With the hurdle of a new collective bargaining agreement behind the league, dominos are expected to fall regarding free agency and trades.
The first to fall came on Sunday afternoon, when it was announced that the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars had agreed in principle on a trade for defensive end Calais Campbell:
The Ravens enter the 2020 season with some question marks on their defensive front. According to Pro Football Focus charting data, they were reliant on the blitz last year to generate pressure on opposing passers. From their charting, Baltimore blitzed on 55% of their defensive snaps last year, the highest number since 2006, the first year of PFF’s existence.
In Campbell, the Ravens are getting an experienced EDGE who is still solid against the run as well as a pass rusher. Last season he generated 71 pressures off the edge, and notched six sacks along with two forced fumbles. The Ravens just placed the franchise tag on another pass rusher, Matthew Judon, and pairing him with Campbell, especially for a long term, gives Baltimore some pass rushers who can generate pressure without the blitz. That gives their defense more options as the 2020 season beckons.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, this is yet another step in the dismantling of a once-feared defense. The next shoe to drop might be another defensive lineman, Yannick Ngakoue. Expectations are that the franchise will trade Ngakoue after putting the franchise tag on him this weekend.
