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New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Ravens WR Rashod Bateman: ‘There's a lot of unfinished business here'
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is fine discussing it now. He's just a few weeks removed from signing a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension, so his future in Baltimore suddenly feels secure. Yet, Bateman acknowledged after the team's final minicamp practice that there was a period this offseason when he wondered if he had played his last game as a Raven. Advertisement Bateman, a 2021 first-round pick, wanted a new contract with the Ravens. General manager Eric DeCosta, meanwhile, was keeping his options open — and those options included trading the 25-year-old receiver who was coming off his best season. The Dallas Cowboys emerged as a very interested suitor. Bateman was apprised of the trade talks, and he maintains that there was some traction between the two sides. 'I went through a lot of things with the Cowboys and all of that with my contract,' Bateman said. 'There was a time when I didn't know what was going to happen. (The Cowboys talks) were a thing, for sure. It was a possibility. I don't want to deny that. But you know, DeCosta, he's always making magic work, and he made it work. And I'm thankful for that.' Bateman wanted a contract more commensurate with his performance in 2024, when he caught 45 passes for a career-high 756 yards and nine touchdowns, played all 17 regular-season games for the first time in his career and added two more touchdowns in the playoffs. If the Ravens weren't willing to give him one, he was ready to embrace the idea of a trade. But he also wanted to make sure DeCosta knew he wanted to stay. 'That's the first thing I told him: I don't want to go anywhere else. 'I know you've got a lot of stuff to work through and we'll figure it out when we figure it out,'' Bateman recalled of their conversation. 'It took time, but it takes time with a lot of people's contracts. He had a lot of contracts to get done, and maybe more to get done in the future. To be a priority for him in that way is important. He shows he values me.' For the first time in his young career, Bateman will enter an NFL season void of drama surrounding his situation. He isn't rehabbing an injury. There isn't skepticism about his offensive role, his ability to stay healthy or his chemistry with quarterback Lamar Jackson. He's under contract through 2029. Advertisement The Athletic spoke with Bateman to get his thoughts on his contract extension, his quarterback and the Ravens' chances of getting over the playoff hump. Questions and answers were edited for clarity. What did it feel like to get a third contract from this team, particularly at the position you play? It's an honor, honestly, and it's a blessing. I'm blessed to be here with this team. I truly didn't want to go anywhere else, and it shows that the team believes in me and we have the same love and respect for one another. I just feel like there's a lot of unfinished business here. I want to keep making my mark here and keep investing in this team like they've invested in me. Was there a point in your career where you felt there was no way that you'd be entering your fifth year in Baltimore? It's crazy that I'm in year five already, with everything that has gone on. You never know what's going to happen, whether you are going to make it through your rookie deal or when your time is up. But there's a lot of comfort that comes with being here, and I'm thankful for that as well. How long did it take you to transition from the disappointment of how the season ended for the team to being proud of what you accomplished individually and how you stayed healthy throughout? I don't know if any of us are over it. I know that last game was in January, so it's only been a couple of months. We definitely have had time to digest what happened or how it went down, but we still have a sour taste in our mouths. It's kind of crazy that we open up the season with (the Buffalo Bills). Hopefully, we can go up there and get our licks back. What do you think has to happen for this team to get over the hump and take the final step to a Super Bowl? As cliché as it sounds, coaches always tell us from a young age that it's all about the little things. I think we've proven that we can play with anybody. We have some of the best players. I just think in the important times, in those clutch moments, all of us have to lock in and do everything right. Advertisement There were a lot of missing variables for us as a team. For us, (as) an offense, we didn't (perform) to the best of our abilities, and it cost us at an important time. We know that. We know that we have to be better in certain areas, and that's been our focus. The coaches are demanding perfection out of us, and we're demanding perfection out of each other. I think we're heading in the right direction with that. You've talked quite a few times about struggling mentally with the injuries and everything else early in your career. How much did not having to deal with all of the negativity contribute to what you were able to accomplish last year? It helped me get through last year. There were nicks and things that I was able to play through. Being able to go through what I went through, I guess