Patrick Onwuasor and Michael Pierce are Ravens cornerstones
After the Baltimore Ravens designated second round tenders to RFAs Patrick Onwuasor and Michael Pierce, it’s evident that they’re the defense’s future.
The Baltimore Ravens defense is constantly being reshuffled. Between veterans coming and going and young studs out-pricing themselves to return to Charm City, the Ravens are used to change. Regardless, Baltimore is consistently rolling out one of the NFL’s top defenses even with its losses.
But every once in a while, a player or two shine and the team decides they’re worth holding onto. With this past few days giving us all the evidence we need, it seems clear as day that the Baltimore Ravens have linebacker Patrick Onwuasor and Michael Pierce in their long-term plans.
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Both Onwuasor and Pierce were assigned second round tenders by the team, as both were set to be restricted free agents. Now, if a team wants to sign either of them, they have to forfeit their 2019 second round pick. Additionally, if another team tries to sign one of these two, the Ravens can opt to match whatever deal is made to them and sign that player to said deal.
By doing this, Baltimore has acknowledged how talented these young men are, as well as their importance to the defense. It just so happens that both Onwausor and Pierce were undrafted free agents back in 2016, the same draft that saw the Ravens add left tackle Ronnie Stanley, slot corner Tavon Young, and pass rusher Matt Judon. To call 2016 a haul would be an understatement.
However, it truly was all about those two UDFAs, as their impact has been arguably bigger for the team considering their low cap hits. With Baltimore tagging both these players, it would appear that both will be in the fold for the Ravens defense moving forward.
Who can blame them? Both players have been outstanding, particularly Pierce, who has been a star since his rookie year. On the other had, Onwuasor had a breakout season in 2018 and looks like the top linebacker on the team if C.J. Mosley leaves via Free Agency. Either way, the defense is in good hands with these two.
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The Baltimore Ravens are one of the best in the business when it comes to identifying homegrown talent and deciding who to extend and let go of. Between Patrick Onwuasor and Michael Pierce, Baltimore has two foundation pieces to continue structuring this defense around, and it would appear that they won’t be leaving Charm City any time soon.