Baltimore Ravens are not Buyers Before the Trade Deadline
By Andrew Kim
Heading into their bye week at 5-2, the Baltimore Ravens are still in decent shape and should not be panic buyers before the NFL trade deadline this season.
Now leading the AFC North and coming off their bye week, the Baltimore Ravens are in a prime position to get healthy and close out the rest of the season strong. As one of the teams with the most amount of players on injured reserve, with 16, Baltimore could get back a few key pieces before their Week 9 game against the 3-4 Minnesota Vikings. Latavius Murray, Sammy Watkins, Nick Boyle, and Derek Wolfe all can make an impact once they are back in the lineup in the next week or two. Injuries have ravaged this team, especially earlier in the season, and yet, John Harbaugh has led this squad as one of the better teams in the NFL.
The Baltimore Ravens still can use help at running back, offensive line, linebacker, and cornerback. The losses of key starters in J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Marcus Peters, and L.J. Fort still sting from a few months ago, and recently Ronnie Stanley was put on IR. The offensive line in general, whether it was injuries or poor play, has been below average this year and has given up the ninth most sacks this year, with 21. The run game has also been stagnant other than quarterback Lamar Jackson; with former signings in Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Le’Veon Bell not really getting it done on the ground.
Anthony Averett has stepped up as the other starting cornerback on the outside opposite Marlon Humphrey and is heavily targeted by opposing offenses. Patrick Queen has struggled at times, as the Ravens need to get more out of their linebackers. The pass rush with rookie Odafe Oweh and Justin Houston has shown up occasionally, but Baltimore could use more consistent pressure to help out a secondary that hasn’t been great this season. Their defense, compared to their offense, has been a weak link and needs to improve at tackling moving forward.
With the team highly dependent on Jackson, adding another explosive young runner could add another dimension back to an offense that hosts a few veterans with not much burst. Ty’Son Williams could be labeled as such back but it seems the team doesn’t trust him, as his snaps have been lowered to the point where he is a healthy scratch some weeks. With rookie Rashod Bateman back, the Ravens shouldn’t pursue a wide receiver and should go with the guys they have. Baltimore has shifted their offensive focus somewhat, as their passing game has been the highlight each week with wide receiver Marquise Brown and tight end Mark Andrews.
With the NFL Trade Deadline incoming, despite their needs, I don’t think they should pursue a trade unless it is for a running back on a one-year deal that is relatively cheap (ex. Marlon Mack). Their salary cap is tight at the moment, with only about 1.69 million for this year, so making a deal has to make sense and be the right fit for both teams that are willing. Trading for the Indianapolis Colts running back does make sense from a contract perspective, however, as Mack is 25 years old on a one-year deal for only $1 million in 2021. Also, he is behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines on the depth chart and is looking for more playing time on a playoff-caliber team like Baltimore.
This is one of the only realistic trade scenarios that I could see happening and even then, other teams could be in the mix for the running back trade market. A trade involving an offensive lineman is highly unlikely due to the lack of depth almost all teams have at those positions. A defensive trade for a known commodity could be too expensive. However, the Baltimore Ravens have pulled off some wild trades before and have gotten value in trading for veterans so nothing is out of the discussion till the trade deadline passes at 4 p.m. EST today.