The Baltimore Ravens are close to completely collapsing. Baltimore is shockingly 1-5 heading into Week 8 after losing some close games and losing Lamar Jackson for multiple weeks. Now rumors are beginning to swirl about big changes coming to the Ravens ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 4th.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen ranked the top 25 players who could be moved at the deadline this year.
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews came in sixth place on ESPN's ranking. Fowler argued that Baltimore could decide to move forward with Isaiah Likely instead of Andrews after this season.
“Andrews is making $11 million in the final year of his deal, and tight end Isaiah Likely is also set to hit free agency, probably forcing the Ravens to make some sort of action at the position eventually,” Fowler wrote.
Likely is only 25 years old, which makes him the more attractive player to retain for the future.
Bowen also noted that Andrews' declining speed could make him expendable for the Ravens. But he still has enough value to potentially garner trade interest.
“Andrews' play speed has declined, but he can still operate underneath, using his coverage awareness to make himself available to the QB,” Bowen added. “Plus, Andrews can be schemed on seams and wheel routes.”
The veteran tight end only has 21 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
Ravens remove locker room amenities amid 1-5 start
It is never a good sign when NFL teams start taking away the pool tables. But that's exactly what is happening in Baltimore.
According to The Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have removed all leisure equipment from the team's locker room amid their 1-5 start. That includes the ping pong table, basketball hoop, video game consoles, and cornhole boards.
The message to players is clear: there is no more time for distractions. Unfortunately, that message is usually delivered too late by NFL teams.
If the Ravens continue their losing streak, that could increase the likelihood that they trade players away at the deadline. That means every single game between now and November 4th is even more important.
Baltimore will look to get back on track in their next game, with or without their starting quarterback.
Next up for the Ravens is a must-win Week 8 contest against the Bears.
