3 early keys to Ravens’ success in 2022
By Kristen Wong
2. Make one big-name signing
Signing Marcus Williams was an unexpected delight. Could the Ravens hit another one out of the park this offseason?
Baltimore made relatively smaller moves in signing Moses and Pierce and bringing back Pat Ricard, and the team still has roughly $7 million to spend for the rest of the offseason. Restructuring player contracts could free up a bit more space, but the Ravens definitely won’t have enough to splurge on a pricey high-profile target like Tyrann Mathieu.
Putting the embarrassment of the Za’Darius Smith snub behind them, the Ravens may yet find another gem in a shrinking free agent market. The two obvious choices are center J.C. Tretter and linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Tretter provides a competent upgrade from Bradley Bozeman, who Baltimore was foolish to let walk for pennies. The former Browns player graded as a top-10 center by Pro Football Focus in nearly every year since 2015 and would plug in seamlessly to fill the gaping hole in the offensive line.
John Harbaugh recently suggested that the ever versatile Patrick Mekari could start at center in 2022, but acquiring Tretter would allow the Ravens more flexibility to use Mekari wherever they see fit in the trenches.
As for Wagner, well, he needs no introduction. The future Hall of Famer would elevate any defense in the league, and even though Baltimore don’t need a linebacker as badly as they do other positions, Wagner would be an incredible addition.
If Wagner and the Ravens can agree to a deal (and it seems they are close to finalizing something) Baltimore automatically wins the offseason, hands down.