Will former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco rejoin the Browns? – AFC Monitoring
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Joe replaces Deshawun on March 9?Joe Flacco, a former quarterback for the Ravens, will be eligible for free agency at the age of 39 following an outstanding regular season with the Cleveland Browns, when he filled in for an injured Deshaun Watson.
Flacco expressed his desire for a chance to begin. However, the Browns are the first team on his list of ideal locations. There will be conflict within the quarterback room and on the squad if Cleveland chooses to bring Flacco back.
In a few games during the previous season, Flacco performed better than Watson has since being traded from the Houston Texans to Cleveland.
On March 7, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk stated, “This is the year that Deshaun Watson — if he is ever going to justify that deal — this is the year.” It is advantageous to have a player with the caliber of Joe Flacco. But does Joe Flacco’s presence benefit Deshaun Watson, particularly if he struggles later in the season?
“Those Browns fans yelling “Flacco, Flacco, Flacco” every time Deshaun Watson throws an incomplete pass is not something they need.”
MARCH 8 NAJEE HARRIS’ FIFTH-YEAR OPTION The Pittsburgh Steelers have until May 2 to determine whether to accept running back Najee Harris’ sixth-year option, which is worth $6.79 million. If they do, that number will be 100% assured.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan told reporters, “We have until the first week in May to make a decision. We have a new offensive coordinator, so that’s going to play into the decision-making process.”
“We’re having conversations with Arthur. It’s been great. We’ve been engaging frequently, and coach Tomlin and Arthur and I, we’ve kind of been talking about the offense and what the vision is for it.”
MARCH 3 COMMANDERS TO remove GATES: On Saturday, Washington, the cross-town foe of the Ravens, declared that it will remove center Nick Gates, who signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract, after just one season. There were $8 million in guaranteed funds in that arrangement.
Despite being signed to start as the center, Gates was benched after just seven games in the previous campaign. He will count $5.3 million against the Commander’s maximum, but the team seems content to release him despite that.
The organization appears to be moving away from certain contracts and players who aren’t performing as the Dan Quinn era begins. According to reports, Logan Thomas and Charles Leno will also be released as the new ownership looks to free up salary money and roster positions before the offseason.
FEB 29 RUDOLPH ‘LIKELY’ TO RE-SIGN IN PITTSBURGH: According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, it seems doubtful that the Pittsburgh Steelers are involved in a trade to bring a high-profile quarterback to town despite rumors circulating about quarterbacks and free agency at the NFL Combine and throughout the league.
It appears that the Steelers may continue with Mason Rudolph given the names Russell Wilson and Justin Fields being mentioned as available along with Kirk Cousins’ availability in free agency, according to Barnwell.
“Rudolph’s brief burst of production was out of line with his prior career performance, and he is likely to re-sign with the Steelers,” Barnwell stated.
Rudolph and former quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who was released by the Steelers a few weeks prior, were included in Barnwell’s Tier 6 roster of signal callers as “backups likely to earn a roster spot.”
BANNING THE FEB 26 HIP-DROP TACKLE?Hip-drop tackles are becoming more and more common in the NFL, but its use has generated controversy for the past few years.
The NFL has declared that the injury rate during a hip-drop tackle is “20–25 times greater than that of other tackles.” This comes after Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was hurt during a hip-drop tackle last season, missing seven regular season games and one playoff matchup.
According to Judy Battista of NFL Media, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller stated that the league will prohibit hip drops during the off-season as a result.
One of the problems is that it appears difficult to describe the tackle precisely enough to establish a regulation or a prohibition around it. Despite the fact that players around the league are still getting injured, the NFL Players Association has rejected calls for the ban.
FEB 24 BIENIEMY HIRED ON THE WEST COAST The offensive coordinator for the former Washington Commander is returning to school.
The UCLA Bruins have hired Eric Bieneimy, a former Washington associate head coach and offensive coordinator, to fill the same position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and a story from CommanderCountry.com.
Bieniemy, who was the Bruins’ running backs coach from 2003 to 2005, is back.
Before Super Bowl LVIII, Bieniemy was said to have resumed work with the Kansas City Chiefs following his dismissal from Dan Quinn’s new coaching team as the Commanders’ head coach. However, Bieniemy has now moved in with an old employer, suggesting that the relationship was only temporary.
FEB 23: A group of twelve plaintiffs, including former NFL cornerback Shareece Wright, are suing the Colton Joint Unified School District and Tiffany Strauss-Gordon, the district’s former sports trainer. Wright played in the 2015 and 2016 seasons in Baltimore after being selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of USC.
Wright stated on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that he is speaking forward in the hopes that other children won’t experience this.According to Wright, via ESPN, “the less it’s kept a secret, the harder it is for it to continue to happen.”
