Off Topic » The Baltimore Ravens finally made their move during

NFL’s free agent frenzy http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-oshane-ximines-jersey , securing running back Mark Ingram and six-time Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas on Wednesday.After losing receiver John Brown and linebackers C.J. Mosley, Terrell Suggs and Za’darius Smith earlier in the week, Ravens first-year general manager Eric DeCosta bounced back to address two glaring needs.Ingram agreed to terms on a three-year contract and Thomas accepted a four-year deal. Both contracts are pending the passing of physicals.In addition, the Ravens formally announced the trade of quarterback Joe Flacco to Denver for a fourth-round draft pick.The 29-year-old Ingram scored 50 touchdowns during eight years with the New Orleans Saints. Arriving in Baltimore with 106 games of experience, including 64 starts, Ingram provides stability to a backfield that last year counted heavily on rookie Gus Edwards.Ingram has 204 receptions over the past five seasons and should fit well into a controlled offense directed by quarterback Lamar Jackson.A two-time 1,000-yard rusher, Ingram’s 4.7 yards per carry average over the past five seasons tops all NFL running backs. His 39 rushing touchdowns over that span ranks second behind Todd Gurley (46).Thomas, 29, arrives after a nine-year run with Seattle. He is expected to replace free safety Eric Weddle, who played three seasons in Baltimore before being released last week.Despite having his 2018 season end with a broken left leg, Thomas finished with three interceptions. No one on the Ravens had more than two last year.While being carted off the field with a lower leg fracture in a Sept. 30 game against Arizona, Thomas extended his middle finger in the direction of the Seattle bench. He had skipped multiple practices earlier in the season after failing in his bid to get a new contract.After breaking the same leg in 2016, Thomas openly pondered retirement.On Wednesday, despite his rocky tenure with the Seahawks Julian Love Jersey , Thomas wrote on Twitter : “Thank you Seattle for the love and memories that my family and I will never forget.”Thomas has 28 career interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and at least 88 tackles in four different seasons.The addition of Thomas fills out a solid defensive backfield that currently features Thomas and Tony Jefferson in the back end; Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr as outside cornerbacks; and Tavon Young in the slot.By signing Ingram and Thomas, the Ravens softened the blow of losing three members of the NFL’s No. 1 defense to free agency. Mosley went to the New York Jets, Suggs latched on with Arizona after a 16-year run with Baltimore and Smith agreed to terms with Green Bay.Suggs had only seven sacks last year but is the Ravens’ career leader with 132½.“A Raven through and through. He’s tenacious, the best of what we want our defenders to be,” DeCosta said. “Terrell is one of our all-time great Ravens.”The loss of Mosley will likely hurt more, but the Ravens couldn’t compete with the five-year, $85 million offer from the Jets.“Four Pro Bowls in five years speaks for itself,” coach John Harbaugh said of the middle linebacker. “C.J. is as reliable of a player as any defender we’ve had.” ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Antonio Brown’s credentials were well established long before he arrived in Oakland as the Raiders new No. 1 receiver.Brown posted six straight 100-catch seasons for the Steelers with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and was the NFL’s most prolific receiver before he forced his way out of Pittsburgh to join the Raiders in March.Those impressive credentials mean little to coach Jon Gruden, who is pushing Brown as hard as any of his other receivers as Oakland begins preparations for the 2019 season. It’s a similar approach to the one Gruden took during his first stint in Oakland, when he inherited future Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown and then added the game’s most productive receiver ever in Jerry Rice.“He challenged me from the meeting room to the field,” Brown said Tuesday of Gruden. “Lining me up at all kind of positions, hurrying up the offense’s tempo to see if I’m able to mentally pick up what I’m doing http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darius-slayton-jersey , where I’m lining up really fast. So, it’s never a dull day with coach. Always challenging, always high energy and always detailed and fundamental in regards to our assignment.”While Gruden is holding Brown to a high standard, Brown does the same to his fellow receivers on the roster. He has instituted a fine system for dropped passes in practice and wants to set an example with his strong work ethic for the rest of the players in the receivers’ room.Gruden had been enamored with Brown since his days as an announcer, calling him the hardest working player he had ever seen. Now the rest of the Raiders are seeing what Gruden meant.“He’s showed that when he’s been out here,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “If you’re in that group, especially if you’re in that wide receiver group, you’re going to have to jump in and follow his lead. Again, he doesn’t ask them to do anything that he doesn’t do. That’s what’s real impressive about it. He hadn’t backed off a bit even though his experience in this league has been so long, he still practices at a very high level.”Brown has been one of the league’s most prolific players. He was an All-Pro four straight years from 2014-17 and is the first player with at least 100 catches and 1,200 yards receiving in six straight seasons. His 686 catches and 9,145 yards since 2013 are the most for any player in a six-year span.But despite that production, he wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh and was acquired by Oakland in March for picks in the third and fifth round of the 2019 draft.Brown was benched by coach Mike Tomlin for the regular-season finale last year after the receiver went radio silent in the final 48 hours before the game. Brown arrived in a fur coat, hung out for a half and then disappeared from view until well after his teammates had cleaned out their lockers following a 9-6-1 finish that left Pittsburgh on the outside of the playoffs for the first time since 2013.He then publicly criticized Tomlin and Roethlisberger, eventually forcing his way out in the trade. He then got a new three-year contract worth $50.125 million from Oakland.“I’m extremely excited to be here Quinnen Williams Jersey ,” Brown said. “Obviously, it was a challenge. I’m embracing the new. Excited about opportunities to put my condition on display, work on my mentality with learning the plays and take it all in.”Carr has worked hard to build a rapport with Brown and the rest of an almost entirely new receiving group. There are only three wide receivers on the roster who even got a single pass from Carr last season in Marcell Ateman, return specialist Dwayne Harris and Keon Hatcher. Those three combined for only 22 catches last season and don’t figure to have a major role on the offense this season.Instead, Carr’s main targets will likely be Brown, big-ticket free agent Tyrell Williams, Ryan Grant, J.J. Nelson and rookie Hunter Renfrow. Carr held many offseason throwing sessions in local parks with some of his new wideouts this offseason and tried to build a rapport off the field as well by hanging out in his free time. That was appreciated by Brown.“It’s tremendously important to have a relationship off the field because playing football you get mentally tired, you get frustrated,” he said. “You always want to have that respect for a guy, to know where he is coming from, know what he stands for and know what is important to him, so you guys can be on the same page and do what you desire to do. You desire to win.”