Trading for Calais Campbell
Baltimore traded away a fifth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive end Calais Campbell. It frees up a lot of cap space for the Jaguars while giving the Ravens a very productive defensive lineman that can both defend the run and get after the quarterback.
Campbell is a perfect fit in the Ravens defense. He’s a monstrous 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds and is one of the best run defenders in the NFL, not to mention one of the best at generating pressure from the interior. However, most importantly he gets the quarterback down on the ground, as he registered 31.5 sacks in his three years in Jacksonville. He is physical, violent, and has an array of moves to disrupt the backfield.
Even though Campbell had a down year — relatively speaking — in 2019, his 6.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits would have ranked second on Baltimore’s roster behind Judon. If he comes closer to matching his 2018 or 2017 totals, the Ravens would have a serious upgrade at pass rusher.
The only reason the trade for Campbell doesn’t get a higher grade is because he’ll be 34 years old at the start of the 2020 season and he’s currently slated to eat up a lot of Baltimore’s remaining cap space. However, a new deal would make Campbell’s cap hit far more manageable, potentially taking even that issue away soon.
Grade: A