James

Proche II

Cleveland made a slew of roster moves. The Browns also placed T James Hudson III (shoulder) on IR, released WR James Proche II, and elevated S Chris Edmonds and WR Jaelon Darden from the practice squad for Week 6’s matchup with the Eagles.

Proche was drafted by the Ravens in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL Draft but was cut by the team before the 2023 season. He signed with Cleveland, where he played 10 games and caught no passes. However, he did win the job as the primary punt returner, so he figures to remain an integral part of the Browns’ special teams unit.

Proche had received sporadic playing time for the Ravens over the previous three seasons due in large part to his blocking ability, managing just 25 receptions during that span. The retooled pass-catching corps and new offensive coordinator heading into 2023 made his skillset expendable. Also released or waived were WR Tarik Black, QB Anthony Brown, G TyKeem Doss, CB Tae Hayes, CB Kyu Kelly, CB Jeremy Lucien, G Tashawn Manning, FB/TE Ben Mason, OLB Jeremiah Moon, DT Rayshad Nichols, ILB Josh Ross, WR Sean Ryan, OL Jaylon Thomas, TE Travis Vokolek, LB Kristian Welch, RB Owen Wright, DT Angelo Blackson, RB Melvin Gordon III, QB Josh Johnson, C Sam Mustifpher, CB Kevon Seymour, T David Sharpe, WR Laquon Treadwell, DE Brent Urban and CB Daryl Worley.

The diagnosis came straight from coach John Harbaugh in his post-game press conference. Proche has reportedly been in the lead for No. 2 duties opposite Rashod Bateman, which says more about this wideout group than Proche. Harbaugh also said second-year pro Tylan Wallace is dealing with a “minor” knee sprain but might not miss any time. Although neither injury sounds like a long-term concern, it further highlights just how thin and unproven this receiver corps really is. The Ravens probably need to get on the receiver workout circuit.

Devin Duvernay, Proche’s main competition, has been dealing with a thigh contusion. Second-year WR Tylan Wallace, who struggled as a rookie, is reportedly having a quiet start to camp. That has set up Proche with a lot of first-team opportunities and the third-year wide receiver has made the most of them. Zrebiec reports that “Proche has made a few plays in just about every practice. Some have been on deep passes, like the 65-yard touchdown he caught from Lamar Jackson on Thursday. Some have been in the red zone. He’s worked pretty much every area of the field, and his precise route running has made him a nightmare to deal with for Ravens defensive backs in one-on-one drills.” Proche looks like a last-round target in best ball drafts as a stacking partner with Lamar Jackson.

Jackson did not participate in OTAs this year, although he has stated that his absence was not contract-related. He reported early to training camp and is practicing as normal, even as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. The fifth-year quarterback is taking on risk by playing without a deal in place for 2023 and beyond, but Jackson—who does not have an agent—is clearly willing to bet on himself. Jackson’s participation is great news for the Ravens offense, which is expecting a big jump from Rashod Bateman, and bigger contributions from Devin Duvernay, James Proche, and Tylan Wallace.

Zrebiec said Rashod Bateman will enter the 2022 season as the team’s clearcut No. 1 receiver, with the No. 2 spot up for grabs between Proche, Tylan Wallace, and Devin Duvernay, who caught 33 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns last season. “I think he’ll get a bigger opportunity this year and it wouldn’t surprise me if he emerges as a reliable target, particularly on third downs, for Jackson,” Zrebiec said. “Proche has really good hands and there’s a toughness and confidence about him that suggests he’s ready to become a bigger contributor.” Proche popped last year in Week 16, catching seven of eight yards for 76 yards in a lopsided loss to Cincinnati. He came into the NFL with a history of production, leading the nation with 111 receptions in his final season at SMU. His 15 touchdown receptions ranked fourth among all college wideouts that season. Proche could be someone to monitor in deeper formats.

Ravens declared QB Lamar Jackson (ankle), WR Miles Boykin, WR James Proche, G Ben Powers, OLB Pernell McPhee, OLB Odafe Oweh (foot), and CB Anthony Averett (chest/ribs) inactive against the Rams. Tyler Huntley will take over at quarterback with Jackson still recovering from his ankle injury. Proche’s absence could lead to more usage and targets for Devin Duvernay, who is active after missing Week 16 with an ankle injury.

Coming into Week 16 with nine catches for 126 yards, the speedy Proche operated as the Ravens’ WR3 against the Bengals, demonstrating good chemistry with third-string QB Josh Johnson. Baltimore’s wide receiver rotation was in flux all day against the Bengals, probably due to sideways game script. Proche won’t be a fantasy option in Week 17 against the Rams.

In a wide-ranging interview with reporters Monday morning, DeCosta said he’s not singularly focused on bolstering the receiver position this offseason. “We have a running attack that’s the best in football and probably the best in the history of football,” DeCosta said when asked about adding pieces to a Baltimore passing offense that struggled throughout 2020. DeCosta said he was “very happy” with rookie wideouts Devin Duvernay and James Proche, and called Marquise Brown a “legitimate playmaker.” “Everybody is going to talk about WRs a lot this offseason, but it doesn’t sound like [DeCosta] envisions some silver bullet ‘fix’ there,” Ryan Mink, the team’s editorial director, said on Twitter. The Ravens would figure to be in the running to sign free agent wideouts like Kenny Golladay, Chris Godwin, and Allen Robinson, but it sounds like DeCosta isn’t committed to pouring resources into the team’s passing attack. Any free agent receiver addition would be an iffy bet for fantasy purposes in the Ravens’ low-volume passing offense.