Getty The Ravens could lose a key FA to a rival from the AFC North.
There are some key names on the Baltimore Ravens’ list of free agents this offseason. Most of those names concern the defense, particularly the front seven, where Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams and Justin Houston are all set to hit the market.
Things could become just as threadbare along the offensive line, where the Ravens’ pivot man is an impending free agent. Not only that, but this integral blocker is set to garner attention from one of Baltimore’s AFC North rivals, according to one NFL writer.
This rival needs better blocking to help protect its franchise quarterback. Helping them acquire it would only weaken the Ravens’ position in an already tough division.
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Bengals Among Teams Keen on New OL Anchor
Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson has reported that Ravens center Bradley Bozeman — the team’s back-to-back Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee — will be a wanted man once free agency gets underway.
Wilson named one particular suitor the Ravens won’t want to see poach a key asset: The Cincinnati Bengals.
Baltimore Ravens veteran center Bradley Bozeman, one of the top free agent offensive linemen, is expected to draw interest from multiple NFL teams should he hits the market, including the Cincinnati Bengals, per league sources @PFN365
Writing for the PFN website, Wilson also outlined exactly why the losers of Super Bowl LVI would be interested: “Bozeman is expected to draw interest from multiple NFL teams should he hit free agency, including the offensive line-needy Cincinnati Bengals, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sprained his knee during the Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams and was sacked 7 times.”
The Ravens know all about how effective Joe Burrow is for the Bengals’ offense. He threw seven touchdowns in two games against Baltimore last season, both wins for the Bengals. The clean sweep helped Cincy win the division, something the Ravens don’t want to see repeated this year.
Wilson also explained why some have Bozeman alongside Ryan Jensen of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the best centers on the market: “Bozeman, 26, is a former Alabama sixth-round draft pick and is regarded as a technically sound blocker and a high-character, community-minded individual. He started all but one game last season for the Ravens at center last season. He has also started at left guard and 49 of 62 career games played. Bozeman analytically is one of the top-ranked centers in the NFL.”
There are a lot of good reasons for why the Ravens should want to keep Bozeman in the fold. He’s durable and smart, having emerged as a rare steady performer on a line undergoing a transition.
The Ravens allowed 57 sacks in 2021, the second-most in the league. Injuries at key positions didn’t help, with tackles Ronnie Stanley and Ja’Wuan James both missing significant time.
A number of unconvincing veterans were plugged in to play on the edges, but amid the changes, Bozeman remained a consistent presence. The Baltimore Sun‘s Jonas Shaffer explained how Bozeman has found a home since he moved over the ball:
Bradley Bozeman says he sees himself as a center moving forward. He graded out as PFF’s No. 11 player at the position.
“Center, I feel like, is my home.”
Letting somebody this dependable walk in free agency would be quite the risk for a team still with question marks along the front.
O-Line Issues Aren’t Going Away in Baltimore
The Ravens need Stanley and James to prove they can stay healthy and become bookend tackles. It’ll be a tall order considering Stanley has started just seven games the last two years. He’s also failed to complete a full season since entering the pros in 2016.
James has hardly fared better, having missed each of the last two seasons because of a torn Achilles. Not having James or Stanley available has left the Ravens scrambling for solutions.
One of those solutions, Alejandro Villanueva, is 33 and carries a cap hit worth $9.25 million for 2022, according to Spotrac.com. The same source also projects the Ravens to be $9,792,591 under the salary cap.
There’s enough room to make Bozeman an offer good enough to convince him to stay in town for a few more years. Especially if a pricey vet like Villanueva becomes a cap casualty this offseason.
Ravens’ general manager Phil DeCosta may need to create sufficient space to pay the type of money Bozeman is projected to earn as a free agent. Those earnings and contract terms were outlined by Pro Football Focus: “Three years, $21 million ($7M per year), $10 million total guaranteed.”
It’s a price worth paying for a lineman who can anchor the front and even slide over to both guard spots. He’s better in the middle, according to PFF’s Andrew Russell, but the Ravens need Bozeman’s versatility while they continue to mix and match trying to find the right combination to key improvement in the trenches:
Saw some “Bradley Bozeman played guard in Baltimore so maybe…” tweets, so I’ll just leave you with these little nuggets right here (PFF Stable Metrics):
*Forgive my poor Excel usage.
Improvement is needed if healthy again quarterback Lamar Jackson is going to get back to his best. Retaining Bozeman’s services is the first step to building a stronger foundation around Jackson.
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