The Baltimore Ravens were dealt perhaps their most serious injury blow of what has been a downright miserable season when it was revealed that star cornerback Marlon Humphrey would miss the rest of the season.
Humphrey suffered a torn pectoral muscle late in the Ravens’ Week 13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The initial word from head coach John Harbaugh was that he could be out “a while,” and the initial confirmation came the next day.
Humphrey is done for the year. And just like that, the Ravens have lost yet another starter due to injury — this one perhaps their most painful of all.
The Ravens will now be forced to scramble as they look to replace one of the most irreplaceable players on their roster. With Marcus Peters already out for the season, their options are limited.
Especially given all the other injuries the team has been forced to endure in the secondary. As such, they could look to make an external addition.
Now, the Ravens cap situation is very tight at the moment — due in no small part to all of the dead cap sitting on the injured reserve. Any suggestion in this article comes with the caveat that the team could afford it.
With some of these players, that likely won’t be an issue. But it could be an obstacle to overcome for others. Either way, the five players on this list will help provide further depth to a depleted cornerback unit.
Let’s take a look at five players the Ravens could sign to help replace Marlon Humphrey.
5. Ravens free-agent target: Dre Kirkpatrick
The Ravens could use a little veteran insurance on their active roster now and someone like Dre Kirkpatrick could be of interest to them.
A first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL Draft, Kirkpatrick spent the first seven seasons of his career in Cincinnati before bouncing around with Arizona and San Francisco over the last two years.
He most recently played with the 49ers appearing in six games and making one start this season before being released last month. At 32-years-old, he’s little more than depth at this point.
But that isn’t to say that he can’t still be a valuable addition. With 79 career starts under his belt, Kirkpatrick could help provide experience to a suddenly inexperienced cornerback room with Anthony Averett and Chris Westry penciled in as starters.
In those six games this season, Kirkpatrick allowed just five catches for 72 yards on seven targets. His 50.7 Pro Football Focus grade still leaves plenty to be desired. After all, there’s a reason he’s still a free agent.
But the Ravens could do much worse than an AFC-North-proven veteran who played in the NFL as recently as last month. Beggars can’t be choosers.
Perhaps an AFC North reunion could be in order for the longtime Bengals cornerback.
4. Ravens free-agent target: Lamar Jackson
The Ravens already have one Lamar Jackson, why not make it two? Jokes aside, the free-agent market isn’t the only place the Ravens could look to add talent.
Don’t be surprised if the Ravens begin scouring practice squads around the league in search of extra cornerback depth. One young cornerback option could be former Nebraska standout, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent last season and he went on to start six of 13 games as a rookie. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Jackson is a physically imposing cornerback cut from the same cloth as someone like Jimmy Smith.
He may not be the fastest player out there, but he makes up for it with his size and physicality. That could be appealing to a coach like Wink Martindale who prides himself on physical defensive play.
Jackson is sitting on the Jets’ practice squad at the moment and could offer a young, cheap option for the Ravens. Of course, he’d be little more than a flier at this stage.
Jackson is a former undrafted free agent sitting on a practice squad for a reason. But the Ravens aren’t going to find many (or any) good options remaining at this point in the season.
Jackson is young, cheap, and fits the mold of what the Ravens look for in their cornerbacks. Plus you can never have too many Lamar Jacksons on one roster, right?
3. Ravens free-agent target: Brian Poole
It’s pretty surprising that veteran Brian Poole isn’t on an NFL roster at this moment. A former Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets cornerback, Poole was one of the better slot cornerbacks in the NFL over the last few seasons.
He finished the 2019 season with an excellent Pro Football Focus grade of 79.0 that ranked ninth in the NFL among all players at his position and followed that up with another strong season in 2020 where his PFF grade ranked 11th among all cornerbacks.
Yet, despite this, Poole has bounced around from practice squad to practice squad in 2021. Perhaps it’s due to his age or perhaps it’s due to his recent injury history. Whatever the reason, it’s evident that he could help add depth to the Ravens’ cornerback room.
Now, it should be noted that Poole is exclusively a nickel cornerback. He wouldn’t be brought in to serve as a direct replacement for Marlon Humphrey.
Instead, he would provide further depth behind Tavon Young — something that’s certainly needed following the loss of both Humphrey and Ar’Darius Humphrey, two players who have experience covering the slot.
The Ravens need experienced players in their secondary, and Poole not only provides that, but he comes with a very strong recent track record of success.
Currently on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad, the Ravens should take a serious look at Brian Poole.
2. Ravens free-agent target: Quinton Dunbar
Quinton Dunbar’s fall from grace has been sudden and quite frankly difficult to watch.
Two years, ago, Dunbar was playing like one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL finishing with a Pro Football Focus grade of 87.6 that ranked fifth among all cornerbacks in the league.
Then he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in a move many saw as a disciplinary decision with a new regime coming in. Just a few months later, he was arrested and placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.
Dunbar would go on to play just six games in 2020 as he dealt with various injuries, finishing with an abysmal PFF grade of 47.7. Seattle chose not to re-sign him in the offseason and he has since bounced around with three different NFL teams.
While he hasn’t appeared in a game this season, Dunbar has had stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers. He’s clearly in football shape.
And at 29-years-old, it’s fair to wonder if the former Washington standout still has something left in the tank.
If the Ravens are shooting for upside, they could do a lot worse than Dunbar. This is a team that has made a habit out of trying to rehab adding veterans who previously found success in the NFL when they were younger.
Look no further than de facto RB1 Devonta Freeman for proof of that. Perhaps Dunbar could be Freeman’s equivalent on defense.
1. Ravens free-agent target: Darqueze Dennard
Dre Kirkpatrick isn’t the only former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick on this list. 2014 first-round pick Darqueze Dennard remains available despite some very solid play in recent weeks.
Dennard is teammates with Brian Poole on the Colts practice squad which probably gives Indianapolis the most experienced and talented practice squad secondary in the NFL.
And much like Poole, it’s hard to believe that Dennard isn’t on an active roster.
The 30-year-old spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons playing eight games in an injury-riddled campaign. But when he was on the field, Dennard was a more-than-capable cornerback.
Dennard finished with a 66.0 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 45th among all cornerbacks in the NFL. This came one year after he received a 72.2 PFF grade that was 21st in the NFL.
In fact, since 2017, Dennard has never received a PFF grade below 66.0 in a season. Again, it’s very surprising that he isn’t on a team’s 53-man roster.
Now, much like Poole, Dennard has primarily been a slot cornerback in his career. But he proved last year that he can thrive both outside and inside.
Dennard played 278 of his 452 snaps on the boundary which marked the highest total of his career. He’s experienced, versatile, and has been playing at a pretty high level.
The Ravens won’t find many better options right now than Darqueze Dennard. If they make any notable addition to replace Marlon Humphrey, it should be him.