There are a lot of Baltimore Ravens fans who want to see J.J. Watt wearing the purple and black. Slow down. It’s not going to happen. There are a couple of reasons why this isn’t going to work out. Let’s go through these reasons one by one.
First of all, Watt’s contract situation doesn’t help matters. Watt wants to be traded rather than spending the last year of his current contract in Houston. Watt is set to may over $17 million for the 2021 season. That’s fairly foreboding if the Ravens really want to add a Watt to their roster.
The only way this could work is if the Texans release Watt. That would straddle them with dead money and it would still be too expensive for the Ravens. The Ravens would be out of a lot of cap space for a 31-year-old defensive end with a few season-ending injuries on his resume.
Watt hasn’t had double-digit sacks since 2016. The Ravens just made moves to get Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe. Bringing back Wolfe and adding pass rushers on the edge seems like a more practical decision. Adding Watt may not be worth it. He’s an NFL superstar yet there’s no reason to expect he automatically fixes your pass rush.
In summation, the first problem with the idea of acquiring Watt is that it’s an expensive move that doesn’t necessarily solve a problem. Let’s go on with problem two. That is that the Ravens have a lot they want to do with their cap space.
If the Baltimore Ravens decided to put all their free agency eggs into one basket to sign a player like Allen Robinson, it’s understandable. That would give Baltimore a number one receiver and could transform their offense. Likely, the purple and black won’t put all their eggs in one basket, however.
The Ravens want to get a jump on the Lamar Jackson extension. They want to get their quarterback some help in free agency. They also have two high-profile outside linebackers hitting free agency and they may or may not use the franchise tag.
Watt may not solve the problem, but signing him could create more problems. You can only do so much in an offseason where the salary cap is projected to be a bit lower. Watt is an easy player to love, but the idea makes no sense. Just forget about it.
Should the Ravens bring Wolfe back, the defensive line is an exciting position group. Campbell is still under contract and young players like Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington can continue to develop. The Ravens had their defensive line fest last offseason.
The Bottom Line:
Watt as a Ravens player would be a dream come true. That’s the problem. It’s a dream. Reality doesn’t make this move likely. Anything is possible, I suppose. The thing is though that there are too many deterrents for Eric DeCosta to even attempt this move.
Watt is one of the best players of his generation. Quite frankly, the Houston Texans have wasted his career. It’s a classic case of loving the player and disliking the logistics. Keep brainstorming Baltimore Ravens Flock, this isn’t the thing to get excited about.