It’s the calm before the storm, Flock. The schedule begins in two days, the fans are hungry, the rosters are set…
The #Cardinals, who have not yet announced a starting QB, have not included any of their QBs in their media schedule for this week, per @joshweinfuss.
NFL teams usually have QBs address reporters on Wednesday when they're scheduled to play on Sunday.
Jonathan Gannon has said he… pic.twitter.com/NZOEx3cWoa
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 4, 2023
Ok, MOST of the rosters are set, and the only thing left to do now is count the hours down. To say that this is a week we’ve all been looking forward to is a massive understatement, and I’m happy that I can give you all a primer for some actual NFL football this coming weekend!
“I’m excited about the roster.”
Head coach John Harbaugh on the current team depth: pic.twitter.com/DpvVxg2U50
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 4, 2023
First things first: let’s give you a quick roundup of the very brief Ravens news of note. In large part, the Ravens escaped the preseason unscathed, with a lot of the injuries being existing ones that lingered around. Coach Harbaugh did give brief updates on two notable Ravens trying to make their way back, Marlon Humphrey and Mark Andrews.
"We're still not pushing the panic button. We should see Mark out there on Wednesday." https://t.co/CETOs97lAH
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 4, 2023
Head coach John Harbaugh on Marlon Humphrey’s status: pic.twitter.com/dfGgycDmlI
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 4, 2023
Andrews’ status remains a tad more optimistic, given that his return seems to be slated for this week. While Coach Harbaugh noted that Marlon is “on schedule,” he was tight-lipped about what that return timeline entailed when asked about it a few weeks ago. My impression is that the coaches and training staff know when he’ll be back, but they’ll keep it a secret until he’s given the green light.
As much as we’d all like to know when Baltimore’s CB1 will be returning, it didn’t sound like a long-term issue, with most estimates speculating that he’ll be back on or before Week 3. While that’s not ideal, there are plenty of organizations dealing with similar injury news, or worse, out of the gate.
Rams coach Sean McVay says WR Cooper Kupp remains day-to-day.
McVay stresses that the team is most focused on Kupp being back when he’s ready to return to performance (vs. just returning to play).
He did not offer a specific timeline as Kupp remains visiting a specialist.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 4, 2023
The Patriots have placed OL Riley Reiff on injured reserve, meaning he is out a minimum of 4 games.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 4, 2023
So, what did the Ravens do with their final days before kickoff? The same thing as the rest of us, watch college football and represent their alma maters!
The esteemed college grads pic 🎓 pic.twitter.com/CPM2eftgtc
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 4, 2023
Now, I love college football, but I’m more partial to the NFL. One of the more intriguing things for me over the last few seasons has been watching individual college players to see who might become the rising star in the next draft class that no one’s talking about, maybe a guy that would look good in purple and black. But this past weekend was Week 1; you’d have to be some kind of degenerate to start scouting that early!
Folks, I am that kind of degenerate.
Look, I didn’t have anything else going on, and I MISSED FOOTBALL, OK? Don’t you judge me.
With JK Dobbins becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Gus Edwards being 28 years old, and a potential out in Justice Hill’s contract this offseason, the Ravens could be looking to make an addition in the running back room. Keaton Mitchell looks like he’ll be around for a while, but he’s only one guy, and the free agent market can be tenuous. If the Ravens are looking to add youth and power, they may want to give Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen a serious look.
Braelon Allen is an absolute TANK 😳
Allen forced 8 missed tackles and had 91 yards after contact on JUST 17 attempts.
Allen finished yesterday’s game against Buffalo with 141 rushing yards and 2 rushing TD’s.
Allen has already received comparisons to Derrick Henry by many NFL… pic.twitter.com/VGVc7ESq8E
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) September 4, 2023
Elsewhere, North Carolina’s Kaimon Rucker announced himself as a breakout candidate among D-linemen with a whopping 5.5 tackles for loss and generating pressure that paved the way for nine sacks from the Tarheels defense.
Kaimon THE BUTCHER Rucker 😤 pic.twitter.com/552RwC9eD8
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 3, 2023
“But what about corner, Kevin?” I hear you asking from home. Look… because I care about you all, I wanted to scout Iowa CB Cooper DeJean, which meant that I forced myself to watch the Hawkeyes play Utah State. I’m not going to make you all suffer like I suffered; suffice to say the game was bad and I wasn’t impressed by any of it.
I’ll do my best to bring you all snippets of the good stuff from college ball throughout the season, but come Saturday, that’ll all be an appetizer before the main course. See y’all after Week 1!
