Getty Calais Campbell enters the game.
The Baltimore Ravens struck with a big trade on Sunday, landing defensive end Calais Campbell from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fifth-round pick in 2020.
Now that the Ravens have Campbell in the mix, the team is working to get him wrapped up for a few years. According to Rapoport, the Ravens are trying to get an extension done with Campbell, which would be a 2-year contract that would pay him $27 million dollars. The news was reported to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Campbell was dealt to the Ravens, and will now join a defensive line that needs some punch upfront. His addition will spice this group up and it will be a huge move to keep the 33-year-old player into the mix. Campbell is a veteran and should be able to add some solid punch to this group.
This offseason, the Ravens needed to prioritize the pass rush.
Calais Campbell’s Career Statistics
Campbell has been a very productive pass rusher during his time in the NFL, putting up 88 sacks, 696 tackles and 14 forced fumbles with 3 defensive touchdowns. He’s been a 5 time Pro Bowler, as well as first-team All-Pro and a 2-time second-team All-Pro.
Campbell started his career with the Arizona Cardinals which is where he did most of his work. He was sent to the AFC in 2017 and will stay there with this trade between conference rivals.
Ravens Could Trade Matt Judon
Now that Campbell is in the mix, the Ravens could look to move one of their other high priced defensive ends, and it seems a virtual certainty that this will get done. Judon, who’s a homegrown talent for Baltimore, has a contract deadline he’s facing with the team. The Ravens, after watching some of the deals play out with other pass rushers on the market, could jump at the chance to get some draft picks or assets for Judon this offseason.
Recently, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that the Ravens could look to move on from Judon, and Schefter explained that the defensive end could be franchise tagged, then traded. Here’s a look at what he wrote on the case:
“Ravens defensive end Matthew Judon is a candidate for Baltimore’s franchise tag and trade inquiries from other teams, league sources tell ESPN, potentially continuing the recent trend of offseason trades featuring high-profile pass rushers.
Other teams have noticed the impacts that Dee Ford and Frank Clark have had in San Francisco and Kansas City, respectively, and a contending team could try to pry Judon loose from the Ravens.
Judon is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason, and the Ravens would like to bring him back, but they also are likely to listen if another team expresses interest in trading for him, according to sources.”
Plenty of teams could be looking to fill a void at pass rusher this offseason, and players who can pressure the quarterback well are always in high demand. The Ravens’ decision with Judon will be telling, as he is a key young player for their defense.
As Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweeted in the aftermath, it will be interesting to see if the Ravens decide to move on now.
With Campbell working to be extended, that might only be more of the case.
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