Ravens Universally Lauded for Early Moves In Free Agency

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens wasted little time making some moves in free agency, inking safety Marcus Williams and offensive tackle Morgan Moses to multi-year deals.

The moves satisfied a pair of needs for the team and provide more flexibility in the upcoming draft.

The Ravens were also lauded by various publications.

Here's the reaction:

Sports Illustrated

Analysis: "Williams was the free-agent prize at the position, knowing that the Bengals wouldn't allow Jesse Bates III to hit the market. The 25-year-old fits beautifully with John Harbaugh's organized chaos philosophy and is a capable run defender in addition to his coverage skills. Though the division is trending toward a group of downhill running teams, Williams equalizes the Ravens against the likes of Joe Burrow."

Grade: B+

ESPN

Analysis: "If all you know about Williams is that he missed the tackle that led to the Minneapolis Miracle in the 2017 playoffs, well, you've missed a lot yourself. Williams developed into a ball-hawking safety who entered this week ranked No. 2 on ESPN's list of available free agents. The Ravens had needs on the back end of the secondary — enough to project a solid Round 2 selection in the draft. But with the safety class lacking top-end talents after Kyle Hamilton and no true free safety prospects expected to go in the first round, the Ravens are smart to grab one of the best free agents this offseason."

Grade: A-

CBS Sports

Analysis: "The longtime Saints safety is going to Baltimore (who, if healthy, now have one of the NFL's top defensive backfields) with a reported five-year, $70 million deal. That's a great bargain for a player who has been one of the league's top defensive backs since coming into the NFL in 2017."

Grade: A

Pro Football Focus:

Analysis: "Williams has become one of the more underappreciated safeties in the NFL in recent seasons, with his costly miscue in the 2017 playoffs still impacting his public perception. However, he has one of the highest wins above replacement (WAR) values among all safeties since 2017, and he's a consistent performer against both the run and the pass."

Grade: Above average.

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