Even though the Baltimore Ravens went 14-2 in 2019, they didn’t achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl. However, there were a lot of positives to take away from a year that some, if not most, thought was going to be a step back from their 10-6 campaign in 2018.
As free agency approaches, Baltimore has a few holes on their roster that need filling. If the team can make a big splash and find cost-effective options to strengthen an already strong roster, it could be the beginning of another successful campaign in 2020.
Let’s take a look at some of the needs that the Ravens need to fill ahead of free agency.
EDGE
Though the Ravens have used the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon and traded for Calais Campbell, they still need another outside linebacker to rush off the edge. This was a defense that performed well in spite of ranking 21st in the league in sacks and ranked 16th in pressure rate per dropback.
Though defensive coordinator Don Martindale utilized blitzes at the highest rate in the NFL last season, Baltimore struggled to win one-on-one matchups largely thanks to a lack of talent both inside and out, beyond Judon. They’ve certainly done a lot to fix interior pass rush with Campbell but will need more help to free up Judon from double teams.
The positive here is that the Ravens don’t necessarily need a top-tier free agent to fill that void, though it would be nice. Instead, they could look for a more cost-effective option to supplement whoever they grab in the 2020 NFL Draft.