Despite losing Tyus Bowser to a knee injury, the 2023 Baltimore Ravens led the league in sacks. This is due to the absurd amount of talent throughout the roster, as Jadeveon Clowney, Justin Madubuike, and several other front seven players had career seasons. However, unless something dramatically changes, the Ravens are going to have a tough time matching that production in 2024.
As of this posting, several big-name players like Justin Madubuike, Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney, Kevin Zeitler, and Geno Stone all are set to hit free agency. With the team currently over the salary cap by $821,556, Baltimore currently isn’t able to bring back all their important players – that is, unless they start cutting guys like Tyus Bowser.
NFL insider Ari Meirov recently penned an article detailing one cut candidate for every NFL team, and Tyus Bowser was Meirov’s choice for the Ravens. The insider notes that the Ravens will save $5.5 million in cap space by cutting the veteran while only taking $2 million in dead money.
Tyus Bowser Named A Potential Cut Candidate
Tyus Bowser has been a member of the Baltimore Ravens ever since the team selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Taken out of Houston, the edge defender was a solid yet unspectacular part of the Ravens defense. His best season came in 2021 when he started in all 17 games while recording seven sacks, 59 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, and 15 quarterback hits.
Unfortunately, it has been all downhill for Tyus Bowser since then. The pass rusher suffered an Achilles injury in the 2021 regular season finale, limiting him to just nine games in 2022. Looking notably less explosive, Bowser finished the year with just two sacks and 13 tackles. He never had a chance to prove himself in 2023, as the edge defender suffered a knee injury and missed the entire season.
Ultimately, parting ways with Tyus Bowser makes plenty of sense for the Ravens. While he was a good player for the organization, the NFL is a business, and keeping Bowser around is not good for the long-term interests of the organization. Now entering his age-29 season and coming off multiple injury-plagued years, it’s safe to assume his best years are behind him. When factoring in the salary cap savings, this is a no-brainer.
Will This Be Enough For the Ravens?
Releasing Tyus Bowser is a good first step in the right direction, but the team will need to do more if they want to re-sign their free agents. With Bowser gone, the Ravens will have roughly $5 million in available cap space, but all of that will go away (and then some) if the team uses the franchise tag on Justin Madubuike.
Madubuike is coming off a breakout season, and the Ravens need to make sure that he doesn’t leave the building. The former third-round pick is no prime Aaron Donald, but he’s one of the few interior rushers who can consistently generate pressure from the inside. He’s a must-keep, and the Ravens should also do everything they can to bring back Clowney and Zeitler.
Releasing Tyus Bowser won’t solve all of the Ravens financial woes, but it’s something that needs to be done if they want to have any shot of keeping their best players.
Main Photo: Albert Cesare – USA Today Sports
