Baltimore Ravens trade – Page 4

How Hayden Hurst trade affects Ravens’ depth chart at TE

The Baltimore Ravens were stacked at tight end but the trade of Hayden Hurst means they’ll need to find some more depth this offseason.

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The Baltimore Ravens reached a deal to trade tight end Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons. In exchange for Hurst and a fourth-round pick, Baltimore will get a second- and a fifth-round pick.

The deal makes some sense for both the Ravens and Falcons. Baltimore gets an additional second-round pick in a 2020 NFL Draft that is very deep at some positions of need. Atlanta replaces their top tight end, who looks set to head to the Cleveland Browns this offseason. But what does it ultimately mean for the Ravens’ depth chart at tight end?

That’s a little more complicated, but let’s take a look at where things stand as of when the trade becomes official at the start of the league year.

Baltimore Ravens TE depth chart:

No. 1	Mark Andrews
No. 2	Nick Boyle
No. 3	Charles Scarff

There should be little question Andrews is at the top of this list. He was Baltimore’s best receiving option last season, catching 64 passes for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns — all highs for the Ravens in 2019. As he enters his third season in the NFL, Andrews is expected to continue developing and could be even better next year.

Behind Andrews is Boyle, one of the league’s best blocking tight ends. But don’t be fooled into thinking Boyle is nothing more than a glorified extra tackle. His 31 receptions last season were one more than Hurst had and his 321 receiving yards were 28 yards behind Hurst’s production. When given a chance in the receiving game, Boyle has shown he’s an underrated option.

Behind Boyle is Scarff, who signed a futures contract this offseason after sitting on the practice squad last season.

Hurst played 41% of the offense’s snaps, both as a blocker and receiving option. The Ravens will need to find a way to fill Hurst’s production on both fronts and could do so in a number of ways.

The best option would simply be to increase the playing time for Andrews, who only played in 41% of the offensive snaps last season. He could easily be on track for more playing time next season, especially if he can stay healthy. However, Andrews isn’t exactly a great blocker and with Boyle already at a whopping 70% of the offensive snaps last season, Baltimore would be in a bit of a bind there if the season started right now. They’d either have to ask him to play even more, bring in an offensive lineman on some plays as an extra blocker or hand Scarff a spot on the 53-man roster.

Regardless of what happens, the Ravens are going to need to find some more depth. Tight end is perhaps one of the most important offensive positions on Baltimore’s roster given they affect the rushing and passing attacks so much. If either Boyle or Andrews was to miss extended time, it would seriously hurt the Ravens’ offense in one way or another. Luckily, Baltimore doesn’t have to find a tight end that can do both jobs really well, which would prove tricky this offseason with both free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft being thin at the position.

I’d look for the Ravens to be flexible in both the draft and free agency to find that depth, which would mean not having to drop a lot of money or early-round picks. If they can find a solid blocking tight end, they could use Boyle in more of a dual role. If they find a better receiving tight end, they could push Boyle into being more of a blocker as his primary role.

It’s going to be tough to really replace Hurst considering how valuable a solid blocking and receiving tight end can be. But it’s not the end of the world either considering the varied depth Baltimore has here. Considering what they got in return and what that could mean for the roster overall, losing a little of their depth at tight end seems like a good deal.

Instant analysis of Ravens trading TE Hayden Hurst to Falcons

The Baltimore Ravens shocked fans by sending TE Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons. What does it mean for the Ravens now?

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Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta clearly isn’t afraid to pull off trades this offseason. After putting together a deal for Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell, DeCosta and the Ravens are set to trade tight end Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons in return for two draft picks.

Considering how valuable tight ends are in Baltimore’s scheme, the move is surprising. That’s especially the case considering Hurst was a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and had started to come into his own last season. Hurst’s 349 receiving yards in 2019 ranked third on the team behind fellow tight end Mark Andrews and rookie wide receiver Marquise Brown.

