Getty Kyle Van Noy celebrates in New England.
The Baltimore Ravens have tons of potential game plans for free agency, but most experts can agree that defense should be the main focus when all is said and done.
What player should be the target, though? There’s been plenty of explanations of that lately as analysts try to identify the perfect solutions for every team in the league in multiple spots. Recently, Pro Football Focus with the help of ESPN looked at picking out several players with this distinction for teams across the league, and a surprising answer came from the site.
Writer Jamison Hensley explained the player identified was linebacker Kyle Van Noy of the New England Patriots, and pointed out that there are certainly some numbers which do favor his case.
Per @PFF, perfect FA match for Ravens is LB Kyle Van Noy
-15.5 sacks, 34 QB hits past 3 seasons with Pats
-Turns 29 on March 26
-Versatile (‘Swiss army knife skillset,’ per @MikeReiss)
-Durable (his 2,355 snaps since 2017 led Pats LBs)
In terms of Van Noy being a fit, that much could be stated as obvious. The team is looking for players to fill in at linebacker, and Van Noy has played a starring role right down the road from the Ravens, often competing against them and showing his skill.
Seeing Van Noy bring some of his stats, which include 289 tackles, 17.5 sacks and 2 interceptions to Baltimore, would be huge.
Ravens Offseason Needs
The Ravens are seemingly in a decent spot in terms of both sides of the ball thanks to the fact that they have a young roster, but there’s little question that the team needs to make a few well placed additions, especially on offense, as DeCosta hints. Baltimore could use another receiving threat to help Lamar Jackson, and depending on what happens with some of the team’s own free agents, cornerback and linebacker could be on the docket as well.
Baltimore shouldn’t need many dramatic moves, but should continue to lock up their own talent while looking to make a few well-placed additions to the mix.
Adding linebackers to the mix would be a surefire way to improve the team’s fortunes on the defensive side of the ball, and someone like Van Noy could end up playing a large role for the team.
Ravens 2019 Defensive Statistics
Baltimore’s defense was a top group in the league this season. They were rated the No. 3 defense in terms of total yards allowed (300.6), the No. 6 defense in terms of passing yards per-game (207.2), and the 5th ranked rush defense in the league with 93.4 yards per-game.
A key point? Baltimore also piled up 37 sacks on the season, with Matt Judon accounting for 9.5 in 2019. Obviously, the defense is solid as a whole and has plenty to like moving forward, but the team would have to find a suitable replacement for Judon somewhere considering his overall talent if he were to leave. That’s been rumored so far this offseason. In terms of the defensive backfield, the Ravens collected 13 total picks last season which was a solid number.
The Ravens could be looking to add new faces, and beefing up their defense should be a huge goal, whether or not Judon sticks around. A player like Van Noy could go a long way toward getting things in the right direction.