Getty The Baltimore Ravens can replace Justin Houston with a "pillar of consistency."
Justin Houston doesn’t appear to be returning for a third tour with the Baltimore Ravens, so the franchise should sign another accomplished, 30-something pass-rusher in free agency.
Melvin Ingram III has been named the ideal “designated pass-rushing veteran” for the Ravens by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. Spielberger also noted how 34-year-old Ingram proved he can still deliver during his single season with the Miami Dolphins in 2022, when he “once again played at a very high level, far outpacing his compensation.”
Signing Ingram to a cheap, veteran deal would be so typical of the Ravens after they were content to unleash Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul on quarterbacks last season. Houston led the team with 9.5 sacks, while Pierre-Paul chipped in with three QB takedowns of his own.
JPP and Houston are both 34 and have been left on the market. It could be a clue the Ravens believe it’s time to give another greybeard pass-rusher the chance to muster one more prolific season.
Ingram fits the bill because, as Spielberger noted, the 11-year pro “has been a pillar of consistency in the NFL, recording nine straight seasons with a 70.0-plus pass-rush grade.”
The Ravens could use a proven commodity like Ingram at a key position where experience is lacking. Or else Baltimore’s defense will be left to rely on Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, two players with three seasons, six starts and nine sacks between them, as its primary pass-rushers.
3-Time Pro Bowler a Natural Replacement for Justin Houston
Houston had enough left in the tank to still strike fear into opposing quarterbacks last season, something Ingram also managed. The latter remained a force thanks to enduring speed and power, qualities he showcased for this sack of Justin Fields against the Chicago Bears, highlighted by Josh Houtz of SB Nation’s The Phinsider.
MELVIN INGRAM SACK
This was the third of Ingram’s six sacks in a Dolphins uniform from one of the 41 times he blitzed last season, per Pro Football Reference. He was more active bringing pressure than Houston, who blitzed 10 times, while Pierre-Paul was an extra rusher on a mere four occasions.
The Ravens don’t blitz as often since Mike Macdonald replaced Don ‘Wink’ Martindale as defensive coordinator last offseason. Macdonald’s unit blitzed 21.3 percent of the time, one of the lowest frequencies in the NFL.
Ingram’s addition might prompt Macdonald to be more aggressive with his play calling. Especially if the new arrival boosts the performances of Oweh and a healthy Ojabo.
Ravens Need Health and Numbers at Edge-Rusher
Ojabo missed all but two games after tearing his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day. His brief regular-season cameo offered glimpses of promise, but the Ravens are still betting on a big leap forward from last year’s second-round pick..
The team could also use a jump in numbers from Oweh. He’s hardly lived up to the billing as the 31st player taken in the 2021 NFL draft.
Oweh registered just three sacks during his second season, including this takedown of Joe Burrow agains the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, highlighted by Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
Sweet spin move 1/2 sack by Odafe Oweh, who starts as a three-point stance DE inside OLB Justin Houston.
As Mink pointed out, Oweh lined up inside in a three-point stance. It was an example of the 24-year-old’s versatility, as well as how the Ravens like to mix and match their edge-rushers to create confusion and pressure.
That schematic tendency is why Ingram makes sense as a pre-training camp addition to Macdonald’s pass rush. He’d add more flexibility and a proven commodity to ensure Houston isn’t missed.