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Baltimore Ravens activate OT Ronnie Stanley off PUP list
- Significant ankle injuries held Stanley out for all but one game last season and for the final 10 games in 2020.
- Prior to the injuries, Stanley earned the second-highest PFF pass-blocking grade among tackles since the start of 2018. His 3.5% pressure rate allowed over that same stretch ranked fourth among players at the position. The former Notre Dame standout earned an 89.4 overall grade back in 2019, his last full season.
- Stanley is the fourth key Ravens player to be activated off the PUP list in recent weeks, joining RB JK Dobbins, CB Marcus Peters and S Ar’Darius Washington.
New York Jets WR Denzel Mims requests trade
- A second-round pick out of Baylor in 2020, Mims has been frustrated with his role for the last year and a half under the new coaching staff.
- “It's just time,” his agent Ron Slavin said in a statement. “Denzel has tried in good faith, but it is clear he does not have a future with the Jets. Denzel vowed to come back better than ever this season and he worked extremely hard in the offseason to make that happen. Still, he has been given very few opportunities to work with the starting offense and get into a groove with them.”
- Mims played in 11 games last season and finished with just eight catches for 133 yards and no touchdowns. He has been playing with the second and third-string offense throughout training camp and was even getting work with the special teams during their second preseason game.
- The Jets have a crowded receiver room with rookie first-round pick Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios leading the way.
- The Athletic's Joe Person reported on Friday that the Carolina Panthers have checked in on possibly trading for Mims, who played for coach Matt Rhule in college and had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Baltimore Ravens OLB Tyus Bowser to miss at least first four games of season
- Bowser, who tore his Achilles in the final game of last season, was placed on the Reserve/PUP list today, meaning he’s out a minimum four games.
- Bowser led the team with 7 sacks last season and has been making a “rapid” recovery from the injury, per coach John Harbaugh, but the team ultimately decides to give him time to be fully recovered.
- The Ravens have seen steady improvement from Bowser each season since drafting him in the second-round in 2017. He’s played more snaps season-to-season and has earned a PFF grade of over 70.0 in each of the last three seasons, including a career high 73.7 last season.
- With Bowser out and rookie outside linebacker David Ojabo unlikely to play this season, the Ravens' top four outside linebackers are Odafe Oweh, Justin Houston, Daelin Hayes and Steven Means, with Chuck Wiley and Jeremiah Moon also competing for a roster spot.
Buffalo Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza accused of rape
- It’s a very disturbing story as Araiza and two teammates are accused of gang raping a 17-year-old girl while playing for San Diego State last year.
- The girl reported it to the police the next day, but Araiza was never arrested or charged, and the allegation was not made public until Thursday, after a civil lawsuit was filed.
- Earlier this week, the Bills named Araiza their starting punter and officially released veteran Matt Haack, who he was competing with. Haack has since signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
- To make things more confusing, the Bills were aware of the allegations last month and were notified that a civil lawsuit could be on the way.
- The Bills are playing their final preseason game against the Panthers on Friday night and Araiza is not expected to play, but he is at the game.
- The full story was originally reported by the LA Times and can be found here.