The Baltimore Ravens are busy as free agency closes in. With the legal tampering period beginning on March 16, the Ravens continue to work on re-signing their own pending free agents. They locked up wide receiver and return specialist De’Anthony Thomas on a one-year deal and used the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon.
Now Baltimore is closing in on defensive end Jihad Ward, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. A recent tweet by Ward appears to back up the idea he’s returning to Baltimore, referring to how the Ravens’ season ended unexpectedly in the playoffs to the Tennessee Titans.
Ward was among the Ravens’ midseason additions that helped transform the defense from one of the worst units in the NFL into a defense that ranked fourth by the end of the season. Though he didn’t start any of the 11 games he played for Baltimore in 2019, his 372 defensive snaps (38%), two fumble recoveries and one sack prove he was a major contributor.
The Ravens also need the depth on the defensive line. After starting last season with just five players on the roster, Baltimore was hit with injuries and some lackluster play at times, forcing them to bring in Ward, Domata Peko and Justin Ellis in the middle of the season. Currently, the Ravens have just two defensive ends on the roster — Chris Wormley and Ufomba Kamalu — and with Michael Pierce among Baltimore’s pending free agents, they’d be a little thin in the trenches if the season were to start right now.
