The Baltimore Ravens have been really searching for the long-term heir to Ray Lewis following his retirement after the Super Bowl. They thought they had the answer in C.J. Mosley but free agency came calling and with it came a huge contract from the New York Jets that didn’t make sense for Baltimore to match.
But last season, the Ravens got bit by their confidence. Patrick Onwuasor, Kenny Young and Chris Board were expected to step up and fill the inside linebacker roles on Baltimore’s defense. However, Onwuasor was far from consistent, Board never really showed up and Young was a part of the trade for cornerback Marcus Peters. Instead, it was two midseason free-agent signings that ended up being the Ravens’ savior inside.
Baltimore now enters this offseason once again trying to figure out the middle of their defense. They’ll need to find at least one definitive starter and some extra depth. While that could come in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Ravens could dip their toes into the free-agent waters for someone with experience to fill out the roster.
These eight free-agent linebackers are likely to be on Baltimore’s radar this offseason.
Cory Littleton
Littleton is the prized free agent of this group and is going to get a lot of attention which will ultimately lead to a big contract. With how important the position is to Baltimore’s defense, they could be among the teams interested in throwing bags of cash his way this offseason.
Though Littleton has been in the league for four years, it’s just the last two he’s been a starter for the Los Angeles Rams. But he’s proven to be a tackling machine, posting 259 combined tackles and 15 tackles for a loss over that time span. His 3.6% missed tackle rate is the lowest in the NFL, according to Rams Wire’s Cameron DaSilva.
Littleton is also impressive when dropping back into coverage, grabbing five interceptions and 22 passes deflections over the last two seasons. He’s got the speed and size necessary to match up well against both tight ends and running backs one-on-one, which is quickly becoming a bigger part of the role in today’s pass-happy league.