Getty The Ravens are the ideal new home for two free agents who've combined for eight Pro Bowls.
NFL free agency still has some marquee names the Baltimore Ravens should consider for two obvious positions of need. A dynamic, field-stretching wide receiver remains a must, while another proven edge-rusher would help, even after Justin Houston’s return.
One NFL writer has named the Ravens as an “ideal landing spot” for two free agents who would fix both positions. The duo is comprised of a five-time 1,000-yard receiver and a versatile pass-rusher who has two Super Bowl wins on his CV.
Both players have been to four Pro Bowls apiece, but remain on the market and could likely be had on the same type of cost-effective deal the Ravens handed to Houston.
Pro Bowlers Too Good to Pass Up for Ravens
T.Y. Hilton and Jason Pierre-Paul are still looking for new homes, but neither should look too far beyond Baltimore, according to CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan. He believes the Ravens and Hilton would help each other: “When healthy, Hilton is an explosive deep threat, which is something Baltimore is currently lacking after it traded Marquise Brown to the Cardinals during the NFL Draft. For Hilton, the Ravens also present an opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl and work with a former MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson.”
Sullivan also thinks Pierre-Paul has a lot left to offer: “The 33-year-old pass rusher may not be able to headline a team’s attack on the quarterback anymore, but Jason Pierre-Paul can still be an extremely valuable depth piece. One team that could use some bodies at pass rusher is the Baltimore Ravens, who did host Pierre-Paul on a visit about a month ago. Outside linebackers Tyus Bowser and rookie David Ojabo are both dealing with Achilles injuries, so Pierre-Paul could provide some immediate relief at that spot behind 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh.”
It’s important to note Sullivan put his list of the best remaining free agents together before Houston re-upped with the Ravens. The team confirmed on Thursday, July 7 it had agreed terms with the 33-year-old on a one-year deal:
Welcome back @JHouston50❗️
We’ve agreed to terms on a 1-year deal❗️
Houston can still have an impact, but his presence alone won’t be enough to ease concerns about the Ravens’ injury-hit options in the pass-rush department. Those concerns are even stronger in a wide receiver room lacking a playmaker defenses should fear.
Pass Rush Still Needs Help
Summing up the injury problems at the edges of the Ravens’ front seven demands a paragraph all by itself. To keep it simple, second-round pick David Ojabo tore his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day in March. He’s recovering alongside last season’s sack leader, Tyus Bowser, who underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in January.
If their absences weren’t enough, 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh had shoulder surgery this offseason. That’s a lot of question marks about a position group expected to lead a defense dependant on pressure from its outside linebackers.
Houston can help, even though his 4.5 sacks tally from last season hardly sets pulses racing. The former Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts star still showed the knack for making quarterbacks uncomfortable, according to Fansided’s Ebony Bird, citing statistics from Pro Football Focus:
Justin Houston in 2021:
• PFF grade of 77.8 (19th among all EDGE)
• Combined 18 sacks/QB hits (23rd among all EDGE)
• Led the #Ravens with 17 QB hits
Welcome back friend. 💜
Yet, even if Houston and Oweh are up to speed early, the depth will be suspect the longer Bowser and Ojabo are on the shelf. There’s a lack of star power behind them when you look at the list of names relayed by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley:
A look at Ravens’ outside linebackers:
Justin Houston
Odafe Oweh*
Tyus Bowser*
David Ojabo*
Daelin Hayes
Steven Means
Vince Biegel
Jeremiah Moon
Chuck Wiley
*-Recovering from injury
It’s why bringing in Pierre-Paul remains a good idea. He might not be the force he once was, but nor is Houston.
The Ravens won’t expect either veteran to turn the clock back to their elite best. Instead, both would be counted on to mentor developing talents like Oweh and Ojabo, while still disrupting offenses in valuable situational roles.
Pierre-Paul is perfect for third-down work because he can line up on either side of the formation and menace offensive tackles. He can even slide inside and rush from a standing position or after putting his hand on the ground.
That level of flexibility should appeal to Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. He replaced Don ‘Wink’ Martindale as play-caller this offseason, and MacDonald built his defenses at Michigan around roving, versatile edge-rushers like Ojabo.
Macdonald would appreciate Pierre-Paul’s enduring ability to collapse the edge and make big plays, like this strip-sack against the Chicago Bears last season, highlighted by Bucs Rays Bolts:
Gene Deckerhoff calls Jason Pierre-Paul’s sack fumble, third takeaway for the Bucs defense today #GoBucs
Pierre-Paul has also remained a force against the run during his career with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s a trait the Ravens need in the AFC North, where Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and Najee Harris all gash defenses on the ground.
Adding Pierre-Paul, who won Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants, before helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV, to Houston would give Macdonald an enviable cadre of edge-rushers. He would keep offenses guessing without blitzing as often as Martindale.
Hilton the Missing Link
The Ravens’ need for a legitimate big-play threat on the outside of the passing game is obvious. Without Brown, the team is putting a heavy burden on second-year man Rashod Bateman.
Bateman missed five games because of a lingering groin injury during his rookie campaign, so a big jump is needed if he’s going to emerge as a true No. 1 receiver. If he can’t make the grade, the Ravens will feel better with a veteran like Hilton on the roster.
He’s gone over 1,000 yards on multiple occasions for the Colts and has a career average of 15.2 yards per reception. Injuries have been a problem, with Hilton not completing a full season since 2016, but he still knows how to stretch the field, like he did for this touchdown against the Houston Texans in 2021:
T.Y. Hilton hauls in the deep ball🔥
He’s making his first start of the year today after recovering from a neck injury
(via @NFL)
Hilton’s ability to take the top off defenses would not only help Lamar Jackson improve his vertical game. It would also draw underneath coverage away from Jackson’s favorite target, All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews.
Much like Pierre-Paul, Hilton would be an invaluable resource for the younger players at his position. The 32-year-old is a veteran of 10 NFL seasons, and his experience is missing from a depth chart featuring Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace.
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Ravens Named ‘Ideal Landing Spot’ for 2 Pro-Bowl Free Agents