my pain tolerance is pretty high right now. I just think it's trained me to be prepared for those moments and never look back. Now, any time I get the chance to work out or train or step on the practice field, not that I didn't, but I'm making sure that I'm giving it my all every single rep and every opportunity I get. I just want to continue to make plays. With so many questions about your health, your future in Baltimore and your role now behind you, how does that set you up for this season? I guess I've been on both sides of it now, the good side and the rough side. It definitely feels good to go into the season with the city behind you and the support and the team knowing what you can do. We're in a good place, and the fans are coming back around. It's been good to see everything kind of come around and do a 360. I'm sure there was some frustration on your side with some of the criticism you were getting and what fans were saying about you early in your career. What does it feel like to now have the fans on your side, and is it tough not to be spiteful and say, 'No, no, no, don't jump on the bandwagon now'? It's tough not to say that with your own community, but when it comes to the fans, it was different. It was death threats and … Really, death threats? Yeah, to my mom. It was a crazy time, but I understand that a lot of that comes from wanting your team to play well. It definitely was a rough time. I've never experienced nothing like that, and my family never experienced nothing like that. There's definitely mixed emotions about it, but I'm definitely glad to be on the other side of it now. People may not understand the pressure that comes with being an early-round receiver for an organization that has struggled to develop wideouts. How would you explain what it's like to be a young receiver in Baltimore, and how have you dealt with that? There's a lot of things that you can't control and a lot of things that are out of your hands. You have to come to work with the mindset of getting better individually. You get better individually, you're going to automatically help the team. You just have to be able to have that mindset of being clear-minded and focused and being able to stay true to yourself. Advertisement There's a lot of different things that go on outside the game of football that (leaks) into the game of football. Being able to navigate those things and having somebody in your corner. We definitely have the teammates to help out with that. All of us are pretty close. It's kind of crazy. It feels like a college team. Everybody here can pick up the phone, communicate well with one another. It's definitely a good team to be a part of. What's the one criticism of Lamar Jackson that you're flabbergasted by? Honestly, whatever they say about Lamar is kind of mind-boggling to us in general. If you watched the dude's highlight tape in college, he threw the ball really, really well. You watch in the NFL, and he's throwing the ball better than most quarterbacks since he's been playing. I think they are definitely caught up in him not getting to the Super Bowl, but honestly, that's hard to even say. There's 11 people playing, and it's hard to put it all on the quarterback, even though that's the leader of the team. If you really watch football, Lamar does a lot. He gives people jobs, and he saves people's jobs. Lamar is a special, special generational talent. How much has your chemistry grown with Jackson over the years, and do you feel like there's another level it can get to? I feel like our chemistry has always been good. Even when I got hurt, after my rookie year, I went and worked out with him that offseason. Even before we got to where we're at now, we still had a connection. It really was my injuries and then his injuries. I think this past year, it was really my first training camp that I was able to get through. When you're playing with a quarterback like Lamar, you can go through routes … but you really have to get game-like situations and practice with him. I think that's really when it's beneficial. That paid off for us in the long run. How will you spend the next few weeks before training camp? I'm going straight back to training, honestly. I don't have any trips or vacations planned. I'll be getting ready for the season, and I'm eager to come back better than when I came. I'm honestly not interested in getting on a plane and traveling far right now. I'm just going to lock in and enjoy Arizona and where I train at and come back in the building ready to go. Is this the most talented team the Ravens have had in your time here? This is the best team that I've ever been on in the NFL, all around and especially now with Jaire (Alexander). We always have the pieces. It's on us now to go out, compete and just do it.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Analysis: Lamar Jackson & Ravens OC Todd Monken prepare for Trilogy
