The Ravens are tied for the very best report within the AFC at 6-2 after their newest win Sunday in Arizona. They have the league’s high protection by a large margin in FTN Fantasy’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), which additionally now has them as the favourite to win the Super Bowl. They spent more cash on offense this offseason than any crew within the NFL, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson’s five-year, $260 million extension.
Baltimore is constructed to win now, which is why now would even be a great time to go in on the sort of blockbuster, difference-making commerce by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline that will push the group to the precipice of an actual shot at its third championship and first because the 2012 season.
Despite all their varied spectacular numbers the Ravens have been persistently inconsistent, enduring uneven performances on either side of the ball. Strengthening the roster in a major method would doubtless assist resolve that challenge and elevate them into the league’s higher echelon.
Just up I-95, Philadelphia Eagles common supervisor Howie Roseman already made a splashy transfer by buying and selling for Titans All-Pro security Kevin Byard forward of the deadline. Last 12 months, the Eagles had been within the Super Bowl, and at 7-1 are favorites to get again there with strikes like this. Byard’s 27 interceptions since 2016 are essentially the most within the NFL.
“Do we have a specific need, a have-to-have guy? No,” coach John Harbaugh stated Monday. “I feel now we have all the things we should be profitable.
“At the same time, if an opportunity came to bring in somebody that can help us, make us better in any area, certain areas more than others, and we could do it in a way that was affordable to the team, cap-wise, draft pick-wise, you would do it. That’s where we’re at right now.”
The NFL commerce deadline isn’t just like the NBA’s or MLB’s, with an action-packed barrage of strikes throughout which a number of superstars change zip codes. Still, there are offers to be completed. Last 12 months, 11 trades occurred on deadline day, which was greater than twice as many as any 12 months since 2010, in accordance with the league.
One of them despatched inside linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens, with Baltimore sending the Chicago Bears its 2023 second- and fifth-round picks in addition to veteran linebacker A.J. Klein. Smith, who was within the remaining 12 months of his contract when the deal was made however re-signed for 5 years and $100 million in January, is the Ravens’ main tackler this season, has helped them ascend to being the league’s greatest protection by any variety of metrics and is the crew’s vocal chief on the sphere and within the locker room.
In 2019, the Ravens landed ball-hawking cornerback Marcus Peters from the Rams in change for linebacker Kenny Young and a 2020 fifth-round choose. Peters by no means fairly recaptured the success he had earlier in his profession, and he suffered a torn ACL in 2021, however the veteran was nonetheless extremely productive and disruptive with eight interceptions, together with two he returned for touchdowns, in 37 regular-season video games with Baltimore. His interception of Ryan Tannehill late within the sport in opposition to the Tennessee Titans within the 2021 wild-card spherical additionally helped seal Baltimore’s 20-13 postseason victory.
Of course, not all of the offers common supervisor Eric DeCosta has made have panned out.
Three years in the past, the Ravens traded a 2021 third-round choose and 2022 fifth-round choose to the Minnesota Vikings for out of doors linebacker Yannick Ngakoue. He began simply three of 9 video games, although, and completed with three sacks earlier than transferring on after the season to the Las Vegas Raiders, for whom he had 10 sacks in 2021.
In 2018, Baltimore traded with the Green Bay Packers for operating again Ty Montgomery. It solely value them a 2020 seventh-round choose, however Montgomery additionally performed in simply six video games and contributed sparingly earlier than transferring on.
Who may DeCosta look to land on deadline day this 12 months?
The most obtrusive wants are at edge rusher and operating again. Though the Ravens introduced in veterans Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy this season and each have been greater than adequately productive, they’re 30 and 32 years outdated, respectively, and neither is an elite, double-digit sacks go rusher. And whereas Justice Hill and Gus Edwards have completed a pleasant job since J.Ok. Dobbins suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in Week 1, neither is a game-breaking again.
Baltimore additionally has the capital to make a transfer.
The Ravens at present have eight picks in April’s draft, with one choose by way of every of the primary 5 rounds, plus their very own seventh-round choose. They even have the Jets’ seventh-rounder from the Chuck Clark commerce and can doubtless get a compensatory fourth-round choose after left guard Ben Powers signed with the Denver Broncos in free company within the offseason. Baltimore additionally has seven picks within the 2025 draft.
In phrases of the wage cap, Baltimore at present has $2.8 million in house, however that quantity will increase every week exterior linebacker Tyus Bowser, lengthy snapper Nick Moore and rookie offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees stay on the non-football damage record. Moore and Vorhees are out for the season. The Ravens also can get inventive by restructuring contracts to create far more cap house.
Here’s a take a look at some potentialities, ranked from unlikely to extra attainable:
Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry
Henry (8,861 profession yards, 4.7 yards per carry, 81 touchdowns) is the kind of again who would have an instantaneous influence and be a significant improve. But the Titans have stated they don’t plan to deal the doubtless future Hall of Famer, and Henry, who had 101 yards speeding within the Titans’ win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, stated he’s completely satisfied to stick with Tennessee. The deadline for the three-time Pro Bowl choice and two-time NFL main rusher to restructure his contract by Monday at 5 p.m. additionally got here and went, in accordance with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that means he nonetheless has $5.5 million left on his deal and thus casting a major blow to the probabilities the Ravens land him.
Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs
Strangely, Jacobs’ title hasn’t been heard a lot if in any respect so far as commerce rumors. Perhaps it’s as a result of he’s averaging simply 2.9 yards per carry, or it’s as a result of the Raiders (3-4) are holding out hope of by some means making the playoffs. But the 25-year-old is flexible, had a profession 4.4-yard common earlier than this season and is a free agent after the 12 months. His agent, Chad Wiestling, can be a Baltimore man.
Indianapolis Colts RB Zack Moss
The 5-foot-9, 205-pound Moss did a pleasant job filling in for Jonathan Taylor whereas he was on the physically-unable-to-perform record earlier than Taylor signed an extension to stick with the Colts. In seven video games, 5 of them begins, Moss has rushed for 589 yards and 5 touchdowns whereas averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He’s additionally caught 16 passes for 123 yards and one other rating, which once more speaks to the sort of again that would slot in the Ravens’ system.
Minnesota Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter
Hunter leads the NFL in sacks with 10 and would match proper in with the Ravens, who’ve extra sacks (31) than another crew within the league regardless of just one participant (defensive sort out Justin Maduibuike, 6 1/2 sacks) having greater than 3 1/2. The room may additionally get very crowded with Odafe Oweh again from damage and enjoying effectively and the likelihood that David Ojabo and Tyus Bowser may nonetheless return, too. Still, Hunter is the very best go rusher on the market, can be a giant increase to a bunch that’s already been superb and be the sort of difference-maker that will get Baltimore to the Super Bowl.
What will the Ravens in the end do? Harbaugh stated he met with DeCosta earlier than his weekly Monday afternoon information convention and the 2 talked about potential choices.
“It’s a possibility,” Harbaugh stated of a deadline day deal with out elaborating. “It’s not straightforward making trades on this league.
“If there’s one to be made that will help us, I’m sure he’ll pull it off. If not, we’ll be happy with what we have because we have a great team.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com