Ravens debates: Should the Ravens bring Matt Judon back?
Richard Bradshaw: Don’t break the bank for Judon
Matt Judon is a stud, but is he worth paying top end money for?
The argument that he is because the Baltimore Ravens pass rush is a porous unit without him. We saw the team struggle to get after the quarterback in 2019 after losing Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs in the offseason. Baltimore can ill afford to lose Judon now, too.
While it looked like Baltimore couldn’t cope with the losses of Smith and Suggs, they did a pretty solid job all things considered.
The Ravens are a team that’s better off reloading through the draft than paying guys to rush the passer. So yes, this also means that Baltimore should pass on paying big money for a different edge rusher this offseason. In fact, it would be better off for the Ravens to go with a “pass rush by committee” approach and simply stick the cupboards with guys instead of investing in just one guy.
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The thing with Matt Judon is he’s an established leader for the team and fits the “Play like a Raven” mantra well. It’s tough to consistently lose guys like that each offseason.
Right now, the Ravens have a big window for a Super Bowl championship and the team shouldn’t get caught up in resigning every single one of their key free agents. Look what’s happening to the Minnesota Vikings, who are in cap hell because of it.
The other thing to consider is bringing back Judon would require he break the bank and he’s simply not worth elite money. He’s a good, not great edge rusher and will get paid the big bucks by a team desperate for pass rushing help.
The smart move would be to franchise tag Judon and then trade him for assets in the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s best to get their money’s worth sooner rather than later and Judon could net Baltimore as high as a second round pick.