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson heads back after speaking during a news conference following the team's mini camp in preparation for the 2025 NFL season, on June 17, 2025, in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Monken have achieved success together over their two seasons. Jackson has been unreal (phenomenal), totaling 41 passing touchdowns last season on just 474 passing attempts. For perspective, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow totaled 43 passing touchdowns but needed 120 more passing attempts than Jackson to do so. Efficiency appears to be a key ingredient for the Ravens' offense, despite their untimely postseason exit in 2024. For Monken, the goal has to extend farther than tallying up incredible stats, but falling short in the postseason. Monken's mastermind sometimes gets in the way of what could be so simple, yet his vast optionality on offense might be the reason for his confoundedness. Jackson, on the other hand, continues to demonstrate team leadership and humility, upholding the ideals of Monken in the hope that a Super Bowl title will soon be achieved. Advertisement In year three, perhaps Monken might consider lessening Jackson's pass attempts to around 425. This would result in an average of approximately 25 passing attempts per game. For a deeper analysis and perspective, in five of the Ravens' regular-season losses last season, Jackson averaged 14.6 incompletions per game on a total of 182 pass attempts (36.4 attempts per game). The more pass attempts Jackson has thrown, the less effective the offense has been. In year three, Monken has to shake the fantasy and relinquish his desire to make Jackson the hero every game. The critics love to see Jackson fail, and the narrative that running back Derrick Henry carried the team last season accompanies a list of scornful suggestions that Jackson will have to live with due to consecutive postseason exits. Monken and Jackson will be looking to get things right in 2025, but nothing matters more than Lauryn Hill if the Ravens continue to lose in the NFL Playoffs. This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Lamar Jackson & Ravens OC Todd Monken prepare for Trilogy
New York Times
19-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With Jaire Alexander in the secondary, Ravens can imagine the ‘endless' possibilities
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Jaire Alexander spent most of the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp practice Wednesday on the sideline. He chatted with new teammates DeAndre Hopkins, Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton. He shook hands with Steve Bisciotti and spent a few minutes talking with the Ravens owner. He watched practice next to a coaching assistant, who answered his questions about the defensive looks the Ravens were showing. Advertisement When Alexander needed to release some excess energy, he threw a couple of jabs at the speed bag that hangs from the wall in Baltimore's indoor facility. Alexander had just signed a one-year, $4 million deal with an additional $2 million in incentives about an hour before Wednesday's practice, the Ravens' last on-field workout before veterans report to training camp July 22. He didn't participate, so the Ravens will have to wait about a month to see him on the field in a purple jersey. However, it was very easy for Baltimore to look at its suddenly robust cornerback depth chart and imagine the possibilities. 'A quote that's never been said and probably will never be said in NFL history is: 'We've got too many corners that can cover,'' Humphrey said Wednesday. 'I think that's a great problem to have, and I'm really excited for that addition.' The Ravens were keeping an eye on Alexander's tenuous roster status in Green Bay for months, and they expressed interest immediately after he was let go by the Packers last week when the two sides couldn't agree on the terms of a restructured contract. Baltimore wasn't overly optimistic it would be able to land Alexander at the time. Team officials figured a two-time Pro Bowler, who is still just 28 and has been one of the better corners in the league when healthy, would garner quite a bit of interest — and there was a good chance they'd be outbid. Alexander was offered more elsewhere, but he wanted to be with a team in Baltimore that has a strong defensive tradition and has been to the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons. He wanted to reunite with quarterback Lamar Jackson, his close friend and former teammate at Louisville. Maybe the fact that the Ravens play the Packers, his team for the past seven seasons, in late December factored into his decision as well. Advertisement Regardless of the why — Alexander wasn't available to reporters Wednesday — this is a typical Ravens and Eric DeCosta move. Signing an accomplished and highly motivated veteran at a very modest price long after the draft is an annual rite for Baltimore. The strategy has yielded plenty of hits in recent years, Kyle Van Noy, Jadeveon Clowney, Justin Houston, Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet among them. DeCosta and his predecessor, Ozzie Newsome, have never hesitated to pour assets into their secondary. Their current group features five first-round picks: Humphrey, Hamilton, Alexander, Nate Wiggins and Malaki Starks. 'It might've been Ozzie, I think he said, 'You can never have too many DBs,'' Hamilton said Wednesday. 