The Baltimore Ravens have been really searching for the long-term heir to Ray Lewis following his retirement after the Super Bowl. They thought they had the answer in C.J. Mosley but free agency came calling and with it came a huge contract from the New York Jets that didn’t make sense for Baltimore to match.
But last season, the Ravens got bit by their confidence. Patrick Onwuasor, Kenny Young and Chris Board were expected to step up and fill the inside linebacker roles on Baltimore’s defense. However, Onwuasor was far from consistent, Board never really showed up and Young was a part of the trade for cornerback Marcus Peters. Instead, it was two midseason free-agent signings that ended up being the Ravens’ savior inside.
Baltimore now enters this offseason once again trying to figure out the middle of their defense. They’ll need to find at least one definitive starter and some extra depth. While that could come in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Ravens could dip their toes into the free-agent waters for someone with experience to fill out the roster.
These eight free-agent linebackers are likely to be on Baltimore’s radar this offseason.
Cory Littleton
Littleton is the prized free agent of this group and is going to get a lot of attention which will ultimately lead to a big contract. With how important the position is to Baltimore’s defense, they could be among the teams interested in throwing bags of cash his way this offseason.
Though Littleton has been in the league for four years, it’s just the last two he’s been a starter for the Los Angeles Rams. But he’s proven to be a tackling machine, posting 259 combined tackles and 15 tackles for a loss over that time span. His 3.6% missed tackle rate is the lowest in the NFL, according to Rams Wire’s Cameron DaSilva.
Littleton is also impressive when dropping back into coverage, grabbing five interceptions and 22 passes deflections over the last two seasons. He’s got the speed and size necessary to match up well against both tight ends and running backs one-on-one, which is quickly becoming a bigger part of the role in today’s pass-happy league.
Josh Bynes
While everyone wants to upgrade at the position, the Ravens sticking with what they know might actually be in their best interest and that would be Bynes. He effectively came to Baltimore from his couch and still played well immediately. Now imagine what a full season and an offseason to get acclimated to the team, players and playbook could mean.
Even still, Bynes picked up two interceptions, four passes deflected and a sack in addition to 46 combined tackles, with six tackles for a loss. Even better is Bynes was targeted 16 times and quarterbacks had a 47.4 passer rating when throwing his way.
Bynes will be 31 years old during the 2020 season, which makes him a short-term option. But if the Ravens would rather look to the 2020 NFL Draft for their answer at linebacker, Bynes could be a great transitional player on another one-year contract.
Joe Schobert
Outside of Littleton, Schobert is expected to be the other linebacker to earn a big contract in free agency. And his production certainly points to him deserving it too.
Since becoming a starter for the Cleveland Browns in 2017, Schobert has had 380 combined tackles, including leading the league with 144 combined tackles in 2017. He’s been a force in pass defense as well, grabbing six interceptions (four came last season), 19 passes deflected and posting eight sacks.
Seeing a division rival lose one of their top players is always a positive but the Ravens picking him up would be an even bigger treat, and it’s a move that would make sense if the money can be sorted out. Baltimore loves players who can do a little bit of everything, especially under defensive coordinator Don Martindale. Schobert being able to come down in run support, be effective in coverage and also pressure the quarterback is something Martindale would love to have from an inside linebacker.
Jamie Collins
There’s a Jekyll and Hyde situation when it comes to Collins and that creates a little caution with him set to hit free agency. With the New England Patriots, Collins is a Pro Bowl talent. With the Browns, Collins was overpaid and a liability. Which version will another team get? That’s the big question and it will likely limit what Collins earns in free agency accordingly.
But there’s no doubt Collins has upper-level physical traits and the ability to tap into them. At his best, Collins is an athletic game-changing player that can run a defense. Just last season with New England, Collins posted three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), seven passes defensed, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, seven sacks and 10 tackles for a loss. That’s the type of production that will have teams like the Ravens drooling at what could be.
But Collins will be 31 years old next season and with questions about his consistency already around, how much would Baltimore be willing to pay? It seems unlikely Collins will get a long-term contract from anyone but he should earn decent money on a two- or three-year deal. If he doesn’t cost a fortune, the Ravens could see him as an immediate starter that will give way to a younger player in a year or two but still provide valuable depth.
Reggie Ragland
Ragland had once been considered the best linebacker in the 2016 NFL Draft and a sure-fire first-round pick. But medical concerns dropped him down and a rookie season that ended prematurely with a torn ACL have seen the football world become less enamored with Ragland since.
But that doesn’t mean Ragland is a bad player by any means. He’s started 32 of the 42 games he’s been active in for the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s shown growth every season, including being better in coverage in 2019, allowing just nine of 14 targets to be completed for no touchdowns and a 73.5 passer rating against him.
Players typically make the biggest step up in their third and fourth seasons. Since Ragland effectively had a season taken from him, he’s about to enter his fourth real season in the NFL and could be primed for a dramatic leap up in play. Combine that upside with what will likely be a cheap short-term contract and you have the makings of a low-risk, high-reward signing that at the least provides Baltimore with much-needed depth.
Blake Martinez
Martinez has gone under the radar in lists like this for some reason, though he’s expected to earn solid money as a free agent.
Even though he isn’t necessarily a household name around the league, Martinez has been very productive for the Green Bay Packers. He’s started 57 of the 61 games he’s been active for, including all 16 games in each of the last three seasons. Martinez had arguably his best season as a pro in 2019, grabbing an interception, forcing a fumble, getting three sacks and posting 155 combined tackles.
With inside linebackers not having the same worth they did a decade ago, Martinez is a player who could either really cash in or see his market dry up pretty fast in free agency. If he comes in lower than what’s expected, Martinez could be a pretty good value for Baltimore and at just 26 years old, he would help man the center of their defense for the foreseeable future.
Nick Kwiatkoski
Kwiatkoski finally got his chance to shine last year when starter Danny Trevathan went on injured reserve. Starting half the season in his stead, Kwiatkoski put up solid numbers and showed he’s capable of handling a role in the spotlight.
While Kwiatkoski did well against the run, posting 76 combined tackles including eight tackles for a loss, he really impressed against the pass. Kwiatkoski allowed a 59.5% completion rate on his 37 targets, giving up only one touchdown while also notching an interception. When targeted, quarterbacks had a lowly 66.0 passer rating against Kwiatkoski. He further harassed quarterbacks with three sacks with six total pressures last season.
Much like Martinez, Kwiatkoski’s market is a pretty big question mark. The Bears have both him and Trevathan as pending free agents, meaning they’ll probably focus more of their effort and cap space on keeping Kwiatkoski. But if the asking price is too high and Chicago re-signs Trevathan, things could dry up elsewhere and lead to Kwiatkoski being a far more manageable option to sign and start.
Danny Trevathan
This is the flip side of Martinez. As noted above, Trevathan is coming off a nasty elbow injury that put him on injured reserve. While the Ravens and other teams will have to make sure Trevathan is healthy and recovered from the injury, it’s the right combination of things that could make him a good pickup.
As I said before, Martinez is likely going to be Chicago’s top priority of the two and for good reason. Trevathan will be 30 years old next season and hasn’t been known for staying healthy. Excluding last season when Trevathan missed seven games, he’s missed 11 others since joining the Bears in 2016.
But when healthy, Trevathan is a good run-stuffing linebacker, which is primarily what the Ravens need since they re-signed L.J. Fort last season. Trevathan is nearing the end of his career so a long-term contract wouldn’t make a ton of sense for anyone. But either a one-year “prove-it” deal or a short-term deal with little guaranteed money as a stop-gap starter could be the ticket for both Trevathan and the Ravens.