However, the deal also makes some sense for Baltimore when looking at their depth chart. They had trouble getting Hurst into an impactful role in the lineup considering the emergence of Andrews as the team’s top receiving weapon and Nick Boyle as one of the league’s best blocking tight ends. Though there should be little doubt Hurst can be an effective weapon both in the receiving game and as a blocker, his value was limited on the Ravens’ roster.

In return, Baltimore gets an additional second-round pick, which will be incredibly valuable this year. The 2020 NFL Draft is considered very deep at wide receiver, and there are a number of early-round pass rushers who could make an immediate impact. The additional second-round pick gives Baltimore four top-100 picks, which should give them plenty of chances to pick up impact players.

The move does complicate the Ravens’ offseason needs, though. While Hurst only caught 30 passes last season, Baltimore will need more receiving help to fill the void left by the trade. They could look to free agency to find a suitable replacement, but tight end is thin there as well in the draft. It will be interesting to see how the Ravens fill their depth chart at tight end and whether they make a stronger push to add wide receiver help.

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Ravens trade TE Hayden Hurst to Falcons

The Baltimore Ravens received two picks in the 2020 NFL Draft from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for TE Hayden Hurst and a fourth-rounder

After more than a month of speculation, the Baltimore Ravens have officially traded tight end Hayden Hurst. The Ravens have traded Hurst and a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2nd- and a fifth-round pick in 2020, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

With the emergence of tight end Mark Andrews last season as Baltimore’s best receiving threat and Nick Boyle as one of the best blocking tight ends, Hurst was ultimately third on the depth chart for the Ravens. Though Hurst still held value to Baltimore given their love of using multiple tight end sets, it seems the value the Ravens got in return from the Falcons was just too much to ignore.

It looks as though Atlanta is set to lose their top tight end in free agency as Austin Hooper is set to sign with the Cleveland Browns, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Falcons will get a former first-round pick in Hurst, who caught 30 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns last season.

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Report: Ravens finalizing 2-year deal with Calais Campbell worth $27M

The Baltimore Ravens pulled off the trade for Jaguars DE Calais Campbell but now need to get his 2020 salary cap hit under control.

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The Baltimore Ravens are set to trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive end Calais Campbell, helping patch up one of their biggest holes this offseason. Now they’re finalizing a new contract with Campbell to keep him in Baltimore.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Ravens are working on a deal that will pay Campbell $27 million over the next two seasons, with $20 million guaranteed. Though there is no formal breakdown of how that’s split out, it’s likely going to be a smaller cap hit than the $15 million Campbell is currently owed for the 2020 season, according to Over The Cap.

If the contract plays out exactly at those numbers, it would give Campbell an average of $13.5 million per year with $10 million a year guaranteed. That would tie him for 15th most in APY and tied for second-most in guaranteed money per year among defensive ends, according to OTC.

The Ravens likely wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on a trade with Campbell given his large 2020 cap hit unless they were confident they could get either a contract extension or new deal worked out. When combined with the nearly $16 million Baltimore is set to pay on the franchise tag for outside linebacker Matthew Judon, it would eat up most of the Ravens’ available salary-cap space for this season.

Getting Campbell on a more cap-friendly deal for the 2020 season would mean Baltimore can still be very active in free agency if they wish. Before trading for Campbell, the Ravens were set to have a little more than $19 million available for this season and with some potential cost-cutting moves still to make like extending Judon or cutting cornerback Brandon Carr before his roster bonus is due.

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Ravens to trade for Jaguars DE Calais Campbell

The Baltimore Ravens have parted with a fifth-round pick in order to get Jacksonville Jaguars DE Calais Campbell to help their pass rush

The Baltimore Ravens are going hard on trying to remedy their lackluster pass rush from last season. In addition to using the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon, the Ravens have agreed to a trade in principle for Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell. In exchange, Baltimore will send over a fifth-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Campbell is in the final year of his contract and carries a hefty salary cap hit for the 2020 season barring the Jaguars eating some of that cost themselves. According to Over The Cap, Campbell is due $15 million in base salary this season. However, Baltimore has been working on a long-term contract extension with Campbell’s agent, according to Rapoport.