'It seems like everybody's thin at DB, and to just add a guy like (Alexander) into a room — not only his play, but his energy, his charisma, his leadership and ball knowledge — it's going to be great to have him. Excited to get him acclimated and everything, and he seems super eager to get in the playbook.' The caveat, of course, is that Alexander is going to have to remain healthy, and that's been elusive. He played in just 14 of the Packers' 34 regular-season games over the past two years. He also missed 13 games in 2021. If not for those extensive injury issues, Alexander would still be in Green Bay. Ironically, it's partly the Ravens' history with cornerback injuries that prompted them to sign Alexander. Team officials have seen promising seasons go up in smoke because they've been ravaged by untimely health issues at cornerback. They've learned the 'you can never have enough cornerbacks' lesson the hard way. Before the Alexander addition, it was easy to look at their position group and wonder if it was good enough to survive if one of its front-line options missed significant time. The top options behind Humphrey and Wiggins would have been veteran free-agent addition Chidobe Awuzie, a 30-year-old who has played in eight games or fewer in three of the past five seasons, and T.J. Tampa, a 2024 fourth-round pick who logged just 18 defensive snaps as a rookie. Advertisement Now? It's fair to wonder whether the Ravens could have one of the best secondaries in the league if good health persists. 'Nobody really cares that much on our side (about) what round you were taken,' Hamilton said. 'There's undrafted dudes in the league that make a big splash every year, but to have everybody back there who is talented, smart and a hard worker, we really have no excuses to not go out there and do what we need to do. It's on us at the end of the day, and pressure is a privilege. Excited for us to have that privilege.' Defensive coordinator Zach Orr and secondary coach Chuck Pagano, the former Indianapolis Colts head coach who John Harbaugh added to his staff in January, have plenty of options. The most likely scenario involves using Wiggins, the 2024 first-round pick who had a promising rookie season, and Alexander on the outside and relying heavily on Humphrey in the slot, a role he has grown more comfortable in over the years. Awuzie would then move into the No. 4 cornerback role and possibly even be used some at safety, where the Ravens are thin after losing last year's 10-game starter, Ar'Darius Washington, to an Achilles injury that threatens his 2025 season. Then, the Ravens would still have Jalyn Armour-Davis, who started two games last year, Tampa and rookie sixth-rounders Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam. The flexibility of the cornerback group is augmented by the fact that both starting safeties, Hamilton and Starks, can play deep, move closer to the line of scrimmage or even match up in the slot. The Ravens have also had a few cornerbacks, including Armour-Davis, take snaps at safety during the offseason practices to increase overall versatility. Ravens coaches love talking about having a position-less defense, where guys move around and quarterbacks can't get a read on who is lining up where. The personnel in the secondary have the potential to create that dynamic. 'The options are endless,' Humphrey said. 'With me playing a little safety, even Malaki in college, he played some of that nickel position, so it's going to be a fun secondary, and just guys can kind of play wherever. The addition of Jaire, along with the other guys we've got, it can be a serious matchup. If there's a guy that we feel … can cover this guy better, we can match him up with him, and we can all pick who we want. We can have four first-round corners out there. There's just so much that we can do. It's really exciting.' Advertisement For much of last year, the Ravens' secondary was the team's weak link. For a chunk of the season, Baltimore had the league's worst pass defense statistically. High-priced veteran starting safety Marcus Williams struggled mightily and was benched for good in December. A late offseason free-agent acquisition to fill the No. 3 safety role, Eddie Jackson faltered badly and was sent packing in late November. Cornerback Brandon Stephens took a step back, and Maulet was never really healthy. The secondary, and the defense in general, turned things around in the second half of the season. A year later, the Ravens aren't anticipating many growing pains. Hamilton said there have been times during offseason practices where it feels like the defense has had 12 guys on the field, because so many players have been around the ball. Orr is in his second season as defensive coordinator. Getting Pagano to run the secondary was seen around the league as a coup. Awuzie added experience to a young cornerback room. The Ravens believe Starks was the best safety in the draft, and he's ready to make an impact from the jump. Now, Alexander is joining the group. 'When you've got corners, you don't have to worry about your corners,' Harbaugh said Wednesday. 'It's kind of a big deal because a lot of plays are made out there on that red line — on that outside third part of the field. That's an area of the field that really needs to be defended. And then, when you play man, they'll run all those crossing routes and all those pick routes, and you need guys that can keep up with that stuff. 'So, it just gives you more options with your defensive play calls. … I'm really, really fired up about that. I thought we had an excellent bunch of corners yesterday, and we added one more excellent corner today, so it's that much better.'
