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Jun 05, 2023

Boston College’s Zay Flowers has been a bolt of excitement for the Ravens

Before Ravens rookie receiver Zay Flowers reported to his first training camp, his quarterback had to teach him how to slow down. Lamar Jackson taught Flowers the finer points of NFL route running

Before Ravens rookie receiver Zay Flowers reported to his first training camp, his quarterback had to teach him how to slow down.

Lamar Jackson taught Flowers the finer points of NFL route running when the two South Florida natives hooked up for workouts this summer.

“He was just teaching me about delaying on routes,” Flowers said. “Being patient and taking my time, not always speeding everything, not making everything so fast.”

But Flowers, the first Boston College receiver drafted in the first round — or in the top three rounds, for that matter — has been a bolt of excitement for the Ravens.

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BC’s single-season and all-time leading receiver in catches, yards, and touchdowns, Flowers was the star of joint practices with the Commanders two weeks ago, consistently shaking defenders.

Get used to seeing this 🔥@Lj_era8 ➡️ @ZayFlowers | @Hyundai pic.twitter.com/HwqqpYTGdd

He later caught a 26-yard touchdown in the preseason game against Washington, weaving in and out of multiple defenders. Earlier in August, NBC’s Peter King called Flowers the most impressive rookie he had seen at training camp. In a video posted to social media, safety Geno Stone asked cornerback Marlon Humphrey to name the worst part about playing football right now.

“Trying to guard him,” Humphrey said, pointing to Flowers.

Jackson has nicknamed Flowers “Joystick.”

“I think it describes me perfect — in and out of cuts fast, do everything explosive, try to make people miss,” Flowers said. “My brother had the nickname ‘Joystick,’ so I guess I get to take it over now.”

Of course, the usual caveat must be stipulated — it’s only training camp. Plenty of rookies shine in the preseason but struggle once the games are real. The biggest challenge for Flowers, listed at just 5 feet 9 inches and 182 pounds, will be staying healthy and proving his body can handle the rigors of an 18-week regular season.

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But there is no question Flowers has been making an impression with his new team.

“He’s always full energy — he’s an energy giver,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s always ready to go, on point, works hard, does extra, wants to be as good as he can be every day and proves it by what he does. He’s doing a great job.”

Four receivers were taken consecutively with picks 20-23 in April’s NFL Draft, and Flowers is easily having the best and most consistent camp. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 20 to the Seahawks) is out 3-4 weeks with a broken wrist. Quentin Johnston (No. 21 to the Chargers) is running fourth on the depth chart and might not see much action early in the season. Jordan Addison (No. 23 to the Vikings) was charged with reckless driving right before training camp, and then spent a week in concussion protocol.

But Flowers (No. 22) has been a consistent positive and has arguably overshadowed Odell Beckham as the biggest star of Ravens camp (outside of Jackson).

“Zay is different,” said third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, a veteran backup who has been in the NFL since 2009. “He’s a very exciting player, and his moves are wild, and it’s like that every day. So automatically, it injects life into the whole team to see him go out there and just unleash his special talent. I’m excited for the young fella.”

Ravens assistant receivers coach Keith Williams, who has been a personal coach for Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams, said Flowers “ranks up there with the best of them” in terms of foot speed and change of direction, as well as work ethic.

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“There are some plays that make you raise your eyebrows. He’s pretty much the only guy on the field that can do some of that stuff,” Williams said. “The thing that I was surprised — not surprised, but impressed by — is that he’s a worker. He’s very smart, he wants to get better every day, and he’s hungry to be the kind of player that we all think he can be. So, he brings that attitude to work every day. So, that part has been really impressive.”

Flowers, 22, also has impressed the veterans in the locker room.

“If you’ve ever had a chance to sit down and talk to him, he has a mind-set that he’s been in the league already for three years,” 10-year offensive tackle Morgan Moses said, via ESPN. “He’s willing to ask questions; he’s willing to soak it up and learn.”

Wide receiver has been a problem position for the Ravens since Jackson took over as the starting quarterback in 2019. While the tight ends have thrived, the Ravens have just one 800-yard season from a receiver in those four years — 1,008 yards in 2021 for Marquise Brown, whom the Ravens promptly traded the next offseason.

