Baltimore Ravens Free Agency Losses and Possible Replacements

Jackson Thompson

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Josh Harris (40) carries the ball as Baltimore Ravens free safety Darian Stewart (24) and Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee (90) tackle in the second quarter during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Free agency isn’t over yet, not by a long shot. There are still plenty of valuable players whose asking prices have dropped to levels that won’t crush a team’s salary cap. Here are the players that the Ravens have lost since the beginning of free agency and who they might find to replace them:

Dec 14, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) scrambles away from Baltimore Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee (90) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore Ravens defeated Jacksonville Jaguars 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

OLB Pernell McPhee: signed with Chicago Bears, five years $40 million

McPhee was a hot commodity this free agency period after notching 7.5 sacks in a part-time role in 2014, his most since the 6 sacks of his rookie year. ESPN.com’s Bill Polian gave McPhee an A- grade in this year’s free agency class, and the test will be to see if he can keep it up in a full-time gig.

At 26 years old, his star should be on the rise, but even if McPhee matches his production from last year, is he worth the roughly $8 million a year the Bears are paying him? They will certainly hope so, but the Ravens were trying to free up cap space and Ozzie Newsome decided to spend his shillings elsewhere.

To me, the Pernell McPhee situation seems similar to the Paul Kruger’s back in 2013. He had a good year and got overpaid in the offseason. The moral of the story here kids: if you can get to the quarterback, you will get paid in the NFL.

How to replace him: The Ravens are still stacked in their front seven and as long as they have Terrell Suggs, Courtney Upshaw, and Elvis Dumervil on the outside, they should be fine. They will almost assuredly be picking up a pass rushing DE or OLB in the draft to take McPhee’s ancillary role.

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Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore (80) celebrates with Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

WR Torrey Smith: signed with San Francisco 49ers, five years $40 million

Those of you who drafted Torrey Smith in fantasy football last year might not be too upset to see him go, but the guy did score 11 touchdowns last season. 11. That’s a lot. And while his reception totals were down as well as his average yards/catch, Smith still ranked 7^th in yards/catch among receivers with 40+ receptions at 15.7.

Torrey is still only 26, so the 49ers are hoping he can continue to grow and provide the deep threat to complement their catch monster, Anquan Boldin. Side note: the 49ers (2) now have almost as many members of the Ravens’ Superbowl-winning 2013 offense as the current Ravens (5).

How to replace him: Currently, the top four receivers on the roster are Steve Smith Sr., Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken, and Michael Campanaro. Given the lack of moves the Ravens have made in free agency and the relatively deep draft class, Ozzie Smith seems content to roll with these guys plus a rookie or two.

You can never count out the age-less Steve Smith, but he will be 36 when the season starts. Marlon Brown has shown flashes in the past few seasons, but is most likely suited as a number three receiver. Kamar Aiken is a bit of a wild card as he did score three touchdowns in the Ravens’ final five games last year, but his lack of experience is not confidence inspiring.

Interestingly enough, former 49ers WR Michael Crabtree is still available in free agency, and he might be a nice pick up if he falls to the right price. Other free agent options include former Raider Denarius Moore, recently cut Greg Jennings, former Colt Hakeem Nicks, or dark horse veterans Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, or Nate Washington.

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Oct 26, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Haloti Ngata (92) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsNgata has been a franchise staple for many years and is still a force up front but he is 31, coming off a down year, and the Ravens could not seem to get a satisfactory extension completed with him. By trading him to the Detroit Lions, they saved roughly $8.5 million against the cap which gives them the flexibility to shore up other spots of the team. They also picked up a fourth- and fifth- round pick in this years draft which are great spots to draft some blue collar guys and possible impact players down the road.

Haloti Ngata traded to Detroit Lions for fourth (No. 125) and fifth (No. 158) round picks

Ngata has been a franchise staple for many years and is still a force up front but he is 31, coming off a down year, and the Ravens could not seem to get a satisfactory extension completed with him.

By trading Ngata to the Detroit Lions, they saved roughly $8.5 million against the cap which gives them the flexibility to shore up other spots of the team. They also picked up a fourth and fifth round pick in this year’s draft, which are great spots to draft some blue collar guys and possible impact players down the road.

