What Happened With Ravens Comp Picks?
Just one sixth-round compensatory pick? ONE!?
That's so unlike the Ravens, who lead the NFL with 49 comp picks since the system was implemented 24 years ago. The Green Bay Packers are still seven behind Baltimore after getting the league maximum four comp picks this year.
While the news was surprising to fans and media, it's hard to believe anyone in the Ravens front office had their jaw on the ground. Baltimore was aggressive in free agency last year in a way that it usually isn't. The Ravens targeted unrestricted free agents in March, rather than cap casualties, so they knew they'd be cancelling out the potential of several comp picks they'd get by watching their own free agents walk. OverTheCap.com's* *Nick Korte broke it down clearly here:
What threw people off the most was the Ravens not getting anything for losing right tackle Rick Wagner in free agency to the Detroit Lions. It had been predicted that he would be worth a third-round pick, which wouldn't have been cancelled out in the chart above by Baltimore signing safety Tony Jefferson.
Per Korte, the reason Wagner dropped from a third- to fourth-round pick is because he injured his ankle at the end of the year, causing him to miss three games. Snap counts figure into the league's comp pick formula.
There's no doubt the Ravens hoped Wagner would be a third-rounder, but that was a borderline possibility and they know the risks better than anyone. They gambled with the signing of Jefferson, and it didn't work out in terms of comp picks, but they got the consensus best safety on the market last year.
"Wagner’s situation embodies how the Ravens have navigated the compensatory system over the years," wrote The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec. "They used a compensatory selection to draft him, benefited from him developing into a quality tackle that started 47 games over four seasons and then received a draft pick in return after he departed for a significant deal elsewhere."
Other players the Ravens have drafted with compensatory picks include guard Edwin Mulitalo, punter Sam Koch, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight end Nick Boyle, center Ryan Jensen, defensive end/outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, defensive end Brent Urban, defensive tackle Willie Henry and cornerback Maurice Canady.
While not getting a third-rounder for Wagner may not be a surprise to Ravens brass, there's no doubt it still stings.
In the end, barring any trades, Baltimore will enter the 2018 NFL Draft with all its original picks in each of the seven rounds, as well as the compensatory sixth-rounder. The Ravens didn't lose a conditional seventh-round pick for their Tony Bergstrom trade because his playing time didn't meet the conditions of the deal.
First round: No. 16 overall
Second round: No. 52 overall
Third round: No. 83 overall
Fourth round: No. 118 overall
Fifth round: No. 154 overall
Sixth round: No. 190 overall
Sixth round: No. 215 overall (compensatory)
Seventh round: No. 238 overall
Jarvis Landry-Ravens Speculation Isn't Dead. Baltimore Named as Possible Trade Partner
If you thought the franchise tag placed on Jarvis Landry would kill talk of the wide receiver landing in Baltimore, you were wrong.
The idea is as strong as ever.
Almost as soon as the franchise news was announced, media began speculating the Miami Dolphins made the move as a way of getting something for Landry before he departs. That something would come via trade.
"[The] early placement of the franchise tag on Landry sends a confusing message. If the primary goal is a long-term deal, why not work on that contract until the very end of the franchise-tag period?" asked NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal.
The last day to designate the franchise tag is March 6, and teams usually wait to make such a move at the deadline. Not the first day possible.
"The Dolphins are still open to hammering out a long-term deal with Landry, but it's hard to see how either side comes off its respective number," wrote The Miami Herald's Adam Beasley (kudos to anyone that recognizes that name … he was a writer for this website more than a decade ago). "At this point, it would be a stunner if the Dolphins do not trade Landry in the next few weeks. … The belief throughout football is the Dolphins put the franchise tag on Landry not because they want to keep him, but they want to trade him."
A "stunner?" Why?
The biggest reason is the $16 million franchise tag figure would be "crippling" to the Dolphins when free agency opens March 14. And there are signs that Landry himself still believes he's on his way out. Landry's online merchandise store is now offering deep discounts on his Dolphins-themed gear. He also essentially took down his Dolphins-centric website.
Beasley named several potential trade partners for Landry, including the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, who both have a need at wide receiver and a TON of cap money to spend. But Beasley also named the Ravens.
"Despite their financial limitations, the Ravens seem like a real option; the two sides reportedly were talking terms on a Landry trade last year, and safety Eric Weddle has been begging Landry to sign in Baltimore on social media," wrote Beasley.
As a practical matter, a trade wouldn't happen in Baltimore unless a long-term deal is struck with Landry. It would be similar to the way the Ravens agreed to an extension with Anquan Boldin when they traded third- and fourth-round picks to the Arizona Cardinals for him. The Ravens wouldn't send a draft pick(s) to Miami for one year of playing time. Plus, they don't have $16 million in cap space for the franchise tag, but they could swing a long-term deal.
So, could a trade really happen?
"Sure," says Zrebiec. "However, the first challenge would be making an offer that works for the Dolphins when the Ravens don't have a ton of assets to deal. The second problem would be agreeing to a long-term contract extension with Landry, who reportedly wants to make north of $14 million per year. I wouldn't rule a trade out, but it would be quite challenging for the Ravens to pull off."
Torrey Smith Would Have 'No Hard Feelings' If Eagles Cut Him. Should the Ravens Pounce?
There were some familiar faces at the Maryland-Michigan basketball game Saturday afternoon.
Terp alum Torrey Smith was recognized after getting his second Super Bowl win, and his former Ravens coach was in attendance. John Harbaugh joined the crowd to give Smith a standing ovation.
Smith took questions from the media before the game, and was asked whether he thinks he'll be cut by the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Smith was the fourth-leading receiver on the team, and the organization can create $5 million in cap space by releasing him.
"I'm expecting to be back, but I know how the business goes," Smith says in the video below. "There would never be any hard feelings. How can you be mad at someone who gave you a chance to win a ring?"
#Eagles WR Torrey Smith on possibly being Eagles salary cap causality:
"I'm expecting to be back, but I know how the business goes. There would never be any hard feelings.
How can you be mad at someone who gave you a chance to win a ring"@espn@6abc#TorreySmith#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/W9G3JUfhCy — Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) February 25, 2018
If Smith is released, many Baltimore fans would love to see a reunion with the Ravens' 2011 second-round pick and Super Bowl XLVII champion. But Baltimore Beatdown's Logan Levy doesn't like the idea of re-signing him.
"Smith will always be remembered for several plays he made during Baltimore's quest for their second Super Bowl, but a reunion should not happen," Levy wrote.
"Yes, he will likely be in Baltimore's price range, but he is an inconsistent receiver with unreliable hands. Baltimore needs a chain-moving, reliable receiver. They need a receiver that will not disappear, at times, throughout the season. The Ravens already have receivers that can take the top off of a defense, they need possession receivers."
Should Ravens Re-Sign Crockett Gillmore as an Offensive Lineman?
Social media provided us with our first look at a heavier Crockett Gillmore, who has reportedly added 40 pounds to his 6-foot-6 frame in an effort to transition from tight end to offensive lineman.
Gillmore is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March after playing in just 17 games in the final three years of his four-year rookie contract. So, if the Ravens want to explore what Gillmore has to offer as an offensive lineman, they would have to sign him to a new deal.
"Yes, there is mutual interest," wrote Zrebiec. "But there's really no rush. The Ravens will want to get a better gauge of where Gillmore is physically, and Gillmore is still early in his transition to a new position. However, Gillmore certainly has a comfort level with the Ravens and a return could make the most sense."
Quick Hits
