Ebony Bird
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Who the Baltimore Ravens lost this off-season and who replaces them

By Richard Bradshaw

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 06: Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers hugs Terrell Suggs #55 2 of the Baltimore Ravens after the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 06, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Chargers defeated the Ravens with a score of 23 to 17. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 06: Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers hugs Terrell Suggs #55 2 of the Baltimore Ravens after the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 06, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Chargers defeated the Ravens with a score of 23 to 17. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND – JUNE 10: Patrick Onwuasor #48 of the Baltimore Ravens poses for a photo at the Under Armour Performance Center on June 10, 2019 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND – JUNE 10: Patrick Onwuasor #48 of the Baltimore Ravens poses for a photo at the Under Armour Performance Center on June 10, 2019 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Lost: C.J. Mosley

Perhaps no loss was bigger for the Baltimore Ravens this off-season than the departure of four-time Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley. While he was far from perfect, he commanded the Ravens defense with authority and high-level football I.Q. Mosley demanded the absolute best from his teammates and was routinely leading the team to top-end defensive performances year-in and year-out.

Baltimore was floored when they discovered that Mosley would be leaving via Free Agency for the New York Jets. It was obvious that they got caught with their pants down, with no real solution to fill the void Mosley left. While the Ravens defense could have been just fine reloading the players they already lost, many are now questioning how far the team’s defense will fall without their leader.

It’s certainly a fair question. Mosley was considered one of the league’s top inside linebackers from his rookie season back in 2014. He was the best linebacker the Ravens have had since Ray Lewis retired, and now he’s gone. How could you possibly replace him in one off-season?

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Replacement: Patrick Onwuasor

The short answer to the above question is you can’t. However, the Baltimore Ravens have always employed the “next man up” mentality. After all, Baltimore is used to having their roster purge most off-seasons because of the talent they can’t resign. Yes, C.J. Mosley will be a regrettable loss, but they can overcome it. This will ring especially true if Patrick Onwuasor picks up 2019 where he left off previously.

“Peanut” only recorded 59 tackles last year, but he made plays all over the field. Onwuasor notched an impressive 5.5 sacks from his inside linebacker position with two forced fumbles and an interception to top it off. While Mosley was racking up the tackles, it was Onwuasor who was making the big plays.

Now entering a contract, make-or-break season, Onwuasor will be out to truly prove himself to the league. Another season like he had in 2018 will make him a prized commodity, but we can expect an uptick in his tackle numbers for sure. Onwuasor and his partner in crime Kenny Young should be good enough to help the Ravens defense stay on track in 2019.

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