Ravens still hope to re-sign Calais Campbell this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens remain in touch with a few of their internal free agents and perhaps the most prominent of those players is defensive lineman Calais Campbell.

Campbell has made his intentions clear that he plans to play at least one more season in the NFL. The only question remaining is where he will play that season.

At the very least, the Ravens have made it abundantly clear that they’re hoping he returns to the team in 2022. Head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media earlier in the week about Campbell’s future and he insisted that the team had their “fingers crossed” that he would re-sign.

The Ravens want Campbell back, and they’re willing to publicly admit it.

The Ravens have their “fingers crossed” that they will re-sign Calais Campbell

Campbell has spent the last two seasons of his career in Baltimore serving a vital role as a key veteran presence in the middle of their defense. Even at 35-years-old, he’s proven that he can still contribute at a high level.

Campbell finished the 2021 season with an 80.8 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked eighth among all interior defensive linemen in the NFL. In particular, he proved to be an outstanding run defender earning a run-defense grade of 77.9 that ranked seventh.

The 14-year NFL veteran was an important part of a Ravens’ run defense that allowed the fewest total rushing yards last season. Campbell’s value is obvious.

That’s especially true given the holes the Ravens have on their defensive line. Baltimore brought back Michael Pierce to serve as a replacement and hopeful upgrade over Brandon Williams at nose tackle, but the rest of the unit is a pretty sizable question mark.

Derek Wolfe’s health is a concern while young players like Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington haven’t proven they can be relied on as major contributors to this point.

The Ravens need Campbell back. Ideally, he will make his decision before the 2022 NFL Draft so the team knows if they need to search for his replacement. Even if he comes back, it’s probably best to start planning ahead regardless.

The Ravens want to re-sign Calais Campbell. Now, it all comes down to what he wants.