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Pernell McPhee

Ravens Place Robert Griffin III On IR

December 4th, 2020 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

The hamstring injury Robert Griffin III suffered Wednesday in Pittsburgh will result in a prolonged absence. This could complicate matters for the Ravens.

While RG3 going on IR would not normally affect Baltimore’s starting lineup, it is not yet known if Lamar Jackson will be ready to return when first eligible to come off the Ravens’ reserve/COVID-19 list. Jackson tested positive for the coronavirus on Nov. 26 and cannot return to practice until Sunday. The Ravens will host the Cowboys on Tuesday night.

Baltimore used third-stringer Trace McSorley — who was recently activated from the COVID list — at the end of Wednesday’s loss to the Steelers. He would be in line to start for the Ravens against the Cowboys, should Jackson require more recovery time.

RG3 struggled against the Steelers but brings extensive NFL experience McSorley obviously lacks. An eighth-year NFL vet, Griffin has been Jackson’s backup for three years. Griffin cannot resume his QB2 duties until at least Week 16.

While the Ravens will be without Griffin for a while, they did receive word Friday they will have more depth available against Dallas. Baltimore activated J.K. Dobbins, Matt Skura, Patrick Mekari and Pernell McPhee from the virus list.

The Ravens held Dobbins and Mark Ingram out of their thrice-rescheduled game in Pittsburgh. Both backs tested positive for COVID-19 but would have been eligible to return for Week 12. Dobbins being back in action will be a boon to a Ravens team suddenly on thin ice with regards to playoff qualification.

NFL Postpones Ravens-Steelers Due To COVID-19

November 25th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Thursday’s game between the Ravens and Steelers has been postponed due to a rash of positive COVID-19 tests. Now, the two teams are set to meet on Sunday afternoon, though the league will continue to monitor the situation between now and then.

We learned yesterday that Baltimore was dealing with 10 total coronavirus cases, including five players. As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter), the Ravens have actually had seven players test positive over the past three days: RBs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins — which we already knew about — QB Trace McSorley, OLB Pernell McPhee, DE Calais Campbell, C Matt Skura, and G/C Patrick Mekari, all of whom will be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. As such, the league really had no other choice but to push back the game.

Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network points out that the league did not make the decision because the Ravens would have been extremely shorthanded. After all, the players who tested positive won’t be allowed to play on Sunday either. Instead, a number of Baltimore players are (obviously) close contacts with those who tested positive, and the NFL wants to make sure the spread is contained (Twitter link).

Unfortunately, things could get worse for the Ravens. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league and the team know how the outbreak began, and there is a chance more players will test positive. By Friday, the NFL expects to know if everything is under control or if the game will need to be postponed again.

If another postponement becomes necessary, this game will likely be the first one set in on the novel Week 18. The Ravens are scheduled to play the Cowboys next Thursday, so the league will not make them play a game on Monday or Tuesday before a Thursday night contest.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/20

November 24th, 2020 at 5:02pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Vance McDonald
  • Promoted: TE Kevin Rader

Tennessee Titans

The Jets’ addition of Adams makes a lot of sense after rookie running back La’Mical Perine suffered a high ankle sprain that is expected to sideline him for at least a couple games. A 2018 UDFA out of Notre Dame, Adams played a significant role with the Eagles as a rookie, when he started five of 14 games and carries the ball 120 times for 511 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the reasonably productive first season, he was waived at final cuts last year.

Ravens Re-Sign Pernell McPhee

May 5th, 2020 at 12:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are bringing Pernell McPhee back. The outside linebacker has re-upped on a one-year deal, per a club announcement. 

Roughly one year ago today, McPhee inked a one year deal with Baltimore to return back to where it all started. He was a 2011 fifth-round pick and an oft-featured sub for the Ravens before moving on to the Bears in free agency. He entered and went out with a bang in Baltimore – McPhee notched six sacks as a rookie and tallied a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2014, his contract year. McPhee parlayed that success into a five-year deal, $38.8MM deal with Chicago, but injuries cost him 12 regular season games over a three-year stretch. Still, he managed 14 sacks for Chicago.

Unfortunately, injuries also slowed him last year. A triceps tear shelved McPhee in October, taking him out of action after 260 snaps, the second-highest total on the team at the time.

McPhee, 31, has 34 career sacks across nine seasons with the Bears, Redskins, and Ravens. Despite his name recognition and substantial career earnings, he’s started in just 30 of his 116 NFL games.

Pernell McPhee Suffers Triceps Tear

October 21st, 2019 at 3:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

After some injury-plagued seasons, Pernell McPhee played in the Ravens’ first seven games this season. Unfortunately, the veteran outside linebacker will not participate in the rest of Baltimore’s 2019 campaign.

A triceps tear will shelve McPhee, John Harbaugh said (per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, on Twitter). McPhee re-signed with the Ravens this offseason, returning to the team with which he began his career in 2011.

McPhee battled injuries during his time with the Bears and had not operated as a full-time starter since 2015, his first Chicago campaign. However, the Ravens — after losing Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith this offseason — reinstalled him as a first-stringer. McPhee registered three sacks in seven Ravens games.

