Getty The Ravens get a record-breaking Edge for a late-round pick in this trade scenario.
The Baltimore Ravens still lack a proven commodity on the edges of their front seven. A prolific pass-rusher who will strike fear into the hearts of opposing quarterbacks during the 2022 NFL season.
Instead, the Ravens appear content to head into the new campaign with a litany of uncertain and unproven options. Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh are recovering from offseason surgeries, as is second-round draft pick David Ojabo.
The Ravens are trusting what they have, but that could change if the right opportunity presents itself on the veteran market. One such opportunity would involve an edge-rusher who set a franchise record last season, but could be had for a late-round pick.
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3-Time Pro-Bowler Ideal for Ravens
Robert Quinn was utterly dominant a year ago, logging 18.5 sacks for the Chicago Bears. The tally was good enough to break the single-season record set by Richard Dent back in 1984:
Game-wrecker. Record-breaker. 💥
What a year for Robert Quinn.
Quinn thrived for the Bears, but he wants out of Chicago, and Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson believes the Ravens are a good landing spot: “Baltimore desperately needs additional depth in the front seven. 2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh had offseason shoulder surgery, while fellow pass rusher Tyus Bowser is recovering from a torn Achilles. The Ravens stole Calais Campbell from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 in exchange for a fifth-round pick, and they could make a similar trade for Quinn.”
Robinson’s reference to the trade for Calais Campbell is telling. It was one of a few cost-effective deals the Ravens have done to add talent to the defensive front in recent years.
Another of those deals involved sending a third and conditional fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for Yannick Ngakoue in 2020. Ngakoue didn’t last long in Baltimore, joining the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 free agency.
While that trade didn’t yield much, it did show the Ravens’ ability to land premier defensive studs for a modest cost. Giving up a fifth next year for Quinn would be a 24-carat bargain.
He’s a flexible edge-rusher who can play as a standup outside linebacker or put his hand down like a traditional defensive end. The Ravens have made room for this versatile position ever since the days of Terrell Suggs.
Like Suggs, Quinn has managed to maintain his performances at peak levels late into his career. Underlying numbers from his 11th season proved Quinn is still as much a force as any pass-rusher in the league, per Jacob Infante of SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron:
Some advanced stats on how #Bears EDGE Robert Quinn did last year, via SIS DataHub:
• 4.9 sack % (1st for DL/EDGE)
• 48 points saved (3rd)
• 0.8 yards average tackle depth (3rd)
• 13.0 pressure % (11th for EDGE)
In addition to finishing 2nd with 18.5 sacks. Stud.
Despite the numbers, Quinn is keen to move on from the Bears. He planned not to attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Quinn’s absence: “Robert Quinn was not present at mandatory minicamp. We’re not talking about that as an organization. Obviously, we hoped he would be here. He’s not.”
Quinn thrived in a multiple version of the 3-4 defense for the Bears last season, the same scheme the Ravens run defensively. Eberflus has changed things to a 4-3 front in Chicago, so the time is ripe for a team like the Ravens to strike a deal.
Ravens’ Pass Rush Lacking Veteran Presence
What the Ravens are missing on the edges is an established presence, a true veteran leader. Ojabo is the new blood, but the 22-year-old tore his Achilles during Michigan’s pro day back in March.
The options around Ojabo are similarly questionable. Oweh is entering his second season, while Bowser, who was the team’s sack leader a year ago, has never logged more than seven QB takedowns in a season.
There’s a reason the Ravens used the UFA tender on Justin Houston, giving the team exclusive rights to re-sign the player if he doesn’t join a new team before July 22. General manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh know they need at least one experienced Edge with a prodigious track record.
Quinn is the perfect fit, even if the initial cost of his salary could be prohibitive, according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus:
The idea a late third-round pick or even a fourth-rounder would be enough, should still pique the Ravens’ interest. DeCosta may have to get creative with the team’s salary cap situation, but it would be worth it if it led to acquiring a pass-rusher of Quinn’s pedigree.