Ravens Could Look to Draft to Fill Potential Holes at Outside Linebacker
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens could lose several outside linebackers to free agency in the coming weeks.
General manager Eric DeCosta alluded that he will approach some of these players about new deals, but the salary cap could preclude the team from finalizing a contract.
The Ravens' have four key edge rushers — Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee — that can potentially negotiate with other teams this offseason.
The overall cap could decrease from $198,2 million in 2020 to $175 million to $185 million this year, according to some estimates. As a result, the Ravens could look to the draft to fill the void if the free-agent playmakers depart. Baltimore has already been linked to several edge rushers with the 27th overall pick, most notably Tulsa's Zaven Collins from Tulsa, Texas' Joseph Ossai and Michigan's Kwity Paye.
“We were fortunate; we were six-deep this year," DeCosta said. "We had a stable of guys, and we could roll different guys out based on the teams that we were playing. We love that versatility. We love the fact that we had 12 legitimate pieces in the front seven this year that we could roll out on gameday, in terms of defensive line and outside linebackers.
"We may not have that this year. We may have some turnover on the roster; we understand that. Again, the salary cap sometimes dictates the players that you can have on the team, but we do see some opportunities to bring some guys back."
Bowser had his best season since being drafted by the Ravens in the second round (47th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. He finished with 34 tackles, two sacks, 14 quarterback hits and was second on the team with three interceptions. He's player that plays well in the Ravens system and they'd like to bring him back, but his asking price could be $3 million to $5 million annually.
The Ravens acquired Ngakoue from the Vikings at the trade deadline. Ngakoue finished the season with 11 tackles, three sacks and two quarterback hits. While there were some questions about that productivity, the Ravens coaches lauded Ngakoue's performance. He grew up in nearby Bowie, Md., and played collegiately at the University of Maryland. The Ravens could place the franchise tag on him.
Judon could be the most difficult player to re-sign. There are reports that Judon could be seeking $20 million per season, but he downplayed that speculation on social media. udon played this past season with the franchise tag and there was no further movement on a long-term deal. Judon finished the regular season with 49 tackles, six sacks, and 21 quarterback hits.
"There are certainly some guys we want to target out of the gates," DeCosta said. "We do feel that we have some younger players that have a lot of potential to help us. We also have, again, the Draft. We see that the Draft looks pretty good this year in terms of outside linebackers and pass rush-type guys. There are also some guys in free agency on other teams that would be of interest if we can’t bring some of our guys back.”