While Campbell is towards the end of his career at 33 years old, he’s been effective for Jacksonville in recent years. Over the last four seasons, Campbell has accounted for 39.5 sacks and 98 quarterback hits in addition to eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, including three for touchdowns and 248 combined tackles.

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What could the Ravens realistically trade Matthew Judon for this offseason?

Given the trades of last season, we have a pretty good idea what the Baltimore Ravens could get if they wanted to trade OLB Matthew Judon

The Baltimore Ravens announced they have officially used the franchise tag to retain outside linebacker Matthew Judon for the 2020 NFL season. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll actually be playing for Baltimore come Week 1.

All offseason, I’ve speculated that tagging and trading Judon might be in the Ravens’ best interests. If Baltimore feels they won’t be able to get a deal done at a value they like, trading Judon for draft capital would make a ton of sense as they look to rebuild their depth chart at the position. But just what would the going rate for Judon actually be?

Of course, everything depends on the final market for pass rushers and the level of interest the rest of the league would show. A single team inquiring about Judon likely wouldn’t return a ton of value whereas if a handful of teams are interested in pulling off a trade, the Ravens could drive up the asking price. The fewer premier pass rushers available will likely dictate all of this and with several expected to get the franchise tag this offseason as well, it could lead to Judon being the big prize of free agency.

To figure out the floor and ceiling for Judon, we have to look to previous trades for pass rushers. Luckily for us, last season saw a bevy of deals pulled off, so we have a pretty good indication of what to expect here.

2019 pass rusher trades:

New England Patriots Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2021 seventh-round pick (midseason before trade deadline)
Miami Dolphins Robert Quinn to the Cowboys for a 2020 sixth-round pick
Cleveland Browns Emmanuel Ogbah to the Kansas City Chiefs for safety Eric Murray
Philadelphia Eagles Michael Bennett and a 2020 seventh-round pick to Patriots for a 2020 fifth-round pick
Chiefs Dee Ford to San Francisco 49ers for a 2020 second-round pick
Seattle Seahawks Frank Clark and a 2019 third-round pick to Kansas City for a 2019 first- and a third-round pick, as well as a 2020 second-round pick
Houston Texans Jadeveon Clowney to Seahawks for Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo and a 2020 third-round pick

Of that group, Ford, Clark and Clowney are the ones that most clearly mirror the Ravens’ and Judon’s situation now. All three had been franchise tagged because a long-term deal couldn’t be figured out. For Clark and Ford, they ended up being traded to teams that were willing to pony up the cash to lock them up.

For the Chiefs, they jettisoned Ford, who ended up getting a five-year contract worth $85 million ($17 million a year average) from the 49ers, according to Over The Cap. Kansas City ended up trading for Clark, giving him a five-year deal worth $104 million ($20.8 million a year average), according to OTC. Clowney ended up being a one-year rental that will likely be worth a third-round compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere this offseason as a free agent.

Let’s better break down what the floor, ceiling and realistic trade values are for Judon given that history and what the Ravens should do in those situations.

Previous trades / Floor / Ceiling / Realistic

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Ravens franchise tag Matthew Judon

The 2020 NFL free agency will have one fewer pass rusher available after the Baltimore Ravens used the franchise tag on OLB Matthew Judon

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After watching C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs leave for greener pastures and bigger deals last offseason, the Baltimore Ravens don’t want a sequel this year. The Ravens have used the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon to keep him from hitting the free-agent market.

The decision hung over Baltimore since it lost to the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs. Judon was the most prized pending free agent for the Ravens and the one most likely to earn contract offers that Baltimore couldn’t have reasonably matched.

If Judon signs the franchise tag, the Ravens will have until July 15 to work out a long-term contract extension. Of course, Judon doesn’t have to sign the tag and could decide to hold out in an effort to force Baltimore’s hand. On the flip side, the Ravens could still trade him as well.

The franchise tag for linebackers is expected to be $16.27 million, according to Over The Cap. Baltimore currently has an estimated $37.74 million in available cap space, before using the franchise tag. It should take them down to just $21.47 million remaining, according to OTC.

