Baltimore have addressed their injury-ravaged backfield by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with running back Latavius Murray; the Ravens have also signed Trenton Cannon, Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman - the latter two placed on the practice squad
Friday 10 September 2021 19:10, UK
The Baltimore Ravens shut down practice early on Thursday after running back Gus Edwards and two-time All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters suffered significant knee injuries on back-to-back plays.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport has since confirmed that Peters and Edwards suffered have both torn their ACLs and will miss the 2021 season.
Edwards was elevated as the team's No 1 running back after J.K. Dobbins tore his ACL on August 28 in a preseason game. The team also lost reserve RB Justice Hill to a torn Achilles last Thursday.
Tests are being conducted on both Edwards and Peters.
Peters, 28, came to the Ravens in the middle of the 2019 season and has started 23 of 24 games for the club. He made the Pro Bowl and was named All-Pro after the 2019 campaign. Peters also made All-Pro in 2016 with the Kansas City Chiefs, who selected him No. 18 overall in the 2015 draft.
Peters was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 after intercepting eight passes, which stands as his career high.
Edwards has played in 43 games (13 starts) for the Ravens since joining the club as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has rushed for 2,152 yards and 10 touchdowns in a mostly backup role.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said before practice that the team was considering elevating running back Le'Veon Bell to their active roster against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night. Now it might be essential.
"I think there's a chance," Harbaugh said before practice. "He's excited. He's learning and we'll see where it goes."
After losing Dobbins, Hill and apparently Edwards to season-ending injuries, the Ravens have a backfield of Ty'Son Williams and Trenton Cannon.
To bolster their backfield, the Ravens signed former Atlanta Falcons RB Devonta Freeman to their practice squad. Then, on Friday, they agreed to terms on a one-year contract with former New Orleans Saints back Latavius Murray.
Per ESPN, the deal is worth up to $2 million. Murray was released by the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday after reportedly refusing to take a pay cut. He signed a four-year, $14.4 million contract with the Saints in 2019.
Freeman, meanwhile, rushed for 4,144 yards in seven seasons with the Falcons and New York Giants in 2020. He has 33 career TDs and is a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
Bell was a two-time All-Pro with the Steelers before he forced his way out of Pittsburgh by holding out for the entire 2018 season. He signed with the New York Jets as a free agent, but was cut last October after one and a half seasons with the team.
Bell then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and ran for 254 yards and two touchdowns over nine games in the regular season. He was not active on the Chiefs' game day roster for the AFC Championship Game and did not see the field during their loss in Super Bowl LV.
In seven NFL seasons, Bell has totaled 6,453 rushing yards, 40 rushing touchdowns, plus 3,259 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches.
