Getty Eric DeCosta prior to a Ravens game.
The Baltimore Ravens haven’t done much heavy lifting in free agency thus far, but the team has managed to have a decent overall period thanks to the fact that they’ve been bringing back some of their own players.
Such moves in that period won’t get a team much love for what they’ve done, but will always be good enough to gain an average grade from those who track such things. That happened again courtesy of Bleacher Report and writer Alex Kay. Kay graded the Ravens right in the middle for their free agency work with a ‘C’ for what they’ve done thus far in 2021.
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He wrote:
“The Baltimore Ravens have long avoided making flashy free-agency acquisitions and rarely panic by overpaying their own free agents, instead preferring to build via the draft and low-key signings. The organization did not deviate from that strategy, letting key veterans walk and finding value on the open market.
Baltimore bolstered its offensive line with Kevin Zeitler and kept a few of its vaunted defensive front players under contract: Tyus Bowser, Pernell McPhee and Derek Wolfe. But it did lose several impact contributors the front office still has to replace.
Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue signed elsewhere, and with most of the impact free agents already under contract, the Ravens have limited options outside of the draft. Baltimore also failed to ink a receiver, which many believed was its most pressing need this offseason.”
Of course the offseason is not complete yet, but this only serves to show how tepid the returns have been thus far about the work of the Ravens and Eric DeCosta in free agency. Nothing has been atypical about this free agency period, and still, many think the Ravens should have done more.
Ravens Must Expand Focus for Wide Receiver
So what’s next for the Ravens? If there’s a big need that remains, it’s on the offense. They still need a wideout to help catch some passes, and that’s true even after the team has beefed up their offensive line as well as the tight end spot. Now, the goal is to find a wideout to come in and expand the offense for Lamar Jackson and company. The team hasn’t been able to get elite play from anyone at the spot the last few years, so the pressure is on to add a weapon this offseason.
Right now, the bigger names are gone, so the Ravens have to find a way to get someone to come in and occupy the bottom of their group. If not in free agency, during the NFL Draft. Likely, the work at wideout is what some are disappointed about in terms of Baltimore’s overall body of work in free agency.
Ravens 2021 Free Agency Approach Measured
The Ravens have had a free agency approach that has been very measured compared to a lot of their NFL rivals. Baltimore has not outspent anybody and has looked like a team that is more content to keep their own players happy rather than a team looking to make any sort of big splash from the outside. That’s been decent in many ways, but the team may not have improved dramatically enough in the mind of some to take huge steps forward.
That kind of work is enough to earn them a C in the minds of some so far this offseason.
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