Matt Sidney

3 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Sidney

For a minute, it looked like the Baltimore Ravens pulled off another classic Eric DeCosta heist. A day-three pick swap to snag a proven receiver from a bottom-feeder franchise? It barely cost anything. It almost seemed too good to be true. Diontae Johnson came with production, playoff experience, and familiarity with the AFC North. He was supposed to help Lamar Jackson close out another Super Bowl run. That was the idea, anyway. But anyone who watched it unfold knows this trade aged like milk.

3 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Sidney

ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported Ronald Darby is officially hanging up the cleats after a decade in the NFL. The veteran cornerback informed the Houston Texans of his retirement this week, ending a career that saw him suit up for seven teams and win a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. Darby spent the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was called on to stabilize a banged-up secondary and ended up becoming a sneaky steady contributor.

4 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Sidney

Roquan Smith is one of the best linebackers in football. But if you’re just box-score perusing, you might not know it. His 2024 season opened with some uncharacteristic turbulence, and Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron's preseason rankings reflect it — dropping him into "Tier 2" and to fourth overall among all linebackers heading into 2025. But context matters — it wasn’t a drop built on regression. It was about context.

4 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Sidney

Marlon Humphrey trolls Bengals rookie over contract messThe message wasn’t hard to decipher. Cincinnati’s top draft pick, Shemar Stewart, has been sitting out of offseason workouts because of a contract dispute. Not over money, but over specific language the Bengals decided to wedge into the deal — language that would let them void guaranteed money if he ever defaulted on the contract.

4 weeks ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Sidney

It didn’t take long for one of the Baltimore Ravens’ most hyped rookies to start making waves. Just two days into OTAs, Malaki Starks is already pulling strong reviews from the one voice that carries the most weight in the building. Head coach John Harbaugh didn’t dance around it when asked about Starks’ early showings. He offered a response that speaks volumes, especially coming this early in the process. “I haven’t seen him make a mistake yet,” Harbaugh said.