Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Friday that RBs Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman are "more game ready" than Le'Veon Bell right now. Bell is "still getting his legs under him," Harbaugh added. It makes sense considering Murray and Freeman spent August in training camps. So those 2 are more likely to be active for Monday night's game vs. the Raiders. But RB Ty'Son Williams remains the heavy favorite to serve as lead back in that one.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports that the Ravens are "working on finalizing a deal" with former Saints RB Latavius Murray. "Should get done," Zrebiec adds. There's going to be some sorting to do on this new Baltimore RB depth chart. Murray would join a team that has added Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman to the practice squad in recent days. There's not enough room for all of them on the active roster. We don't see why Murray would sign with Baltimore if he expected to sit behind Bell or Freeman on the depth chart. And Murray performed well last year, ranking 15th in Football Outsiders' rushing DVOA among 47 qualifying RBs. Murray is definitely worth adding where available. Of course, we'll also see what all this means for Ty'Son Williams.
An MRI confirmed a torn ACL for Ravens RB Gus Edwards, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. So Edwards, like teammates J.K. Dobbins and Justice Hill, will miss the entire 2021 season. That leaves Baltimore with RBs Ty'Son Williams and Trenton Cannon on the active roster and RBs Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman on the practice squad. Williams is a good bet to lead the way in Monday night's opener vs. the Raiders. We'll see where the backfield goes beyond that.
The Ravens have signed RB Devonta Freeman to their practice squad. "The idea is that Freeman will be promoted to Ravens’ active roster," ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted. It's unclear when Freeman will be ready to join the active roster. He joins Le'Veon Bell on Baltimore's practice squad, with Ty'Son Williams and Trenton Cannon on the active roster. There's a lot of settling that needs to happen in this backfield. In the short term, Williams is the best fantasy bet.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Ravens RB Justice Hill suffered an Achilles' tendon tear in practice "recently" and will miss the season. Hill didn't appear headed for a big role, but he was 1 of just 3 RBs remaining on the Baltimore roster. The Ravens hosted RBs Le'Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman and Elijah Holyfield on Monday, according to SI's Albert Breer. We expect the team to add someone. Whoever that winds up being figures to slot behind Gus Edwards and Ty'Son Williams on the depth chart -- at least initially.
The Saints released RB Devonta Freeman. The 29-year-old mustered just 3.7 yards per carry this preseason and is just about out of gas. We'll see what New Orleans does with RB Latavius Murray, who's been mentioned as a cut candidate.
Katherine Terrell of The Athletic writes that it “feels like” Saints RB Latavius Murray will avoid getting cut. Terrell adds, however, that Murray’s status on the team “doesn’t seem as clear cut as it might have weeks ago.” Murray, 31, fumbled in the preseason opener and carries a cap hit of nearly $4.2 million. Still, with depth options like Devonta Freeman and Tony Jones, we’d be surprised if the Saints dumped Murray. It's at least a storyline to watch over the coming weeks.
The Saints reached a 1-year deal with RB Devonta Freeman on Saturday, following a tryout for the veteran. Freeman obviously won't challenge the roles of Alvin Kamara or Latavius Murray, but figures to compete with Tony Jones Jr., Dwayne Washington and rookie Stevie Scott for a spot behind them. Freeman averaged just 3.2 yards per rush over 54 carries with the Giants last year and made a stop on Buffalo's practice squad before getting to New Orleans. He turned 29 in March.
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