Baltimore Ravens: Top 3 inside linebacker options this offseason

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08: Josh Bynes #57 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after sacking Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills (not pictured) during the first half in the game at New Era Field on December 08, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08: Josh Bynes #57 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after sacking Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills (not pictured) during the first half in the game at New Era Field on December 08, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 01: Josh Bynes #57 of the Baltimore Ravens greets fans as he prepares to take the field against the San Francisco 49ers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 01: Josh Bynes #57 of the Baltimore Ravens greets fans as he prepares to take the field against the San Francisco 49ers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Option number 2: Sign Josh Bynes and draft Akeem Davis-Gaither:

When Josh Bynes was signed off the street he, along with some other players that the Ravens brought in, changed the defense. All of a sudden the defense went from a worrying question mark to a strength of the team. Though Bynes  is an older player, he played well and the Ravens should strongly consider giving him a contract. This would not only fill a hole on the defense, but Josh Bynes should not cost all that much to sign either. If the Ravens do decide that this is the route to go, they should look at the later rounds in the 2020 draft to grab a player.

One interesting player that they can look at is Akeem Davis-Gaither. Davis-Gaither had a great year for the Appalachian State Mountaineers, he was so good that he was actually named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the year. He has a similar build to Kenneth Murray as both players stand at 6’2″, have similar athleticism, but Davis-Gaither is about 20 pounds lighter than Murray. Beyond his weight concerns, there is also a question about his level of competition. He never had the chance to prove himself against a team like LSU, but he did do what NFL evaluators wanted him to do, completely dominate the lesser competition.

In fact, he played so well in the conference that he was asked to participate in the senior bowl and impressed there as well. Davis-Gaither has only helped his draft stock since the end of the college season and he looks to be a solid choice in the 3rd or 4th round of the NFL Draft. Allowing Josh Bynes to be a bridge linebacker for Davis-Gaither would make a ton of sense for the Ravens. If Davis-Gather is allowed to sit and grow for a year, he could end up being an impact player for the Ravens.

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