The Baltimore Ravens made a move they had to make in bringing back Tyus Bowser. Here are three big things to think about here:
According to NFL Insider Adam Caplan, the Baltimore Ravens have re-signed Tyus Bowser to a four-year $22 million deal. The Ravens have had a lot happening at the outside linebacker position since free agency began on Monday, yet most of it was players leaving. This move secures some stability at the position.
As is the case with any signing, the first thing you look at is the numbers. The Ravens didn’t overpay Bowser here. This boils down to five and a half million dollars annually. The Ravens didn’t overpay for an outside linebacker just because they desperately needed to keep one of their own.
They came to a fair deal for a player who does a lot for the defense but only has 10.5 sacks in four years with the Purple and Black. Bowser isn’t the sack artist that Eric DeCosta still has to find. Instead, he’s the versatile linebacker that can pressure the quarterback, stop the run and drop back into coverage. Bowser is a tool that Don Martindale is used to using, often very effectively.
The Ravens retain a young starter who still may have some untapped potential. There is a long history of the Ravens outside linebackers starting to click right before their second contract or right after it. Comparing Bowser to Za’Darius Smith is irresponsible, but Smith wasn’t expected to be this good for the Green Bay Packers.
Pro Football Focus has Bowser’s overall grade at 70.2. That’s solid scoring considering that on their scale anything in the ’80s is really good. According to PFF Bowser played 540 snaps during the 2020 season.
With Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue both gone, and the rest of the position group a major problem to solve, it’s safe to say that Bowser will see even more time on the field. The Ravens are going to get a lot of mileage out of Bowser and they didn’t have to overspend to do it.