Even though the Baltimore Ravens went 14-2 in 2019, they didn’t achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl. However, there were a lot of positives to take away from a year that some, if not most, thought was going to be a step back from their 10-6 campaign in 2018.
As free agency approaches, Baltimore has a few holes on their roster that need filling. If the team can make a big splash and find cost-effective options to strengthen an already strong roster, it could be the beginning of another successful campaign in 2020.
Let’s take a look at some of the needs that the Ravens need to fill ahead of free agency.
EDGE
Though the Ravens have used the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon and traded for Calais Campbell, they still need another outside linebacker to rush off the edge. This was a defense that performed well in spite of ranking 21st in the league in sacks and ranked 16th in pressure rate per dropback.
Though defensive coordinator Don Martindale utilized blitzes at the highest rate in the NFL last season, Baltimore struggled to win one-on-one matchups largely thanks to a lack of talent both inside and out, beyond Judon. They’ve certainly done a lot to fix interior pass rush with Campbell but will need more help to free up Judon from double teams.
The positive here is that the Ravens don’t necessarily need a top-tier free agent to fill that void, though it would be nice. Instead, they could look for a more cost-effective option to supplement whoever they grab in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Interior defensive line
When you look at the Ravens’ depth chart from last year, it doesn’t look like the interior of the defensive line would be a glaring need. However, the playoff loss proved the defensive line could really use some more help, especially with Michael Pierce ready to hit free agency.
Barring Baltimore bringing back Pierce, they’ll need to find a stout run-stuffing defensive tackle to replace his 483 defensive snaps (49%). It’s also worth looking to the future on Brandon Williams as well, who is 31 years old and in the final two years of his contract at more than $14 million cap hits in both seasons.
Even if Pierce returns, finding some more depth behind the starters would be wise. Daylon Mack was a healthy scratch for most of last season before heading to injured reserve later in the season. While he could take a leap forward in 2020, betting on that could bite the Ravens come the regular season.
Interior offensive line
Marshal Yanda’s retirement hangs heavy over the Ravens roster. While Baltimore has a number of options already on the team to potentially replace Yanda, they might not want to risk a young player trying to replicate Yanda’s level of production.
Even if the Ravens aren’t looking for an outright replacement for Yanda, they’ll want to find more depth along the interior of the offensive line for a number of reasons.
For one, it’ll give them a much more complete competition for the starting right guard job this season. Considering it took every minute of training camp and the preseason to figure out who would start at left guard last season, it would be a wise decision to stack talent there this offseason too.
Center might also be a surprising question mark. Though both Matt Skura and Patrick Mekari played exceptionally well last season, Skura is coming off a nasty injury and is still a restricted free agent Baltimore might decide to not bring back. Bradley Bozeman is likely in the mix at right guard but could bounce back to center as well if needed, but it would obviously hurt the depth along the interior of the offensive line if he did.
The Ravens don’t necessarily need a big free agent or early draft pick here but finding depth players that can play both guard and center would be the best scenario. Otherwise, Baltimore could look to add a few players to their offensive line this offseason.
Inside linebacker
The Ravens let C.J. Mosley depart in free agency last offseason hoping that the young linebacker trio of Patrick Onwuasor, Kenny Young and Chris Board could pick up the slack. That plan backfired in almost every way imaginable.
Onwuasor looked lost as the play caller. Young was traded after struggling. Board played mostly special teams in spite of being given every opportunity to win a starting job. It eventually took the midseason additions of L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes to settle down the position.
However, Bynes and Onwuasor are set to hit free agency this offseason, which further disrupts the position. That means the Ravens once again need both a definitive starter at inside linebacker as well as more depth considering they only have three players under contract there right now.
Because Baltimore uses more dime than a traditional base package on defense, they get their safeties to effectively play linebacker a lot. That means the Ravens might not need a Mosley type of player in the middle as much as they need specific role players there to provide more depth and give Martindale more flexibility.
Wide receiver
Baltimore has had to structure their wide receiver corps for multiple years in a row. From Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace to Michael Crabtree and John Brown, there has been little consistency in the wide receiver room over the last few seasons. While the Ravens have done a much better job of drafting at the position last year, there are going to be some more additions this offseason as well to help round out the group.
Baltimore was able to pick their speedster of the future in Marquise Brown in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. They also drafted Miles Boykin and have Willie Snead as a veteran presence. However, it’s safe to question if the team will bring back Chris Moore and Seth Roberts and if they’ll allow for such a long leash on Jaleel Scott.
Assuming the trio of Moore, Roberts and Scott won’t return in 2020, there are three spots that need to be filled. The Ravens can look to free agency and sign a player like Amari Cooper, Emmanuel Sanders, or Robbie Anderson. They could also wait until the draft and select talent in an insanely deep class that includes Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs as early-round options while also having Justin Jefferson, Denzel Mims, Brandon Aiyuk, and Tee Higgins among the deep draft class.
There is no shortage of wide receiver talent available for Baltimore to bring in. They also have a good foundation with Brown, Boykin and Snead. If Eric DeCosta can hit it out of the park this offseason, the Ravens might not have to reshape their wide receiver room for a long time.
