Baltimore Ravens: 4 Best replacement scenarios for Earl Thomas
Bring back Brandon Carr and/or Tony Jefferson:
Both Brandon Carr and Tony Jefferson were on the Baltimore Ravens defense a season ago, so they’re familiar with the role Earl Thomas played for it. Bringing either one of these guys back does make some sense as a short-term solution.
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Jefferson makes the most sense to return given his fit in the locker room. However, Jefferson is recovering from a torn ACL and wasn’t exactly playing at a high-level before the injury. In fact, Baltimore felt so comfortable with the play of his replacement, Chuck Clark, that it opted to cut Jefferson entirely. It doesn’t seem that bridges have been burned between the two parties, however, as Jefferson still speaks of the organization in very high regard.
What makes this signing harder than the injury is the fact that Jefferson isn’t as great in deep coverage compared to having him closer to the LOS. Jefferson may not be able to fill the hole vacated by Thomas. Baltimore could experiment by moving Clark to that role and have Jefferson come back to his strong safety spot, but that may be to tough a sell.
Carr was actually getting some time at safety following the Marcus Peters trade and the return of Jimmy Smith from injury. Carr performed well when given the opportunity and unlike Jefferson, he would be a good fit as the deep centerfielder that Thomas played. If the Ravens were to bring back either of these guys, my money is on Carr to replace Thomas better than Jefferson could.