But now it looks like a position of strength, with Flowers and Beckham coming on board, and the continued development of 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman. Add in Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, veteran speedster Nelson Agholor, a pass-happy offense under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and Jackson’s unique talents, and the Ravens could have one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the NFL.

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“It’s going to be pretty fast,” guard Kevin Zeitler said. “We’re going to attack and attack and attack.”

The Ravens had a hunch Flowers could be dangerous when they saw him making highlight-reel plays in practice every day. But the way Flowers dominated the Commanders in joint practices let them know that their excitement is justified.

“He showed me he can do it against anybody else, not just our team,” Jackson said. “He was making some crazy moves, great route running, great in and out of his cuts, and he was catching the ball. So he was looking pretty good out there.”

Saquon Barkley and Matthew Judon were two of a handful of players to get raises or contract adjustments at the beginning of training camp. And Raiders running back Josh Jacobs ended a month-long holdout by signing a 1-year deal worth more than the franchise tag on Saturday. But several key players who entered camp disgruntled with their contracts are still grumbling.

The 49ers still haven’t seen defensive end Nick Bosa, who is holding out in protest of playing this year under his fifth-year option at $17.859 million. Bosa is being fined $40,000 for every day of training camp he skips (approximately $1.5 million), and will miss out on a check for $992,167 for each game he misses. But it’s the 49ers who might be caving soon.

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“Since our tenure here, we haven’t had a holdout anywhere towards this magnitude,” GM John Lynch told reporters last week. “Not something I’m comfortable with.”

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones also has been skipping training camp as he seeks a raise from $19.5 million to a reported $30 million. Coach Andy Reid said the Chiefs have had “no communication” with Jones, and Jones said on social media he is prepared to sit out until Week 8, the latest possible date in which he can report and still get credit for an accrued season toward free agency. Jones is getting fined $50,000 per day in training camp (about $2 million) and will lose about $7.5 million in game checks if he sits out until Week 8.

“I can afford it,” Jones tweeted.

Jonathan Taylor still wants out of Indianapolis, and the Colts are fielding trade offers, putting out word that they want a first-round pick in return. That asking price seems absurd, given that Taylor also wants a new contract. And the Colts seem to know that, having reportedly set a deadline of Tuesday to deal Taylor.

The Dolphins have expressed interest, and it seems at this point the Colts will take whatever they can get for a grumpy running back who no longer wants to be in Indianapolis.

As for Jacobs, he handled his holdout brilliantly. Disgruntled by getting the franchise tag for $10.1 million, Jacobs did not sign his tender, and therefore could not be fined by the Raiders for skipping camp. He also saved wear and tear on his body, and waited out long enough to score a deal worth $11.8 million, plus $200,000 in incentives. Jacobs is the first player in 30 years of the franchise tag to get a one-year deal higher than the tag amount.

The 49ers confirmed the NFL’s worst-kept secret last week when they announced Sam Darnold had won the backup quarterback job to Brock Purdy. The implication was Lance would be the No. 3 quarterback, but in reality he even lost out on that job to 30-year-old journeyman Brandon Allen.

The 49ers finally pulled the plug on the Lance experiment Friday night, trading him to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick, per reports. It was about the best trade compensation the 49ers could get for a struggling quarterback who still has $6.2 million fully guaranteed on his contract, including $5.3 million next year.

The trade closes the book on the Niners’ short-lived Lance era. Their trade in 2021 will go down as one of the biggest draft mistakes in NFL history, with 49ers giving up three No. 1 picks for the right to take Lance No. 3 overall in 2021. The Niners at least dulled the pain by finding Purdy with the 262nd and final pick last year.

The 49ers tried to justify their investment last year by installing Lance as the starter entering the season. But in a telling sign that they didn’t trust Lance, they also decided to keep Jimmy Garoppolo, which ultimately saved their season once Lance went down. The 49ers decided to finally move on from Lance despite the enormous cost.

Both sides clearly needed a fresh start. Lance hasn’t been able to solve his accuracy issues or speed up his decision-making. And every mistake he made in camp was closely dissected given how much the 49ers gave up to get him.

Lance’s presence in Dallas could create problems for Dak Prescott, who is entering the final year of his contract. Lance is a tremendous athlete and only 23 years old. Every missed throw and bad decision by Prescott will draw howls from the fans about putting Lance into the game, even though he flamed out in San Francisco.

