Re-signing LB Josh Bynes is the Ravens’ most underrated offseason move

The Baltimore Ravens officially re-signed veteran linebacker Josh Bynes on Friday in a move that wasn’t met with much fanfare.

Bynes was a steady presence at the linebacker position last season and enjoyed what honestly could be described as the most successful of his three stints with the organization.

But for whatever reason, the Bynes re-signing was met with some pushback from a portion of the Ravens fanbase. Perhaps it was due to the lofty aspirations of landing a player like Bobby Wagner in free agency. With that mindset, Bynes must feel like a letdown.

That said, re-signing Bynes is an important depth move for the Ravens and one that provides much-needed stability at linebacker going into the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Josh Bynes re-signing is a very important move for the Ravens

It’s easy to forget, but Bynes wasn’t even supposed to be a part of the Ravens last season. He spent the summer with the Carolina Panthers and was released as part of final roster cuts.

Bynes soon signed to the Ravens’ practice squad and joined the team later in the month. Before long, he’d find himself taking over for Malik Harrison in the starting lineup.

Prior to that point, the Ravens’ linebacker corps had mostly been a mess. The L.J. Fort injury left the team without a proven veteran who could step in and play significant snaps. Bynes assumed that role and proceeded to exceed all expectations.

The 32-year-old went on to start 12 of 14 games played recording 76 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and four passes defended.

Bynes actually finished as Pro Football Focus‘ 11th-highest-graded linebacker in the entire NFL with a superb 74.8 grade ahead of the likes of Lavonte David, Matt Milano, and yes even Bobby Wagner.

Now, no one is suggesting that Bynes is better than those players, but it’s safe to say that he more than held his own last season. It was also very apparent how much his presence helped young linebacker Patrick Queen.

It’s no coincidence that Queen played the best football of his career once Bynes was inserted into a starting role. Bynes’ veteran presence was desperately needed last season, and that will be the case again in 2022.

The Ravens can still look to add a linebacker in the draft, but the position isn’t quite as dire of a need anymore.

Josh Bynes was the unsung hero of the Ravens’ defense in 2021, and his re-signing could be one of the most underrated moves of the offseason.