The Baltimore Ravens love their draft picks and work hard in free agency to maximize their chances of getting compensatory selections. With the losses of several key free agents this season, Baltimore looked like they were in line for a handful of midround comp picks in the 2020 NFL draft. But then the Tennessee Titans released former Ravens defensive end Brent Urban.
Urban signing with Tennesee this offseason had negated Baltimore’s signing of cornerback Justin Bethel. That likely evened out the Ravens’ comp pick ledger, which would have resulted in a fourth-round selection for the loss of wide receiver John Brown in free agency. With Urban now released before the comp pick was locked in, the Ravens had little choice but to release Bethel to preserve their expected pick.
As coach John Harbaugh noted at his press conference Monday, it’s an odd and confusing rule in the NFL that effectively forced their hand.
Bethel has earned high praise as a special teams ace throughout his career, being named to the Pro Bowl from 2013-2015.