When he was fifteen and Strauss-Gordon was twenty-one, the former Raven claimed to have first met. She worked for her father at the time and is the daughter of renowned high school football coach Harold Strauss.
Wright said that Strauss-Gordon had improperly handled him during therapy sessions and had even accused him of having oral sex.
Morgan Stewart, Wright’s lawyer, discussed this unsettling circumstance with ESPN.
“You’ve got football, you’ve got the coach’s daughter, you’ve got a permissive school environment where it’s allowed to happen,” Stewart stated. “I mean, you’ve got sort of a perfect storm of sexual abuse that could be covered up easily.”
FEBRUARY 20: MURDER CHARGES FILED AFTER CHIEFS SUPER BOWL PARADE SHOOTING A woman was killed and numerous others, including children, were injured in the Super Bowl parade shooting.
Using the Kansas City Star, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said on Tuesday that Dominic M. Miller and Lyndell Mays would each be charged with felony murder.
Local radio personality Lisa Lopez-Galvan passed away, and almost 20 others were hurt. Baker claims that Mays pulled out a gun while arguing with another parade goer. Miller was among those who pulled out guns and started shooting. Lopez-Galvan was killed by a bullet fired by Miller, according to police findings.
FEB 8 HEYWARD WINS WALTER PAYTON NFL MoY AWARD: As the NFL Honors presentation concluded on Thursday night, Cameron Heyward, a defensive tackle for the Steelers, was announced as the 2023 recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
The Steelers captain was present to receive the accolade from Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
Heyward won for the first time after being nominated six times. The Pittsburgh Steelers star was recognized for his Heyward House Foundation, which honors his late father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. The foundation supports teachers and kids, fights cancer, and fights childhood hunger.
FEB 3 FLACCO’S BROTHER FOUNDS UFL TEAM Baltimore Ravens supporters may have a new team to root for if they’re searching for a football fix this spring.
Tom, Joe Flacco’s younger brother, has signed with the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League, the new joint effort between the XFL and the United States Football League, as seen by the most recent attempt at spring football itself. The younger Flacco, who played brilliantly for Towson in his college career, has been in the quarterback room of multiple CFL and XFL teams. Kurt Benkert, a former backup to Aaron Rodgers, and Jack Coan, a graduate of Notre Dame, are both in the quarterback room.
On March 30, the UFL project’s first season will premiere.
JAN 20 NOT HIS FIRST RODEO In anticipation of the Ravens’ NFL Playoffs opener against Houston today in Baltimore, Odell Beckham Jr.’s “Texans Rodeo” pregame ensemble, replete with cowhide, a black leader, and baby-blue trimmings, is going viral.
Yes, OBJ is a topic of conversation. Yes, that’s precisely how OBJ prefers it.
JAN 17 MELVIN GORDON CUT: One of the Baltimore Ravens’ running backs is leaving the team.
Melvin Gordon, a running back who appeared in four games for the Ravens this season, is being waived by the team, according to NFL Network source Tom Pelissero.
Gordon gained 81 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries of the ball. With Gus Edwards and Justice Hill on the active roster, the Ravens are ready for the weekend ahead. A member of the practice squad is Dalvin Cook.
JAN 13 NO FLACCO REUNION: The Joe Flacco-led Browns are defeated 45-14 by the surging Texans at NRG Stadium on Saturday, meaning that there won’t be a Joe Flacco-Ravens reunion in the postseason.
Flacco and the Browns are out of the playoffs as a result of the loss.
The Steelers-Bills game was rescheduled due to blizzard-like conditions in Buffalo, meaning that the Ravens will not know their Divisional playoff opponent until Monday.
Potential opponents for Baltimore, who will play the lowest remaining seed, include the Texans (4), Dolphins (6), and Steelers (7).
JAN 9 HOUSTON SIGN IN MIAMI Justin Houston, a former defensive end with the Ravens, is reportedly close to finalizing a contract with the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins were tapped out on the edge following the season-ending injuries to both Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. Houston made a strong two-year stint in Baltimore in 2021–2022, but salary limit restrictions forced them out.
He signed with Carlina, but was let go last month due to subpar performance.
The rival team of the Ravens across town, the RIVERA OUT THE DOOR, is searching for a new head coach.
Changes were inevitable with Josh Harris, the managing general partner, leading a new ownership group. They have now, too. Ron Rivera, the head coach, was fired by Harris and the powers that be after four seasons, with the team ending 4-13.
Not helping either was the fact that the Commanders had just lost 38-10 to their bitterest rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, in the season finale.
With a 26-40-1 overall record, one postseason appearance, one NFC East championship, and zero winning seasons, Rivera’s stint in Washington comes to an end.
