But on Monday morning, the Ravens reportedly went another way, Edwards agreeing to a paycut of about $1 million.
Edwards missed the 2021 season with a knee injury and was limited to nine games last year. He will be among those who play behind J.K. Dobbins as the starter.
“We are absolutely devastated to announce legendary Minnesota Vikings head coach and Hall of Famer Bud Grant has passed away this morning at age 95. We, like all Vikings and NFL fans, are shocked and saddened by this terrible news.”
Grant coached 28 seasons for the Vikings and the CFL, with his teams reaching the playoffs 20 of those seasons. Including 10 championship games and four Super Bowls. Notably, Grant was the first coach to lose four Super Bowls.
Grant was also the first person to be inducted into both the CFL Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame with a career regular-season record of 158-96-5 in the NFL and 102-56-2 in the CFL.
MARCH 10 A TRADE AT THE TOP The Carolina Panthers have reportedly traded up with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears give up their 2023 No. 1 pick, while receiving from the Panthers, No. 9 pick, No. 61 pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, WR D.J. Moore.
The Panthers can now draft their quarterback of the future.
MARCH 8 NEW OLB COACH IN TOWN Head coach John Harbaugh announced on Wednesday that the Ravens have hired Chuck Smith to be their new outside linebackers coach.
“Chuck is a proven and highly-respected pass rush coach who many pro and collegiate players have sought guidance from,” Harbaugh stated. “He brings unique insight, experience and passion to the Ravens, and we’re confident that he’ll have a great impact on our outside linebackers group.”
MARCH 7 WILSON WILL COACH DBs Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh announced on Tuesday that the organization has hired Dennard Wilson as defensive backs coach.
“Dennard joining our defensive coaching staff is a strong addition to our team, and he will help us continue to develop our players and scheme in the strongest possible way,” Harbaugh stated. “Dennard is a proven coach who has brought the best out of his units consistently throughout his NFL career. His history of working with defensive backs at the highest level will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our room. We’re excited to welcome Dennard to the Ravens and know he’s looking forward to coming home to Maryland.”
He most recently spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he served as defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs (2022) and as defensive backs coach (2021). Wilson, 40, enters his 12th year as an NFL coach and ninth leading defensive backs at the pro level.
MARCH 5 BARSTOOL PRANKED! During an appearance on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take, ESPN’s Adam Schefter decided he’d pull a prank on the hosts by dropping some fake Lamar Jackson news – that he’s close to being traded to the Washington Commanders.
It was only a prank, however, and it appears the Ravens will attempt to use the franchise tag on Jackson. But general manager Eric DeCosta has not indicated which tag designation they will use for the signal-caller.
The Commanders have been linked to Jackson as a possible trade partner for Baltimore, along with Atlanta, New Orleans, and the Jets.
FEB 28 EAGLES’ NEW OC The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t have to look very far for their replacement for former OC Shane Steichen, who was hired as the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Eagles are promoting former QB coach Biran Johnson, per ESPN.
Johnson was considered for OC of other teams but ultimately stayed in Philly, and now has been promoted.
FEB 28 LAMAR DENIAL Lamar Jackson doesn’t have an agent, a fact that some are trying to paint as a financial error …
Which has the Ravens QB scoffing.
During a recent PFT conversation, Mike Florio and Chris Simms suggested that Jackson misses out on marketing opportunities because he represents himself.
Florio specifically referred to “the shoe contract that wasn’t, because he doesn’t have a marketing firm.”
Lamar responded to the conversation on Twitter tonight, using a GIF of a confounded LeBron James to essentially deny the gossip.
Jackson not only doesn’t have an agent; he also doesn’t have a contract and the Ravens are expected to use the franchise tag on him before next Tuesday’s deadline.
FEB 26 JOURNEYMAN OC LANDS IN CLEVELAND After most recently serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Cal, Bill Musgrave is being hired by the Cleveland Browns to serve as an offensive assistant per NFL Media.
Musgrave has been coaching in the league since 1997, serving most recently with the Broncos in 2018. Musgrave and Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski worked together in the Vikings organization from 2011 to 2013.
Muagrave, who played quarterback for Oregon, was drafted into the NFL in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys at No. 106 overall in the fourth round.
FEB 25 LAMAR JACKSON FALCONS JERSEY JOKE? RavenCountry.com has been suggesting for weeks that quarterback Lamar Jackson could be traded to the Falcons for a variety of packages.
While that’s just speculation on our part, something peculiar happened on Saturday morning.
A video showing a Lamar Jackson Falcons jersey for sale on the NFL Shop appeared on social media.
Clearly, this is just a prank someone very successfully pulled off, but it certainly got Falcons fans in a tizzy. What about Ravens fans? They’re split somewhere down the middle when it comes to keeping Jackson or trading him.
March 7 starts the franchise tag period and that’s an important date for Ravens fans.
FEB 24 CHIEFS PROMOTE NAGY The Kansas City Chiefs have promoted quarterbacks coach and senior assistant Matt Nagy to offensive coordinator.
Nagy returned to the Chiefs after being fired as coach of the Chicago Bears in 2021. Nagy held the same position in 2016 and 2017 before leaving to become head coach of the Bears.
