Baltimore Ravens: Is There A Case To Bring Back Jerraud Powers?

One of the few free agents for the Baltimore Ravens has not found a home

The Baltimore Ravens might not be done in free agency. They still have two unrestricted free agents who have not been signed. Along with Kamar Aiken, cornerback Jerraud Powers is one of the free agents who has not found a home. Powers has not attracted a lot of attention in the free agent scene, but it is expected he will have a place to play in 2017. Because the Ravens have already made a lot of noise in free agency, will they look to bring Powers back?

At 29 years old, Powers is still a very serviceable cornerback. He signed a one year deal with the Ravens last offseason after spending the previous three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He started six games last season and finished with 33 tackles and three interceptions, but struggled noticeably. When playing in the slot, he had troubles defending quicker receivers. Slot receivers like Chris Hogan Julian Edleman had their way against the Ravens.

Here is what Baltimore Raven’s staff writer Ryan Mink had to say about the case to bring back Powers:

"Powers signed a one-year deal with the Ravens last May after being a regular starter with the Arizona Cardinals the three years prior. He came to Baltimore to transition to being a slot cornerback who could provide versatility by playing on the outside, and did just that. Behind Jimmy Smith and, eventually, Tavon Young, Powers provided a solid veteran in the secondary."

Time to move on

I do not disagree with the versatility of Powers, especially with the experience he has at the position, but Mink’s article was written before the addition of Brandon Carr. Carr essentially acts as the replacement for Powers. He is more of an everyday start and he has not missed a single game in his career.

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The bottom line is that the Ravens should move on from Powers. With that being said, if they can bring him back for a reasonable price, I think it would be a good move. He is very familiar with new safety signing Tony Jefferson, since the two played in Arizona together. Ultimately there will be other teams who will be able to offer Powers more money and the Ravens must be wise in spending the remaining cap money that they have.

It is time for the Ravens to start looking young at the position. Every single year it seems to be the weakest link for the defense. But going into this season, things are looking up. Jimmy Smith will be back healthy and adding Carr is an instant upgrade. Tavon Young had a very impressive rookie season and he will look to build on it. If the Ravens can bring in a young corner in the draft, it will add even more depth. I think the secondary will be one of the strong points for the Ravens in 2017 with or without Powers.