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NFL

John Harbaugh: Ravens will contend for a title because of Joe Flacco

The Baltimore Ravens came to the NFL combine knowing they need to upgrade at cornerback, improve their pass rush and bolster their wide receivers.

The Ravens, though, don’t have any problems with confidence despite missing the playoffs in three of the past four seasons.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we will contend for a championship next year,” coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Why is Harbaugh so optimistic following an 8-8 season?

Since entering the NFL in 2008, Joe Flacco has won 10 playoff games, more than any quarterback other than Tom Brady during that span. Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire

“The biggest thing in terms of where we are as a football team is the fact that we have a quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “We have a championship-caliber quarterback. We have a guy who is capable of carrying a football team and has done it in the past.”

That quarterback, Joe Flacco, has come under scrutiny since leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl in 2012. He is among the highest-paid players in the NFL, even though he is statistically not among the best quarterbacks.

Flacco’s average of $22.1 million per season ranks fifth in the NFL, but his passer rating of 83.5 was No. 24 in the league last season. Over the last four seasons, he is 29-29 as a starter with 80 touchdowns and 61 interceptions (third-most in the NFL).

An increasing number of NFL fans say Flacco is not an elite quarterback, according to a new poll released in January by Public Policy Polling. But since entering the NFL in 2008, Flacco has won 10 playoff games. Over that span, only Tom Brady has delivered more postseason victories, with 11.

Some of Flacco’s struggles recently are a reflection of his supporting cast. He doesn’t have the same luxury as Matt Ryan, who is throwing to Julio Jones, or Ben Roethlisberger, who is surrounded by Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

Flacco’s top targets last season were the oldest receiver in the NFL (Steve Smith), a tight end who had two hip surgeries (Dennis Pitta) and a wideout who hadn’t had a 1,000-yard season in five years (Mike Wallace).

“We need to do everything we can do to put a football team around our championship-caliber quarterback,” Harbaugh said.

Ravens officials spoke candidly after the season about how Flacco needs to elevate his game. Owner Steve Bisciotti said the Ravens need to get more out of him, and Harbaugh said the Ravens have to help Flacco play at the level of his compensation.

On Wednesday, Harbaugh made it a point to show his strong support for Flacco. He steered the discussion to his quarterback and the team’s championship chances after being asked about his defense.

“The No. 1 piece we have in place is the most important piece — that’s the quarterback,” Harbaugh said.

NFL

Rams tag CB Johnson for second year in a row

INDIANAPOLIS — The Los Angeles Rams placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on Trumaine Johnson for a second straight year Wednesday, a move that puts him on track to be the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback in 2017.

The two sides still have until July 15 to come to terms on a long-term extension, but that seems unlikely.

Johnson, a third-round pick out of Montana in 2012, is the first cornerback to be tagged in back-to-back years since Charles Woodson in 2004 and ’05. Johnson made $13.952 million when he was tagged in 2016 and will now get a 20 percent raise that will put his upcoming salary at about $16.75 million.

The Rams lost their former primary cornerback, Janoris Jenkins, last offseason, when he signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract with the Giants. They also lost free safety Rodney McLeod to the Eagles, and now their strong safety, T.J. McDonald, is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

Tagging Johnson is a response to how quickly the Rams have lost key depth throughout their secondary, but also an indication for how much they value him.

Johnson, 27, has allowed only 10 touchdowns and a 72.6 passer rating across 338 targets throughout his career, according to Pro Football Focus. He intercepted 15 passes from 2012 to ’15, tied for fourth in the NFL during that span.

His production slipped a bit this past season. Johnson’s interceptions dropped from seven in 2015 to one in 2016. Among the 81 corners who were on the field for at least 50 percent of defensive snaps, Johnson ranked 37th in snaps per catch allowed (11) and 34th in QB rating when targeted (89.4).

But at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Johnson is the only Rams corner with size and length. The next four on their depth chart — E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner, Blake Countess and Troy Hill — are 5-10 or shorter.

