The Baltimore Ravens have been filling a bunch of their needs thanks to an aggressive approach in the first week of free agency. They’ve pulled off some trades, signed one of the top free agents and re-signed a bunch of their own players. With fewer immediate needs to fill, the Ravens can turn their attention to the future and start finding players that will turn into starters in another few years.
The best teams in the league not only look at their immediate needs but keep an eye a few years in the future as well. They look at what positions could be ripe for salary cap casualties and where the next few drafts might line up with talent. Upcoming pending free agents and potential trade scenarios all go through the mind of a good general manager so they can keep their roster stacked with talent for the long term.
That’s exactly what Baltimore has done well over its franchise history. Guys like outside linebacker Matthew Judon, guard Marshal Yanda, center Ryan Jensen, tackle Rick Wagner and linebacker Adalius Thomas were all drafted with the expectations they’d sit and develop for a while before getting thrust into the starting lineup. Most got a chance to learn while on the bench and others impressed so much initially that they secured starting jobs and never looked back.
While the Ravens still have a bunch of immediate needs to fill this offseason, look for general manager Eric DeCosta and Baltimore to find some talent they’ll want to stash as well. These are the six positions where the Ravens will want to look for long-term replacement options now in order to save themselves trouble later.
Running back:
Ingram will turn 31 years old during the 2020 season and he hasn’t been known for his health to begin with, missing 23 games over his career. With an easy out on his contract next offseason that will save Baltimore $5 million on their 2021 salary cap, looking for an eventual replacement for him is a wise investment.
While the Ravens have Gus Edwards on an ERFA deal this year, there are no guarantees that he’ll have the same level of production to warrant coming back next year on an RFA contract. Baltimore also has an exciting player in Justice Hill but that’s simply not enough insurance by itself.
With such a run-heavy offense, keeping a steady flow of talent at running back will allow the Ravens to keep chugging forward for even more years.