Roman roots for Kaepernick return
OC had ‘great experience’ with QB in San Francisco
As the NFL has publicly shifted its stance on player protests during the national anthem, with Commissioner Roger Goodell recently admitting the league was wrong for not listening to players fighting for racial equality, many have called for quarterback Colin Kaepernick to get another shot to play in the league.
Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who coached Kaepernick for four seasons in San Francisco, said he is “rooting” for the quarterback’s return.
“I had a great experience working with Colin,” Roman told reporters Tuesday in a virtual meeting. “I certainly wish him the best, and I’m hopeful for him if that’s what he chooses to do: get back and play. I don’t know exactly where he’s at with that, where every team in the league is.
“But one thing’s for sure: I’m always rooting for him. Colin was a treat to coach and I wish him the best. However that goes, it goes, and I’m certainly in his corner rooting for him.”
Roman served as the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2015, spearheading a unique offensive system around Kaepernick, who took San Francisco to Super Bowl XLVII, a 34-31 loss to the Ravens.
Roman has since implemented a similar offense with quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, setting the NFL’s regularseason rushing record last season.
Kaepernick, 32, began kneeling during the playing of the national anthem during the 2016 preseason to protest police brutality against people of color and racial injustice. He continued his silent protest, which became a polarizing topic nationwide, and has not been signed since the end of the 2016 season.
The Ravens flirted with the idea of signing Kaepernick in the summer of 2017 after starter Joe Flacco was sidelined for all of training camp with a back injury. The team ultimately did not sign Kaepernick, and former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis claimed the team reversed course after a “racial gesture” from radio host and Kaepernick’s girlfriend, Nessa Diab.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, claiming owners colluded to keep him out of the NFL. In February 2019, Kaepernick, as well as former 49ers teammate Eric Reid, reached a settlement with the league.
After several stars released a video challenging the NFL to admit wrongdoing in its handling of protests and support the Black Lives Matter movement after protests incited by the death of George Floyd, Goodell responded by saying the league was wrong about player protests and declaring that “black lives matter.”
Ravens reportedly ‘mulling’ over Brown decision
Speculation regarding the Ravens and free-agent wide receiver Antonio Brown continues to rise.
According to an NFL Network report, the Ravens have had internal discussions about Brown and are “mulling” over whether to sign the 31-year-old wideout. The Seahawks are also interested in Brown, according to the report.
Brown, who has not played since Week 2 of the 2019 season with the New England Patriots, has been connected to the Ravens for several months. In April, Brown was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, working out with his cousin, Ravens wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and quarterback Lamar Jackson. In May, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star shared an edited photo of himself in a Ravens uniform.
Jackson was asked this offseason about the possible acquisition and said he would be “happy” if the team signed Brown, calling him a “great player.”
The Oakland Raiders voided the guaranteed money in Brown’s contract after he missed nearly all of training camp in 2019 and cut him in early September when he demanded to be released. After signing with the Patriots, Brown was named in a lawsuit by his former trainer, who alleged that he had sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. Less than a week later, another woman accused him of sexual misconduct.
The Patriots cut Brown after just one game, and the NFL began an investigation into the allegations against him.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was also asked in May about signing Brown but didn’t commit either way.
“We’re always assessing the players out there on the streets,” DeCosta told Sirius XM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. “We’re looking at guys. We’re making decisions that we think are best for the club. If we think there’s a guy out there who fits us, who’s got the skill set to provide value, we’ll certainly pounce on that type of guy.
“As [former Ravens GM] Ozzie [Newsome] always used to tell me, we don’t play games until September. So we’ve got a lot of time to build the best team we can build, and we’ll continue to do that.”
The Ravens re-signed wide receivers De’Anthony Thomas and Chris Moore in the offseason and drafted two more wideouts, Devin Duvernay and James Proche.
Roman on Tuesday also expressed excitement for the progression of second-year receivers Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin, as well as sixth-year veteran Willie Snead IV.