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Getting to quarterbacks hasn’t been a problem for a Baltimore Ravens defense leading the NFL with 47 sacks this season. Yet, there’s always room for more, so why not sign veteran defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis, who has 25.5 sacks to his credit?
The 29-year-old free agent was identified by Bleacher Report as somebody the Ravens should add now.
Ioannidis can help the Ravens because “they are a little thin on the interior of the defense. Broderick Washington was a healthy scratch just last week. Michael Pierce and Justin Madubuike are having strong seasons, but Matt Ioannidis would beef up the group a little bit. The veteran defensive tackle started 13 games for the Panthers last season.”
A well-stocked defensive line could use some more oomph in the middle. Something Ioannidis provided during six seasons in Washington and one with the Carolina Panthers.
The Ravens aren’t lacking talent at defensive tackle. Not when Justin Madubuike is enjoying a career year, but stacking talent on top of talent at the heart of the front seven would still be a smart move.
Matt Ioannidis Fits as a Situational Pass-Rusher for Ravens
Rushing the passer has been Ioannidis’ forte ever since he entered the pros as a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He soon played his way into an active role in the rotation for Washington.
Ioannidis logged a career-high 8.5 sacks and 35 pressures in 2018, per Pro Football Reference. That was as good as it’s got statistically for Ioannidis, who was eventually lost in the shuffle of Washington’s multiple first-round picks up front.
Being relegated to a situational brief didn’t stop him putting heat on passers. Like when Ioannidis narrowly missed scoring a safety against the New Orleans Saints in 2021, on a rush highlighted by analyst Mark Bullock.
The play showcased the main quality the Ravens ought to appreciate about Ioannidis. Namely, his versatility.
He can play over offensive tackles, head-on against guards and even slide over the ball as a nose tackle. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder has played all of those positions on both three- and four-man lines.
Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald still runs a version of the hybrid 3-4 front the franchise has operated for years. There’d surely be plenty of spots where Ioannidis could line up.
Even from only a small amount of snaps, Ioannidis would become another useful pass-rusher in the committee approach Macdonald is using to help the Ravens collect sacks in bunches.
Ravens’ Pass Rush Winning With Numbers
Madubuike has recorded a team-leading 10 of the Ravens’ 47 sacks, but the league’s toughest pass rush is all about swarming in numbers. Macdonald is blitzing linebackers and defensive backs from all angles, something obvious in this breakdown of every one of the Ravens’ QB takedowns.
Sophisticated pressure schemes are working, but the Ravens are also winning with a four-man rush. It helps when linemen like Madubuike and fellow D-tackles Travis Jones and Broderick Washington Jr. (inactive against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11) have the freedom to run stunts and games up front.
Jones and Washington showed the effectiveness of one twist to get to Justin Herbert against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12, per Ryan Mink of Ravens.com.
The Ravens have the perfect pass rush because the line is strong enough to create free lanes for blitzing teammates. Meanwhile, blockers on the lookout for the blitz soon find themselves overwhelmed by imposing linemen.
Ioannidis would be another asset in both phases of Macdonald’s pressure schemes.
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