Getty Former Ravens DE Calais Campbell is one of the offseason departures that could thrive in their new home.
The Baltimore Ravens had to make some difficult decisions this offseason and say goodbye to a handful of starters and key contributors. There were players that either priced themselves out of town or the team simply could not afford to keep because they needed to become cap compliant before the start of the new league after using the nonexclusive franchise tag on two-time Pro Bowl Lamar Jackson.
The most notable of the departures were stalwart veteran safety Chuck Clark, blocking tight end Josh Oliver, starting left guard Ben Powers, leading wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters, and six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell.
Of that bunch, only Peters remains unsigned but is rumored to be close to signing with the Las Vegas Raiders according to a report from The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. All the rest either signed or were traded elsewhere prior to or following the start of the new league year.
Clark was traded to the New York Jets, Oliver signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, Powers signed a four-year deal with the Denver Broncos, Robinson signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and Campbell signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
While all of them landed in favorable situations with clear pathways to playing time and/or starting roles, it is fair to wonder who will have the most success with their new team.
Prior to unfortunately suffering a season-ending torn ACL during the Jets’ mandatory minicamp, Clark would have been a leading candidate but since he’s no longer eligible, here’s a case for the other four.
DE Calais Campbell
The 16th-year veteran opted to head back to the NFC conference where he began his career to play for the other team with red its color scheme and a bird as a mascot instead of holding out for a potential reunion with the Ravens. His destination choice was a bit perplexing given that he has gone on the record numerous times in the past two years about his main motivation to continue playing being to win a championship.
The Falcons will certainly be in contention to win the NFC South division crown; however, their predominantly young roster isn’t viewed as a legitimate Super Bowl contender with an unproven second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder under center for an otherwise loaded offensive depth chart.
After tying for second on the Ravens in sacks with 5.5 in 2022 per Pro Football Reference, Campbell is poised to have one of his most productive seasons despite being nearly 37 years old because Atlanta plans to allow him to spend time rushing the passer off the edge as he did during his First-Team All-Pro season in 2017 with Jacksonville Jaguars.
Calais Campbell with his 10th sack of the season, a career-high! Congrats, @Campbell93!
🎥 : @LaurieFitzptrck
OG Ben Powers
The fifth-year veteran was given one of the richest contracts at his position in the entire league following his breakout season in the final year of his rookie deal. He won starting left guard job and started every game and while he won’t have to battle for a roster spot in Denver, the Broncos face an uphill battle to leapfrog the Los Angeles Chargers to challenge the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs for supremacy in the AFC West or just make the playoffs at all.
Powers is set up to continue his ascension toward being one of the upper-echelon interior offensive linemen in the league especially now that Super Bowl-winning head coach and renowned play-caller/designer Sean Peyton is at the helm.
There was plenty to like about the Ravens’ run game. For example, this is perfectly blocked. Great push/power by Ben Powers. Tough block by Ronnie Stanley on Cam Heyward. Springs J.K. up the middle for 15.
TE Josh Oliver
The fifth-year veteran went from being a surprise to make the 2022 roster from the outside looking to being a key piece of the team’s offense and effectively replacing Nick Boyle the primary blocking tight end in the Ravens offense.
Even though he didn’t put up gaudy receiving numbers during his under-the-radar breakout season last year, Oliver showed enough flashes as a pass catcher and tremendous improvement as a blocker to earn himself a surprisingly handsome pay-day from the other franchise with purple in their color scheme in the opposite conference.
Driving in late 4Q trying to get in FG range, go up two scores, Baltimore ran right behind Josh Oliver. He delivered BIG TIME.
1) U Weak Right Cozy power king — Oliver bluffs the 5-tech then STONES the mike.
2) Green RT Wing Lead —
Oliver combos w/ Moses then pancake city 🥞
In Minnesota, he will be second on the depth chart behind two-time Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson but just like was the case in Baltimore, he’ll be on the field early and often as two-tight-end sets are a staple in the style of west coast offense that the Vikings run under head coach Kevin O’Connell.
His new team is in the midst of what many have described as a soft or competitive
rebuild which could mean they still might end up back in the playoffs in a less intimidating conference compared to the gauntlet that is the AFC.
WR Demarcus Robinson
After being signed at the tail end of the 2022 preseason to provide some experienced depth, the eighth-year veteran wound up being the last proven wide receiver left standing by the end of the regular and postseason. He appeared in all 17 games, made five starts, and led all Ravens wideouts in targets (75), receptions (48), and receiving yards (458) per Pro Football Reference.
He sat on the open market until June 8 but will join a former triple crown winner and Super Bowl MVP, Cooper Kupp, as the two veteran leaders in a young receiver room with the Rams whose median age outside of them is currently 24.5 years old. Robinson proved he could be a reliable chain-moving possession receiver with some underrated elusiveness after the catch with the Ravens last year could do the same for the Rams since they traded Allen Robinson to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this offseason on April 18.
Demarcus Robinson TD!
Nearly two years removed from winning the Super Bowl in 2021, Los Angeles has one of the worst rosters in the league and isn’t expected to be serious contenders anytime soon as they continue to pay the price for going all-in that year. Even if Robinson does ball out and have some individual success, it likely won’t have much of a huge impact on the Rams’ ability to consistently win games with so many glaring holes and question marks on their roster.
Final Verdict
Campbell will likely wound up being the most notable free agent departure that will have the most success with their new team over Powers who is a close second. His team made a lot of improvements to their roster on both sides of the just like the Broncos but they’re in a much easier division and conference.
The fact that Denver has to face two-time league and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, who they have yet to beat since he became the starter, twice a year makes it a daunting enough task not to mention Justin Herbert is still in the division with a new and exciting play-caller in Kellen Moore.
There is a conceivable scenario where the Falcons could not only make the postseason but potentially get a favorable matchup or two once they get there and catch a heavily favored opponent slipping on conference championship Sunday. If that were to unfold, Campbell would have punched his ticket to the big dance for the second time in his career where Atlanta would likely get steamrolled by whoever made it out of the AFC.