Jason La CanforaNov 3, 2026
La Canfora argues the Ravens are a rebuilding, non-contending team headed for a second straight losing season, and urges them to trade or dump a long list of veterans before the deadline — Derrick Henry, Ronnie Stanley, Calais Campbell, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and John Simpson — while predicting Lamar Jackson and Roquan Smith have played their last games in Baltimore and naming the replacements who should take over.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Jason La Canfora said
This will be a second-straight losing season, and, like the Orioles, it's not the injuries, it's because the front office is woefully inept and painfully stubborn
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- The Ravens Most Likely Trade Deadline Moves: Who Has To Go Now
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster Spot Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Trade and Signing Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
How each call scored
14 checkable claims — 9 trade and signing calls, 4 depth chart calls and 1 roster spot call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 15 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Roster Spot Calls1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Rayshaun Benny to land on the practice squad
“A lot of smart evaluators I know really liked late-round pick Rayshaun Benny - ... get him off the practice squad and on the field.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Trade and Signing Calls9 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Mark Andrews to move — “salary dump; another guy who should go”
“Mark Andrews: They may have to package a pick with him ... another guy who should go to send a message to the team”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Derrick Henry to move — “should be traded for a midround pick”
“Derrick Henry: Why make him play out the final year of his deal, at age 32... He could get you a midround/midround-is pick in return”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
John Simpson to move — “another dude you'd be lucky to get a seventh-round pick for but take it if it's there”
“John Simpson : ... This is another dude you'd be lucky to get a seventh-round pick for but take it if it's there.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Ronnie Stanley to move — “as a half-season rental, someone will bite”
“Ronnie Stanley: He's not a good left tackle anymore, but he has a resume and ... as a half-season rental with a pedigree, someone will bite.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Calais Campbell to move — “should be traded to a contender”
“Calais Campbell: ... Give him a chance at age 40 to finally get a ring. Let him pick the team if he wants.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Rashod Bateman to move — “Get the guys the GM plays favorites with out now”
“Rashod Bateman: It's not a salary dump because he's only due like $3.5M for the rest of the year... Get the guys the GM plays favorites with out now.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Roquan Smith to move — “Ain't no way Smith is back”
“Ain't no way Smith is back; making no attempt to lower his cap # always told you that.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Marlon Humphrey to move — “salary dump”
“Marlon Humphrey: No one wants to pay him $7.5M for the rest of the season. Maybe they would pay him $3M if you ate the rest?”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Lamar Jackson to move — “quite possibly played his last snap in Baltimore”
“Jackson has quite possibly played his last snap in Baltimore because DeCosta has been unable to convince why he should resign with this failing operation”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Depth Chart Calls4 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
T.J. Tampa to be 1st on the depth chart
“Next-Man Up: TJ Tampa. ... So how about you play him instead of a guy who has been failing for years?”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Emery Jones Jr. to be 1st on the depth chart
“Next-Man Up : Emery Jones once Vega Ioane is back from injury”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Devontez Walker to be 1st on the depth chart
“Next-man Up : Devontez Walker”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Rayshaun Benny, Baltimore Ravens, Mark Andrews, Derrick Henry, John Simpson, T.J. Tampa, Ronnie Stanley, Calais Campbell, Rashod Bateman, Emery Jones Jr., Devontez Walker, Roquan Smith, Carson Vinson, Marlon Humphrey, Lamar Jackson
Others on the same people
Nathan Jahnke · Trade and Signing Calls · Jacoby Brissett · Hit 100
In a Week 9 recap, Jahnke expects Mark Andrews to remain Baltimore's lead tight end but says rookie Matt Hibner is more likely than Josh Cuevas to eventually overtake them, and they anticipate the Ravens acquiring Jacoby Brissett to start at quarterback. They also suggest Brian Thomas Jr. may have played their final game for Jacksonville ahead of the trade deadline.Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.Mike Florio · Roster Spot Calls · Jake Moody · Miss 0
Florio expects Jake Moody to be promoted from Baltimore's practice squad to the 53-man roster if Tyler Loop lands on injured reserve.John Breech · Trade and Signing Calls · Jacoby Brissett · Hit 100
Breech picks the Jaguars to blow out the quarterback-depleted Ravens on Thursday night, and in Week 9 takes the Bengals to outlast the Falcons in a Madrid shootout. They also expect Jacoby Brissett to be a Raven within 48 hours and to make their first Baltimore start in Week 11.
More trade and signing calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.Patricia Traina · Trade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Traina expects defensive tackle to be a top need for the Giants in next year's draft, and suggests the Giants could trade J.J. McCarthy next offseason — or keep both them and Jaxson Dart if the return isn't good enough. They also expect Dart to make a full recovery.Michael David Smith · Trade and Signing Calls · Keenan Allen · Hit 100
Smith suggests the Colts are likely to grant Josh Downs' trade request given their contract situation and their recent sell-off, and that they could also try to trade Keenan Allen.