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6 Ravens that could be traded this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens haven’t been shy about trading players to improve their roster. They could do it again this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens have been aggressive in getting what they want and managing their roster under general manager Eric DeCosta. Though the Ravens finished last season at 14-2 and could likely still be one of the best teams in the NFL if they kept their roster exactly the same, expect DeCosta and Baltimore to make some moves this offseason to create the best roster possible. While everyone has been looking at what players the Ravens could pick up in free agency and the draft, it could be who they get rid of that becomes even more important.

Baltimore hasn’t been shy about jettisoning players for draft picks or as a package to acquire a player over the last year. After taking over for Ozzie Newsome, DeCosta traded away several young players to ultimately set the team up for the future. Offensive linemen Jermaine Eluemunor and Alex Lewis were shipped off, as was kicker Kaare Vedvik. And linebacker Kenny Young was a part of Baltimore’s portion in the Marcus Peters trade in the middle of the season.

To think DeCosta is completely finished or wouldn’t trade players away at this point is pretty foolish. But which Ravens players could be on the trading block? I took a look at the roster and picked out a few players that Baltimore would at least entertain the idea of trading away for the right price.

TE Hayden Hurst

Hurst is an obvious choice given how stacked Baltimore is at the position. While Hurst has a valuable role in the Ravens’ offense, he could arguably be called their third tight end behind Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle, making him seemingly up for grabs.

Hurst is still on his rookie deal which is really where a trade makes the most sense. For a team that needs a starter at tight end, Hurst’s low cap hit is enticing. And with a fifth-year option still on the table, Hurst is effectively signed through the 2022 season, giving a team three more years as a cost-effective option.

Even though he’s buried on the depth chart, Hurst has done enough to point to him being a successful blocking and receiving tight end as a starter in an offense that would use him well. When combined with his rookie contract, it’s easy to see how teams would be calling DeCosta and asking what it would take to pull off a deal. The biggest hurdle here would likely be Baltimore’s asking price considering his value to the team in spite of his stats.

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Trading OLB Matthew Judon might be in Ravens’ best interest

The Baltimore Ravens have a tough decision to make with Matthew Judon that could involve trading him instead of re-signing him

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon offers an interesting dilemma this offseason. He seems destined to hit the free-agent market where Baltimore simply won’t be able to keep up with other franchises that have a wealth of cap space to burn. If the Ravens don’t feel they’ll be able to lock up Judon to a long-term deal, trading him might be their best scenario here.

Judon is going to be one of the top options in free agency and will likely command serious money if allowed to hit the open market. Of course, the Ravens have the franchise tag available to keep Judon in town if they absolutely want, but it also has some serious ramifications on Baltimore’s salary cap while only locking him up for the 2020 season. It also leaves the option open for Judon to not sign his tender and hold out, or worse; sign the deal and still walk next offseason.

Though Baltimore has more cap space expected than in previous years, they still rank the bottom third of the league, according to Over The Cap. As of right now, 15 teams are expected to have more than $50 million available to spend this offseason, with two teams having more than $90 million in cap space. With just shy of $29 million expected to be available, according to OTC, the Ravens cannot keep up with the checkbooks of other teams if Judon gets serious interest in free agency.

Baltimore is staring down a potential repeat of last season where they lost key starters C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs for only compensatory picks in return. If the Ravens are planning on being buyers at all in free agency, they could just as easily wipe out the compensatory pick they’d acquire for Judon’s departure, which would be adding insult to injury here.

General manager Eric DeCosta might have learned from last offseason and could decide to go on the offensive here instead. As a top pending free-agent pass rusher, Judon is sure to draw interest from plenty of teams. But not every team will be interested in getting into a bidding war for his services or taking the chance they might not get him. Those teams might be far more eager to guarantee they can land Judon by trading with Baltimore and signing him to a long-term deal themselves.

From just last offseason until now, the NFL has had a bevy of trades to prove that star players can carry a lot of trade value.

