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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6 early potential free agent targets for Cardinals in 2020

With the Cardinals out of the playoffs, who are some free agents in 2020 to keep an eye on?

The Arizona Cardinals, now officially out of the playoffs, are likely starting to plan for next year. They have already begun looking at their own soon-to-be free agents, inking tight end Maxx Williams to an extension and engaging in talks with D.J. Humphries.

While the season isn’t over yet, there are several players the Cardinals may be keeping their eyes on that may be good free agent pickups and ones that fans should keep an eye on too.

Packers OT Bryan Bulaga

Bulaga is far more likely to return to the Packers than anything else, but their cap situation next year isn’t great, so there’s a possibility that they could move on from Bulaga like they have with other offensive line veterans recently, like T.J. Lang in recent years.

If that is the case, Arizona would be wise to make use of the veteran to upgrade their right tackle position.

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4 Ravens to watch vs. 49ers in Week 13

These 4 Baltimore Ravens players will be instrumental to a win or loss against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, making them guys to watch

The Baltimore Ravens get arguably their toughest test of the 2019 season when they play a clone of themselves in the San Francisco 49ers. With a physical run-first offense and stout defense, both Baltimore and San Francisco will look to beat each other up en route to a Week 13 win.

With the weather conditions playing a factor this week as the wintery mix continues to fall on M&T Bank Stadium, these four Ravens players will have the biggest impact on the final score.

TE Mark Andrews:

Baltimore tight ends lead the league with four touchdown receptions in the red zone since Week 9, according to Inside Edge. Three of them have gone to Andrews, making him the easy pick here.

Though the field conditions are conducive to a rushing attack, the Ravens would be wise to incorporate a little play-action when they get into the red zone to throw San Francisco off balance and hopefully create some wide-open targets. If they do, Andrews is likely going to be the guy standing uncovered in the end zone.

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Ravens vs. Rams inactives: DT Michael Pierce out, WR Chris Moore in

The Baltimore Ravens will be without Michael Pierce once again this week as they take on the Los Angeles Rams

The Baltimore Ravens are heading into their Week 12 contest against the Los Angeles Rams without defensive tackle Michael Pierce once again. Listed as “doubtful” for this week after missing the last two practices, it seemed unlikely Pierce would be able to suit up for this game. However, with Pierce running around on the field during warmups, it offers some hope he’ll be ready to go for Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers.

The rest of the inactives for Baltimore are to be expected and names we’ve often seen on this list each week. But we’ll see wide receiver Chris Moore return to the active list after missing the last few weeks with a thumb injury, potentially retaking some responsibilities as a return specialist.

Below is the full list of Baltimore and Los Angeles’ Week 12 inactives.

Baltimore Ravens inactives:

DT Michael Pierce
CB Anthony Averett
S Bennett Jackson
DT Zach Sieler
G Ben Powers
WR Jaleel Scott
QB Trace McSorley

Los Angeles Rams inactives:

WR Nsimba Webster
DB Darious Williams
CB Dont’e Deayon
S Jake Gervase
LB Natrez Patrick
OL Jamil Demby
T Rob Havenstein

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Ravens vs. Rams: Who’s playing and who isn’t

The Baltimore Ravens seem like they’ll be without defensive tackle Michael Pierce for Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Baltimore Ravens get yet another tough test again this week as they’ll travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams in Week 12. Playing on Monday Night Football, this could be the chance for Baltimore to finally prove to the few remaining critics just how good they actually are. But the Ravens could be a little shorthanded this week.

Defensive tackle Michael Pierce is listed as doubtful and even that seems optimistic. Pierce missed Friday and Saturday’s practices after being listed as limited on Thursday. Coach John Harbaugh said Pierce is unlikely to play this week as he still recovers from an ankle injury suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, according to Aaron Kasinitz of Penn Live.

While wide receiver Chris Moore, guard Ben Powers and tackle Ronnie Stanley are all listed as questionable, all three were full participants on Saturday meaning they’ll likely be able to play Monday night.

Take a look below for the full game statuses for both the Ravens and Rams in Week 12.

Baltimore Ravens game status:

DT Michael Pierce (ankle) – Doubtful
WR Chris Moore (thumb) – Questionable
G Ben Powers (thumb) – Questionable
T Ronnie Stanley (ankle) – Questionable

Los Angeles Rams game status:

T Rob Havenstein (knee) – Out
DB Darious Williams (ankle) – Out
LB Natrez Patrick (illness) – Questionable

Ravens DT Michael Pierce, WR Chris Moore inactive vs. Texans

The Baltimore Ravens are without defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who suffered an ankle injury last week, against the Houston Texans

The Baltimore Ravens will be without the services of starting defensive tackle Michael Pierce in Week 11 against the Houston Texans.