National Post
19-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Ravens sign Alexander after Pro Bowl cornerback's release from Packers
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Jaire Alexander has signed with the Baltimore Ravens less than two weeks after the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback was released by the Green Bay Packers. Article content The Ravens posted video Wednesday of star quarterback Lamar Jackson enthusiastically greeting Alexander after he signed with the two-time defending AFC North champions. Jackson and Alexander were teammates at Louisville. Article content Article content Article content The Packers released Alexander on June 9, ending a seven-year run in which he emerged as one of the NFL's top cornerbacks before injuries limited his availability. Article content ESPN reported that the 28-year-old Alexander was getting a one-year deal with a base value of $4 million and another $2 million in incentives. Article content Alexander's future with the Packers was the subject of much speculation throughout the offseason because of his hefty contract and recent injury history. Alexander, who has 12 interceptions, had two years remaining on the four-year, $84-million contract extension he signed in May 2022. Article content A first-round draft pick by Green Bay in 2018, Alexander missed two games early last season with injuries to his quadriceps and groin. He then missed a Nov. 3 loss to Detroit with a knee injury, returned to play 10 snaps in the Packers' next game against Chicago and then was out for the rest of the season. Article content The games he missed were because of injury with one exception. Alexander was suspended for a late-season game in 2023 because of conduct detrimental to the team after he appointed himself captain and participated in the coin toss for a Christmas Eve win at Carolina, his hometown. Article content
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ravens sign Jaire Alexander following the cornerback's release by the Packers
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Jaire Alexander has signed with the Baltimore Ravens less than two weeks after the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback was released by the Green Bay Packers. The Ravens posted video Wednesday of star quarterback Lamar Jackson enthusiastically greeting Alexander after he signed with the two-time defending AFC North champions. Jackson and Alexander were teammates at Louisville. Advertisement The Packers released Alexander on June 9, ending a seven-year run in which he emerged as one of the NFL's top cornerbacks before injuries limited his availability. ESPN reported that the 28-year-old Alexander was getting a one-year deal with a base value of $4 million and another $2 million in incentives. Alexander's future with the Packers was the subject of much speculation throughout the offseason because of his hefty contract and recent injury history. Alexander, who has 12 interceptions, had two years remaining on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed in May 2022. A first-round draft pick by Green Bay in 2018, Alexander missed two games early last season with injuries to his quadriceps and groin. He then missed a Nov. 3 loss to Detroit with a knee injury, returned to play 10 snaps in the Packers' next game against Chicago and then was out for the rest of the season. Advertisement The games he missed were because of injury with one exception. Alexander was suspended for a late-season game in 2023 because of conduct detrimental to the team after he appointed himself captain and participated in the coin toss for a Christmas Eve win at Carolina, his hometown. ___ AP NFL: The Associated Press
