The Baltimore Ravens saw three of their edge rushers depart during 2021 free agency in Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jihad Ward. Baltimore is already scheduled to have a visit with pass rusher Justin Houston on Tuesday, but it is monitoring the market of another player who could help get to the quarterback.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens are keeping tabs on Jadeveon Clowney.
Ravens and Colts among teams keeping tabs on Jadeveon Clowney but Browns have been most aggressive to try to get something done. Clowney opted against Cleveland last offseason but this time feels different.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 12, 2021
The Ravens’ interest in Clowney isn’t too much of a shock, as they’ve been linked to him multiple times over the last few years. Clowney had a down year in 2020 after signing a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, but he’s been a productive player throughout the course of his career, accumulating 255 tackles, 32 sacks and nine forced fumbles. He is also excellent against the run, something Baltimore values out of their edge defenders.
While the story of Clowney’s 2020 season was injuries, he has had trouble staying injury-free every since entering the NFL. He’s only been able to play in a full 16-game season once in his career, and has been healthy for an average of 11.9 games per year.
It’s looking more and more likely that the Ravens will at least seriously consider bringing in a veteran pass rusher to help generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Clowney was a top target for the team before, and although it seems like his most likely landing spot is the Cleveland Browns, if both he and Baltimore decide they once again want to try to work something out, he could be the latest addition to an already stacked defense.