The Baltimore Ravens have signed Justin Ellis and Domata Peko according to reports. These are sneaky good signing for the Ravens:
The Baltimore Ravens have never had this many smart in season moves before. After adding L.J. Fort, Josh Bynes and Jihad Ward to the fold, the Ravens are getting even more help for the defense.
The Ravens signing of Domata Peko is a very solid move. Peko played for the Bengals from 2006-2016. He spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos and now he’s a Raven. Peko has a reputation as being a tough nose guard. He’s a guy who will do some of the dirty work in the trenches. If you think older Michael Pierce, that’s exactly what the Ravens got here. Peko isn’t flashy but he can push the pocket a little bit and he’s hard to move out of his gap.
Justin Ellis is another good move by the Ravens. He was with the Oakland Raiders from 2014-2018. He got hurt in the 2018 season and he hasn’t played since. He’s only 28, has starting experience and probably has a good bit of football left in the tank. In 2017 he was in on 48 tackles. If Ellis can return to the level of play he gave the Raiders, the Ravens just got a solid contributor for their defensive front.
The defensive line was a need whether or not Michael Pierce misses time. It wasn’t a very deep position group for the Ravens. Joe Mixon had his only 100 yard games of the season with Michael Pierce out of the action. Brandon Williams missed the game against the Cleveland Browns and Nick Chubb ran wild on the Ravens’ defense. The Ravens over reliance on two players on the defensive line was a sign of a problem.
Ravens roster tinkering with a playoff push ahead. In the last 6 days, they:
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) November 12, 2019
✔️Bolstered D-Line: signed Justin Ellis & Domata Peko; Daylon Mack on IR, waived Ufomba Kamalu
✔️Addressed returner: signed De’Anthony Thomas, cut Cyrus Jones
✔️Helped STs/DBs: activated Iman Marshall
The Ravens depend on the defensive line doing being space eaters. If the Ravens can make a team one dimensional they can force teams to challenge their secondary to a duel. The pass rush has been a problem for the Ravens however, and these two signings should help with that.
Whether or not Ellis and Peko provide more interior pass rush they will make life easier on blitzing linebackers and defensive backs. Expect more stunts, and more ways for Don Martindale to bring pressure because that was happening one way or another.
The Ravens signed two solid players. These are under the radar players who have experience. They will strengthen the defensive front for a Ravens defense that has already been getting better.