Eric DeCosta Wants Marshal Yanda Around ‘For Years’

Joe Schiller

WRITER

Ravens Expect Marshal Yanda Back in 2019 and Beyond

There’s been plenty of speculation surrounding Marshal Yanda’s playing future.

Yanda, who turns 35 in September, enters the final year of his current contract with the Ravens, but don’t expect the seven-time Pro Bowler to hang up the cleats just yet.

At least that’s the expectation around 1 Winning Drive.

General Manager Eric DeCosta made it clear at the Ravens’ pre-draft presser on Tuesday that he wants Yanda around for the 2019 season and beyond.

“We love Marshal,” DeCosta said. “We'd love to see Marshal continue to play for us for years. He's a great player that's still playing at a high level.”

Head Coach John Harbaugh echoed that sentiment at the Combine when asked about Yanda’s future with the team.

“My understanding is that Marshal Yanda is coming back and ready to roll,” Harbaugh said. “That’s where we left it at the end of the season. To my knowledge, nothing’s changed on that.”

The question keeps being asked, however, because the private Yanda hasn’t come out and explicitly said himself whether he will play in 2019.

“Less than a month from the NFL draft, the Ravens have no definitive answer on whether Marshal Yanda is coming back,” wrote The Baltimore Sun’s Jonas Shaffer.

When it comes to consistency and dominance for an offensive lineman, Yanda is the gold standard. DeCosta said that if “you could define a Raven, you’d put a picture of Marshal Yanda up there.”

It doesn’t take much to notice the direct correlation between Yanda’s presence and the Ravens’ offensive success. Just ask running back Gus Edwards, who had the NFL’s highest rushing grade on runs between the right guard and right tackle, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

“Yanda battled back from his 2017 ankle injury to log the most snaps among guards in the 2018 regular season at 1,162,” wrote PFF, who ranked Yanda No. 99 on its top 101 players of 2018. “Including the postseason, he earned the fourth-highest overall grade among guards at 75.2, allowing just 15 total pressures and zero sacks.”

As the Ravens plan to retool their offense and establish a strong run game under Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman, Yanda will be a centerpiece around the success.

Anthony Pleasant: Most Productive Browns Player to Ever Wear #98

ByJOSH EDWARDS  22 hours ago

Several of the newest members of the Cleveland Browns have their new jersey numbers.

Odell Beckham Jr. will wear No. 13 just as he did with the New York Giants. It is a number that was last worn wide receiver Rod Streater last season. He wore No. 3 at LSU. The most successful Browns player to ever wear the number was quarterback Frank Ryan from 1962-1968.

Running back Kareem Hunt will wear No. 27 just as he did with the Kansas City Chiefs. Like Beckham, he wore No. 3 at Toledo. Cornerback Tavierre Thomas wore the jersey last season and he remains with the team. Thomas will wear the No. 20 this season. The most successful player to ever wear the number in Cleveland was defensive back Thom Darden from 1972-1981.

Defensive end Olivier Vernon will wear No. 54 just as he had with the Giants. He had worn No. 50 with the Miami Dolphins. Three different Browns wore the number in 2018: offensive lineman Anthony Fabiano, linebacker Mychal Kendricks and linebacker Tanner Vallejo. The most successful player to ever wear the uniform was center Tom DeLeone (1974-1984).

Offensive lineman Kendall Lamm will wear No. 70. He wore No. 63 and No. 74 with the Houston Texans. Offensive guard Kevin Zeitler had that uniform before he was traded to the Giants. It has not been a very successful number in the history of the franchise.

The Draft is right around the corner. Sign up for insider access only at Cleveland Browns on 247Sports today and take advantage of our FREE trial!

Offensive lineman Eric Kush will wear No. 72. He had worn the No. 64 with the Chicago Bears last season. The number 72 was worn by two different Browns last year: offensive tackle Shon Coleman, who was dealt to the San Francisco 49ers, and center Aaron Neary, who was claimed off waivers and later waived. The most successful Cleveland player to ever wear the jersey was defensive lineman Jerry Sherk (1970-1981).

