ExtremeRavens Posted October 10 Posted October 10 Ravens coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to trying to salvage what has been a sinking ship through the first five games of the NFL season. A day later, general manager Eric DeCosta signed polarizing but talented safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, then a few hours later traded 2021 first-round draft pick and underperforming outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers for another safety, veteran Alohi Glman. The two moves should be an immediate boost to a banged-up secondary that up until now had lacked depth and experience. They are also probably not the last that will be made in the coming weeks and ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Asked Wednesday if Baltimore will continue to look at who could be available via trade or free agency, Harbaugh responded in the affirmative. That’s particularly true when it comes to the pass rush, which he said has to be better. “The guys [we currently have] will be in there, and their reps will ramp up,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see how they handle it and see if they can get to the quarterback. Then, I’m sure until the trade deadline, those are going to be conversations that will be had.” Getting to the quarterback has been one of the Ravens’ biggest problems so far. After leading the NFL in sacks in 2023 and tying for the second-most last season, Baltimore is tied for the second-fewest in the league this year. Only the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears have fewer than the Ravens’ six sacks. By dealing Oweh, the Ravens didn’t detract from that total. He has zero, which, along with being in the final year of his contract, made him one of the few defensive assets that Baltimore would be able and willing to trade. Oweh, 26, was second on the team with 10 sacks last season, but after bulking up in the offseason he hasn’t looked like the same player, ranking 33rd in pressure rate (11%), per TruMedia. He also unsurprisingly sounded like he was happy to move on after not getting a contract extension last year, a sign that this would be his last season in Baltimore. “I was really trying to get an opportunity to be in a new system and prove what I can to people that are really trying to see that,” he told reporters in Los Angeles. “so I have a little animosity on my back.” Still, Oweh’s departure means that the Ravens have one less body to try to manufacture sacks from. Add to the calculus that they lost disruptive defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike for at least the rest of this season because of a neck injury, and the problem only worsens. There is, however, a silver lining. After trading Oweh, the Ravens are now $14.34 million under the salary cap, per Over the Cap, thus providing the financial wherewithal to make another move or two at least. The most pressing needs? Edge rusher and defensive line. Here is a look at some potentially available options, including some who likely aren’t. Jaelan Phillips, EDGE With the Dolphins also floundering at 1-4 but even less likely to pull out of their tailspin, Miami figures to be sellers at the deadline. In the final year of a contract that will pay him $13.25 million this season, Phillips, the former first-round pick out of the University of Miami, is certainly a viable option. He’s also probably only a slight upgrade over Oweh with only one sack this season and a lengthy injury history. Still, he was a player the Ravens liked coming out of college and perhaps the 26-year-old would be rejuvenated in a new setting. Phillips has 24 career sacks, which included 8 1/2 as a rookie in 2021, seven in 2022 and 6 1/2 in just eight games in 2023 before injuries took root. Though he has just one sack this year, he has a pressure rate of 17.3%, per Pro Football Focus. There could also be competition, with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys among teams in need of a proven pass rusher. Dolphins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb could be an affordable option at pass rusher. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) Bradley Chubb, EDGE Like Phillips, Chubb has a significant injury history — and he’s older at age 29. He also is an attractive option given a cheap price tag after his contract was reworked this offseason, paying him just $1.255 million in salary with much of his compensation converted to a signing bonus. His price tag in 2026 would likely make him a salary cap casualty for Miami this offseason, so jettisoning him ahead of the deadline makes sense. Chubb has four sacks this year and was a game-wrecker before suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Ravens in Week 17 of 2023 that also sidelined him all of last season. For his career, he has 43 1/2 sacks across six-plus seasons in Denver and Miami, though this season he also has just 10 pressures in 103 pass rush snaps. Azeez Ojulari, EDGE With the Eagles losing Ogbo Okoronkwo for the year to a triceps injury in Week 4 and Nolan Smith Jr. on injured reserve and likely out until around Week 9, Ojulari has gone from healthy scratch to starter for Philadelphia. The former New York Giants second-round pick played 46% of the defensive snaps last week and logged three tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. Still, the Eagles could perhaps be willing to deal the 25-year-old who signed a one-year, $3 million contract in the offseason after four years and 22 sacks in 46 games with the Giants. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and DeCosta like splashy moves, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either make one. Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell previously played for the Ravens and almost returned last year in a trade. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Calais Campbell, DE The former Raven nearly returned to Baltimore at the trade deadline last year until Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stepped in at the 11th hour to prevent the trade. Now, Campbell is with the Arizona Cardinals after signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the team that drafted him and also tried to trade for him last season. With the Cardinals at 2-3 and in last place in the NFC West, could they look to deal the 18-year veteran? Despite turning 39 in September, Campbell is still producing with three sacks along with 11 pressures, per PFF, and an overall grade of 76.1, which ranks 17th among defensive linemen. Last year’s potential deal for Campbell involved a fifth-round pick, which the Ravens are slated to have four of in 2026. Quinnen Williams, DT With Madubuike lost for the year, veteran Broderick Washington Jr. still on injured reserve and the Ravens’ defensive line struggling to cause any sort of disruption, adding to the group with a player of Williams’ pedigree could provide a jolt. It also seems unlikely that New York would be willing to part with the defensive star, who has 40 career sacks in six-plus seasons (though only one this year). He also signed a four-year, $96 million extension in July of 2023, so such a maneuver would likely require the Jets eating a healthy amount of money. It would also cost the Ravens some significant draft capital, something they’ve typically been reticent to part with. Christian Wilkins, DT Desperate times perhaps call for desperate measures. Wilkins hasn’t played in a game since Week 5 of last season. His release by the Las Vegas Raiders was also shrouded in controversy over his foot injury recovery and a disagreement over another surgery. He would be another big personality in a locker room that already includes Jaire Alexander and Gardner-Johnson, among others. On the upside, he’d also cost very little on a one-year prove-it deal. But if Baltimore hasn’t signed him by now, it seems unlikely it would do so, especially with so many questions surrounding his health. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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