Pundit Says DeAndre Hopkins Was Miscast With Chiefs, Fits Better With Ravens
DeAndre Hopkins did not put up gaudy stats after he was traded at the deadline to the Kansas City Chiefs last season, but NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha said the numbers don't accurately reflect the impact the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver can still make.
Chadiha said the Ravens, who signed Hopkins to a one-year deal this offseason, are a better fit for the veteran.
"DeAndre Hopkins was miscast in Kansas City, and I think people who are really being honest with themselves when he showed up there understand that," Chadiha said on “Glenn Clark Radio.” "You look at Patrick Mahomes and his willingness to throw contested catches throughout his career, he has never been that kind of quarterback. DeAndre Hopkins is exactly that kind of receiver. He's not a fast guy. He's going to try to bully people and use those great hands.
"I do think Baltimore is probably a better fit for him because you have to assume that Lamar Jackson's improvisation is going to be a bigger factor in having opportunities to get open. Derrick Henry's presence, Zay Flowers' presence, all those guys are going to make it easier on him to be able to operate and do certain things. … I think for his skill set, and his savvy, his experience, there is a lot more reason to be excited about him in that offense."
Analysis of Drafts From 2011-2020 Shows Ravens Were Exceptionally Successful
Over The Cap’s Nick Korte analyzed the drafts from 2011-2020 to assess how every team fared in a given year. The data shows that the Ravens did exceptionally well.
A team's total value measured how much absolute talent a team was able to identify, while relative value measured how productive a team was in using its draft capital.
The Ravens were in the top five in total value seven times, including three years (2016, 2018, and 2020) when they were No. 1. They were in the top five in relative value six times.
Korte also ranked every player drafted during the 10-year span based on the maximum APY (average per year salary) that each player signed in his career to date.
In 2016, the Ravens landed left tackle Ronnie Stanley (13th), linebacker Matt Judon (18th), defensive tackle Michael Pierce (58th), and cornerback Tavon Young (59th).
The Ravens had three players in the top 40 in 2018: Jackson (2nd), offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (30th), and tight end Mark Andrews (39th).
"This was a great swan song to an outstanding career for Ozzie Newsome," Korte wrote about the Ravens' 2018 haul.
Regarding the Ravens' 2020 draft, Korte wrote: "It's the Ravens, already having Lamar Jackson at quarterback, that again come out as the head of this class, landing five players within the top 80: Nnamdi Madubuike (11th), Patrick Queen (36th), Geno Stone (62nd), Broderick Washington (72nd), and Malik Harrison (77th). They also identified a sixth in Ben Bredeson (60th) that ended up having success elsewhere."
Where Does John Harbaugh Rank Among Current NFL Head Coaches?
John Harbaugh is one of the most successful head coaches in NFL history, yet after receiving a three-year contract extension last month he said he still has a lot to prove.
Harbaugh's desire to always get better is one of the reasons he is still among the league's elite coaches heading into his 18th season with the Ravens.
NBC Sports’ Patrick Daugherty ranked the NFL's current head coaches, and Harbaugh came in at No. 3.
"He's proven a coach can master the EPA implications of 2-point conversions while still giving Derrick Henry 325 regular season carries. Harbaugh knows how to win," Daugherty wrote.
Harbaugh has won 172 games since becoming the Ravens' head coach in 2008. Only three teams have more wins in that span: Patriots (179), Packers (173), and Steelers (173).
Daugherty noted that the Ravens have suffered their share of "postseason pain" in recent years, but he believes a second Super Bowl championship under Harbaugh is inevitable.
"The only way to keep suffering heartbreaking January losses is to make the playoffs every season," Daugherty wrote. "Harbaugh doesn't suddenly forget [how to win] in the playoffs. There's just only so much you can do when Brady/Manning/Roethlisberger immediately segues into Mahomes/Allen/Burrow. Harbaugh put it all together in 2012-13. He will do so again before he's through."
The Chiefs' Andy Reid was No. 1 in the rankings, followed by the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay.
Joe Flacco Reportedly Returning to AFC North
Joe Flacco is reportedly returning to the AFC North.
The former Ravens quarterback agreed to terms with the Cleveland Browns on a one-year, $4 million deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Flacco, 40, played for the Indianapolis Colts last season and started six games. With the Browns in 2023, Flacco was named Comeback Player of the Year after going 4-1 as a starter and leading them to a playoff berth.
Flacco also spoke with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, per Schefter.
Flacco joins a quarterback room in Cleveland that includes Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson, who is rehabbing a torn Achilles and expected to miss the entire season.
The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick and are likely to draft a quarterback.
Todd McShay Mocks Player to Ravens Who Is 'Perfect for What They Do'
In The Ringer’s Todd McShay’s latest mock draft, he had the Ravens taking Oregon interior defensive lineman Derrick Harmon at No. 27.
McVay's co-host, Steve Muench, loved the idea of the Ravens landing the disruptive Harmon.
"I looked at that and I was like, 'Eric DeCosta ends up with that player there,'" Muench said. "He's perfect for what they want to do. He's going to be that interior pass rusher."
The Ravens are looking to bolster the interior defensive line as a result of Pierce retiring and Brent Urban remaining a free agent.
All-Trade Mock Draft Has Ravens Moving Up in First Round
If the Ravens move out of the 27th pick, it's probably more likely they'd trade down than up. However, Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame had them moving up in his all-trades mock draft.
In Verderame's scenario, the Ravens sent their first-round pick along with a third- and fourth-rounder to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 19th-overall selection. With that pick, the Ravens took South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
"The Ravens have the league's best safety in Kyle Hamilton, but there are questions next to him," Verderame wrote. "The defense ranked near the bottom of the league last season until Ar'Darius Washington became the other starter. However, Washington is in a contract year and Baltimore has a tight cap situation. Taking Emmanwori, who has an elite tape-measurables combo, could serve as a perfect fit."
