2020 ravens free agent preview – Syndication Server

Ravens 2020 free agency preview: WR Chris Moore

Ahead of the opening of free agency, a look at Ravens contract year special teams ace Chris Moore

The next step in the 2020 NFL offseason is free agency. While the Baltimore Ravens have done a brilliant job re-signing key contributors before the free-agent market opens, they still have a bevy of players set to become free agents in a few more weeks.

We’ve been previewing Baltimore’s pending free agents, what they did last season, what their potential is, their value and how likely they are to re-sign with the Ravens. We continue that look at Baltimore’s pending free agents ahead of the start of the 2020 NFL league year with a preview of wide receiver Chris Moore.

Chris Moore – 2019 review:

If the 2019 season is anything to go by, Moore is a wide receiver in name only. In his fourth year with the Ravens, Moore played in 15 games and drew five targets. He reeled in three of these looks for 21 scoreless yards. Two of these receptions, as well as 18 of the yards, came in the Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Unsurprisingly, Moore’s receiving totals were the lowest of his career. Moore was penalized twice during the season for a combined total of 15 yards, essentially giving him a net yardage total of six yards for the season.

In the first seven games of the season, Moore played between 9% and 57% of the Ravens offensive snaps. But from Week 9 onwards he played a combined nine offensive snaps. He did remain a presence on special teams, however. He played 235 special teams snaps, accounting for 54% of the Ravens total plays. But he was not utilized as a kick returner very often, handling just four kickoffs for a total of 81 yards.

Review / Potential / Value / Chances to re-sign

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Ravens 2020 free agency preview: RB Gus Edwards

A look at Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards ahead of NFL free agency and what we should expect this offseason.

The Baltimore Ravens got so close to the Super Bowl and will look to improve themselves this offseason to make another run in 2020. But before we get to free agency and the draft, the Ravens will need to handle their own pending free agents.

Running back Gus Edwards is the latest player to draw our attention. After an impressive 2019 season that saw him split carries with starter Mark Ingram, could Edwards be the long-term answer at running back for Baltimore? We’ll take a deeper look at Edwards and how likely he is to re-sign with the Ravens this offseason.

Make sure to check out our other Ravens free-agent previews for 2020 for our in-depth look at each pending free agent.

Gus Edwards – 2019 review:

Gus Edwards led the Ravens in rushing in his rookie season with 718 yards from 137 attempts, scoring two touchdowns. His 2019 output was remarkably similar, as he finished with 711 yards off 133 carries, again finding the end zone twice. While his attempts-per-game average fell to 8.3, his yards-per-attempt average rose from 5.2 to 5.3.

His efficiency stats, like his main stats, also bear a striking resemblance to those of 2018. Last season, Edwards amassed 376 yards after contact at an average of 2.8 yards after contact per attempt, after posting 362 yards at a 2.6-yard average in 2018. Edwards was also able to boost his receiving production after just two catches in his rookie season, though it should be noted that this improvement only stretched to seven receptions for 45 yards. But after two seasons Edwards can proudly claim that he has caught 100% of his career targets (9-of-9).

Edwards was a steady compiler in 2019, with only 15 of his runs gaining zero yards or losing yards. He did have five runs of 20 yards or more, with a 63-yard touchdown run against the Houston Texans in Week 11 being his longest play of the season. Mark Ingram, the Ravens lead running back, only had six such runs on 69 more carries than Edwards.

In all, Edwards was a solid complement to Ingram and Lamar Jackson whenever called upon in 2019.

Review / Potential / Value / Chances to re-sign

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Ravens 2020 free agency preview: WR Seth Roberts

Continuing our look at the Baltimore Ravens’ pending free agents this offseason, we focus our attention on wide receiver Seth Roberts.

We continue our look at Baltimore’s pending free agents with a preview of wide receiver Seth Roberts. Make sure to check out our other Ravens free-agent previews for 2020 for our in-depth look at each pending free agent.

Seth Roberts – 2019 review:

Roberts played in all 16 regular-season games in 2019, although he didn’t start any of them. Roberts played the second-most snaps in 2019 among Baltimore’s wide receivers with Willie Snead getting the most snaps. In spite of the playing time, you’d be hard-pressed to claim he was a dominant part of the Ravens’ offense.

Roberts converted his 35 targets into 21 receptions for 271 yards, with two touchdowns. It was Roberts’ least-productive season in both receptions and receiving yards in any season where he played at least one game. Stoll, Roberts was a reliable chain mover when he caught the ball, with 18 of his 21 receptions earning the Ravens a first down. But his target-per-snap rate of 7.3% ranked 107th among all wide receivers last season.

Roberts saw a season-high five targets in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. This game also saw him post a season-high four receptions. Roberts surpassed 39 receiving yards in a game just once, finishing with 66 against the New York Jets in Week 15. Roberts had one reception or less in eight of his 16 games — 105 wide receivers had more receptions than Roberts in 2019, while 98 had more receiving yards.

