Following the 2019 NFL draft, the league is entering the second wave of free agency. With veterans getting cut as their rookie counterparts take their jobs and free agents from before the draft still being available, it’s a chance for teams like the Baltimore Ravens to scoop up more talent.
Just because the biggest names of free agency have signed elsewhere doesn’t mean the Ravens can’t find impact players at this stage. In fact, many of Baltimore’s biggest signings have come in this second wave of free agency because they don’t count against the compensatory pick formula.
Let’s take a look at the top free agents still remaining:
Nick Perry, OLB
Baltimore had brought in pass rusher Ezekiel Ansah for a visit prior to the 2019 NFL draft. With Ansah having agreed to sign with the Seattle Seahawks, the Ravens will have to look elsewhere. That could come in the form of Perry.
Perry had a down year with the Green Bay Packers in 2018, playing in just nine games before heading to injured reserve. It would be the second consecutive season Perry would finish on IR. The Packers’ signing of former Raven Za’Darius Smith this offseason left Perry without a place on the team.
While Perry has had some injury concerns, he could be a good situational pass rusher. Perry had posted seven sacks in 2017 and 11 in 2016, showing he’s more than capable of getting after the quarterback.
Shane Ray, OLB
I think it’s odd Ray still hasn’t found a home yet. Though he hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status, he hasn’t been horrible either. At just 26 years old this season, Ray should be just hitting his prime.
At his best, Ray was a solid defender with the Denver Broncos in 2016. Ray posted eight sacks and 48 tackles, playing in all 16 games but starting just eight. While Ray has only played one full 16-game season in his four-year career, he could be a great short-term signing to help bolster the Ravens’ biggest weak spot.
Jamie Collins, LB
Collins is another surprising free agent at this stage. While he might not have been worth the four-year, $50 million deal the Cleveland Browns gave him in 2017, he was solid last year.
Collins is listed as an outside linebacker but can play inside as well. Last year for the Browns, Collins started all 16 games, notching an interception, four sacks and 104 total tackles. That versatility and overall production would fit two of Baltimore’s biggest needs.
And if any team can get a young linebacker back to his Pro Bowl form, it’d be the Ravens.
Jermaine Kearse, WR
Baltimore could still use a sure-handed, experienced wide receiver. Entering his eighth year, Kearse would be the perfect signing for the Ravens.
Baltimore has tended to love signing older wide receivers late in free agency. At 29 years old, Kearse would technically fit that tradition, though he’d be one of the younger free agents the Ravens have signed in recent years.
Kearse shouldn’t be viewed as a top option in an offense, but he’d complement Baltimore’s speedy young receivers. If his 2017 season with the New York Jets is any indication of what he can do, Kearse would be the type of chain-moving, possession receiver Baltimore still needs.
