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Luke Jones

Ravens waive rookie running back Magee

Luke Jones

Needing to make room on their 53-man roster for newly-acquired cornerback Will Davis, the Ravens waived rookie running back Terrence Magee on Tuesday. The undrafted free agent from Louisiana State was inactive for Sunday’s game in Oakland and took part in only four special-teams plays in the season opener against Denver. Initially waived at the end of the preseason, Magee was re-signed to the 53-man roster to serve as a third healthy running back as Lorenzo Taliaferro wasn’t recovered from a knee injury suffered in the second preseason game. With Taliaferro healthy and carrying the ball seven times for 34 yards and a touchdown in the 37-33 loss to the Raiders, Magee’s time on the active roster appeared short as he fell to fourth in the running back pecking order. Wanting to boost depth at the cornerback position, Baltimore acquired Davis from Miami in exchange for a 2016 seventh-round pick on Monday. Magee rushed for 93 yards on 26 carries in the preseason and would appear to be a candidate to be signed to the practice squad should he clear waivers.

Harbaugh: "Our defense has to step up and play like the Ravens play"

Luke Jones

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — John Harbaugh didn’t mince words in assessing a defense that allowed 37 points in Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Oakland Raiders to drop the Ravens’ record to 0-2. The performance was out of character for a franchise known for its defensive tradition over 20 seasons in Baltimore. The eighth-year head coach put his players and coaches on notice that the defense needs to be fixed quickly as the Ravens now try to become the 25th 0-2 team to bounce back to make the playoffs since 1990. “If we’re going to have a chance to be a successful football team, our defense has to step up and play like the Ravens play,” Harbaugh said. “That’s the expectation. That’s where the bar is set, and we’re going to have the guys out there that do that. And it’s on us as coaches to put the right guys out there, teach them to do the right things, and have the right schemes in place.” Not only were the Ravens playing an Oakland offense that was shut out by Cincinnati through three quarters the previous week, but they was feeling confident about a defense that didn’t allow an offensive touchdown

Ravens acquire former third-round cornerback Will Davis

Luke Jones

Trying to augment a thin secondary that was torched by the Oakland Raiders in Week 2, the Ravens acquired cornerback Will Davis from Miami on Monday. General manager Ozzie Newsome traded a 2016 seventh-round pick to the Dolphins to complete the trade. The 25-year-old cornerback was a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, but he never lived up to his potential and had been inactive in each of the Dolphins’ first two games this season. Davis appeared in 15 games in his first two seasons, collecting 25 tackles and two pass breakups. His 2014 campaign was cut short by a torn ACL that sidelined him for the final six games. The Ravens are currently thin at cornerback behind their top trio of Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb, and Kyle Arrington with Rashaan Melvin missing two games with a hamstring issue and rookie fourth-rounder Tray Walker lacking the experience to truly be trusted. Of course, the performance of the entire secondary left much to be desired Sunday as Oakland quarterback Derek Carr threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-33 loss to drop the Ravens’ record to 0-2 for the first time since 2005. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Davis doesn’t sport

An 0-2 start all that matters for hodge-podge Ravens

Luke Jones

All we really know about the Ravens right now is that they’re 0-2 and in last place in the AFC North and that’s what matters. The defense isn’t as bad as it played in Sunday’s 37-33 loss to Oakland, but it’s probably not as strong as it looked in Denver, either. The offense isn’t as poor as it looked in Week 1 — really, it couldn’t have been much worse — but scoring 33 points against a bad Raiders defense isn’t the best barometer to conclude that all is fine with Marc Trestman’s unit. Optimists will say John Harbaugh’s team was two plays away from being 2-0 in two road games out west despite playing poorly. They’ll maintain that the Ravens will be fine if the Week 1 defense and the Week 2 offense can simply show up at the same time. Pessimists will tell you Baltimore couldn’t win against a Peyton Manning-led offense that was completely out of sync in the opener or even beat one of the worst teams in the NFL in Week 2. And they’ll remind you again that just 24 of the 205 teams that have started a season 0-2 since 1990 have made the

