Ravens are a ‘potential fit’ for former All-Pro CB Stephon Gilmore
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens were able to land one of the biggest fish in free agency when they signed star safety Marcus Williams to a massive five-year, $70 million contract. But aside from that, the rest of the Ravens’ moves have been rather under-the-radar.
Morgan Moses is a rock-solid right tackle who was signed to a team-friendly deal. Michael Pierce is a good nose tackle whose return should prove to be an upgrade over Brandon Williams if he stays healthy. But neither of those players move the needle that much.
There’s still some time to add another notable name in free agency, however. And one recent player the Ravens were connected to is former All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
At 31-years-old, Gilmore isn’t the player he used to be and injuries have been an issue. But given the lack of depth in the Ravens’ cornerback room, adding a player of Gilmore’s stature is still very intriguing.
Are the Ravens a good fit for Stephon Gilmore?
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger recently analyzed the best fits for the top remaining free agents and he listed the Ravens as one of the top fits for Gilmore.
Spielberger did call the Kansas City Chiefs Gilmore’s best landing spot, but indicated that the Ravens were another team that made sense.
A former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, Gilmore’s career really began to take off when he joined the New England Patriots in 2017. He’s gone on to make five Pro Bowls (four consecutive) and has been named first-team All-Pro on two separate occasions.
He doesn’t come without his share of risks, however. Gilmore has missed 13 games over the last two seasons due to a quad injury that cost him parts of both 2020 and 2021. He hasn’t been his old dominant self really since 2019.
Gilmore spent last season split between the Patriots and the Carolina Panthers, although he only played for the latter. In nine games with the Panthers, Gilmore finished with a PFF grade of 77.1 that would have ranked 11th in the NFL had he played enough snaps to qualify.
The Ravens already boast one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL in Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, but the depth behind them is essentially nonexistent at the moment.
Next. 4 players along for one last ride with the Ravens. dark
Stephon Gilmore might not come cheap (and the Ravens’ cap situation makes this tricky), but it might just be worth it to add a third former All-Pro cornerback to their roster.