Ezekiel Elliott’s one-year deal with the Patriots has $3 million in incentives, broken down into 10 individual incentives. He gets $300,000 each for playing in: 50 percent of snaps, 55 percent, 60 percent, 65 percent, and 70 percent. He also gets $300,000 for achieving: 975 combined rushing and receiving yards from scrimmage, 1,100 yards, 1,225 yards, 1,350 yards, and 1,475 yards.

All of those incentives will be tough for Elliott to achieve, considering he’s on the downside of his career and will be a backup to Rhamondre Stevenson. Last year, Elliott gained 968 yards on 55 percent of snaps, both career lows.

But the incentives might be telling us how the Patriots plan to use Elliott. They gave him incentives for playtime and total yards, but noticeably, not for touchdowns. Knowing the Patriots, that probably means they plan to use Elliott as the goal-line and short-yardage back.

Watch Elliott play 25 percent of snaps, gain 400 yards, and score 15 touchdowns this season.

The NFL Players Association named Lloyd Howell its executive director in late June, replacing DeMaurice Smith. One of the union’s first moves under new leadership — ditching one of its top corporate partners.

Panini America, which held exclusive rights to NFLPA-licensed trading cards and collectible stickers since 2016, and for several years was the title sponsor of the union’s Rookie Premiere event, filed a demand for arbitration against the NFLPA last week after the union dumped Panini for Fanatics. Panini’s agreement with the PA runs through 2026, and on Wednesday, Panini released a new 2023 trading card set despite losing the license.

“The decision was made in the best interest of all players, and we are not discussing anything beyond that at this time,” NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah told The Action Network.

With Tom Brady agreeing to become a Raiders executive and minority owner —– a deal that has yet to be finalized — his personal trainer also is setting up shop in Sin City. Alex Guerrero, whose overbearing presence with the Patriots in 2017 led Bill Belichick to revoke his sideline pass and team flight privileges, was seen standing on the Raiders’ sideline during their Aug. 13 preseason game against the 49ers.

Tom Brady officially retired from playing and is becoming a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders so it looks like Alex Guerrero found a new home. Sneaky pickup by Josh McDaniels this offseason. (h/t @TheCliffNotesP) pic.twitter.com/voyBOxLK15

Julian Edelman said in a Facebook story that Guerrero is helping Jimmy Garoppolo manage his foot recovery following offseason surgery. There is also a TB12 performance center on the Strip at the Wynn Las Vegas … The Patriots have close affiliations with CBS — the network broadcasts the vast majority of their games, Robert Kraft used to sit on the board at Viacom, and until last January, Patriot Place had a CBS-branded restaurant. But Fox Sports is busy scooping up all of the former Patriots. The network announced Thursday that Edelman will join Fox NFL Kickoff on Sundays at 11 a.m. this fall. Rob Gronkowski is still an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday at noon, and Brady is supposed to be Fox’s lead game analyst starting in 2024 … Meanwhile, other than a few stories in the tabloids and an appearance at a British soccer match, there has barely been a peep out of Brady all training camp, the first one he is missing since 1999. Brady took a long African safari vacation this month, which felt like a way to occupy his mind to avoid getting the itch to return to football … Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones earned his pilot’s license this spring, and he’s not the only member of the 2017 team taking to the skies. Cowboys receiver Brandin Cooks got his license two years ago, and last week posted a video of him flying teammates Micah Parsons and Stephon Gilmore over Seattle’s Lumen Field before their preseason game. Owner Jerry Jones was not pleased. “One thing I want to do is chastise Cooks for getting in that airplane with the best part of the team and flying up there with him,” Jones told reporters … Pass rusher Shane Ray’s comeback attempt unfortunately may be over. The Bills placed Ray, 30, on injured reserve last week, meaning his season is over or he will be released with an injury settlement. Ray, the Broncos’ first-round pick in 2015, hasn’t played an NFL game since 2018 and spent the last two years in the Canadian Football League … Only five head coaches opted not to do any joint practices this training camp, but they are five of the NFL’s best — Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Pete Carroll, Sean McDermott and Mike McCarthy. Reid and Carroll have never done joint practices with their current teams, yet the Chiefs and Seahawks rank No. 1 and 3 in wins over the last 10 years. Perhaps they are on to something.

Ben Volin can be reached at [email protected].