for $17 million, but Clark wants a long-term pact. However, Clark reportedly has no intentions of showing up for the offseason program or training camp without a long-term deal. The two sides have until July 15 to make that happen, or Clark can only play in Seattle on the tag.
Expect Clark to skip OTAs and minicamp while the two sides posture. Come July, General Manager John Schneider will negotiate with Clark’s agent, Erik Burkhardt.
Considering the facts — Clark turns 26 years old in June, has 32 sacks over the last three years and has missed one game in that time — he’s going to be seeking a mega-deal. Schneider has typically paid home-grown stars in the past such as Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, so smart money says this gets done.
History lesson
The 1948 NFL Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Cardinals has long been forgotten to time, but it remains one of the more important and fascinating contests ever played.
For starters, it was the first NFL title game ever televised. Played on Dec. 19 in Shibe Park, a crippling snowstorm threatened to postpone the event. Instead, the players helped to remove snow from the playing field.
The contest’s most famous player, Eagles running back Steve Van Buren, actually walked to the stadium after sleeping in, believing the game would be cancelled. Van Buren scored the only touchdown of the game, giving Philadelphia a 7-0 win and it’s first pro football championship.
Parting shot
Does your team need a safety in free agency? Step up to the buffet. There’s a sale.
No position is more of a buyer’s market than at safety, where at least a dozen difference-makers are available.
Here’s a sampling of the names which will be looking for a new home: Landon Collins, Earl Thomas, Adrian Amos, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Lamarcus Joyner, Jonathan Cyprien, Tyrann Mathieu, Glover Quin, Tre Boston, Tashaun Gipson, Darian Stewart, Jimmie Ward and others.
It’s a who’s who at the position. However, much like last year, some will end up signing on the cheap after being thoroughly disappointed. All of this to the glee of teams around the league.
While the Giants were widely panned for allowing Collins to hit free agency, General Manager Dave Gettleman is playing percentages. Collins is very likely to be elsewhere on a fat deal in 2019, but instead of taking an $11 million cap hit on the franchise tag, Gettleman could pay someone such as Amos or Mathieu a lower rate on a longer term.
While teams in need of a quality safety such as the Cowboys, Lions, Chiefs, Colts and Packers will look to spend money here, they may wait the market out. Why spend big when value is saturating the market?
There are many positions without a single star available — quarterback and cornerback among them — but safety is certainly not among them.