The Baltimore Ravens saw improved play from a number of players in order to reach the postseason for the first time since 2014. But not everyone jumped up a level. In fact, some players were downright disappointing last season. Let’s take a look at the four Ravens who regressed in 2018.
Jimmy Smith | CB
Smith healed quickly from his Achilles injury but a four-game suspension would foreshadow his issues last season. Smith looked slower, less physical and just more confused throughout the season. While he eventually picked things up a bit, few would argue Smith was Baltimore’s third-best cornerback in 2018 behind Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Carr.
Smith faces an uncertain future this offseason. With a $15.8 million cap hit in 2019 at 31 years old, the Ravens could save $9.5 million by cutting Smith this offseason. His decline in play last season makes that decision far easier in my mind, which is why I have him as a serious contender to be a salary cap casualty.
James Hurst | OL
Let’s be real here — no one was really pumped about Baltimore re-signing Hurst. It made some sense given his improved play at left guard in 2017, but the Ravens were paying him like a tackle, which forced their hand. Instead of starting rookie Orlando Brown Jr. at right tackle to begin the season, it took Hurst getting injured to be replaced. Immediately, Brown was a massive upgrade over Hurst, supplanting him on the depth chart. It even forced Hurst back to left guard, where he earned praise the previous season, only to have the same results in the final few games.
It’s now difficult to figure out where Hurst actually fits. He’s making too much to simply be a backup. But Baltimore is likely looking to upgrade at left guard either in free agency or the draft. Hurst could very well face a training camp where he has to compete for a starting job. That’s about as much regression as a player can face after signing a long-term contract.
Alex Collins | RB
I’m still not entirely sure what happened to Collins. Baltimore didn’t seem too keen on giving him the ball in the first quarter of the season and quickly found his replacement in rookie Gus Edwards. Whether the extra weight Collins put on made him slower or he was simply a one-year wonder, the running back might have regressed the most from 2017 to 2018.
Collins was looked at as the Ravens’ de facto starting running back and was talked about for a major breakout season. But as Baltimore’s rushing attack faltered, Collins was pushed further and further out of the role and simply forgotten about when he went to injured reserve. As a restricted free agent, it’s not clear whether Collins will get an offer from the Ravens to return. Since Baltimore has no clear-cut starter at running back, Collins could have regressed himself out of a job.
Terrell Suggs | OLB
Suggs seemed like he might play forever after an 11-sack 2017 season but was really set up for disappointment in 2018 because of it.
Suggs still accounted for seven sacks and was perhaps the most consistent pass rusher the Ravens had last season. But if you looked hard enough, you saw Suggs get bullied at the line of scrimmage more often, be slower to hit the edge and not tackle as well as he previously did. At 36 years old, I hope I can do a quarter of what Suggs was able to do last season, but it’s still a big dip from the guy we’ve known and loved.
As a pending free agent, this offseason is going to be interesting for both Suggs and Baltimore. The Ravens don’t have an obvious replacement for Suggs on the roster right now. But Suggs is really a situational pass rusher at this stage of his career, which will reduce his snap counts. It would be nice to see Suggs retire with the team that drafted him, but both sides might want to go in different directions at this point.