Jernigan, Taliaferro practice fully for second straight day

Luke Jones

Moving closer toward their Week 2 meeting with the Oakland Raiders, the Ravens are likely to regain a key starter on their defensive line with Timmy Jernigan practicing fully for a second straight day. The second-year defensive tackle and backup running back Lorenzo Taliaferro were full participants on Thursday and appear set to make their respective returns after suffering knee injuries during the preseason. Starting running back Justin Forsett (shoulder) also practiced fully on Thursday after being a limited participant a day earlier. Left tackle Eugene Monroe (concussion) and wide receiver Breshad Perriman (knee) missed practice again on Thursday while inside linebacker Daryl Smith and defensive end Chris Canty received the day off. The Raiders received good news on Thursday with veteran safety Charles Woodson (shoulder) returning to practice on a limited basis. Starting quarterback Derek Carr (hand) was a full participant for a second consecutive practice. Below is Thursday’s official injury report: BALTIMORE DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DE Chris Canty (non-injury), T Eugene Monroe (concussion), WR Breshad Perriman (knee), LB Daryl Smith (non-injury) LIMITED PARTICIPATION: CB Rashaan Melvin (thigh) FULL PARTICIPATION: RB Justin Forsett (shoulder), DT Timmy Jernigan (knee), RB Lorenzo Taliaferro (knee) OAKLAND DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DT Justin Ellis

Wilson to make start for Orioles against Tampa Bay on Friday

Luke Jones

Beginning their final road trip of the 2015 season and needing a historic finish to qualify for the postseason, the Orioles have made a change to their starting rotation. Prior to the start of a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, the Orioles announced that right-handed pitcher Tyler Wilson will start Friday’s game with Wei-Yin Chen and Kevin Gausman each being pushed back a day. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters in St. Petersburg that Ubaldo Jimenez would start in Washington on Monday night. Wilson’s inclusion in the rotation comes after right-hander Mike Wright was roughed up in his latest start, continuing his struggles at the major league level. In his first two starts for the Orioles this season, Wright tossed 14 1/3 scoreless innings. Since then, the 25-year-old has pitched to a 9.53 ERA in 8 appearances (seven starts) spanning 28 1/3 innings. The Orioles may have turned to Wilson instead of Wright when Miguel Gonzalez began experiencing shoulder tendinitis, but the former was dealing with a strained oblique at the time. Wilson has a 2.19 ERA in 24 2/3 innings for the Orioles this season with most of that work coming in relief. In his

Replacing Suggs against run understated challenge for Ravens

Luke Jones

While discussion has centered around replacing the injured Terrell Suggs’ pass-rush ability and emotional leadership, that doesn’t tell the whole story of the challenges lying ahead for the Ravens defense. The addition of veteran Jason Babin should help the pass rush, but the 35-year-old isn’t known for being stout against the run, though he played well in that capacity for the New York Jets last season. Head coach John Harbaugh has already confirmed that Elvis Dumervil will assume duties as the rush linebacker on first and second down, meaning the 31-year-old will have a much larger role than he did in his first two seasons in Baltimore. With Suggs and the run-stopping Courtney Upshaw playing the outside linebacker spots in the base defense, Dumervil rarely saw action on early downs against most teams. Dumervil may not be a major liability against the run, but he will be replacing a player who’s been one of the NFL’s best at setting the edge for over a decade. Even with his advancing age, Suggs graded as Baltimore’s second-best player against the run last season and was first in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus. His pass-rushing counterpart the last two years will now

Despite focus on offensive woes, rotation has sealed Orioles’ 2015 fate

Luke Jones

The Orioles’ offseason departures of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis need to be rehashed about as much as Chris Tillman desires another start against the Toronto Blue Jays at this point. We get it. Even if you might have agreed with the decision not to sign either outfielder to a four-year contract, there’s no excusing an offseason plan that essentially consisted of writing checks to a long list of arbitration-eligible players and trading for a failed former first-round pick (outfielder Travis Snider) after one good half in 2014. But even with the corner outfield woes that have lingered all year, the reeling Orioles entered Tuesday averaging 4.36 runs per contest, a mark nearly identical to last season’s 4.35 scored per game. It may not feel that way with the offense’s extreme peaks and valleys during a difficult 2015 season, but the numbers don’t lie. Would the Orioles still be in contention for a playoff spot with Cruz and Markakis? Certainly. But would Buck Showalter’s club be even with Toronto and the New York Yankees in the American League East race? Based on the way the starting rotation has performed, probably not. That failure has ultimately sealed the Orioles’ fate as

Ravens re-sign Magee, place Urban on IR-designated to return

Luke Jones

The Ravens re-signed running back Terrence Magee and placed defensive end Brent Urban on injured reserve with the designation to return on Tuesday morning. The move to give Urban the designation was expected after the second-year defensive player remained on the 53-man roster when final cuts were made on Saturday. The 2014 fourth-round pick is recovering from a biceps tear suffered early last month, an injury that was projected to keep him sidelined for at least three months. “This is an injury he can come back from,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “This is a league where big guys are very valuable, especially at the end of the year, and we think — just from a football business perspective — putting him in that slot is good for us. It’s going to be up to him to work like crazy and get back and get ready to play.” Urban may not return until after the first eight weeks of the regular season, meaning the earliest he could play would be Nov. 15 against Jacksonville, the first game following the Ravens’ bye week. He may begin practicing after the first six weeks of the regular season. With backup running back Lorenzo

