The Linebackers:
Whether you’re are talking about inside or outside linebackers the Baltimore Ravens have had a linebacker filled offseason. The Ravens tried to reach a long-term deal with outside linebacker Matt Judon but ended up sticking the franchise tag on him instead. In one move, Judon became the biggest chunk out of the Ravens salary cap for the 2020 season. There was a lot of talk about outside linebackers in free agency.
A lot of fans wondered if the Ravens were in the running for players like Jadeveon Clowney and Yannick Ngakoue. Then we were left to wonder if maybe the Ravens were in the market for Everson Griffen or Clay Matthews. The Ravens ended up with another contract for Pernell McPhee. The Ravens went through the NFL Draft without signing an edge rusher. They made their defensive efforts all about the defensive line and the inside linebackers. So let’s talk inside linebackers now.
The Ravens drafted Patrick Queen out of LSU to hopefully be the next great middle linebacker of Ravens history. Queen was a player who was often picked for the Ravens in mock drafts. It wasn’t a surprise and the fit was absolutely perfect. The Ravens got the guy they wanted without having to move from the 28th draft spot so that was perfect. The Ravens also drafted Malik Harrison. They got Harrison in the third round, a player that just about everyone seemed to have mocked to the Ravens in their NFL Draft Network machine enabled mock drafts.
These three positions are what it was all about for the Ravens. They double dipped in the NFL at all three spots. They drafted two linebackers, two receivers and two defensive linemen. These three areas were quite obviously the areas of focus for the purple and black this offseason, not to mention the obsession of the Ravens Flock.