With the Texans featuring one of the best rushing attacks in the league, Pierce’s absence due to an ankle injury will put more pressure on the Ravens’ defense to remain stout upfront. However, there’s some hope defensive tackles Domata Peko and Justin Ellis will help after both were signed earlier this week.

The need for both Peko and Ellis could be why rookie cornerback Iman Marshall is also listed as inactive. Marshall was activated from injured reserve earlier in the week, having missed the entire season thus far. But with Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Marcus Peters and Jimmy Smith still in the secondary, there’s a bigger need to offset Pierce’s absence on the defensive line.

Take a look at the list of inactives for both Baltimore and Houston this week.

Baltimore Ravens inactives:

QB Trace McSorley
WR Chris Moore
WR Jaleel Scott
CB Iman Marshall
G Ben Powers
DT Zach Sieler
DT Michael Pierce

Houston Texans inactives:

WR Steven Mitchell Jr.
WR Will Fuller V
CB Bradley Roby
CB Vernon Hargreaves III
ILB Tyrell Adams
T Chris Clarks
DE Joel Heath

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Ravens vs. Texans injury report: DT Michael Pierce missed Thursday’s practice

The Baltimore Ravens are pretty healthy for Week 11 against the Houston Texans but are still seeing defensive tackle Michael Pierce out.

The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 11 fairly healthy. After getting their Week 9 bye, Baltimore has managed to see the return of some previously injured players as they look to make a strong second-half run.

While the Ravens had three players miss practice entirely on Thursday, most of the injuries don’t seem to be terribly concerning. Rookie wide receiver Marquise Brown has been a frequent addition to the injury report each week but has played in all but two games this season. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams was held out for non-injury reasons. That leaves just defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who was considered day-to-day this week with an ankle injury.

Take a look at the full injury report below.

Baltimore Ravens injuries:

WR Marquise Brown (ankle) – DNP
DT Michael Pierce (ankle) – DNP
DT Brandon Williams (NIR) – DNP

WR Chris Moore (thumb) – LP

CB Brandon Carr (NIR) – FP
RB Mark Ingram (NIR) – FP
CB Jimmy Smith (NIR) – FP
Earl Thomas (NIR/knee) – FP

Houston Texans injuries:

LB Dylan Cole (Knee) – LP
WR Will Fuller V (Hamstring) – LP
S Tashaun Gipson Sr. (Back/wrist) – LP
G/T Tytus Howard (Knee) – LP
CB Bradley Roby (Hamstring) – LP
T Laremy Tunsil (Shoulder) – LP

Ravens sign DTs Domata Peko, Justin Ellis; punt returner Cyrus Jones waived

The Baltimore Ravens beefed up the center of their defensive line with defensive tackle Michael Pierce expected to miss time with an injury.

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With defensive tackle Michael Pierce having suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of Week 10’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Baltimore Ravens brought in reinforcements.

The Ravens announced they signed defensive tackle Justin Ellis, a five-year veteran who had been with the Oakland Raiders. Over his time in the league, Ellis (6-2, 350 pounds) has accounted for 119 tackles and a half-sack.

In addition, Baltimore added former Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko. Initially reported by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec and confirmed by his agent, Peko adds a wealth of experience to the defensive line. Peko played 11 years with Cincinnati and the last two with the Denver Broncos, amassing 589 combined tackles, 20 sacks, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and 50 quarterback hits.

To make room for Ellis and Peko, the Ravens announced they have waived punt returner Cyrus Jones and defensive end Ufomba Kamalu. A Baltimore native, Jones became dispensable after Baltimore signed return specialist De’Anthony Thomas last week and made him a healthy scratch for Week 10. Kamalu had been signed off New England’s practice squad but had not been active in a game this season for the Ravens.

While Pierce’s injury is considered day-to-day, according to coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have been thin on the defensive line. They initially entered the season with just five defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, a departure from the usually stacked units Baltimore carried in previous years.

With no clear timetable set for Pierce’s return from injury and rookie Daylon Mack only being active for one game this season, the Ravens needed some beef in the middle of their defensive line. Peko and Ellis give them exactly that right at a time when they’ll go up against two of the best rushing teams in the league: the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

Baltimore has found quite a bit of success with signing free-agent defenders this season. The Ravens added linebackers L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes earlier in the year, and both have provided a major impact for the defense. So there’s plenty of hope both Ellis and Peko could do the same in the second half of the season.

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