Baltimore Ravens should bring back Patrick Onwuasor
The Baltimore Ravens have been surprisingly busy this offseason making acquisitions and retaining their own guys. Patrick Onwuasor should be next to resign.
Inside linebacker hasn’t been the Baltimore Ravens strongest spot in recent years. C.J. Mosley was able to hold down the fort for a bit, but he departed to New York last offseason. Patrick Onwuasor looked to be a suitable replacement, but he was clearly not ready to be handed the reigns to the defense. Onwuasor is also currently a free agent and no lock to come back to Charm City.
I’m here to tell you though, the Ravens should have a heavy interest in having Onwuasor return for 2020 and maybe even beyond that.
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Right now, Baltimore has L.J. Fort and Chris Board pegged as the starting inside linebackers. I don’t have to tell you just how bad that looks, especially when you look at the rest of the defense. That only makes Patrick Onwuasor look more like an oasis in the desert.
Beyond the pressing need at the position, Patrick Onwuasor is also familiar with how things are run in Baltimore. Familiarity is key, and this is something the Ravens have shown to be fans of. The team has already brought back four key defenders from their 2019 squad (Jimmy Smith, Anthony Levine, Jihad Ward, Justin Ellis). Onwuasor logically should join that group.
Onwuasor is a pretty versatile chess piece for defensive coordinator, Don Martindale, to use as well. Onwuasor has 9.5 sacks over the last three seasons, as well as five turnovers (one interception, four fumbles) in that same time span. Onwuasor is a terrific pass rusher from the middle of the defense but is also a stud in coverage.
While this isn’t to paint the picture that Patrick Onwuasor is some elite linebacker, he’s certainly better than what the Ravens have right now. Combine this with the familiarity he has with the defense and it goes without saying that this reunion makes sense.
Of course, bringing back Onwuasor doesn’t completely solve Baltimore’s need for more talent at the position. However, the team holds the 28th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and they’re in play for two top-tier linebacker prospects in LSU’s Patrick Queen and Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray. Either of them would boost the defense, but pairing one of them with Patrick Onwuasor sounds extremely enticing.
The bottom line here is that the Baltimore Ravens must seriously consider bringing back Patrick Onwuasor, at least they should if they value having a complete defense.
Next. 2020 Baltimore Ravens defense looks nearly completed. dark
Patrick Onwuasor is not a Pro Bowl-level player, but he’s been a key contributor for the Baltimore Ravens defense over the last few seasons. The market hasn’t been what Onwuasor hoped for the Ravens maintain a large need at the position. A homecoming between the two parties just makes too much sense.