[Baltimore Sun] Should the Ravens make a move ahead of NFL trade deadline? Here’s who they might target.
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The NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline is still three weeks away, but the waters are already churning.
The Seattle Seahawks and former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald struck first this week, acquiring defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2026 sixth-round pick. The New York Jets followed Tuesday with the splashiest move thus far, reuniting their quarterback Aaron Rodgers with three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, whom they acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2025 conditional third-round pick that can become a second-round pick. And the Buffalo Bills, who the Ravens blew out 35-10 three weeks ago, got quarterback Josh Allen more help with the addition of wide receiver and five-time Pro Bowl selection Amari Cooper from the 1-5 Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2025 pick swap as well as a seventh-round selection in 2026.
What, if anything, will the Ravens do?
The biggest areas of need are at pass rusher, defensive back and possibly along a talented but thin interior of the defensive line.
Though Baltimore has the fifth-most sacks (19) in the league this season, the Ravens are just 12th in pass rush win rate, per ESPN analytics. Kyle Van Noy’s six sacks lead the team, Odafe Oweh has been a solid contributor with 3 1/2 and the addition of Yannick Ngakoue could help, but with Van Noy having turned 33 this year Baltimore might have to manage his snaps down the stretch.
On the back end, free safety Marcus Williams has struggled mightily in pass coverage, while cornerback Nate Wiggins has unsurprisingly had the ups and downs that often go with being a rookie on the outside. Consequently, Baltimore’s defense, which led the NFL in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game last season, hasn’t come close to matching that production, ranking 24th in points per game (24.8), 31st in passing yards per game (275.7) and having tied for the third-fewest interceptions with three.
Of course, many fans have already been clamoring for the Ravens to provide quarterback Lamar Jackson with a star wide receiver, most notably Adams, whom Baltimore wasn’t interested in pursuing even before he was traded to the Jets.
To set its sights on another receiver, though, would be to address a problem that largely doesn’t exist. The Ravens already have the league’s No. 1 offense in defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) and lead or are near the top in other metrics as well.
They also already have a bevy of talented pass catchers, from 2023 first-round draft pick receivers Zay Flowers and 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman, who is perhaps finally starting to find his groove, to tight ends Mark Andrews and the ascendent Isaiah Likely.
Still, while the NFL trade deadline doesn’t have the same action of the NBA’s or MLB’s, there are team-altering deals that will be made. Two years ago, Baltimore acquired All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears for its 2023 second- and fifth-round picks as well as veteran linebacker A.J. Klein and that looks like a steal now (though Smith has struggled in pass coverage).
With that in mind, here’s a look at who the Ravens could target over the next few weeks.
Trading for linebacker Roquan Smith has proven to be a valuable decision for the Ravens. Could they add another defensive difference maker at this year’s trade deadline? (Kim Hairston/Staff)
Haason Reddick, outside linebacker
Jets owner Woody Johnson has given Reddick — who hasn’t practiced or played for New York since getting dealt from the Philadelphia Eagles in April over a lack of a contract extension — permission to seek the trade he requested over the summer, according to The Athletic. His new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, meanwhile, told ESPN it’s his desire to keep Reddick in New York.
The bad news for Baltimore is that he would be owed $10 million for the rest of the season, according to Over The Cap, and whatever team acquires him would likely be looking at a two- or three-year extension.
The good news for the Ravens is that he would significantly bolster a defense that already has the fifth-most sacks in the NFL. Reddick, 30, has tallied double-digit sacks each of the past four years and had 11 with the Eagles last season.
Jadeveon Clowney, outside linebacker
At 1-5 and with 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young having already been benched this season for Andy Dalton, the Carolina Panthers are going nowhere. At 31 years old, Clowney isn’t sticking around for a long and messy rebuild after signing a two-year, $20 million free agent deal in the offseason.
Jadeveon Clowney played well for Baltimore in 2023. Could the Ravens try to bring him back for the second half of the 2024 season? (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)
That makes him an attractive trade piece for a contender.
Baltimore certainly fits the bill, and he’d fit right in to return after matching his career high with 9 1/2 sacks for the Ravens last season. Clowney would also be affordable to the salary-cap strapped Ravens ($4.12 million of room, per Over The Cap) since Carolina already paid him his $8 million signing bonus plus six game checks, thus reducing his $6 million cap hit for this season significantly.
Jonathan Jones, cornerback
The New England Patriots are 1-5 and in last place in the AFC East, where the Jets could be poised to make a run at the division leading Bills.
That could have the Patriots looking to deal Jones, who is in the final year of his two-year, $19 million contract. This season, he has 25 tackles, three passes defensed, a forced fumble and is just two years removed from a career-high four interception season.
Though the Ravens have a number of cornerbacks, general manager Eric DeCosta is fond of saying they can never have too many and adding someone like Jones could help bolster depth.
DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver
As long as Jackson is the quarterback of the Ravens, it seems there will be a never-ending fascination (obsession?) from Baltimore fans to see him paired with a big-name wide receiver. It’s understandable given the historical lack of production from the position during his tenure.
Of course, Hopkins (along with Odell Beckham Jr.) was one of two wish-list receivers Jackson named during contract negotiations last season, so there is at least some connection, and the Tennessee Titans (1-4) figure to be sellers.
But with a $18.31 million cap hit coming into the season, it would take some gymnastics to fit the 32-year-old onto the roster. Besides, as coach John Harbaugh said recently about the team’s receivers: “We like our guys.”
No one
The Ravens have a history of being prudent and not pushing the panic button when it comes to making moves (see: the offensive line).
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Still, they reached the cusp of a Super Bowl last season, Jackson is again having a Most Valuable Player-caliber season and the roster is built to win now. So DeCosta likely won’t rest on what is currently a four-game winning-streak as some sort of barometer if he can land a player he believes will push them over the edge without sacrificing too much capital.
An injury can also change everything and force him to act quickly.
But even without making a move, Baltimore has weathered an 0-2 start and the toughest part of its schedule. The offense is humming. The defense continues to struggle, but it does have Pro Bowl talent at every level.
What will the Ravens do?
At this point, all that matters is fielding a team capable of reaching a Super Bowl. Whether that includes making a move ahead of the trade deadline remains to be seen.
Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.
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