If you're itching to watch football and you'd like to see what some former Ravens are up to, you should tune into the new Alliance of American Football (AAF).
The new league, founded by Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian, debuted this weekend on CBS, the NFL Network and elsewhere. The Ravens are well represented with a dozen players on the eight teams.
The most recognizable names are safety Will Hill III, quarterback Josh Woodrum and running back Trent Richardson, but there are others that will definitely make Ravens fans say, "Oh yeah, that guy!"
There are a dozen former Ravens suiting up in the new football league, including quarterback Josh Woodrum, safety Will Hill III, and running back Trent Richardson.
QB Josh Woodrum (Salt Lake Stallions)
Woodrum became a Ravens fan favorite during the Ravens' 2017 preseason, pushing Mallett for the backup job. He didn't make the team that year, then returned last offseason before again being part of the Ravens' final cuts. He was the eighth-overall pick in the AAF quarterback draft and went 10-for 22 for 103 yards with one touchdown and one interception before leaving the game with a hamstring injury.
RB Trent Richardson (Birmingham Iron)
The Ravens signed the former No. 3-overall pick and gave him a shot to prove himself during the summer of 2016. Richardson continued to struggle with injuries and was part of Baltimore's first round of cuts and went to play in Canada. Now he's back and one of the biggest names in the AAF. He delivered on opening weekend with 23 carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
LB Steven Johnson (Arizona Hotshots)
Johnson spent the entire 2017 season with the Ravens and was a special teams standout who made five tackles. He led the Hotshots with seven tackles and had an interception in his AAF debut.
S Will Hill III (Orlando Apollos)
Hill was a two-year starter for the Ravens in 2014 and 2015. He had two Monday Night Football plays that really stick out: a pick-six against Drew Brees in a win in New Orleans and a "kick-six" game-winning field-goal block return in Cleveland the following year. The Ravens released Hill in 2016 upon learning that he failed a drug test and would be suspended for 10 games. He started and had seven tackles as a starter for the Apollos.
TE Gavin Escobar (San Diego Fleet)
The Ravens signed Escobar midway through the 2017 season, but he was released less than a month later when Danny Woodhead came off injured reserve. Escobar had four catches for 66 yards in his AAF debut.
DB Will Davis (Salt Lake Stallions)
The Ravens traded for Davis in 2015, but he tore his ACL in his second game with the team. He returned the following year, but was released in early November.
RB Terrence Magee (Memphis Express)
The Ravens signed Magee as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and bounced between the practice squad and active roster that season. He then spent time with the Rams, Browns, Seahawks and Falcons. Magee had five carries for 18 yards as a Zac Stacy's backup on the Express.
WR Kenny Bell (Salt Lake Stallions)
Bell spent about half the 2016 and 2017 seasons on the Ravens' practice squad, but never made it to the 53-man roster. The former fifth-round pick set numerous records at Nebraska. He's a starter for the Stallions but made zero catches on three targets in his debut.
QB Dustin Vaughan (San Antonio Commanders)
Vaughan was signed to the Ravens' practice squad near the end of the 2016 season and spent the following offseason in Baltimore. He didn't make the team coming out of the 2017 training camp, as Ryan Mallett was Joe Flacco's backup instead. After being protected among regionally allocated players, Vaughan surprisingly wasn't the starter. He backed up Logan Woodside.
G Robert Myers (Memphis Express)
A fifth-round draft pick of the Ravens on 2015, the man nicknamed "Snacks" didn't make the team as a rookie. He later signed with the Denver Broncos before their Super Bowl run, so he got a ring. He's now a backup lineman on the Express.
G/C Alex Thompson (Arizona Hotshots)
The undrafted Monmouth blocker signed with the Ravens last offseason but he was placed on the reserve/did not report list at the start of training camp.
DB Charles James II (Memphis Express)
The star of "Hard Knocks" with the Houston Texans, James came to Baltimore's practice squad in 2015 and had a very brief stint on the active roster.
RB Akeem Hunt (Orlando Apollos)
An undrafted running back out of Purdue, Hunt was signed to the Ravens' practice squad in October of 2015 during his rookie season. He was released one week later.
WR/RS Kaelin Clay (Salt Lake City Stallions)
Clay was signed late in the 2015 season and made an immediate impact, returning a punt for an 82-yard touchdown in his second game with the team. He was waived the following year.
Hill was a two-year starter that made two memorable Monday Night Football plays with a pix-six of Drew Brees in New Orleans in 2015 and a "kick-six" in Cleveland in 2016.
Woodrum became a fan favorite during the 2017 preseason when he gave Ryan Mallett a run for the backup job to Joe Flacco. He was also in Ravens training camp last year.
Richardson is a former No. 3-overall pick (2012) who flamed out in Cleveland, Indianapolis and Oakland before the Ravens gave him one last shot to get his NFL career on track during the summer of 2016. Injuries once again bit Richardson and he didn't make the team, then bounced to Canada.
Now they're all continuing to play professional football again, and likely looking for a back door into the NFL once again. They had a good start this weekend.
Hill started and had seven tackles as a starter for the Orlando Apollos. Starting for the Salt Lake Stallions, Woodrum went 10-for 22 for 103 yards with one touchdown and one interception before leaving with a hamstring injury. Richardson had 23 carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns for the Birmingham Iron.
Linebacker Steven Johnson, who spent the entire 2017 season with the Ravens as a veteran special teams player, led the Arizona Hotshots with seven tackles and had an interception.
Here are some highlights:
Former Ravens coaches Mike Singletary and Rick Neuheisel are head coaches in the AAF with the Memphis Express and Arizona Hotshots, respectively. Lori Locust, who was a training camp intern last year, is coaching with the Birmingham Iron, and ran into Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce.
