11 Ravens that could be most impacted by 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens are set to add nine more players to their roster at the 2020 NFL Draft, which will help and hurt other players

The Baltimore Ravens as you know them right now is set to change next week at the 2020 NFL Draft. With nine picks in the draft, Baltimore’s roster is going to undergo quite the makeover and that’s before we even get to the second wave of free agency when the Ravens typically add those bargain veterans to round out the 90-man roster.

With 58 players already on the roster, nine draft picks will end up shaking up the starting lineup and potentially push others further down the depth chart. With that in mind, I took a look at which Ravens are most likely to be severely impacted by the 2020 NFL Draft. should help him and the team immensely.

CB Tavon Young

It’s no wonder Baltimore handed Young a contract extension last offseason. When healthy, Young is one of the best slot corners in the league. However, that has been the big caveat for the Ravens recently, with Young missing all of 2019 and 2017 with injuries.

Though Young is expected to return this season, Baltimore would be wise to plan for his absence. At the worst, the Ravens would add much-needed depth inside at cornerback and at the best, they’d have a more obvious replacement for Young if he misses time this season.

Anyone selected at that role in the 2020 NFL Draft, especially early on, will be looked at as Young’s eventual replacement. Young is in no danger of losing his roster spot this season with more dead money than cap savings if cut, but that stops being the case as early as next offseason. If the Ravens find Young’s replacement, the $3 million in cap savings in 2021 and $5.845 million in 2022, according to Over The Cap, start looking really attractive.

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Watch: Ravens C Matt Skura back to squatting 300-plus pounds after knee injury

After tearing his ACL, PCL, MCL and dislocating his knee cap last season, Baltimore Ravens C Matt Skura has been hitting the weights hard.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura suffered a devastating knee injury last season, dislocating his knee cap and tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in the process. It put him on injured reserve, ending what had been a great start to the 2019 season and has him facing an unclear timeline for his return in 2020. But Skura has been keeping up with rehab this offseason and is getting some mighty fine results in the process.

Skura has posted updates on Twitter this offseason as he works his way back from the injury and has rapidly increased what he’s able to do. Back in January, Skura told fans he was finally off crutches — a big milestone for any knee injury. At Marshal Yanda’s retirement press conference in early March, Skura said he was back to squatting and deadlifting before posting a video of him riding the stationary bike and squatting a week later. Now in April, Skura is back at the weight rack once again, this time squatting even more weight.

Felt good getting back into the 300 pound club. Thanks to my PT for pushing me to go for a 3rd rep pic.twitter.com/FlVSDRR1dR

— Matt Skura (@Matt_Skura62) April 15, 2020

While it’s still unclear if Skura has an expected timeline to return to the football field in any major way, his increasing workouts are a positive sign. After the Ravens gave Skura a low tender this offseason, Baltimore could be looking at getting their starting center back for the 2020 season. With Yanda’s retirement, the Ravens could use all the interior offensive line help they can get.

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Grading the Ravens’ early free-agency moves

The Baltimore Ravens have been active before free agency even starts. But how have they done so far? We grade each trade and signing.

The Baltimore Ravens usually sit out the beginning of free agency, often choosing to sign players who are outright cut and those second-tier options that find themselves still on the market closer to the NFL Draft. But with a Super Bowl window clearly in front of them, general manager Eric DeCosta was pretty aggressive this offseason.

Baltimore has agreed to trades, both adding a player and sending one away. The Ravens have re-signed several of their own players while adding a pending free agent in the legal tampering period. In total, Baltimore has at least seven moves already on the docket and could continue to make some more in the coming days.

Let’s take a look at each move individually and give them all a grade to see exactly how well the Ravens have started free agency.

Franchise tagging Matthew Judon

Baltimore didn’t really have a choice here. Most of the pass rushers that were set to hit free agency were given the franchise tag and allowing Judon to hit the open market would have practically guaranteed the Ravens wouldn’t have been able to keep him.

While tagging puts a huge dent in Baltimore’s salary cap, they have some options now. The Ravens can hold off for a little while and wait for the market to set the bar on contracts for pass rushers. Or Baltimore can decide to deal him to a desperate team that’s willing to give up quite a lot for him. If push comes to shove, the Ravens can simply keep him on the franchise tag for 2020 and keep their top outside linebacker for the season.