Tight end Demetrius Harris will wear No. 88. He had worn No. 84 with the Kansas City Chiefs last season. The most successful player to ever wear the uniform was wide receiver Reggie Langhorne, who wore it from 1985-1991. The No. 84 is currently worn by wide receiver Derrick Willies.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson will wear No. 98. He wore No. 93 with the Minnesota Vikings. He had worn No. 91 with the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks. Only ten players have worn the jersey in the team's history. It was most recently worn by defensive tackle Jamie Meder. Defensive lineman Anthony Pleasant (1990-1995) was the most productive player to ever wear the uniform. He was with the team when they became the Baltimore Ravens. The Nos. 91 and 93 are worn by defensive tackle Brian Price and defensive tackle Trevon Coley respectively.

Safety Eric Murray, who was acquired Monday, does not yet have a new number.

Team Jack Gala raises $460,000 for pediatric brain cancer research

·        

      

       Mark Schwaninger

 Mar 30, 2019

Because of inclement weather, Dick Vitale was unable to land in Lincoln on the day of the

Team Jack Gala. Dr. Tom Osborne took the audible and ran with it! His message of "tell the

truth, keep your promises, develop a culture where everyone, regardless of stature, feels that

you care about them" was met with deep appreciation and a standing ovation. The Foundation

was grateful to coach Osborne for spending his 82nd birthday at the gala and stepping up

when they needed him.

Despite heavy snowfall on Feb. 23, the Team Jack Foundation held its sixth annual gala at Lincoln’s Embassy Suites and raised approximately $460,000 for pediatric brain cancer research, making the 2019 event the largest to date.

Guests from across the state, and even nation, attended the annual event in Downtown Lincoln. Super Bowl champion and Team Jack board member Rex Burkhead welcomed the crowd, followed by the invocation by Ron Brown, director of player development for Nebraska football.

Rick Allen, a Grand Island native and NBC NASCAR announcer, handled the event’s emcee duties for the second consecutive year and added his auctioneering skills to call the live auction. Joining him during the auction was former Husker and current Buffalo Bill Jeremiah Sirles.

To give those in attendance an update on the research investments made by the Foundation, Brianna Hoffman, Team Jack co-founder and scientific advisory committee member, detailed the Team Jack projects. To date, the Foundation has committed $8 million to eight projects, both nationally and regionally. For more details on Team Jack’s research investments, visit teamjackfoundation.org/research.

Dr. Jonathan Schwartz, pediatric neuro-oncologist from UNMC/Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, followed up Hoffman's update with specifics on the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program in Omaha. The Team Jack Foundation has committed $6.5 million to this program to help make Omaha a center of excellence for families affected by pediatric brain cancer.

The Team Jack Foundation announced Mark and Karen Carson and Fat Brain Toys as the 2018 Teammate of the Year Award recipient. In addition to Fat Brain Toys being the Gala Presenting Sponsor for the fourth straight year, it also presented a $22,209 check to Team Jack from its annual “Round Up for Team Jack” campaign, which gives online shoppers an opportunity to round up one dollar for Team Jack at the time of checkout.

Each year, a highlight of the gala is to feature a child that has been affected by brain cancer. This year, presented by The Home Agency, the Spotlight story featured Nathan Waggoner, who passed away in 2010 at age 17 from DIPG, the deadliest form of pediatric brain cancer. The Home Agency and the Jim and Sharri Baldonado Family presented the Waggoner family a check in the amount of $50,000 to Team Jack in Nathan’s memory.

Following this emotional and impactful moment, the Foundation announced a new research project commitment of $150,000 to Dr. Richard Phillips at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City for DIPG research. The project focuses on a new drug delivery method that would lead to new treatments for kids with DIPG and potentially other types of tumors as well. A video of Dr. Phillips shared the project summary with the guests.

The Team Jack Husker Alumni chapters (composed of former Huskers) generously donated $31,000 to the Team Jack Foundation this year. Presenting the check on behalf of the alumni chapters were Jeremiah Sirles (Buffalo Bills), Spencer Long (Buffalo Bills), Brent Qvale (New York Jets), Zach Sterup (Miami Dolphins), Rex Burkhead (New England Patriots), Brett Maher (Dallas Cowboys) and other former Huskers. These former Huskers continue to embrace the local families affected by the disease and use their platform to help raise significant awareness for pediatric brain cancer.

For more details on The Team Jack Foundation, see TeamJackFoundation.org. You can also follow The Team Jack Foundation on Facebook.com/TeamJackFoundation and on Twitter: @TeamJack