Ravens use disposable centers to improve 2016 draft position

Luke Jones

The center position is in excellent shape for the Ravens entering the 2015 season. The arrival of starter Jeremy Zuttah a year ago was a pivotal factor in the turnaround for an offensive line that was nothing short of a disaster in 2013. Second-year reserve John Urschel may be the center of the future — or at least a starter at either guard position — and is rapidly becoming one of the better backup interior linemen in the NFL. Ryan Jensen also offers versatility as a backup capable of playing center in addition to guard and tackle. But this weekend offered a reminder that the Ravens used a pair of disposable centers to improve their value in next year’s draft. Hours before making their final cuts on Saturday, the Ravens traded rookie free agent center Nick Easton to the San Francisco 49ers for a conditional 2016 seventh-round pick. Despite playing well in the preseason, the Harvard product was never going to make the 53-man roster and Baltimore managed to find a suitor for a player already on his way out the door. On Sunday, another shrewd move from the offseason came to the forefront with Denver cutting former Ravens center Gino

Ravens begin putting together practice squad

Luke Jones

Less than 24 hours after making final cuts to reduce their roster to the 53-man limit, the Ravens welcomed back several players to their practice squad. On Sunday afternoon, Baltimore announced the signings of linebacker Brennen Beyer, wide receiver Jeremy Butler, guard Kaleb Johnson, safety Nick Perry, quarterback Bryn Renner, tight end Konrad Reuland, and offensive lineman De’Ondre Wesley to officially fill seven of their 10 spots on their practice squad. However, the Ravens appear to be on the verge of filling the remaining spots. Waived on Friday, rookie wide receiver Daniel Brown indicated on Twitter that he was joining the Ravens’ practice squad after spending the spring and preseason with them. A punt block and a touchdown reception in the preseason finale in Atlanta helped his cause a great deal. According to multiple reports, the Ravens are also adding former Houston Texans cornerback Charles James to their practice squad. A charismatic figure in HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series this summer, James has also played some running back and has ability as a returner, which could lead to him getting a long look in practices. The third-year defensive back and Charleston Southern product also posted via Twitter that he was joining the

Ravens uncertain about Perriman's status for season opener

Luke Jones

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Just a week before the season-opening game in Denver, the status of Ravens rookie receiver Breshad Perriman remains uncertain as he recovers from a sprained knee. Injured on the first day of full-squad practice on July 30, the first-round pick hasn’t practiced since and has only been spotted doing light work without any running involved. It’s unclear whether Perriman will return to the practice field this coming week to keep his availability — even on a very limited basis — in play against the Broncos. “I don’t know. I really don’t have the answer for that,” head coach John Harbaugh said on Saturday. “I think he has a chance, yes. But to what degree, that’s wide open right now. I don’t know.” The Ravens cut second-year receiver Jeremy Butler on Saturday and have six wideouts on the initial 53-man roster: Perriman, Steve Smith, Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown, Michael Campanaro, and Darren Waller. Aiken is expected to start opposite Smith with Brown serving as the No. 3 option to begin the season. With Perriman currently sidelined, the Ravens lack a speedy receiver on the outside to stretch the field, an obvious concern for an offense needing to

Ravens trade rookie center Easton to San Francisco

Luke Jones

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — As they counted down to Saturday’s 4 p.m. deadline to pare the roster to 53 players, the Ravens returned to the practice field with all healthy members of their 70-man roster on Saturday morning. But before practice had concluded, Baltimore traded rookie free agent center Nick Easton to the San Francisco 49ers for an unspecified draft pick. As the media viewing portion of practice was wrapping up, head coach John Harbaugh was speaking with the undrafted free agent as ESPN first reported the Ravens were working on a trade. Easton played well in the preseason — grading out as Pro Football Focus’ top center in the NFL — but Baltimore’s numbers on the interior line made him a long shot to make the 53-man roster. “Nick could have made our team, too, if we didn’t have as much depth,” Harbaugh said. “I think [the 49ers] might have had an injury at center. We have guys like that. Those are the type of guys you try to develop first and foremost for your team. When you have a need, they’re there for you, and we want to develop those guys.” Wide receiver Breshad Perriman (knee), defensive tackle

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