DEC 27 RAVENS VS. 49ERS MAKES MNF HISTORY The Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football on Christmas Day was a momentous one.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it was the most viewed Monday Night Football game in the previous 27 years, excluding the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rematch in Week 11.
Now that the Ravens are vying for another Super Bowl, 27.2 million viewers have the opportunity to witness exactly how dominant they can be.
DEC 25 AFC’S TOP SEED IN SIGHT The Ravens can secure the top seed in the AFC without necessarily defeating the 49ers on Monday. If the Ravens defeat San Francisco, they will have a 72% probability of securing the top seed, according to ESPN Analytics. In the event of a loss, that drops to 45 percent.
Baltimore can secure the top seed with a victory over Miami on Sunday if it prevails on Christmas Day.
December 19 BEN, WELCOME BACK!Ben Mason, a former Ravens wide receiver and tight end, has joined the practice squad, the team announced on Wednesday.
Mason was slated to be Patrick Ricard’s future replacement when he was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2021 draft out of Michigan. Prior to the 53-man roster cuts in August, Mason was released by the organization.
DEC 18 MELVIN GORDON IS SET TO SUB FOR MITCHELL There’s going to be another loop in the Melvin Gordon transaction rollercoaster.
Gordon is “expected” to be added back to the Baltimore Ravens’ roster after Keaton Mitchell had a season-ending injury in Sunday’s 23-7 victory over Jacksonville, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Gordon, 30, made two appearances in the regular season earlier this year and has been a member of the Ravens’ scheme since training camp. In those games, he gained 99 yards from scrimmage, and five of his 16 carries resulted in first downs.
DEC 15 TYLER HUNTLEY WELCOMES 1ST kid Tyler Huntley, quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, welcomed Tyler Jr., his first kid, on Thursday, marking one of the best roster moves. Tyler Jr.’s arrival, weighing eight pounds and twelve ounces, forced his father to skip practice on Thursday, but he returned for Friday’s warm-up.
Huntley remarked, “It’s a life-changing moment,” according to Ryan Mink of the Ravens website.”It’s just love to see life being brought into this world.”
In the midst of his fourth season in Baltimore, Huntley, 25, backs Lamar Jackson on a regular basis. This season, the former Utah player has played in three games and completed eight passes, one of which was for a touchdown.
DEC. 14: PAST AND PRESENT RAVENS PART OF ROONEY AWARD NOMINEES The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award finalists include eight players, including linebacker C.J. Wilson and former Charm City fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The Baltimore Ravens are well-represented on this list. Mosley, who represents the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, respectively.
The NFL Honors, which take place on February 8 in the run-up to Super Bowl LVIII, will present numerous awards, including the 2014 inaugural award. Other nominees for the award are Budda Baker of Arizona, Maxx Crosby of Las Vegas, Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers, Dak Prescott of Dallas, and Bobby Wagner of Seattle.
Strangely enough, Baltimore will attempt to win the sportsmanship award named for the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second year in a row. The previous winner was Atlanta-based veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who won the award in his third and final season in purple.
DEC 12 ‘LOUISVILLE REUNION’ According to a report from Adam Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens have strengthened their quarterback depth by adding rookie signal-caller Malik Cunningham, who was previously on the practice squad of the New England Patriots.
which will bring him back together with Lamar Jackson, another former Louisville and current Ravens quarterback who played on the same squad in 2017 as a Cardinal.
DEC. 11 OPENING ODDS FAVOR RAVENS IN JACKSONVILLE The Baltimore Ravens are the early favorites to win their upcoming game, which is a Sunday night matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are also the division leaders (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). The Ravens (10-3) are 3.5-point favorites according to opening lines as they want to get closer to the top seed in the AFC and the accompanying first-round bye.
Despite losing two straight, Jacksonville (8-5) is still in the lead in the AFC South. With regard to franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, they seemed to have escaped a serious catastrophe. He exited last Monday’s game against Cincinnati early due to an ankle sprain, but on Sunday afternoon, on the road, he led the Cleveland Browns to a heartbreaking 31-27 victory.
The 24th meeting between the Ravens and Jaguars will take place this Sunday night; the Jaguars lead the series thus far, 13-10. The encounter in November of previous year was won by Jacksonville, 28–27 in the end.
DEC 10 RAVENS WR ODELL BECKHAM JR. CELEBRATES TIME WITH RAMS: Wide receiver OBJ currently plays for the Ravens remembers his brief stay with the Los Angeles Rams from two seasons ago. Ultimately, that was the reason he received a Super Bowl ring.
Before Baltimore’s game against the Rams, OBJ was spotted on the field at M&T Bank Stadium warming up. He was sporting a hoodie that had images from his time playing with the Rams.
