Ravens News 3/21: Worst Nightmare

2024 NFL Free Agency: One positive takeaway for all 32 NFL teams

Gordon McGuinness, PFF

BALTIMORE RAVENS: CREATED A BACKFIELD THAT IS AN OPPOSING DEFENSE’S WORST NIGHTMARE

Lamar Jackson is arguably the most dynamic runner we’ve ever seen at quarterback. Derrick Henry is likely a future Hall of Famer after carrying the Tennessee Titans on his back for eight seasons. Now, they join forces as Henry looks to prove he still has plenty in the tank entering his 30s.

If 2023 is any indication, Henry will be just fine. He finished the year with an 86.8 rushing grade, ranking sixth, and led the league in yards after contact during the regular season despite the struggles of Tennessee’s offensive line. Henry figures to fit in seamlessly and shouldn’t have to bear the entire load once Keaton Mitchell returns from his knee injury.

2024 NFL free agency: Top 10 offseason moves so far, including QB gambles by Falcons, Steelers

Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports

5. Ravens sign RB Derrick Henry

Turns out paying decent money to a 30-year-old workhorse running back can be good in the year 2024. Henry may be older, but his supersized frame has enabled him to outlast peers as a pile-pushing, chain-moving featured back, and his job should only get easier in Baltimore next to the electric Lamar Jackson. The fit feels absolutely seamless.

Ravens bringing back slot cornerback Arthur Maulet on two-year deal

Luke Jones, Baltimore Positive

Baltimore announced a two-year agreement with veteran nickel Arthur Maulet, who was a quality contributor for the league’s top-ranked scoring defense last season. The 30-year-old ranked second on the team behind Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton in snaps at slot cornerback (388) in 2023, but the free-agent departure of safety Geno Stone could prompt new defensive coordinator Zach Orr to use Hamilton as a deep safety more frequently. Maulet is likely to compete with Ar’Darius Washington — who re-signed with Baltimore last week — for the primary nickel job this summer. The Ravens are still in need of more outside cornerback depth behind starters Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens after Ronald Darby signed with Jacksonville last week.

In 14 games last season, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Maulet registered 37 tackles, two sacks, one interception, two fumble recoveries, and five pass breakups as he overcame a summer hamstring injury to eventually emerge as a dependable part of the secondary. Pro Football Focus graded him 45th out of 127 qualified cornerbacks last season, which marked the best PFF grade of his seven-year career. Maulet also played a career-high 188 snaps on special teams, finishing with three tackles in that phase of the game.

With Maulet signing, Ravens will still look to add depth at cornerback

Todd Karpovich, BaltimoreSports.com

General manager Eric DeCosta will still need to add a player or two to protect the team against potential injuries.

Humphrey has missed 12 regular-season games in the past three seasons because of various ailments. Stephens appeared in 16 games and Maulet played 14 games last season.

DeCosta could look to the draft for added depth. He could also sign a veteran cornerback to compete against Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson in the AFC North.

Here’s a look at some of the top free-agent cornerbacks still available:

Xavien Howard — He is still a playmaker at 30 and would embrace a leadership role with the Ravens. Howard spent his entire career with the Dolphins and appeared in 13 games, finishing with 45 tackles, 12 passes defended and one interception last season.

Tre’Davious White — The former first-round pick of the Bills in 2017, White still has a lot of solid football ahead of him at 29. While White did not have gaudy numbers last season, finishing with 12 tackles and an interception, he is solid in coverage. However, White suffered season-ending injuries in 2021 (ACL) and 2023 (Achilles).

Adoree’ Jackson — At 28, Jackson still has a huge upside and could be signed to a multi-year deal. Last season with the Giants, Jackson had a 68.6 passer rating against opposing quarterbacks. He also had one interception and allowed just two passing touchdowns.

Steven Nelson — The 31-year-old is coming off a solid season with the Texans, where he started in 16 regular-season games. Nelson broke up 12 passes and tied a career high with four interceptions. He would be a nice complement to the Ravens’ secondary.

2024 NFL free agency: Best team fits for 20 unsigned players

Bill Barnwell, ESPN

Stephon Gilmore, CB

2023 team: Dallas Cowboys

Why he should be signed: Gilmore has been consistent across multiple teams and defenses; he has produced a passer rating in coverage between 73 and 83 in five of the past six seasons, with the lone exception being his Defensive Player of the Year campaign with the Pats, when that mark fell to 44.1. He’s not the receiver-eraser he was during his peak with Bill Belichick, but he’s not getting paid to be that player. He also has only missed one game because of an injury over the past two seasons and played through a dislocated shoulder in the playoff loss.

Best fit: Baltimore Ravens. Cornerback was a roller-coaster for the Ravens last season because of injuries. Marlon Humphrey was in and out of the lineup with various ailments, and Rock Ya-Sin got hurt in the summer and never got back his full-time job. Baltimore turned to veterans such as Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet with surprisingly impressive results, while the organization aborted the plan to move Brandon Stephens to safety and kept him at cornerback.

Takeaways From the Ravens’ Previous Offensive Line Rebuilds

Ryan Mink, BaltimoreRavens.com

2008 – 2012

The good news was the Ravens had a trio of offensive linemen from the 2007 draft who were ready to step into larger roles – first-rounder Ben Grubbs, third rounder Marshal Yanda, and supplemental draft pickup Jared Gaither.

Takeaways:

Finding a franchise left tackle is tough, even in the late first round

Drafting and developing guards is typically a good solution

Need an anchor at center

2013 – 2016

The Ravens let Oher walk in free agency following the 2013 season and put their faith in right tackle Ricky Wagner, a fifth-round pick the year before. Wagner excelled, starting nearly every game for the next three years before inking a big deal with the Lions.

Takeaways:

Middle-round young players stepping into starting roles is hit or miss

Free agent left tackles are expensive and it’s especially costly when they don’t work out

High-quality centers make a big difference

2016 – 2019

The Ravens patched right tackle with veteran Austin Howard in 2017, replacing Wagner, before drafting the replacement, Orlando Brown Jr., in the third round in 2018. Brown became a starter seven games into his rookie season and never looked back en route to becoming a Pro Bowler.

Takeaways:

Maintain a pipeline of Day 3 offensive linemen who can develop into reliable starters

Even a rookie drafted in the middle rounds can start in Year 1 and have success

A top-notch offensive tackle duo can unlock an offense