Ravens Predicted to Land Free-Agent Receivers Sammy Watkins, A.J. Green
Ravens fans may be hoping the team lands a "true No. 1 receiver" in free agency, but PFF doesn't see it happening.
PFF ranked the top 150 free agents and predicted where they would end up and what their deal would look like. It does not have the Ravens signing wide receivers Chris Godwin (No. 2 overall), Allen Robinson II (No. 3) or Kenny Golladay (No. 4).
Instead, PFF predicted that Sammy Watkins (No. 63) and "Ravens Killer" A.J. Green (No. 104) will be headed to Baltimore.
"[Watkins is] way down the list of top free-agent wide receivers. Nevertheless, the former No. 4 overall pick is still a serviceable player when healthy and will be only 28 years old," PFF.com wrote. "Prediction: Ravens sign Watkins for three years, $30 million ($10M APY): $21 million total guaranteed, $16.5 million fully guaranteed at signing."
"Green has certainly lost a step since his days of NFL dominance, but a step-slow A.J. Green is still a pretty good NFL wide receiver. We think Green goes ring hunting on a one- or two-year deal, leaving the Bengals after a decade in Cincinnati. Prediction: Ravens sign Green for two years, $20 million ($10M APY). $12M total guaranteed, $10M fully guaranteed at signing."
As for the Ravens' top free agents, PFF predicted outside linebackers Yannick Ngakoue (No. 45) and Matthew Judon (No. 73) will sign with the New York Giants and Jets, respectively, while outside linebacker Tyus Bowser (No. 106) returns to Baltimore for three years, $21 million ($7M APY), $10 million fully guaranteed."
Report: Orlando Brown Jr. Requests Trade, Ravens Would Need 'Major Haul'
It began two weeks ago with this cryptic, four-word tweet from Orlando Brown Jr.
A week later, Brown erased any doubt as to his intent in another tweet: He also copied snippets from a Baltimore Sun story about how his late father and former Ravens offensive lineman Orlando Brown Sr. told him that the best tackles don't play on the right side.
Yesterday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Brown has formally requested a trade. However, Rapoport noted that the Ravens "would need a major haul" to move the two-time Pro Bowl right tackle.
So, what constitutes a major haul?
"We wouldn't expect something at the level of the Laremy Tunsil haul the Miami Dolphins received from the Houston Texans (which included two first-round picks), but a first-round pick could be on the table," Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger and Eric Eager wrote. "Working in Brown's and the Ravens' favor is that a robust market should absolutely develop for a potential starting left tackle. Five teams that are in dire need of a blindside protector all happen to be top 10 in projected 2021 cap space: the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Football Team, Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins."
Parting with a talented, young player such as Brown — who played well at left tackle after All-Pro Ronnie Stanley suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Nov. 1 — certainly isn't ideal, especially with the Ravens having other areas of need, but the team has all the leverage in this situation, according to Spielberger and Eager.
"The Ravens, by Brown's own account, have been amenable to his request and have maintained a positive relationship throughout this process, but this is in essence them doing him a big favor," Spielberger and Eager wrote. "Brown only has three accrued seasons in the NFL, meaning that if he were to hold out from training camp he would not accrue the fourth season required to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2021 season. This would make him a restricted free agent subject to a one-year tender offer well below his market value."
"The good news for Baltimore is that the 2021 NFL Draft appears to have an elite crop of offensive tackle talent, including several top-end players that already play on the right side. Northwestern's Rashawn Slater and Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins, among others, could be the solution for the Ravens come April."
Ebony Bird’s Richard Bradshaw wrote that trading Brown would benefit the Ravens in the long run.
"Obviously, you can't just replace a Pro Bowl-level tackle immediately, but this would be the Ravens' best chance to start the process," wrote Bradshaw, who added that the Ravens could get a first-round pick in exchange for Brown. "Brown Jr. is also slated to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2021 season and Baltimore would've likely struggled to retain him long-term. Considering Brown Jr. will likely get a fat deal somewhere else, the team would've only received a third-round compensatory pick for losing him. By trading him, the Ravens get much better value."
On the other hand, Russell Street Report's Brian McFarland said he isn't sure teams interested in Brown would be willing to part with a first-round pick for him.
Patrick Queen Clarifies Tweets About Finishing Third in Defensive Rookie of the Year Voting
Patrick Queen clarified the intent behind his tweets over the weekend about finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting to Washington defensive end Chase Young and Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn.
The middle linebacker said on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he felt as if his play was overlooked, but he meant no disrespect to Young. He also said that the perceived slight is bad news for opposing offenses next season.
"We're going to kill people [on the field]," Queen said. "Everything I took personal this year, so there's a lot of work to be done. People took my tweet to offense and ran with it. It was nothing against Chase. Chase is a great player, Chase earned it, but I feel like my work wasn't showcased. What I put in, all the work, all the highlights and stuff that I put out, it wasn't showcased. So, everything's personal now. I'm gonna go down to Florida with my guy at the House of Athlete and get the work in to go earn what I want."
Queen, who was called "Ray Lewis Jr." by Lamar Jackson after the Ravens selected him with the 28th-overall pick, said he aspires to match Lewis' intensity during the game as well as his spectacular entrance prior to it.
"I'm still thinking about what I'm going to do, but I need to come up with some heat," Queen said. "He had a great one that people still [talk about] to this day. And Terrell Suggs had some nice stuff, too, so I gotta come up with some heat this year."
Queen also revealed his "welcome to the NFL" moment on the show. It occurred during practice when he went up against 6-foot-4, 270-pound tight end Nick Boyle.
"Nick Boyle, I remember just trying to run through him on a little gap scheme. He just got a hold of me and drove me and drove me and drove me," Queen said. "And I'm just trying to run and rip off everything and I couldn't do it, so, that was probably my welcome to the NFL moment."
Quick Hits
- No Ravens players made PFF’s list of the best 101 players from the 2020 season.
- Boyle, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10, told Glenn Clark Radio that he expects to be ready for Week 1 of the 2021 season.
