Free agency is mostly over, and the past month or so did not go well for the Ravens. CBS Sports recently handed out free agency grades for every single team, and the Ravens received the only “F” in the league.
Ravens Receive Lone “F” In Free Agency Grades
Unfortunately, it’s hard to argue with this grade. Just about everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong for the Baltimore Ravens, as the organization has battled through an incredibly difficult couple of months.
Headlining all of this is the Lamar Jackson contract saga. While the former MVP is still with the organization, it doesn’t look like that will remain the case for long. You never want to lose a player as good as Jackson, and the Ravens have given him the option to look for a trade. Even if Jackson can’t find a trade partner, it’s hard to imagine a world where the quarterback remains with Baltimore beyond the 2023 season.
Robert Kraft said Meek Mill texted him Lamar Jackson wanted to come to the Patriots 👀
Kraft said that would be Bill Belichick’s decision
(h/t: @AlbertBreer) pic.twitter.com/6nQG8sDZmO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 27, 2023
Isolating your star quarterback is obviously bad, but it’s not the only terrible thing that has happened to the Baltimore Ravens. The team lost offensive lineman Ben Powers and backup Trystan Colon in free agency, so they’ll need to add another body or two in order to maintain their depth along the interior offensive line. On its own, these losses aren’t substantial, but when combined with everything else, it makes for a failing recipe.
Perhaps it’s due to the uncertainty surrounding Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens have been astonishingly inactive in free agency. The team only added one outside free agent this year, and it was Nelson Agholor. The Ravens obviously need wide receivers, but they need to do better than Agholor. The former first-round pick was a disaster in New England, falling all the way down a pretty underwhelming depth chart despite a notable financial commitment from the organization.
How the Ravens Can Improve
Obviously, the Ravens have not had a good March, but the games aren’t going to be played until September. Baltimore still has plenty of time to improve their roster and make up for their subpar free agency.
The most important thing they can do is find a way to come to terms with Lamar Jackson. The quarterback reportedly wants more guaranteed money than Deshaun Watson, and it’s hard to imagine any team matching that offer. Perhaps the Ravens truly have the best offer on the table, and Jackson will agree to a deal more in line with what Kyler Murray received. After all, it’s looking like Watson’s deal is the exception, not the rule.
Regardless of what happens with Jackson, the Ravens can still improve the roster by going after some other free agents. Several of their own free agents are still available, including Marcus Peters and Justin Houston, and both players would be huge upgrades at their respective positions.
While it’s probably too late to add a veteran receiver (unless Odell Beckham comes to town), the Ravens can still find more paws-catching talent in the NFL Draft. Players like Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, and Quentin Johnston should be on the board when Baltimore is on the clock, and each one of those guys should be able to contribute in some fashion right out of the gate.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan – USA Today Sports
