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On the surface, at a time when the Ravens have just exchanged the former MVP Super Bowl's quarterback, Joe Flacco, and with them, who are trying to get an extension with the franchise candidate, CJ Mosley, and facing the possible start of a possible future Hall of Famer Terrell Suggs, it would be easy for their young corner signing Tavon Young to extend the lead time.
Even though it has set a slot machine slot record – a record that will surely be exceeded once the free agency is paid next month – this will not resonate as much as the impending decisions made by Baltimore with the names household mentioned above, or others. (such as discussions about a possible restructuring of the contract with Eric Weddle, Pro Bowl security officer, and Jimmy Smith, in the upper corner) But, in reality, Young's signature and Flacco's trade are indicative of a a new approach developed by Eric DeCosta, a long-time Ravens leader, who took over as General Manager of the legendary Ozzie Newsome. And if the Ravens succeed, their recent openings to linebacker Matt Judon and defensive tackle Michael Pierce will also result in contracts. League sources indicate that the team is actively seeking to expand them, as well as Mosley (and Baltimore lock up linebacker Patrick Onwuasor).
Give DeCosta high marks for succeeding, one way or another, in getting a high fourth-round pick for Flacco at a time when the quarterback market offers more than just demand, and for locking Young up. And you can expect him to keep pressing to reshape his lineup and take the money away from aging players out there and use it to buy relatively few players on which the team retains rights. Take down players to give to the ascending players. It seems perfectly sensible to me.
The Ravens' aggressive approach with Young, Judon and Pierce after their third season in the NFL – the moment players are eligible to sign extensions with their clubs – is a gateway to a broader foot approach and a meticulous approach to try to erase some mistakes from the past. Because if Young – who shone in the slot during his two seasons in good health – is the first member of the young nucleus of Baltimore's defense to sign, he will not be the last and DeCosta devotes considerable energy to trying to lengthen a handful of players. well before the start of the 2019 season.
Far too often in recent years, the Ravens have waited too long to identify the best candidates to re-sign and have allowed players to approach too much free will before actually trying to expand them. No matter what you think of their work after leaving Baltimore, emerging talents such as Pernell McPhee, Arthur Jones, Kyle Juszczyk, Ryan Jensen, Ricky Wagner – all of whom have greatly contributed to the Ravens' cause – have left as Free agents. In many cases, the agents said that Baltimore could have lengthened those players by less than half of what they had ended up getting in the open market, if they had actually started negotiations with them a year earlier than planned.
DeCosta takes a smart approach this off season, highlighting the importance of Judon, Pierce and Young, and being open to three-year contracts for such players, allowing them to experience free will before age 30 but assure them to the Ravens for their premium. The Ravens may have already missed the mark on the point player Za Darius Smith, a recent fourth-round pick that will crush him in the open market after he released more than eight bags with more time of play a year ago, but the agents were impressed with the step of DeCosta until now, I am told, and frank nature.
Believe me, NFL teams are keeping a close watch on Baltimore's tact with his two limited free agents, Onwausor and Pierce, who both entered the NFL as unmodified free agents. There is a lot of work to be done.
Pierce, according to many indicators, is already one of the NFL's top five defensive linemen – and the pay of this group of positions is on the rise, with Aaron Donald's record deal setting the bar very high. If the Ravens put less than a call for first round bids on Pierce, they will invite the other teams' bid sheets. And if they do not extend it in the long term during the off season, an expensive franchise label is likely to be imminent in 2020.
The case of Onwausor will be particularly interesting after his breakthrough in 2018. The linebacker was one of the best players on the field for the best defense of the league in the second half of the season, and if the Ravens fail not to make a rather high bid, the RFA, the needy teams with an abundance of workspaces can be the subject of a very busy offer. Her athleticism and ability to reach the quarter attracted a lot of attention. Sources said the young man had already explained to the Ravens how much he wanted to stay and how open he was to a long-term contract with the team. In that case, I would not be stupid.
I think Judon will wait until the dust settles on free will to truly commit to a long-term contract and DeCosta, I'm sure, will have some money and cap set aside for remedy this spring.
The 2019 off season has long been a transitional period for this franchise, on the list as well as for the front office, and it is time to embrace change. For my pennies, I would take capital savings from Weddle to Smith, choose Brandon Carr's option, and trade the Brandon Williams defensive booty for everything I could get to earn his annual salary. $ 9 million (as the Giants getting a fifth-round pick for Harrison's Snacks by the deadline – this money would be reserved for Pierce's much more dynamic).
If Suggs' market is a little soft, and I can bring it back for about a year, for about a year, at about $ 5 million – with bag incentives – I do it. And I would let Mosley walk if it were to cost nearly $ 15 million a year to keep it, take that choice of compilations for 2020, and put that $ 15 million / year that it would affect for Onwausor and Judon, who have a lot more impact in the pass game.
After years of ignoring the receiver position and never investing in a young freelance player, I went after Tyrell Williams of the Chargers, whose speed / size / production metrics are second to none Michael Crabtree and use that $ 5 million for use elsewhere). Lamar Jackson needs a chance to fight and more fast players around him. Cordarrelle Patterson would be a natural in this hustling approach – and a boost for special teams – and he will not blow the bank. Also take a leaflet on the Bears Bust Project, Kevin White; His world-class speed has placed him in the top 10 possible choices after years of injury. And give me back to Spencer Ware (he captured 85% of his goals and flourish with this offense, which takes the concepts of Andy Reid); it will not cost a ton either.
Offensive linemen begin to be overpaid, and Baltimore regularly finds starters in the next rounds. It's been a while since they have not taken the lead from inside OL, but the center may be tackled there. The situation of the Ravens is better than it has been for a long time, and it is the greatest flexibility they have had over the years.
With so many big players already on the move or potentially moving, after an unlikely second-half attempt to win a division title with a rookie quarter taking over in mid-season, the Ravens are entering this off-season as the season-long rush. one of the most intriguing. teams to watch, with a lot of big decisions to make. If DeCosta's early work comes true, the Ravens will be well positioned to stay competitive while Jackson prepares more peanuts.
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