In Week 7, the Baltimore Ravens overcame the Cleveland Browns 23-20 in unconvincing manner. The team currently sit at 4-3 atop the AFC North and are in serious contention for the playoffs.
Baltimore have gaps across different positions in the roster, but the most glaring hole seems to be at wide receiver. With many good receivers on the trade block, it would make sense for the GM Eric DeCosta to pursue one of them.
However, to make a move on any of Baltimore’s trade targets, they will first need to free up some cap space. As per Spotrac, the Ravens have around $3 million in cap space currently. That would be enough for certain deals but is limiting them from making any major moves.
One solution to the cap issue could be to re-structure some contracts. The Lamar Jackson contract talks appear to be put on hold currently, so securing a deal with him seems unlikely. The contracts of Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey have a very large cap hit this season and so they could be more viable candidates for re-structure. The more obvious solution to free up cap space is to trade away some players, however.
Three Players the Baltimore Ravens Could Trade Away
Tight End Nick Boyle
Nick Boyle is being paid far too much to be a backup, run-blocking tight end. He currently accounts for over 2% of Baltimore’s total cap and has a cap hit of just under $4.5 million.
Baltimore have one of the league’s best tight end rooms. Mark Andrews is as elite as ever and Isaiah Likely had been touted to be the team’s third receiver after impressing coaches in the off-season. But the receiving aspect of Boyle’s game is not the concern.
It is likely that the team would be reluctant to let go of Boyle due to his ability in pass protection and run blocking. However, the Ravens seem to be able to cover for this. Andrews is a competent blocker and Charlie Kolar is set to return to the gameday squad soon. Kolar, a fourth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, is considered a strong blocking tight end and would be good enough as a TE2 in heavy formations.
The issue is that the compensation that the Ravens would receive for Boyle is meager. His $7 million cap hit is unappealing and blocking tight ends are generally not valued highly. That said, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers could all find a use for Boyle as a backup.
Regardless, if DeCosta is serious about creating cap space to make a trade, Boyle is a top candidate to trade away for the Ravens.
Safety Chuck Clark
The Baltimore Ravens have a solid safety group but recently lost Marcus Williams to the IR. It has resulted in Kyle Hamilton being the core safety with Geno Stone as the direct replacement for Williams’ position. Despite being thinner at the position, Clark may be a candidate to trade away for the Ravens.
Like Boyle, Clark is currently overpaid for his level of production. With a cap hit of just under $4 million, Clark takes up nearly 2% of the team’s total cap.
It must be said that trading away Clark seems unlikely on many counts. The first being that Clark plays a decent role for the team. Against the Browns, Clark played 100% of the defensive snaps (compared to Boyle’s 14% of the offensive snaps) and is currently doing an adequate job of filling in at safety and in the slot. With $3.88 million, the Ravens could do better, but Clark is a good fit for the team currently. If the Ravens were to deal Clark, however, that would mean more playing time for Hamilton and Ar’Darius Washington could have the opportunity to show his talents too.
Running Back Mike Davis
Mike Davis’ cap hit currently sits just over $1 million. While a boost of $1 million is not too much, coupled with a couple of re-structures, the Ravens could find enough space to make one big trade before the deadline.
Davis has been the odd man out in Baltimore’s run game so far. He has looked alright when given opportunities but was listed as inactive for the Browns game after Gus Edwards’ return. In the depth chart, Davis sits behind J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill. While Dobbins is currently on IR, Edwards had a phenomenal game against the Browns and Drake has shown flashes in a change-of-pace role, most recently against the Giants. Hill has also looked efficient when called upon and brings special teams value. Davis’ lack of usage is what makes him a top candidate to trade away for the Ravens.
First healthy scratches this season for both Tylan Wallace and Mike Davis.
Ravens will go with Kenyan Drake, Justice Hill and Gus Edwards at RB. Their WR group is Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, Demarcus Robinson and James Proche. https://t.co/iqEBJ0GPvo— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 23, 2022
The Ravens may be thin at running back, but it seems that Davis cannot find a role for himself. The former Carolina Panther would garner some trade interest as a potential RB3 or situational running back. Look to teams with thin running rooms or lack of bigger backs, such as the Miami Dolphins or the Philadelphia Eagles. The compensation to the Ravens would be near nothing, however.