Grade: A+

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Ravens give C Matt Skura low RFA tender

The Baltimore Ravens are giving center Matt Skura an original-round RFA tender as he battles back from a devastating knee injury.

The Baltimore Ravens really liked what they got out of center Matt Skura last season. They’re trying to bring him back for the 2020 season, handing the restricted free agent a low tender, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The original-round tender projected to cost $2.13 million for the 2020 season, according to Over The Cap.

As a restricted free agent, the Ravens had the chance to place one of three different tenders on Skura, which would dictate what they received if he was signed away. The first-round tender, second-round tender and original-round tender all come with different salary cap hits and act as a one-year contract.

Since Skura was an undrafted free agent, the original-round tender effectively only gives the Ravens the right of first refusal to match any offers he receives. In this case, Baltimore wouldn’t get a draft pick in return if they decide not to match an offer and Skura is signed away. However, given Skura’s season-ending knee injury, the Ravens are gambling he won’t get an offer they can’t or won’t match.

Skura suffered a devastating knee injury last season, tearing his ACL, PCL and MCL while also dislocating his kneecap in Week 12. The extent of the injury and how late in the season it was puts Skura’s availability for training camp in some jeopardy. However, Skura was at Marshal Yanda’s retirement press conference and said he had begun weight lifting, which is a good sign.

If Skura is either signed away, Baltimore will likely put fellow UDFA Patrick Mekari back in the starting spot. Mekari played well in Skura’s stead for the final five games of the regular season.

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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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2019 Ravens recap: 5 studs and 4 duds

Which Baltimore Ravens performed well and which ones had bad years last season? We look at the biggest studs and duds from the 2019 season

Though the Baltimore Ravens didn’t finish the season hoisting the Lombardi Trophy or holding a parade, they broke several records and finished a franchise-best 14-2 with the team’s first-ever No. 1 seed in the AFC. With a lot of accomplishments during the 2019 season, there are a number of players who shone brightly while others failed to live up to expectations.

With that in mind, I took a look back at the Ravens’ 2019 season to see which players were the biggest studs and which ones were the biggest duds.

Stud: CB Marcus Peters

Peters got traded from a team that clearly didn’t want him and didn’t value him as a long-term option to a franchise that is seemingly in better shape to win a Super Bowl and handed him a big contract extension. It’s hard to find a bigger winner this season than Peters.

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Ravens C Matt Skura not sure if he’ll be ready for training camp

Baltimore Ravens C Matt Skura suffered a devastating knee injury that put him on injured reserve and leaves him unsure when he’ll return

The Baltimore Ravens had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL last season. But a key member of the unit isn’t sure if he’ll be healthy enough for training camp next season.

Center Matt Skura suffered a devastating knee injury in Week 12 that saw him tear his ACL, PCL and MCL while also dislocating his kneecap and sent him to injured reserve. While the team cleaned out their lockers, Skura told reporters there is no timetable for his return and that his status for training camp is still in doubt.

.@Matt_Skura62 addresses his injury, goal to return for Training Camp: pic.twitter.com/FQjzmIVZvN

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 12, 2020

Skura was replaced well by undrafted rookie free agent Patrick Mekari but was a key figure on Baltimore’s offensive line prior to the injury. The unit helped keep quarterback Lamar Jackson upright while paving the way for an NFL-record rushing attack.

Earlier this month, Skura posted on Twitter that he was finally walking without crutches. While a step in the right direction, the lack of firm timetable leaves the Ravens in the lurch heading into the offseason.

As a restricted free agent this offseason, the Ravens have some leverage to retain Skura if they want. They can place one of four tenders on him that have varying cap hits — right of first refusal, original round, second round, or first round. But with Mekari’s emergence in Skura’s stead and his potentially prolonged recovery time, it’ll be interesting to see how Baltimore approaches his status this offseason.

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8 Ravens that stepped up in 2019

The Baltimore Ravens finished the regular season 14-2. In order to achieve that record the team needed to have multiple players step up

The Baltimore Ravens had a historic regular season, finishing with the best mark in franchise history at 14-2. The team blew past all expectations in what was deemed a “year of learning” for Baltimore, and suddenly became contenders while also being the most exciting team in football.

