The Baltimore Ravens are on the hunt for help at outside linebacker this offseason — either by re-signing their own players or via free agency and the draft. And one of Baltimore’s pending free-agent linebackers is hoping the Ravens can bring everyone back.
In an interview with Ravens staff writer Clifton Brown, McPhee said he wants to return. And while he’s realistic about the chances of this happening, McPhee wants to see his fellow outside linebackers back in purple and black next season too.
“I’m hoping the Ravens can retain all of them, but free agency can get crazy, unpredictable,” McPhee said.
Baltimore has 24 pending free agents as of right now, including several outside linebackers. McPhee, Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue and Tyus Bowser are all set to be unrestricted free agents this offseason.
Though the NFL salary cap has yet to be set and projections are unclear, it’s expected to go down for the first time in a decade. That would mean the Ravens — and most other teams — would have very little cap space to work with. While Baltimore would undoubtedly like to bring back all four players, the cap situation makes it extremely unlikely. Both Ngakoue and Judon are among the league’s top free agents this offseason. Even though it’s difficult to project what either player could earn in free agency due to the salary-cap uncertainty and both players’ lackluster production in 2020, they play a position that often commands top dollar.
However, as McPhee pointed out, free agency can be unpredictable and there’s value in continuity.
“When you’re playing with guys who have been in the organization and who understand your system, it makes a difference. You want to keep those guys, because they know how to play like a Raven. I always think it’s important to keep core guys – like Judon. He was around Sizz (Terrell Suggs), he was around me last year. He knows the Ravens’ ways. You need to keep some of those in-house guys, those in-house dogs.”
As many teams and players have found out, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Baltimore has often preached the value of continuity, both on their coaching staff and on their roster, and could be looking for that this offseason at outside linebacker.
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