Wheeling, Dealing & Stealing

It has been reported that Ravens GM Eric DeCosta did all that he could to upgrade the team’s tailback position prior to the October 31 trade deadline. For whatever reason, it just didn’t happen.

The effort was never meant to be a slight towards Gus Edwards. It was more about fortifying a position that will be more and more critical as inclement weather begins to affect games more frequently. It was also about the team having the requisite tools to finish games and take the air out of the football for opponents.

As tough a runner that Edwards is, he hasn’t exactly been the team’s bell cow. This past Sunday in Phoenix, Edwards carried the rock 19 times for 80 yards. Gus hasn’t had that kind of workload since December 29, 2019 when he ran for 130 yards on 21 carries during the team’s regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

DeCosta’s efforts to land another RB had both short-term and long-term implications. In 2023 the idea was to distribute the workload while upgrading the position. In 2024 and beyond, it was about fielding a competent backfield. The only RB’s under contract next season are Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell.

Keeping Their Own

DeCosta is a big proponent of extending players that the team wants to keep before they get to the end of their current contracts. One would have to think that Justin Madubuike is such a player and that the team has had discussions with Madubuike’s representatives. If so, the numbers presented apparently don’t work for Justin. And given his season to date, the number is climbing with each passing game.

The Ravens did lock up Broderick Washington before his rookie contract came to term, extending Washington this offseason with a three-year, $15.75 million deal. Last season, Washington was a pleasant surprise, grading out as the NFL’s 35th-best interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. This season, Washington has slipped precipitously. So far in 2023, Washington ranks as the 117th-rated IDL out of the 125 graded by PFF. His disappointing play in part, has led to the Ravens interest in free agent Ndamukong Suh.

Copy Cat

Without question the Cardinals threw a few wrinkles at Todd Monken’s offense this past Sunday. Whenever Lamar Jackson checked out of a play, something that he’s done more regularly in 2023, the Cardinals countered with pre-snap adjustments. And the Ravens offense struggled.

Former RSR staffer Ken McKusick, aka Filmstudy, charts plays and shared an interesting discovery:

“Jackson was afforded ample time and space (ATS) on 13 of 31 (42%) drop backs resulting in a pass/sack. With ATS, he was 4 of 10 for 20 net yards (1.5 YPP). That is the single worst result I’ve ever seen with ATS. Jackson proved unable to either solve the Cardinals coverages or effectively manipulate spies to create space on extended plays.”

According to McKusick the Cardinals rushed Lamar as follows:

By number of pass rushers:

• 3: 5 plays, 5 yards, 1.0 YPP, 1 sack
• 4: 19 plays, 91 net yards, 4.8 YPP, 2 sacks
• 5: 5 plays, 43 net yards, 8.6 YPP, 1 sack
• 6: none
• 7: 2 plays, -1 yard

Moving forward, Monken, Lamar and the Ravens will need to adjust because it’s safe to say in the copycat NFL, they will see more of the same moving forward.

Go Pro

James Proche’s career in Baltimore ended this summer when the team decided to part ways with SMU’s all-time leading receiver. Pro has an outstanding work ethic. He’s a great teammate and willingly gives his time to the community. He also is a great practice player. But his accomplishments upon the fields at The Under Armour Performance Center never translated to the stage at M&T Bank Stadium. He lacks size and speed and struggles to separate. But he has managed to stay in the AFC North, now with the Cleveland Browns.

Coincidentally, the Browns signed another former Raven, Kenyan Drake. It makes you wonder if the Browns are simply looking for a little Ravens intel in preparation for their visit to The Bank on Sunday, November 12.

A first look at former Ravens WR James Proche II in a Browns uniform pic.twitter.com/SReqqioTUT

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) November 1, 2023

An Axe to Grind

Somewhere along the line, Eric DeCosta did something to 105.7 The Fan’s Jason LaCanfora to ruffle his feathers. For years he’s taken any chance he can get to take shots at the Ravens GM. I’ve been asked why – why does LaCanfora have such an outward and obvious disdain for DeCosta. Here’s what I’ve gathered, a story, not corroborated to my knowledge, by DeCosta or LaCanfora, that has been floated around Ravens circles for a few years. It goes like this…

Prior to the 2019 draft, DeCosta’s first as the club’s GM, LaCanfora allegedly inquired about the Ravens interest in a receiver with their first-round pick, the 25th overall. Somewhat suspicious of LaCanfora’s intentions with the information, DeCosta told LaCanfora that the Ravens did not intend to use their No. 1 on a WR. But when the Ravens turned in the card on Day 1, Marquise Brown’s name was on it. I’m told that the false intel, served up as a red herring, didn’t sit well with LaCanfora.

Strike one.

Strike two happened when LaCanfora was somehow connected with Joe Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, who also represented Bradley Bozeman. When Bozeman became a free agent in 2022, the number that he and Linta were looking for was reportedly in the 3-year, $33M range. Allegedly, LaCanfora wormed his way into the negotiating mix, approaching John Harbaugh about Bozeman, a player that Harbaugh hoped to retain. When DeCosta heard about LaCanfora’s involvement, talks stalled. Eventually Bozeman landed a 1-year deal for $2.8M and $1M in guarantees with the Carolina Panthers.

Not quite the deal Linta’s team hoped for, to say the least.

Judging from Joe Linta’s list of clients, his agency no longer represents Bozeman.

The particulars here may not be 100% accurate. But they do help explain the sports talker’s otherwise unexplainable disdain for DeCosta. And his angst towards the Ravens GM remains alive and well given his recent smear campaign involving Kyle Hamilton and the Ravens use of the 2022 14th overall pick on the former Fighting Irishman from Notre Dame. PFF ranks Hamilton as the league’s 25th best safety ahead of notables such as: Jamal Adams (29), Kevin Byard (31), Budda Baker (39) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (44).

Kyle Hamilton is such a pain in the ass to play against.

Guy comes out of no where (literally, starts off screen in the EZ angle lol)#RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/zxL3VrH2ot

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) November 1, 2023

This just came up on today’s show. Simple question: Is Kyle Hamilton a playmaker #RavensFlock ?

— InsideAccess1057 (@IA1057TheFan) October 31, 2023

Deals & Steals

For the moment, there’s reason to be critical of the Ravens signing of Odell Beckham, Jr. There’s still time for OBJ to prove the critics wrong. Time will tell if he does. Time will tell if the $15M investment made in the 30-year-old WR in 2023 pays off. Until it does, the criticisms are just, and the signing will attract negative attention. To be fair, equal attention should be given to a very good signing by DeCosta, that of Jadeveon Clowney.

“Have fun! Only way I know how to play the game!!” @clownejd hyped up the squad pre-game in Sunday’s win.

Check out today’s episode of Ravens Wired https://t.co/tY3g2QM4z0 pic.twitter.com/V3rAoXjkvV

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 2, 2023

PFF ranks Clowney as the NFL’s 29th-best Edge Defender, ahead of such notables (rank/2023 cap number) as:

• Danielle Hunter (T-34, $21M)
• Joey Bosa (T-34, $15.8M)
• Brian Burns (47, $16M)
• Yannick Ngakoue (103, $10.4M)

Clowney’s cap number is $2.4M.

Let’s give EDC credit where and when it’s due.

But we all know a sports talker with an agenda who won’t.

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