If we are to take some positives from the season, then we can point to the fact that Roberts did not grass any of his 35 targets. Both Pro Football Reference and PlayerProfiler do not credit him with a single drop all season. But from a pure production standpoint, there isn’t a lot to get excited about.

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Ravens 2020 Free Agency Preview: ILB Patrick Onwuasor

Baltimore Ravens ILB Patrick Onwuasor got demoted in 2019 but how does that affect his free-agent value in the 2020 offseason?

We continue our look at Baltimore’s pending free agents with a preview of inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor. Make sure to check out our other Ravens free-agent previews for 2020.

Credit: Mitchell Layton-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Onwuasor – 2019 review:

Onwuasor started 25 of the 32 games the Ravens played in 2017 and 2018. But despite being on the field for the first few snaps, he only played on 59% and 42% snaps of the total defensive snaps. It appeared that Baltimore was confident he could become an every-down replacement for C.J. Mosley when the 2019 season began.

Onwuasor started the first five games and played at least 90% of the snaps in each contest. But his role diminished after struggles in communication and production. With Baltimore signing L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes prior to Week 5, Onwuasor went on to start one more game all season and never played on more than 53% of the snaps.

This decrease in playing time led to his production dipping. In 2018, Onwuasor registered 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss, along with two forced fumbles. In 2019, he managed 3.0 sacks, five tackles for loss and one forced fumble.

Onwuasor was not exactly an asset to the Ravens when it came to pass defense last year. He was targeted on 7.2% of his defensive snaps, seeing 34 targets throughout the year. He allowed 30 of these (88.2%) to be converted into 424 yards, including 283 of these yards coming after the catch.

Review / Potential / Value / Chance to re-sign

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Ravens 2020 free agency preview: DT Michael Pierce

DT Michael Pierce is heading for unrestricted free agency. How did he perform in 2019, and will he be back in Baltimore in 2020?

Successful teams often see a host of their key parts depart following NFL seasons. Coordinators become head coaches, position coaches become coordinators and players with expiring contracts become big-money players.

The Baltimore Ravens went 14-2 in the regular season but managed to retain their entire coaching staff this offseason. They do have players who are looking for a big payday, however. Though Baltimore is expected to have a decent amount of cap space this offseason, they’ll have a tough time re-signing all 21 pending free agents while also working to restock the roster with fresh, new talent.

One of the biggest names is the defensive tackle, Michael Pierce. So what better person to choose next on our free-agent preview than a guy Baltimore have to thank for their stout run defense over the last few seasons.

Also, check out our other Ravens free-agent previews for 2020.

Michael Pierce – 2019 review:

Michael Pierce was a vital piece of the Ravens’ defensive front, helping the team allow the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the NFL in 2019.

Baltimore doesn’t typically ask their defensive linemen to get after the quarterback. That means Pierce’s stats aren’t very impressive, with only half of a sack and two tackles-for-loss to go with 35 combined tackles in 2019.

But Pierce and Brandon Williams’s role in Wink Martindale’s unit is to occupy blockers and allow the linebackers to make the plays. This, allied to his only playing on 49% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps, goes a long way towards explaining away any apparent lack of production.

Martindale himself has nicknamed Pierce and Williams the “FSU Brothers”, due to their mucking up opposing running games. And no, FSU isn’t a school . . .

Review / Potential / Value / Chances to re-sign

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Ravens 2020 free agency preview: OLB Matthew Judon

Baltimore Ravens OLB Matthew Judon is the team’s top free agent this offseason and could get the franchise tag if they can’t work out a deal

After a fantastic 2019 season that saw the Baltimore Ravens go 14-2 and claim the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, they’ll head into the offseason on less than stellar terms. The team that many pegged as the best in the NFL at one point will try to retain as much of their roster as possible to make another run at a Super Bowl.

However, the Ravens have 21 pending free agents this offseason and it seems unlikely they’ll be able to re-sign them all. At the very top of the list is outside linebacker Matthew Judon, who is likely going to earn a huge contract this offseason. So what better person to choose next on our free-agent preview than the guy Baltimore will try the hardest to ink to a long-term deal.

Also, check out our other Ravens free-agent previews for 2020.

Matthew Judon – 2019 review:

2019 was a career year for Judon, who started all 16 games for the first time. He had 9.5 sacks, 14 tackles-for-loss and forced four fumbles. Even when not getting the sack, he still made sure the quarterbacks knew he was around. Judon dished out 33 quarterback hits, the fourth-most of any player in the NFL.

Judon played 793 defensive snaps in 2019, 80.9% of the Ravens total defensive plays and more than any other linebacker on the roster. He was also named to his first Pro Bowl. All of this came at a perfect time for Judon as he will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins.

Review / Potential / Value / Chances to re-sign

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