Baltimore Ravens: 3 bargain targets in 2021 NFL Free Agency

The Baltimore Ravens will have fairly limited resources to spend in free agency this month, so who are some potential bargain signings?

The Baltimore Ravens will have fairly limited resources to address several needs in free agency in the coming weeks. Who are some potential bargains they could target to fill roster holes?

John Ross (Wide Receiver:):

Ross did not live up to expectations in his four years in Cincinnati, appearing in just 27 games and recording 733 total receiving yards in four seasons. He’s struggled to stay healthy, appearing in more than eight games just once in a season. But the speed and twitch that made scouts, pundits, and fans all dream on him leading up to the 2017 draft are still there.

Putting Ross’s wheels on an offense that already features Marquise Brown, Devin Duvernay, Lamar Jackson, and J.K. Dobbins would be absolutely unfair to opposing defenses. That Baltimore throws the ball less than any team in the league would actually stand to benefit the former first-rounder, as he’d hardly be in a situation to rack up any significant wear and tear, and his role would likely often involve coming in purely to take defenders out of the box in run situations. Minimal usage and going up against tired legs could allow Ross to thrive as a supplementary piece on the Ravens, and he should likely command a minimal contractual commitment.

More from Ebony Bird

• Will Baltimore Ravens be rewarded for risky Lamar Jackson decision?
• The Baltimore Ravens Big Gamble
• Ravens Super Bowl odds present fascinating insight on Lamar Jackson’s future
• Should Baltimore Ravens be interested in this recently released WR
• Do the Baltimore Ravens have serious interest in this free agent wide out?

Tyler Eifert (Tight End):

Like Ross, Eifert has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career but has managed to appear in all 16 games in each of the last two seasons, averaging 392.5 receiving yards in time split between Cincinnati and Jacksonville.

Eifert is not the threat he once was, but would make for a great third tight end in a Baltimore offense that thrived using three-tight end looks in 2019. While it would be hard to sell a player with Eifert’s production on being the third-stringer in most offenses, the Ravens saw all three of their tight ends surpass 300 receiving yards in 2019, meaning Eifert would still get plenty of opportunities to put up close to the kind of production he has over the last few years. With options like Hunter Henry, Rob Gronkowski, Jonnu Smith, and Gerald Everett available, and several quality options available in the draft, there shouldn’t be heavy competition for Eifert’s services, and he could fill a significant hole in the Ravens offense for cheap.

Lamarcus Joyner (Safety/Corner):

The Las Vegas Raiders did not get the production they were hoping for when they handed Lamarcus Joyner a four-year, $42-million contract in 2019. They hoped to take the former free safety and install him as a corner full-time, which proved to be an unsuccessful experiment. However, Joyner’s recent performance also makes him something of a major buy-low candidate for a club like Baltimore. Joyner was one of the league’s better free safeties in his final two years in Los Angeles and could be a cost-effective option to give the Ravens the true center field they’ve been missing. Baltimore could just as easily use a draft pick on someone like Trevon Moehrig, but there are more holes than there are resources available to add star-caliber talent across the board, so the Ravens will have to take a few gambles and hope they pay off. Joyner profiles as one that could pay off nicely.