The New York Jets traded defensive end Leonard Williams for a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft and a fifth/fourth-round pick in 2021. The Jacksonville Jaguars sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams in return for two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder. The Kansas City Chiefs paid a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft for San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford. The Chiefs also sent defensive end Frank Clark and a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for first-, second- and third-round picks.

By that history, it seems pretty likely Baltimore would net more than a third-round pick in exchange for Judon. If the Ravens can get a few teams interested, a first-round pick or more doesn’t seem to be out of the realm of possibility.

To play their options out and incentivize other teams to make a move, Baltimore could apply the franchise tag to Judon now. If Judon wants to have more control over where he goes, he could decide to not sign the tag unless he likes the destination. But that would also mean the Ravens could rescind the tag at any time before the deadline in May and still let Judon hit free agency like normal. It’s a win-win for Baltimore here given that re-signing Judon seems pretty unlikely at this point.

The Ravens still need help at pass rusher and one guy isn’t going to fix the problem, including just re-signing Judon. Baltimore would be better off picking up multiple second-tier players while using the draft to hopefully acquire an immediate game-changing talent. Trading Judon would mean the Ravens could spend their cap space on those types of free agents while giving them an extra early-round pick to either move up for a star prospect or take multiple shots at the position.

Of course, all this is dependent on other teams being interested in trading for Judon. But on the flip side, if Judon doesn’t draw much interest on the trade market, it might indicate his value as a free agent isn’t nearly as high as expected either and might push him to sign a long-term deal with Baltimore for cheaper.

There seems to be no downside to dangling Judon out as a trade option and a lot of serious upsides to trading him away.

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Ravens’ midseason defensive additions are key to their ascension

The additions of L.J. Fort, Josh Bynes and Marcus Peters in the middle of the season have been the key to Baltimore’s rise.

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Sitting at 7-2 and practically a shoo-in for a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, the Baltimore Ravens look like one of the most complete teams in the entire NFL.

Things weren’t always this sunny this year.

The Ravens got off to a fast 2-0 start but quickly faltered against good teams, which dropped them back down to earth. Following Week 5, the Ravens sat at 3-2, and doubts were starting to creep in. It took overtime in Week 5 to beat a hapless Pittsburgh Steelers squad that needed to turn to their third-string quarterback after Baltimore knocked out backup Mason Rudolph.

In spite of a winning record, the thought of the schedule getting significantly tougher was a real worry for anyone looking closely at what Baltimore was doing. The Ravens were being questioned as pretenders, and many expected that tougher opposition would put them in their place. But quick thinking by general manager Eric DeCosta and great performances from new players have helped turn the team around and now have pundits questioning whether there’s any team in the league capable of slowing them down.

For as much praise as the Ravens offense as gotten — and rightfully so — it’s the defensive turnaround that has sparked this team. The additions of linebackers L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes in Week 5, as well as the trade for cornerback Marcus Peters, have had immediate effects on the stat sheet.

Through the first five games of the season, Baltimore’s defense had given up an average of 370.2 yards and 24.6 points per game. In the subsequent four games — all wins — the Ravens have given up just 311.5 yards and 16.5 points per game, with a margin of victory of 18.25 points.

And it’s not like the competition has gotten any easier. Baltimore’s opponents through Week 5 now have a combined 19-27-1 record, while their last four opponents have included the best team in the AFC (New England Patriots) and one of the best in the NFC (Seattle Seahawks).

While improvements were expected as the new-look defense — featuring five new starters and 10 new players — jelled over the course of the year, the biggest difference has been the midseason additions. Combined, Bynes, Fort and Peters have 56 tackles and one sack. Peters has three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. They’ve helped solidify troubled positions and allowed defensive coordinator Don Martindale to be more creative with his schemes and how he manufactures pressure.

The end result is a five-game winning streak and the improvement of a defense that was among the worst in the league but now sits at 14th in yards and points allowed. Not too shabby for two guys that were midseason free agents and a trade that cost a backup linebacker and fifth-round pick.

If the Ravens continue on their current pace and get a first-round bye in the playoffs, it’d be easy to point to the offense as the difference. But in typical Baltimore fashion, the catalyst will have been a hot defense led by midseason roster changes.

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