How to replace him: The Ravens are going to rely heavily on second year player Timmy Jernigan and third year pro Brandon Williams who started 14 games last year. Jernigan was a highly touted prospect last year and Williams played well with 46 tackles inside, so they probably feel pretty comfortable with the two but will certainly supplement the position in the draft. The Ravens also resigned RFA DE/DT Christo Biluki to a two year deal for added depth.

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Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Owen Daniels (81) reaches for the ball in front of New England Patriots outside linebacker Jamie Collins (91) during the fourth quarter in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

TE Owen Daniels signed with Denver Broncos, three years $12.5 million

Daniels really stepped up when Dennis Pitta went down again and provided a great outlet for Joe Flacco. Daniels has always been a productive player since his days with the Texans, but he followed Gary Kubiak to Denver (Kubiak man crush?) and losing him creates a real void to fill on the offense.

How to replace him: Dennis Pitta’s return is sadly no sure thing, and unless the Ravens know something about incumbent starter Crockett Gillmore that we don’t (which is entirely possible) they will almost assuredly address the position in free agency.

Some of the bigger names that have been floated around: Jermaine Gresham, James Casey, Rob Housler and Zach Miller. It seems like Miller, who looked very promising as a Raider, might be the front-runner but he does come with injury concerns. Casey and Housler are both really solid players who could fit in nicely. If Maxx Williams out of Minnesota falls to them in the second round of the draft, don’t be surprised if they pull the trigger.

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Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Bernard Pierce (30) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game in the first half at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

RB Bernard Pierce waived by Ravens ($140 thousand cap hit) claimed by Jacksonville Jaguars

Pierce had fallen out of favor in Baltimore and tumbled to fourth on the depth chart behind Fitzgerald Toussaint. He was not a lock to make the team anyway, and his arrest for drunk driving was more than enough reason for the team to part ways. At only 24 years old, the Jaguars are hoping he can provide depth and maybe surprise production to their rag tag running back corps.

How to replace him: Pierce’s replacements are already on the roster with newly re-signed Justin Forsett, and the two second-year players Lorenzo Taliaferro and Toussaint. Apparently, the Ravens like to choose their running backs by length of their last names. There has been talk of the Ravens taking a RB in the draft with Melvin Gordon coming for a visit. This is certainly an option as the Ravens badly need playmakers on the offense and Forsett will be 30 in October with a team-friendly deal.

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Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones (12) carries the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC wild card playoff game at Heinz Field. The Ravens defeated the Steelers 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

WR Jacoby Jones cut by Ravens ($2.6 million cap hit) and signed with San Diego Chargers, two years, $5.5 million

Jones fell out of favor and the Ravens cut him in a salary cap move, despite their obvious need at WR. He never lived up to his potential on offense but was solid in the return game, earning Pro-Bowl honors in 2012.

How to replace him: We’ve already talked about the options on offense, and as for the return game, look for Michael Campanaro to take over those duties unless they can find a cheap veteran or someone in the draft.

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Oct 12, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Baltimore Ravens free safety Darian Stewart (24) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

S Darian Stewart signed with Denver Broncos, two years $4.25 million

Stewart had a fine year for the Ravens at free safety, starting 14 games with 53 tackles and 1 interception. He’ll take over as the starting free safety for the Denver Broncos.

How to replace him: The Ravens quickly signed Stewart’s replacement in Kendrick Lewis, who will be an upgrade after recording 84 tackles from the free safety position last year. The safety position seems reasonably secure overall with veterans Will Hill and Matt Elam also in the fold.

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Oct 12, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

QB Tyrod Taylor signed with Buffalo Bills, three years $3.35 million

An under-the-radar pickup by the Bills, losing Taylor actually creates a solid hole on the roster at backup QB behind Joe Flacco. Incumbent backup Keith Wenning from Ball State only has one year of experience, and though Flacco has not had much trouble with injuries, you really need a solid backup plan at QB in this league to win.

How to replace him: Look for the Ravens to add a cheap veteran or a QB at the back end of the draft. Some options include: Jason Campbell, Austin Davis, or recently cut Matt Schaub.

Next: Ravens Aren't Done Signing Free Agents Yet

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Jackson Thompson