Ravens News 3/27: Joint practices, patience at WR and more

Eric DeCosta Talks How Ravens Plan to Address Wide Receiver Position - Clifton Brown

“Patience,” DeCosta said. “We did not look at free agency as really a great way to address the wide receiver position this year. Last year, we thought it made a lot of sense. It didn’t make as much sense for us this year.

“We look at the draft as an opportunity to do that. We also think there may be some players that might be interesting to us at a later date that might become available.”

“Everybody always wants to know about wide receivers in Baltimore,” DeCosta said. “The challenge is to find those types of players in all the different rounds. You hope some of those guys fall to you. In the past we’ve had some success, but we also have misevaluated the range of players, guys that we wanted to take that got picked right before we could pick. That’s a frustrating thing.

“I think this draft is really nice because we have a lot of options. There’s a lot of players in this draft, draftable prospects at the wide receiver position. I’m confident that we’ll take at least one guy, at some point, that will have a chance to help the team.”

Hopefully DeCosta will be better at evaluating the draft range of receivers.

Predictions for every NFL team’s best offseason move - Ben Cooper & Ben Linsey

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Top signing: Earl Thomas

The Ravens saw many of the more recognizable names on their defense leave via free agency, among which were C.J. Mosley, Eric Weddle, Terrell Suggs, and Za’Darius Smith. Helping to alleviate those losses is the addition of one of the best safeties and defensive playmakers in the NFL – Earl Thomas. Over the last five years, Thomas’ overall grade of 93.6 paces all safeties, as does his coverage grade of 97.2. Over that same span, Thomas has forced incompletions on 27 of the 99 passes thrown into his coverage. That rate of 27.3 percent is tops among all safeties to see at least 50 targets over those five seasons. That elite playmaking ability will be roaming the free safety position in Baltimore now, making life easier on the rest of their secondary.

Thomas’ rare coverage ability should make life easier on the entire Ravens defense.

Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Quarterback Situations, Best to Worst - Conor Orr

18. Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson, Robert Griffin III

They had to bring back RGIII. Love the pairing and the fact that the Ravens are going all in on what their talent does best.

Last season, Baltimore carried three quarterbacks on their regular season roster for the first time in many years. It might make sense to do the same in 2019 due to the run-heavy nature of Greg Roman’s scheme.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh: Cleveland Browns are most talented team in AFC North - Ben Axelrod

“They’re the most talented team in the division,” Harbaugh said of the Browns, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “We’ll see what that means.”

“I know this -- that’s right now,” Harbaugh said of the Browns’ preseason status. “The best team in the division is the team that’s going to win the division. So, we’ll see what the best team is.”

Cleveland boasts an impressive collection of playmakers, but first-time head coach Freddie Kitchens may struggle to integrate multiple superstar personalities.

Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens to hold joint practices during preseason - Aaron Kasinitz

The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Baltimore Ravens for joint practices this summer, coach Doug Pederson told reporters at the NFL league meetings Tuesday morning.

Those practices will be at the NovaCare Complex in South Philly in the third week of the preseason, Pederson and Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh said the teams are still waiting on the NFL to put together the preseason schedule, but the Ravens have requested to practice with the Eagles in the third week of the preseason and the Jacksonville Jaguars before the opener.

Harbaugh continues to make full use of joint preseason practices as a preparation tool.