In order to have a team that’s so successful, there must be contributions from players everywhere on the field. Stars must play like stars and under-the-radar players have to make big plays in big situations. The Ravens constructed a young roster full of potential dotted with a few key veterans to help elevate everyone

But in order to break records and clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with their 14-2 record, Baltimore needed to have a handful of key players step up at the right moments. From stars to unsung heroes and even a few late free-agent pickups, these eight players stepped up in the biggest way in 2019.

QB Lamar Jackson

It would be impossible to talk about Ravens who stepped up this season without mentioning the player who makes the wheels turn on offense. After an offseason filled with criticism, hat, and doubt from fans and pundits alike, Jackson stepped up in the biggest ways in 2019.

Not only did his play on the field speak for itself but his leadership took a huge leap forward. He became more vocal and more involved, leading to his teammates and coaches trusting him more every week.

On the field, Jackson saw his numbers jump in just about every statistical category possible. He improved his completion percentage from 58.2% in 2018 to 66.1%. He led the league in passing touchdowns with 36 and threw half of his interception total in 2018 in over double the amount of starts. He even improved as a runner, setting an NFL record for single-season rushing yards by a quarterback while not being plagued by the fumbles he saw as a rookie.

Jackson showed that he is a star quarterback and consistently proved the doubters wrong with his high level of play every week. In the end, Jackson is the frontrunner for the NFL’s MVP award and had a record-breaking season that ranks among the best the league has ever seen.

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9 key players who could be playing their last games with Ravens

As the Baltimore Ravens prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans, there’s a chance this could be the final game of the 2019 season for them. Though the Ravens are huge favorites to win this game and Super Bowl LIV, that’s the nature of the …

If this is indeed the week Baltimore’s season is completed, it could be the end of several key players’ tenures with the Ravens as well. I took a closer look at a few of the pending free agents and potential cap casualties that could be playing their final game in Baltimore.

S Tony Jefferson

When Jefferson was put on injured reserve, I wrote at the time about how he could have played his last down for the Ravens. With the emergence of Chuck Clark in his absence, it seems almost like a foregone conclusion at this point.

Cutting Jefferson would free up $7 million on top of the large amount of cap space Baltimore is already expected to have next season, according to Over the Cap. While Jefferson means a lot more to the franchise than his stat sheet, it’s a hefty amount to justify for a player that has been replaced effectively already.

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21 Ravens set to hit free agency in 2020 offseason

The Baltimore Ravens have 21 players set to hit free agency in the 2020 NFL offseason, including OLB Matthew Judon and CB Jimmy Smith

The Baltimore Ravens’ 2019 season is far from over, with hopefully a deep playoff run still on the cards. However, the business of football goes on and it’s important to look ahead at what the Ravens roster could like look in 2020.

Going into this offseason, Baltimore has 21 players set to hit free agency, including 16 unrestricted free agents. While fans will key in on potential free agents the Ravens can sign, they’ll have their work cut out for them in retaining some of their own impact players.

Let’s take a look at the full list of pending free agents for Baltimore.

Ravens 2020 unrestricted free agents:

Player	Position
Jimmy Smith	CB
Michael Pierce	DT
Patrick Onwuasor	ILB
Seth Roberts	WR
Domata Peko	DT
Anthony Levine	S
Pernell McPhee	OLB
Josh Bynes	ILB
Brynden Trawick	S
Justin Ellis	DE
De’Anthony Thomas	WR
Jordan Richards	S
Chris Moore	WR
Jihad Ward	DE
Hroniss Grasu	C
Matthew Judon	OLB

UFAs are the ones you’ll hear the most about when free agency hits. They’re able to negotiate solely with their teams until free agency starts, where they then enter the open market and can then sign with any team.

The biggest names on this list are Jimmy Smith and Matt Judon. Smith has been with the Ravens for his whole NFL career but injury has kept him from playing a full season since 2015. This, plus the fact that the Ravens already have more cap salary dedicated to the cornerback position than any team in the NFL in 2020 may lead to a breakup.

Judon has enjoyed a career season with 9.5 sacks, 43 solo tackles and 14 tackles for loss. You would think the Ravens would love to keep him around based on these numbers but they did let Za’Darius Smith walk last season, remember. The classic Ravens tactic has been to let their free agents go out and find out what the market is and then give the team a chance to match or pass. This could be on the cards here again this offseason with Judon.

The other players on this list are mostly rotational players and given the stage of their careers, they may struggle to find better deals on the open market. However, there are players at positions that the Ravens could certainly look to get younger (and cheaper) at.

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