The draft is in the books and the free agency frenzy is last month’s news, but the Ravens’ roster construction remains fluid.
Some of General Manager Eric DeCosta’s shrewdest signings last year took place during the summer and even a few weeks into the regular season.
With that in mind, The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer looked at a handful of free agents the Ravens could still target. Here’s a look at three, along with Shaffer’s comments:
G Dalton Risner
“News flash: The Ravens don’t have a sure thing at left guard. Andrew Vorhees hasn’t played in a game in 17 months, Sala Aumavae-Laulu hasn’t played since an unimpressive preseason last year, and Josh Jones hasn’t lined up at guard since Week 1.
“Risner, 28, is the best option remaining in a depleted guard class. He finished ninth among interior linemen in ESPN’s pass block win rate in 2023 and has started 73 games over the past five seasons. In 11 starts at left guard for the Minnesota Vikings last year, he graded out poorly as a run blocker on Pro Football Focus. According to Sports Info Solutions, the 6-foot-5, 312-pound Risner fared far better as a blocker on gap runs (1.7% blown-block rate) than zone runs (3.9%).”
WR Michael Thomas
“Depending on his price tag, Thomas could fit the Ravens’ mold for a low-risk wide receiver signing. The three-time Pro Bowl selection hasn’t finished with more than 450 receiving yards in a season since 2019, when he won NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
“Injuries have limited Thomas, 31, to 20 games with the New Orleans Saints over the past four seasons. An ankle injury sidelined him in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, it was a foot injury. Before a season-ending knee injury in Week 10 last season, Thomas had 39 catches on 64 targets for 448 yards and a touchdown — but he was averaging a career-low 1.38 yards per route run, according to TruMedia.”
EDGE Carl Lawson
“Lawson’s one of a handful of notable edge rushers available, along with Bud Dupree (6.5 sacks in 2023), Emmanuel Ogbah (five), Yannick Ngakoue (four) and Markus Golden (four). The return of Kyle Van Noy will give the Ravens a veteran presence at the position, but Lawson could be another low-cost renovation project. With David Ojabo and Malik Hamm combining to play just three games last year, the team’s depth at the position is a question mark.
“Lawson, 28, finished last season without a sack for the first time in his career. He dealt with a back injury that sidelined him for much of the New York Jets’ training camp, and after returning he played just six games, stuck behind a deep group of pass rushers. In 2022, when Lawson played in all 17 games, he had seven sacks and 24 quarterback hits. The Ravens should know Lawson well, having faced him regularly during his early years with the Cincinnati Bengals.”
Ravens Defense Ranked in Top 5 After the Draft
The 2023 Ravens were the first team to lead the league in scoring defense, sacks, and takeaways. After losing some key players this offseason, can the defense remain dominant?
The 33rd Team’s Dan Pizzuta believes the Ravens will still be one of the NFL’s best, just not the best. He put the Ravens at No. 4 in his rankings of the top defense’s coming out of the draft.
“Most of the personnel losses will be covered by players brought in or already on the roster,” Pizzuta wrote. “The great thing about the Ravens’ defense is there is a star to work around at every level: Justin Madubuike on the line, Roquan Smith on the second level and Kyle Hamilton in the secondary.
Pizzuta noted that Smith’s presence should help smooth the transition from Patrick Queen to Trenton Simpson at inside linebacker, and a healthy season of Marcus Williams and more playing time for Ar’Darius Washington could ease the loss of Geno Stone at safety.
“There weren’t many new additions on the defense, but 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins could make an impact on the outside opposite Marlon Humphrey with Arthur Maulet in the slot,” Pizzuta wrote. “Wiggins is thin but played good press-man coverage at Clemson and could solve Baltimore’s CB2 issue.
“Baltimore also has some signs of regression that could help. Despite being the best defense in the league by points allowed per drive, this unit was one of the worst red zone defenses. That typically trends toward the overall level of the defense from year to year, meaning the Ravens could be better in that area.”
Pizzuta didn’t mention them, but third-round EDGE Adisa Isaac and fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa also could be significant contributors.
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