Getty The Ravens should pursue a versatile 49ers veteran who's ready to test free agency.
Retooling the secondary is a priority for the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, and not just because cornerback Marcus Peters is a free agent. The All-Pro might not be back, but Peters still formed a competent duo with fellow starter Marlon Humphrey last season.
What the Ravens don’t have is a competent third cornerback, preferably somebody who can thrive in the slot. That’s why general manager Eric DeCosta should pursue Jimmie Ward, especially since the San Francisco 49ers’ veteran sounds ready to test the market in 2023 NFL free agency.
Ward is a proven commodity, versatile enough to operate at free safety cornerback and nickelback. He fits the blueprint of the more flexible defensive backs the Ravens began targeting last offseason.
49ers’ Incumbent Ready to Test Free Agency
Ward has been a 49er his entire career, but the player drafted 30th overall in 2014 sounds ready to look for a new home. He dropped a sizeable hint after the Niners lost 31-7 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, per David Lombardi of The Athletic:
Jimmie Ward: “I’m good at safety and I’m good at nickel. I’m a good football player, so it’s going to help me in free agency.”
I asked Ward if he was open to returning to the 49ers and he said “yes”, but he also worded other sentences as if he won’t be part of team next season
Part of Ward’s frustration appears to be the role he was asked to play this season. Specifically, the player who has gone from free safety to cornerback and back again during his time in the Bay Area, wasn’t wild about being asked to play the nickel position.
Ward took to Instagram and revealed how he was given little choice based on this terse response from Niners’ head coach Kyle Shanahan, per OurSF49ers: “You wanna ride the bench?”
The craziest story Jimmie Ward explained on his IG Live was when he told Kyle Shanahan he didn’t want to play nickel CB 👀
Shanahan and the 49ers made the call to put Tashuan Gipson in Ward’s traditional safety spot and asked the 31-year-old to adapt to yet another new role. While he wasn’t happy with the switch, Ward performed admirably as a nickelback and would solve Ravens’ needs at multiple spots.
9-Year Pro Fits What Ravens Need
Ward’s discomfort playing as a nickel is ironic given how effective he is at the position. The 31-year-old became one of the league’s best from the spot in both phases of defense during the second half of the season, according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus:
49ers DB Jimmie Ward since Week 8 when lined up in the slot:
– 76.7 coverage grade (5th among players with 100+ snaps in slot over span)
– 91.3 run defense grade (t-2nd)
Nobody was as consistent in the slot for the Ravens. Part of the problem was not having a credible third cornerback, with The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec pointing out how “The Ravens really needed Jalyn Armour-Davis, Damarion Williams or Brandon Stephens to grow up faster.”
Kyle Fuller was supposed to be the dependable third man up, but he tore his ACL in September. Those issues forced defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to shift rookie safety Kyle Hamilton into the slot.
The 14th pick in 2022 responded well, but Hamilton is expected to be the Ravens’ long-term answer at strong safety. His importance will increase if the Ravens trade or cut Chuck Clark, options endorsed by Zrebiec.
Parting ways with Clark would save cash, but Zrebiec also noted how neither the veteran nor Geno Stone had an interception, despite playing “extensively” after Marcus Williams was injured. The safety group as a whole picked off a mere four passes, all credited to Williams.
Ward, who snatched three interceptions this season, would improve the Ravens’ turnover potential at as many as three different spots. Given how often teams plays nickel, either with a slot corner or third safety, Ward could expect to be a full-time starter even as a sub-package specialist for the Ravens.
He primarily wants to play safety, but Ward has already shown he’s willing to make it work wherever he’s needed, a trait that would make him an immediate asset in Macdonald’s creative schemes.
Securing Lamar Jackson’s future remains DeCosta’s main focus, but with Peters, Clark, Calais Campbell and Justin Houston all free agents, the Ravens will also need to make a splash on this side of the ball.