There was no word about external interviews for the position after Eric Bieniemy left to become the OC in Washington, but the Rooney Rule dictates that teams must interview at least one external minority candidate for coordinator positions.
It’s possible the Chiefs either kept that interview private, or they’ll be hearing from the NFL.
FEB 23 RAVENS LOSE DEFENSIVE COACH Baltimore Ravens safeties coach D’Anton Lynn is expected to take over as defensive coordinator.
Lynn has spent the last two seasons coaching the defensive backs in 2021 and safeties in 2022. before coming to the Ravens he spent time with the Texans as the team’s secondary coach and with the Chargers, working under his father Anthony, coaching the linebackers.
FEB 22 RAVENS GET NEW RB COACH The Baltimore Ravens are expected to hire a new running backs coach in Willie Taggart per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Taggart is a former head coach at FAU, Florida State, Oregon, South Florida, and Western Kentucky.
FEB 21 RAY LEWIS ‘ADVICE’ IN MURDER? There is new information coming out about the killing of a woman that has resulted in murder charges for Alabama basketball player Darius Miles.
And the new information puts Ravens great Ray Lewis in the spotlight in an unusual way.
AL.com is revealing the sequence of events that led to the killing of Jamea Jonae Harris, details that include freshman Brandon Miller supplying the gun.
Alabama coach Nate Oats said the team was aware of that fact, but that Miller will not face any legal charges or discipline from the team.
Said Oats: “Wrong spot at the wrong time.”
And what does Lewis have to do with this? The Athletic is citing another twist: Lewis was charged with murder after two men were stabbed outside a nightclub in 2000, but those charges were dropped after the All-Pro player pleaded guilty to obstruction to justice.
And Oats, in search of answers to try to handle Alabama’s sad situation, said he consulted Lewis for “advice” since he faced a “similar” situation to Miles.
By the way: Harris’ mother, DeCarla Heard, told AL.com that the shooting was triggered when the suspects tried to talk to Harris, who informed them she had a boyfriend and wasn’t interested.
Jamea Jonae Harris, the mother of a 5-year-old, was 23.
FEB 21: TEE STAYING After interviewing for the Colts’ open offensive coordinator position, the Indianapolis franchise has elected to pass on Ravens receivers coach Tee Martin.
The Colts hired former Jags passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter instead to work under new head coach Shane Steichen.
Martin will remain with the Ravens organization for at least the 2023 season.
FEB 17: TEE TO THE COLTS? The Indianapolis Colts have requested permission to interview Tee Martin for their offensive coordinator position.
Martin has served as the wide receivers coach in Baltimore for two seasons after spending 15 seasons in the college ranks.
The Colts recently hired Shane Steichen as head coach, who is expected to call his own plays.
FEB 14: A NEW FACE IN BALTIMORE The Baltimore Ravens have announced the hiring of former Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken to fill the same position within the organization.
Monken arrives at the Ravens after helping the Georgia Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships, and with previous NFL experience.
FEB 6: DENIED! As Jim Harbaugh’s search for a new offensive coordinator to replace the departed Greg Roman continues, the Ravens were denied permission to speak with Jaguars OC Press Taylor.
Per The Athletic, after initial video interviews went well, Harbaugh has scheduled in-person interviews with University of Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio, and former Ravens wide receivers and tight ends coach and Wisconsin offensive coordinator Bobby Engram.
FEB 4: BIENIEMY PLUS 4? The Ravens have now, by our count, interviewed four candidates a second time each … and while waiting on Eric Bieniemy, seem to have zeroed in on the final bunch.
And then there were five?
Brian Angelichio reportedly has set his second visit with the Ravens. That puts him on a list with Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales, Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten and University of Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
And then of course there is Bieniemy, Andy Reid’s top offensive aide in Kansas City as the Chiefs prep to take on the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Coach John Harbaugh is working to replace the outgoing Greg Roman, with QB Lamar Jackson having a voice of some sort into the new hire.
The Cowboys also have on their list Angelichio – presently the Vikings passing game coordinator with a tight ends background – who was a Mike McCarthy assistant in their Packers days together.
Another Cowboys connection: Former Dallas assistant Doug Nussmeier has also interviewed with the Ravens.
FEB 1 LAMAR’S VOTE? “I did ask Lamar [Jackson] about it, and he will be involved in it,” head coach John Harbaugh said recently about the Baltimore Ravens’ search for a new coordinator. “I’ll keep him abreast of what’s going on, and I’m sure he’ll have some input along the way …”
“Input.”
As in, Jackson literally gets a vote, because in a sense the Ravens and the QB are (going to be) in business together?
Or, as in Jackson is invited to represent the locker room as a voice?
Read more here.
FEB 1 TOPS IN THE WORLD! The Baltimore Ravens are not shy about what they are offering the next offensive coordinator.
“This,” coach John Harbaugh said, “is going to be a highly sought-after job. This is one of the top football coaching jobs in the world. Everybody’s going to want this job.”
Great. Now, does Georgia’s Todd Monken fit with “the top job in the world”? We say “yes,” for now – at least in the form of another interview to explore how he can get his college success to transfer back up to the NFL.
