The Baltimore Ravens are expected to have more cap space available than in recent years thanks to a conscious decision to make their roster younger. Combined with a young core of talent led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, many are eyeing up the 2020 offseason as a chance for Baltimore to be buyers in free agency to fill their remaining roster holes and push for a Super Bowl.
But in reality, do the Ravens need to go all out this offseason and eat up all their cap space? The more I look at the roster and their cap situation for the next few years, I’m beginning to lean towards being more cautious in their offseason approach this year.
Every offseason offers tantalizing talent in free agency and 2020 is no different. Pass rushers Jadeveon Clowney, Chris Jones, Yannick Ngakoue and Shaq Barrett are pending free agents alongside wide receivers like A.J. Green, Amari Cooper and Emmanuel Sanders. Though Baltimore should have enough cap space to throw their hat into the ring on maybe one or two of these types of players, it would almost undoubtedly leave their bank accounts empty and more than a few holes remaining after the dust settles.
Instead, Baltimore already has a solid core of young talent they can lean on to at least be above average and they should build cautiously from there.
On offense, the Ravens have a pretty stacked group with Jackson, Mark Andrews, Patrick Ricard, Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr. all earning Pro Bowl nods this past season. Add to the group some up-and-coming players like Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Patrick Mekari, Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin and you have a really exciting lineup that already ranked among the best offenses in the NFL last season and should get better.
Defensively, Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey were the young Pro Bowl nominations for the 2019 season. But safety Chuck Clark deserves plenty of accolades and there’s some other talent ready to emerge in Tyus Bowser and Jaylon Ferguson.
From that foundation, the Ravens don’t need to be so eager in their free-agency approach and instead look towards the second-tier options that offer more bang for the buck. Baltimore has several holes they’ll want to fill this offseason and likely a few they’ll want to staff with veteran additions to act as a stop-gap while 2020 draft picks come up to speed over the next few years.
Both inside and outside linebacker are primed for an immediate upgrade after Baltimore limped through the 2019 season that saw mid-season additions pushed into starting roles thanks to lackluster play by the incumbents and little-to-no depth behind them. Coach John Harbaugh noted the team is interested in adding two different types of wide receivers this offseason — likely an outside possession receiver and another deep threat. Offensive guard could quickly become the Ravens’ biggest need of the offseason if Marshal Yanda decides to retire.
While Baltimore is expected to have a little more cap space than in previous years, they still rank in the bottom third of the league, according to OTC. That will make filling even half of their needs with top free agents a pipe dream this offseason. Instead, the Ravens could be more creative in how they shop in free agency to get better results for a fraction of the cost.
As we saw last season with Matthew Judon, having one good pass rusher often isn’t enough as opponents key in on stopping that lone player. So instead of breaking the bank on a top free-agent pass rusher, Baltimore could very well look to sign two lesser-known guys that fit into their scheme for the same price or less. And with two solid players, it could force opposing offenses to spread themselves too thin trying to manage both pass rushers while also dealing with Don Martindale’s crazy blitzes. That option doesn’t even include the idea that Ferguson and/or Bowser could take a jump up in play next season and bolster the unit further.
The same could be done at inside linebacker where the Ravens could look to sign players for dedicated roles and swap them out depending on needs. An early-down, run-stuffing linebacker gets matched up with a more athletic linebacker that plays only on passing downs and they rotate in based on the opponent and situational packages. It ends up being cheaper than trying to find a C.J. Mosley-like player who can do everything reasonably well.
Baltimore also has to look forward to the next offseason as well. While they don’t know what the salary cap will look like or even what the new CBA will include, they’ll have some key players heading to free agency they’ll want to re-sign. Clark, Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey are all set to hit free agency after the 2020 season and at least Stanley and Humphrey are likely to break the bank at their respective positions. Being able to roll some money forward into next offseason would be wise for the Ravens, even though they’re estimated to have $97 million in cap space for 2021.
In all, the Ravens have plenty of major contributors still on rookie deals, regardless of how this offseason works out. And with an expected nine picks in the 2020 NFL draft (seven inside the top-150, per OTC‘s compensatory pick formulations), Baltimore will have opportunities to add more impact players for dirt cheap this offseason without spending a dime in free agency. It might not be as sexy as trying to sign every big name that hits the market but it’s a strategy that will have better long-term success for the Ravens if done right.
So sadly, don’t be shocked if Baltimore is once again miserly with their checkbook this offseason.
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