Getty The Baltimore Ravens were urged to pursue Chidobe Awuzie this offseason.
There could be some competition for corner backs in the AFC North this offseason. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are both going to be looking for a CB2 during the 2024 NFL offseason.
The Cincinnati Bengals could also end up in the mix for a corner.
It turns out they could all end up fighting for the same player.
Chidobe Awuzie could head for free agency this offseason as his three-year contract with the Bengals is expiring.
The Bengals will get the first crack at trying to keep him around, but the Steelers have already been named as a potential suitor if he doesn’t re-sign.
Now the Ravens are being named as another team that should consider targeting Awuzie.
In an article on free agents who could strengthen a division rival, one of the moves named by Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder was Awuzie heading to the Ravens.
Awuzie’s Bounce Back
The 2023 NFL season was a tough one for the Bengals’ pass defense as a whole.
There was no team in football that allowed more yards per attempt as the Bengals allowed a staggering 8.1 yards per pass attempt to opponents.
Awuzie was not immune to those struggles.
He had a tough start to the season as he worked his back from a torn ACL he suffered during the 2022 season.
The Bengals even benched him at one point as they struggled to get the best out of him.
He did eventually get his starting spot back because of an injury to a teammate and began to show signs of a return to form.
Still, he could use a bounce back in 2024.
He ended up allowing opposing QBs to complete 67.9% of passes when targeting him during the 2023 season. That’s not sustainable if he’s going to continue to be a starter in the NFL.
A move to a team that was among the best in the league against the pass in 2023 and could go through big changes this offseason could be just what he needs to get his career back on track.
A Ravens Defense in Need
The Ravens’ pass defense was very good in 2023.
They finished the year allowing the league’s second least yards per passing attempt and were also top five in completion percentage allowed and passing touchdowns allowed.
There were plenty of reasons why the team’s pass defense was so good.
One was that they led the league in sacks and their pass rush made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
They also had some strong pieces in the secondary.
Marlon Humphrey continued to play at a high level when healthy. Kyle Hamilton was named a First Team All-Pro in his second NFL season.
Geno Stone was tied at the top of the league with seven interceptions.
Unfortunately, Stone and a big chunk of the pass rush could all leave this offseason.
That will leave them looking to get an upgrade at their second corner spot to try and make up for some of the losses they’ll suffer elsewhere on the defense.
Awuzie is a corner that would give them that upgrade and make sure they have somebody with CB1 experience available if Humphrey has injury issues again next season.
The Ravens are likely to have quite a few new faces on defense in 2024 and Awuzie could be one of them.