The 30-year-old defender signed a one-year deal, so this will be a blow for his 2020 offseason stock. Matt Judon leads the Ravens’ pass rush, but McPhee had played 260 snaps — second-most on the team. This setback will likely mean more work for third-round rookie Jaylon Ferguson, with Tyus Bowser likely also being called upon to pick up the slack.

Shane Ray On Ravens’ Roster Bubble?

August 8th, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brought in along with Pernell McPhee after the draft, Shane Ray does not have a comfortable path to the Ravens’ 53-man roster. The former first-round pick is squarely on Baltimore’s bubble.

Ray is behind five other Raven edge defenders at present, with Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic noting (subscription required) the four-year Broncos cog will need a strong preseason to make the team.

The fifth-year pass rusher has flashed in practice, but Zreibec notes McPhee is ahead of him among the veteran contingent. So are 2017 second- and third-round picks Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams With the Ravens unlikely to keep six edge defenders, Ray has his work cut out for him entering the team’s preseason slate.

The Ravens added Ray shortly after May’s compensatory deadline and gave him a $1.2MM deal with $200K guaranteed. But vying with McPhee and recent Ravens Day 2 picks, with Matt Judon and rookie Jaylon Ferguson locks to make the team, made this an uncertain proposition from the start.

While he was a rotational presence on Denver’s Super Bowl champion team and registered eight sacks in 2016, Ray has not lived up to his first-round billing yet. He finished his Broncos tenure on a shaky note, being a healthy scratch at the conclusion of last season.

Ravens Sign LB Pernell McPhee

May 16th, 2019 at 1:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have agreed to sign linebacker Pernell McPhee, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll return to Baltimore on a one-year deal. 

The veteran spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore and owns 31 career sacks and six forced fumbles over the course of his eight years in the NFL. The 30-year-old (31 in December) hasn’t put up big numbers in a couple of years, but the Ravens believe that he’s still a capable disruptor.

McPhee was a 2011 fifth-round pick of the Ravens and was an oft-featured sub before moving on to the Bears in free agency. He entered and went out with a bang in Baltimore – McPhee notched six sacks as a rookie and tallied a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2014, his contract year. McPhee parlayed that success into a five-year deal, $38.8MM deal with Chicago, but injuries cost him 12 regular season games over a three-year stretch. Still, McPhee managed 14 sacks for the Bears.

The Ravens also met with Rams free agent Matt Longacre, but the McPhee signing may check the box for veteran edge rushers.

Ravens Considering Pernell McPhee

May 15th, 2019 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are considering a Pernell McPhee return, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (on Twitter). The Ravens have been on the hunt for veteran pass rush help and McPhee would offer familiarity with the club after spending the first four years of his career in Baltimore. 

The Ravens also met with Matt Longacre this week, but he left the facility without signing a deal. Longacre is less accomplished than McPhee, but he is three years younger and started in seven games last year, which is seven more than McPhee.

McPhee was a 2011 fifth-round pick of the Ravens and was an oft-featured sub before moving on to the Bears in free agency. He entered and went out with a bang in Baltimore – McPhee notched six sacks as a rookie and tallied a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2014, his contract year. McPhee parlayed that success into a five-year deal, $38.8MM deal with Chicago, but injuries cost him 12 regular season games over a three-year stretch. Still, McPhee managed 14 sacks for the Bears.

McPhee didn’t impress much in his reserve role with the Redskins last year, but he could view a Ravens return as an opportunity to get back on track.

Contract Details: Mathieu, Pamphile, Watson, Weeden

March 31st, 2018 at 9:35am CST by Ben Levine

Some details on recent free agent deals (all links via Twitter):

NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero also has signing bonus/guarantee details on players who signed one-year deals: TE Levine Toilolo $400K (Lions), LB Pernell McPhee $350K (Redskins), QB Brandon Weeden $90K (Texans), CB Leon Hall $45K (Raiders).

Redskins Sign LB Pernell McPhee

March 26th, 2018 at 2:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins have officially signed free agent edge rusher Pernell McPhee, the club announced today.

McPhee, 29, was released by the Bears earlier this offseason after a disappointing three-year run in the Windy City. Chicago inked McPhee to a five-year deal prior to the 2015 campaign, but he was only able to stay healthy for 36 games over the past three years. The former undrafted free agent still managed to post 12 sacks during his time with the Bears, and he was effective when able to stay on the field.

Despite his question marks, McPhee still ranked as the No. 4 edge rusher heading into the free agent period. While that ranking was due in part to McPhee’s talent, it also spoke to the lack of pass-rushing options on the free agent market. Among PFR’s top-15 edge rushers, only three — Kony Ealy, Connor Barwin, and Junior Galette — are still without a contract.

Washington won’t ask McPhee to serve as a starter, as he’ll instead provide rotational snaps behind Preston Smith and Ryan Kerrigan. McPhee has shown the ability to line up from several different areas of the field in the past, and keeping his playtime low could help stave off further injuries. The Redskins don’t intend to re-sign fellow veteran Junior Galette, so McPhee will immediately step into Galette’s role as the Redskins’ third pass-rusher.

Before signing with Washington, McPhee also took a meeting with the Falcons.

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