The Baltimore Ravens have been aggressive in getting what they want and managing their roster under general manager Eric DeCosta. Though the Ravens finished last season at 14-2 and could likely still be one of the best teams in the NFL if they kept their roster exactly the same, expect DeCosta and Baltimore to make some moves this offseason to create the best roster possible. While everyone has been looking at what players the Ravens could pick up in free agency and the draft, it could be who they get rid of that becomes even more important.
Baltimore hasn’t been shy about jettisoning players for draft picks or as a package to acquire a player over the last year. After taking over for Ozzie Newsome, DeCosta traded away several young players to ultimately set the team up for the future. Offensive linemen Jermaine Eluemunor and Alex Lewis were shipped off, as was kicker Kaare Vedvik. And linebacker Kenny Young was a part of Baltimore’s portion in the Marcus Peters trade in the middle of the season.
To think DeCosta is completely finished or wouldn’t trade players away at this point is pretty foolish. But which Ravens players could be on the trading block? I took a look at the roster and picked out a few players that Baltimore would at least entertain the idea of trading away for the right price.
TE Hayden Hurst
Hurst is an obvious choice given how stacked Baltimore is at the position. While Hurst has a valuable role in the Ravens’ offense, he could arguably be called their third tight end behind Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle, making him seemingly up for grabs.
Hurst is still on his rookie deal which is really where a trade makes the most sense. For a team that needs a starter at tight end, Hurst’s low cap hit is enticing. And with a fifth-year option still on the table, Hurst is effectively signed through the 2022 season, giving a team three more years as a cost-effective option.
Even though he’s buried on the depth chart, Hurst has done enough to point to him being a successful blocking and receiving tight end as a starter in an offense that would use him well. When combined with his rookie contract, it’s easy to see how teams would be calling DeCosta and asking what it would take to pull off a deal. The biggest hurdle here would likely be Baltimore’s asking price considering his value to the team in spite of his stats.
C Matt Skura
Good offensive linemen are worth their weight in gold in the NFL and while centers tend to get the short end of the stick when it comes to contracts, they might just be the most important member of a successful line. Now, the Ravens have a pretty good problem right now in that they have two centers worthy of starting. That gives them some flexibility to make a move.
After Skura went down with a devastating knee injury last season, Patrick Mekari filled in without skipping a beat. Now Skura enters this offseason as a restricted free agent Baltimore will have to make a tough decision on. If they decide to sign him to a tender, that could cause some needy teams to pick up the phone.
For a team that needs a starting-caliber center and is willing to take a little risk on Skura’s health, a late-round pick seems like a good gamble here. For the Ravens, they’d solve one of their conundrums while picking up some extra draft capital.
QB Robert Griffin III
We already know teams were interested in Griffin previously, so we know there’s some type of market for his services. But after seeing what the Ravens did with Lamar Jackson and their RPO offense, Griffin would be a more attractive and cheap option for any team interested in implementing the same system. That could cause more teams to call DeCosta or increase what teams are already offering.
Even if no one is interested in installing Griffin as their Week 1 starting quarterback, a cost-effective veteran quarterback with starting experience and a solid resume backing up the starter is surprisingly rare in the NFL. With a bunch of teams likely starting a rookie or new-to-them quarterback this season, having someone like Griffin sitting on the bench is a pretty good insurance policy.
OLB Matthew Judon
This is the Ravens player most likely to be traded this offseason if we’re being honest with ourselves. Though Baltimore clearly wants and desperately needs to keep Judon around given their lack of starter-quality talent at outside linebacker, a trade might be in everyone’s best interest here.
If the Ravens feel like Judon isn’t budging on his contract demands and they aren’t willing to pay him that, they’re kind of at a stalemate. Sure, the franchise tag exists but even if Judon plays on it, Baltimore is simply looking at the same exact problem next offseason albeit likely at a higher cost thanks to a new CBA potentially making the salary cap explode.
Getting a high-round draft pick or a combination of an outside linebacker and lower draft pick would make serious sense for the Ravens in that scenario. It’s not the perfect ending but it would give them enough cap space and draft equity to rebuild the position pretty quickly while letting Judon get paid, all while getting to choose where he winds up. That seems like a pretty big win for Baltimore considering the alternative.
RB Mark Ingram
In all fairness, I think this is a longshot to ever happen but the cap situation makes this trade make more sense. It would have to be a pretty attractive offer in my opinion, though.
Ingram is coming off a career season, rushing for over 1,000 yards and posting 15 total touchdowns (10 rushing and five receiving). He showed off his trademark power, running over defenders all season long, as well as plenty of speed and reliable hands in the receiving game. Best yet is he’s signed to a really attractive contract given that production — He’s under contract for two more seasons at base salaries of $4 million and $5 million respectively.
For a team that sees themselves as being close to a Super Bowl, Ingram might be viewed as the final piece to the puzzle and he wouldn’t cripple the salary cap to pick up. Then again, the Ravens have to think the same thing, making any potential trade rely on Baltimore selecting a running back early in the 2020 NFL Draft — think D’Andre Swift or Jonathan Taylor in the first round.
Considering how much Ingram’s injury in the postseason hurt the Ravens, all those things playing out might not be as far fetched as they seem at first glance.
CB Anthony Averett
Much like with Hurst, Averett is still on his rookie contract which makes him a far more attractive trade option. For a team that needs a borderline starter at cornerback for cheap, Averett could make a ton of sense.
The Ravens are pretty well set at cornerback right now with Peters, Marlon Humphrey and Tavon Young as the expected starters. Depending on what happens with Jimmy Smith in free agency or if Baltimore decides to keep Brandon Carr, that would give the Ravens a pretty stacked secondary. Though Averett is still developing and has shown some flashes in his rookie season, his 2019 campaign wasn’t pretty and could have soured Baltimore a little bit.
But as a former fourth-round pick with some starting experience, Averett could be a good option for a team needing to build up their own secondary. Considering how deep Baltimore’s depth chart is at cornerback, there likely wouldn’t be a steep asking price for any trade either. Those are the right keywords for a trade to happen.
