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The Baltimore Ravens were fairly busy this offseason, pulling off trades, signing their own players to long-term extensions, and grabbing some free-agent additions. But Baltimore’s latest move to re-sign outside linebacker Pernell McPhee might just be its best one.
Signing a 31-year-old outside linebacker that is coming off an injury-shortened season doesn’t typically draw many headlines. At least it doesn’t on a team with an MVP quarterback, league-leading scoring offense and a defense filled with stars like Earl Thomas, Marlon Humphrey, and Matthew Judon. While all the attention has gone to the additions of Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe, as well as the Ravens’ 10-man 2020 NFL Draft class, it’s the less spectacular moves that often pay off the most. And the re-signing of McPhee is about as unspectacular as it gets . . . at least on the surface.
McPhee was brought in around this time last year to provide some experience to a unit that lost two of their longest-tenured and most productive players in Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs. Most expected McPhee to rotate into the lineup as a backup while Tim Williams and rookie Jaylon Ferguson fought for the starting job. But McPhee set himself apart quickly in training camp and pushed himself to the front of the depth chart, getting the starting job in Week 1.
Though McPhee missed more than half the season after tearing his triceps in Week 7, he was still fairly productive in his limited playing time. His three sacks were tied for third on the team and his six quarterback hits ranked fifth, all despite missing nine games. Had McPhee managed to stay healthy and keep that level of production throughout the season, he would have finished with 7 sacks and 14 quarterback hits, which would have ranked second in both categories, right behind the now-franchise tagged Judon.
McPhee was on a one-year contract worth just $1.03 million last year, according to Over the Cap. Taking into account his injury, OTC has his 2019 valuation adjusted to $4.24 million, or a return on investment of more than 400%. Any team is thrilled if their players can even live up to their contracts, much less provide more value. But getting a veteran to outpace their contract by that much is a testament to general manager Eric DeCosta for the signing and the coaching staff for putting McPhee in the best positions to succeed.
McPhee rejoining a unit that has done nothing to upgrade this offseason should see him in a rotational role at the least. Combined with what is expected to be another inexpensive one-year deal and McPhee is once again primed to dramatically outplay his contract value. It’s these types of signings that ultimately push a team that’s close to a Super Bowl into actually playing in one.
A lot will ride on the development of young outside linebackers like Ferguson and Tyus Bowser. If one or both of them can take a step up in 2020, McPhee’s signing will be nothing more than cheap depth. But in the off chance neither takes a leap forward this season, McPhee has proven he can be an absolute steal as a starting option. If, in that case, McPhee can stay healthy, Baltimore might finally have a competent and consistent pass rush once again, making its defense about as perfect as one can get on paper.
McPhee’s signing might not be the thing fans wanted the most, or a deal pundits will think twice about, but it might just be the best one of the offseason for a team so close to a Super Bowl.
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