Tag: Calais Campbell trade

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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Instant analysis of Ravens’ trade for Jaguars DE Calais Campbell

There appears to be very little downside to the Baltimore Ravens trading for Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell outside of his cap hit.

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Before the league year or free agency even begins, the Baltimore Ravens have been busy at work solidifying their roster. Not only have they been locking up their own players but they’ve agreed to a trade in-principle that will bring Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell to town in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

If just looking at Campbell’s production compared to what the Ravens gave up, it’s a fantastic move for Baltimore, who effectively flipped an extra kicker into a Pro Bowl pass rusher. It gives the Ravens their much-needed second pass-rushing threat opposite outside linebacker Matthew Judon, who has been franchise-tagged for the 2020 season.

Campbell accounted for 6.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits last season, which would have ranked second on Baltimore’s roster behind Judon. But that’s actually a dip in production for Campbell, who has amassed 39.5 sacks and 98 quarterback hits over the last four seasons — averaging just under 10 sacks and 25 quarterback hits a season over that timespan. Campbell will also provide the type of interior pass rush the Ravens have been looking for but have been unable to find with guys like Michael Pierce and Brandon Williams, which should help free up edge rushers like Judon.

However, the trade also brings Campbell’s contract with it. Campbell is in the final year of his deal with the Jaguars and carries a $15 million cap hit for the 2020 season as of right now, according to Over The Cap.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes the Ravens have already been working on a contract extension with Campbell, which will likely reduce his 2020 cap hit pretty dramatically considering he’ll turn 34 years old this upcoming season. Still, while there should be little doubt the Ravens will be able to get a contract extension signed soon, Campbell’s cap hit is going to hang over their heads and limit what they can do in free agency until they get it sorted.

Regardless of Campbell’s cap hit, it’s hard to see many downsides to this move. It’s an answer to Baltimore’s biggest question this offseason while still ensuring they can go after a pass rusher early in the 2020 NFL Draft. If the Ravens can work out an extension with Campbell that lowers his cap hit this season, Baltimore could potentially even continue to be aggressive in free agency and grab a top free agent to further shore up their roster. That’s a huge win for the Ravens.

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Ravens effectively flipped K Kaare Vedvik into Pro Bowl pass rusher Calais Campbel

Baltimore Ravens GM Eric DeCosta is a genius after trading for Jacksonville Jaguars’ Calais Campbell with the Vikings’ pick for Kaare Vedvik

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If there were any lingering concerns about how Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was going to perform after taking over for Ozzie Newsome, those should be well shut down now. The Ravens are set to trade a fifth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for defensive end Calais Campbell. However, when you look a little closer at what pick that actually was, it’s pretty shocking.

Baltimore only had one fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which comes thanks to the Minnesota Vikings trading for kicker Kaare Vedvik last season. That means DeCosta effectively turned an extra kicker — who the Vikings didn’t end up keeping anyway — into a Pro Bowl pass rusher they desperately needed. Um, excuse me!?

It’s not the first time DeCosta has turned a late-round pick into something extraordinary. In the middle of last season, Baltimore traded a fifth-round pick and struggling linebacker Kenny Young to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for cornerback Marcus Peters. Peters went on to have an All-Pro season as one of the best cornerbacks in the league, earning a three-year contract extension from the Ravens as a result.

The move helps solidify Baltimore’s biggest hole from last season and should further transform a defense that finished fourth in yards allowed and third in points allowed into an even better unit next season. When teamed up with the Ravens’ league-leading scoring offense led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, it could firmly put Baltimore on the path towards their third Super Bowl win. More importantly, it fills the Ravens’ biggest roster need without dropping an early-round pick. Meaning Baltimore could still look to the first three rounds for an impact pass rusher but now don’t necessarily have to, giving them a little more freedom in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Ravens are going to have to start throwing around the term “In EDC we believe” a little more often now.

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