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Jamison Hensley
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — On the finish of the month, the Baltimore Ravens might face a state of affairs wherein kicker Justin Tucker shares the sector along with his potential successor, Tyler Loop.
Requested how the Ravens would deal with the dynamic of Tucker and Loop being in the identical constructing, coach John Harbaugh mentioned, “Each determination we make must be based mostly on soccer. There’s lots of layers to that. You have obtained a rookie kicker and right here you took him within the sixth spherical, early within the sixth spherical. He is a gifted man. Simply from a soccer standpoint — wage cap, all of the various things that you just simply take into accounts — no matter we resolve to do over the following few weeks will probably be based mostly on soccer.”
This offseason, Tucker has been accused by 16 therapeutic massage therapists of inappropriate conduct, together with sexual misconduct, in response to The Baltimore Banner. He has twice publicly disputed the allegations.
Tucker has been on the Ravens’ facility the final couple of weeks kicking and figuring out. On Sunday, rookie sixth-round decide Loop kicked for the primary time on the Ravens facility, the place the staff started its rookie minicamp.
The primary time Tucker and Loop would follow on the identical discipline is Could 27, which is the beginning of Baltimore’s offseason coaching actions.
Crew officers beforehand mentioned the staff would not make a willpower on Tucker till the NFL had completed its investigation. A month later, the Ravens drafted a kicker for the primary time in franchise historical past after they chosen Loop with the No. 186 decide.
“I’d simply say from a standpoint of the investigation and all that, I imply we do not know something,” Harbaugh mentioned. “We have not been given any data, and accurately. It is all carried out the way in which it is carried out. So, we do not know something alongside these strains, so we won’t make any selections based mostly on that.”
Tucker, 35, is probably the most correct kicker in NFL historical past, however he’s coming off the worst season of his 13-year profession. He missed 10 whole kicks final season.
If the Ravens half methods with Tucker, they doubtless might want to designate him as a post-June 1 reduce to separate the $7.5 million in lifeless cash over two seasons and achieve $4.2 million in wage cap house this yr. However no determination seems imminent.
Loop, who was the Ravens’ top-rated kicker on this draft, is understood for his constant approach and leg power. Loop has transformed 6 of 9 makes an attempt from 50-plus yards, together with a 62-yarder final season. On the NFL scouting mix, Loop hit 13 of 14 discipline objective makes an attempt (93.3%) and completed by connecting on a 60-yarder.
After watching Loop kick in individual for the primary time, Harbaugh mentioned, “I believe as a lot as something, it is good to listen to a kicker and the way in which the ball comes off his foot is spectacular.”
Additionally at Ravens minicamp, second-round linebacker Mike Inexperienced declined to particularly handle the 2 sexual assault allegations in his previous.
“Each staff requested me [about past sexual assault allegations], and I have been fully open about every part,” mentioned Inexperienced, who led the FBS with 17 sacks. “It’s one thing that I needed to undergo, and I obtained by way of it. At this level ahead, I am simply centered on shifting on with my profession on the Ravens.”
On the mix in February, Inexperienced mentioned that he was accused of sexual assault at Virginia, resulting in his switch to Marshall, and that he had confronted one other sexual assault allegation in highschool. Inexperienced was by no means charged and insisted he did nothing flawed.
When requested to make clear the 2 accusations, Inexperienced mentioned, “Like I mentioned, I am simply centered, proper now, on shifting ahead with my profession on the Ravens. I am blessed to be right here. It is an honor, and like I mentioned, I am glad to see what the long run would possibly maintain for me.”
