How much better will the Baltimore Ravens be in 2020?
Eric Decosta has been active in free agency and has a ton of picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Baltimore Ravens could be the most complete team in the NFL.
Eric Decosta has been wheeling and dealing at the start of NFL free agency, signing impact players and bolstering the defensive line. There are still some moves to be made, but the Baltimore Ravens already look better on paper than they did in 2019.
When the NFL free agency period began, most Ravens fans usually expect the Ravens to sit back, watch many big-name players get signed and then pounce on veteran players. Eric Decosta was having none of that, he kicked things off by grabbing Calais Campbell and then followed that up by signing Michael Brockers.
Both players bring not the only size to the position, but they are versatile players. Campbell is an especially important pickup because he can pass rush from the outside or inside of the line. The inside pass rush was a huge issue last year, that problem has been mostly fixed with the additions of Campbell and Brockers.
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Another move that was important was trading Hayden Hurst to the Falcons. I wrote a few weeks ago that the Ravens probably wouldn’t be able to get a first-round pick for him, but getting a second and a fifth-round pick would be a nice haul and Eric Decosta did just that. Though they did have to give up 4th round pick up, that is still a very good trade for the Ravens considering Hurst was the 3rd string tight end. The Ravens might want to look towards the later round of the draft to pick up a tight end that they can develop now that Hurst is gone. Perhaps turning their fifth-round pick into another Nick Boyle type player.
The Ravens also made some more subtle moves like signing Jihad Ward and Justin Elis. Both players were more motor players than anything else, but I like the Ward signing a lot. He is still working on his craft and has the build that you like to see in a pass rusher. Another move that the Ravens made is declining Brandon Carr’s option. Though he is a very reliable player, the Ravens were cash strapped and it made sense to move on from a player who is about to be 34.