NFL Trade Deadline: Players Ravens should inquire about

Bruce Irvin:

It’s best to start off this list with a realistic option on multiple fronts. For starters, the Oakland Raiders are huge sellers right now, and are having a fire-sale on their roster. Everything must go and their roster purge is as big as we’ve seen in quite sometime. A team like the Ravens should capitalize before the trade deadline is up.

Of the many players on the Raiders chopping block, one whose name isn’t brought up enough is edge rusher Bruce Irvin. Irvin, a soon-to-be 31-year old veteran who signed a four-year $37 million contract back in 2016, is the kind of short-term option Baltimore loves to add in the off-season. While never anything flashy, Irvin does have 40.0 career sacks, and 18.0 over the last two+ seasons with the Silver and Black.

Irvin has never been the big stats guys, as his career-high in sacks is just 8.0, but the pressure and the ferocity he brings off the edge is invaluable to a defense. The Ravens have been able to get sacks from plenty of players this season no problem, but you can never have too many good pass rushers on your depth chart. While Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith both have 5.5 sacks on the season, the rest of the team only has about two-or-so sacks per individual. Meanwhile, guys like Matt Judon haven’t taken that next step we were all hoping he would, as he has just 1.5 sacks on the season. Adding a guy like Irvin helps to change that narrative.

Rotating guys in constantly is something Baltimore loves to do, and they always have. Adding Irvin would not only be a smart business move, but it would come pretty cheap. Irvin shouldn’t be seen in the Ravens long-term plans, but he can help get them over the top in 2018. Irvin presents the most realistic trade deadline scenario for the Ravens that we have listed here.