A Huntley We Will Go!

Tyler Huntley gets the start for the Ravens against the Steelers and the decision is very reminiscent of the start that Robert Griffin, III got for the Ravens back during Week 18 of the 2019 season. Then, the (8-7) Steelers came into The Bank as 2-point favorites needing a win and some help to punch their ticket to the postseason dance.

In a driving rain, Griffin led the Ravens past the Steelers 28-10 despite a quarterback rating of 44.9. Griffin was 11 of 21 for 96 yards and an interception. Fast forward 4 years and one week and Huntley will try to influence a similar outcome. The Ravens are currently 4-point home underdogs on Saturday.

Huntley will be playing with house money. There’s no pressure for him to win. He’ll probably be daring and look to make a few splash plays. It is likely to be his final appearance in a Ravens uniform. The writing is on the wall. Huntley is an unrestricted free agent when the season ends, and it looks as though Lamar Jackson’s 2024 backup will be Malik Cunningham.

Sometimes when a team with nothing to lose goes up against a team with the season on the line, that becomes a challenge for the team desperate to win. Here’s to Tyler having the game of his life and setting the stage for a raise in 2024.

Charm City’s Queen

Patrick Queen was named to his first Pro Bowl this week. He’s earned a handsome reward in free agency but it’s highly doubtful that the reward will come from the Baltimore Ravens. It’s quite remarkable how Queen and the Ravens organization has handled the 2019 first-round pick in 2023.

After last season when it became apparent the that the Ravens did not plan to exercise Queen’s 5th-year option, he scrubbed any affiliation to the Ravens from his social media accounts. But to his credit, Queen approached 2023 like a businessman. He gave it his all, embraced the organization again and the affinity he has for the team, John Harbaugh and Eric DeCosta is obvious. It’s really a credit to all involved that they’ve professionally and personally managed what by all counts will be Queen’s last season in Charm City, in an exemplary way.

EDC

If you’ve been following my columns over the years you know that I’m a big fan of DeCosta’s. He’s an outside-the-box thinker with incredible determination and an ideal work ethic. As Ozzie Newsome’s understudy for many years, EDC has taken the best from Ozzie, massaged it with his own style and risk tolerance and has emerged as one of the NFL’s best GM’s.

He’s made trades and multiple draft picks. Some were misses, most were a success. Case in point, the 2022 NFL Draft when he selected Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, David Ojabo, Travis Jones, Daniel Faalele, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Charlie Kolar, Jordan Stout, Isaiah Likely, Damarion Williams and Tyler Badie. Most have contributed significantly. Two were just named to the Pro Bowl team, namely Hamilton and Linderbaum.

Hamilton was considered by some to be an over-sized safety who lacked the prerequisite speed to be effective in the NFL. Others thought that Linderbaum was an undersized center who could get engulfed by defensive tackles in the NFL. The local talking head who stood on his soap box and regularly railed against the organization for the two picks is Jason La Canfora.

La Canfora claimed to have connections to “football people” who labeled Hamilton a bust waiting to happen. He dismissed the Linderbaum choice saying that a player like him could be had in the 3rd-round of the NFL Draft. Yet the guy has not to my knowledge, ever admitted the error of his ways.

The 105.7 The Fan afternoon talker is without question incorrigible. Despite the overwhelming evidence proving his assessments were wrong, his fragile ego won’t allow him to admit the mistakes. Instead, he just goes on as if the current narrative about both players is his own.

If the two players continue on their respective career arcs, keeping them in Baltimore will not be cheap. RSR’s Brian McFarland points out why below. This could persuade EDC to extend both prior to each of their 4th seasons in the league.

None of the Ravens who made the PB had PB bonus (at least that have been reported). However by virtue of making the PB, Hamilton & Linderbaum will have their 5th Yr options increase to the ’25 Transition Tag amount. If either makes the PB in ’24, it will rise to Franchise Tag $$. https://t.co/6o9GwNccQ7

— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) January 4, 2024

Beek!

It’s obvious that Justin Madubuike is an emotional man who loves being a Baltimore Raven. His response to being named to the Pro Bowl team (in the video below) is pure and real, just as it was on Draft Day 2020 when the Ravens made him the 71st overall pick. His success represents the culmination of hard work in the offseason and unlike Queen, Justin must be a priority signing for the Ravens this coming offseason.

This is pure gold! pic.twitter.com/Y05TLkjYtR

— Russell St. Report (@RussellStReport) January 4, 2024

The first round of the 2022 draft produced three Pro Bowl selections this year. Two of them landed in Baltimore.

Jets CB Sauce Gardner (No. 4 overall)
Ravens S Kyle Hamilton (No. 14)
Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum (No. 25)

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) January 4, 2024

Snubs

Today across the interwebs we’ll see and hear about all of those players who were deemed “snubbed” by the Pro Bowl selection process. Among them for my money is Patrick Ricard.

The Ravens love Ricard. And why wouldn’t they. He defines the meaning of “football player”. He’s tough, willing to do the dirty work without taking the credit and he shows up for work every day. But there was a time during the offseason when some thought that Ricard could be phased out. Fullback isn’t a position near and dear to the heart of offensive coordinator Todd Monken. During training camp, the team had Ricard working with the offensive line, presumably to justify his roster spot.

Ricard’s versatility eventually won Monken over. But apparently, he didn’t win over those involved in the selection process for Pro Bowl participants.

If you haven’t seen the most recent edition of Raven Wired, I encourage you to watch it HERE. It’s ripe with all the feel goods, except for Ricard when the 7 Ravens selected to the Pro Bowl were revealed. Ricard was snubbed. And I have a feeling that he’ll channel that frustration into positive energy on the field to make a point – to benefit the Baltimore Ravens.

[Ravens News & Notes]

More Cookin’

Dalvin Cook will find out today by 4PM if he’s been claimed by any of the 31 other teams not named the New York Jets who recently release the talented tailback. If Cook is claimed, he’ll cost $388,889 for the week and must be placed on the claiming teams 53-man roster. If he is unclaimed, the Ravens could reach an agreement to place Cook on the practice squad and then elevate him for Week 18. That approach would cost $52,222 which would be offset by $12K -16K for the player he replaces on the practice squad.

Cook is represented by Zac Hiller who also represents Zay Flowers and J.K. Dobbins. So the Ravens have a relationship there.

If Dalvin slides all the way through, it would be a mild surprise. The Browns are ahead of the Ravens in the claiming pecking order and they too could use another back or they might make the claim Cook just to prevent the Ravens from getting better.

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