Franchising Johnson leaves the Rams with somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million in salary cap space, with needs at receiver, offensive line, linebacker and in the secondary.

NFL

Coach Ben McAdoo says Giants will 'take a look' at Adrian Peterson

The New York Giants aren’t going to pass on an opportunity to explore the possibility of signing future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson. Coach Ben McAdoo said they will “take a look” at the available running back.

Peterson was informed Monday that his 2017 option would not be picked up by the Minnesota Vikings. He will become a free agent on March 9, and had previously mentioned the Giants as one of the teams that would intrigue him as a possible landing spot.

Giants coach Ben McAdoo said the team will evaluate Adrian Peterson as free agency opens next week. Greg McWilliams/Icon Sportswire

Despite his age, recent injuries and past troubles, McAdoo did not rule out the possibility it could happen. Instead, he grouped Peterson in with all the available free agents.

“We’ll go take a look at him,” McAdoo told reporters at the NFL combine. “We’ll evaluate him, get a grade on anyone that is available and we’ll make those decisions in terms of what is best for the Giants moving forward.”

It seems unlikely that Peterson would land with the Giants considering his expected price and fit in the offense. Nearly 95 percent of his career carries have come with the quarterback under center, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Giants ran 72 percent of their offensive plays out of the shotgun last season.

Peterson, 31, will gauge his market over the next week, placing an emphasis on a team he believes is a serious contender for a Super Bowl. The door still appears to remain open for a possible return to Minnesota.

The Giants could use a veteran running back after releasing starter Rashad Jennings last month. They have Shane Vereen and Paul Perkins as the only two running backs with experience currently on the roster.

Vereen is coming off an injury-filled year where he tore his triceps muscle twice and Perkins flashed some potential as a rookie. Perkins, a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, is expected to play a bigger role this year. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry this past season.

With a draft believed to be one of the deepest in years at running back, the Giants still don’t appear pressured to add a veteran running back, especially one with Peterson’s resume.

“If it fits, if it’s clean,” McAdoo said. “Paul is a guy that we have confidence in. He missed all offseason last year because of the rules that are in place with rookies. He came into training camp and really had to catch up in a hurry. He had some success with special teams early, and ended up being a nice ball-carrier for us. He grew in [pass] protection as well.”

The Giants’ running game struggled badly last season. They were the NFL’s 29th-ranked rushing offense at 88.3 yards per game.

NFL

Colts GM: Timeline for Luck (shoulder) unclear

INDIANPAOLIS — New Colts general manager Chris Ballard said there’s no timeline on when quarterback Andrew Luck will return form his offseason right shoulder surgery.

Ballard, speaking Wednesday during the NFL’s annual combine, said he has met with Luck but declined to go into details about their conversation. What Ballard did say, though, is that his franchise quarterback has been working diligently rehabbing at the team’s facility on a regular basis.

Colts GM Chris Ballard says quarterback Andrew Luck is “doing everything the doctors are telling him” but a time frame for his return from right shoulder surgery is still unclear. AP Photo/AJ Mast

“Doing everything the doctors are telling him,” Ballard said. “[We’re] going strictly on the doctor’s orders. He’s been there every day that I’ve been in the building. Andrew has been sitting there and working, rehabbing, doing everything that needs to be done. … When he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.”

Luck is expected to miss all of the team’s offseason workouts, but owner Jim Irsay tweeted following the surgery in January that the quarterback will be ready for the 2017 season.

Luck originally injured his shoulder and missed two games during the 2015 season and then aggravated it while trying to make a tackle after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of last season.

Luck, who was seen reading to children with a sling on his shoulder as recently as last week, was listed on the team’s injury report every week this season and was usually limited in practice on Thursdays. The only game he missed was in Week 12 after suffering a concussion the previous week. Luck, despite the shoulder injury, threw for 4,240 yards with 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season.

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