Around The North: Reviewing Ravens’ offseason

Now that the NFL draft has come and gone it is time to take a hard look at the rest of the AFC North and how they fared this offseason. What key players left in free agency, who’s services did they retain and what players were brought in either through free agency or the NFL draft that will make an impact in 2021? First stop, Baltimore.

Ravens Free Agency

The Ravens best move in free agency came before the league free agency period began, when they signed Guard Kevin Zeitler after he was released by the New York Giants on March 10, 2021.

The Ravens went into the off-season with weapons for QB Lamar Jackson on the mind. They were rumored to be in on high profile wide receivers Kenny Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton but ended up landing a one-year-deal worth $5M with WR Sammy Watkins.

Most of their free agency period was about retaining as many key pieces as they could in a cap crunched off-season. They were able to come to terms with three key defensive players in their front seven in Derek Wolf, Pernell McPhee and Tyus Bowser. Meanwhile, D.J. Fluker, Matt Skura and Willie Snead IV all moved on from the Ravens on the offensive side of the ball and important elements of their pass rush Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue also walked in free agency. In their most recent move, they signed Alejandro Villanueva from AFC North rival Pittsburgh to fill the vacancy at right tackle left after the Orlando Brown trade.

Ravens Draft Class 2021

The Ravens kept their focus on finding a number one wide receiver for Jackson and did just that when they drafted Rashod Bateman with pick 27. The Ravens were able to trade disgruntled OL Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs before the draft and got a second first-round pick as part of their compensation. They used the number 31 overall pick to select EDGE Odafe Oweh from Penn State. They also drafted OL Ben Cleveland and WR Tylan Wallace, both of which could help right away.

2021 Ravens Outlook

The Ravens were able to fill their losses in free agency with a few key signings and some smart draft choices. They offensive line should be able to withstand the offseason due to the key signings of Zeitler and Villaneuva along with rookie draft pick Ben Cleveland who may be called on to play right away.

Their off-season goal to add a number one wide receiver for Jackson was accomplished in the form of Bateman. Watkins’ expected level of contribution is murky as he has really struggled to stay on the field the past few seasons. Wallace could be a nice weapon depending on how quickly he picks things up as a rookie.

With the Ravens, the formula will remain the same. Their offense will present teams with multiple problems on a weekly basis, using Jackson’s athleticism, misdirection and a strong run game to create mismatches and keep defenses off-balance. Can Jackson evolve as a throwing quarterback and take advantage of his newly acquired weapons on the outside?

Their defense lost some significant pieces, but they have young players ready to step up. Bowser, Oweh, and Malik Harrison will have to perform in order to maintain their level of play in the front seven, while their secondary remains one of the best in the league.

On paper, the AFC North looks like a two-team race between the Ravens and the Cleveland Browns. To add to the drama they play each other twice in three weeks late in the season. The Ravens will be good but how good depends on the play of Jackson and some younger players thrust into significant roles. The Browns were unable to beat the Ravens last season and will have to win at least one of their meetings this year if they want to challenge for the AFC North title.