Ravens’ meeting with free-agent Jason Pierre-Paul ‘went well’
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens have been in the market for veteran pass-rush help, and it seems they’ve turned their attention to former All-Pro Jason Pierre-Paul.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday that Pierre-Paul was visiting with the Ravens as the team continues to search for additional pass-rush depth.
And apparently, the two parties are on good terms with one another, as it was later reported by Josina Anderson that the meeting “went well.” Anderson tweeted out around 8:30 ET that the two sides were “still meeting as of about less than a couple hours ago.”
There has been no further word on whether the Ravens and Pierre-Paul are close to a deal, but there does seem to be mutual interest between the two parties.
Jason Pierre-Paul would be a worthwhile signing for the Ravens
A former three-time Pro Bowler, Pierre-Paul’s best days came with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he was long considered to be one of the better edge rushers in football.
With over 90 career sacks in 165 games, Pierre-Paul provides ample experience and even made the Pro Bowl as recently as 2020. He has put together some very productive seasons in recent years.
From 2017 to 2020, Pierre-Paul finished with at least eight sacks in each season including a 12.5-sack year in 2018. However, he took a pretty sizable step back this past season.
The 33-year-old managed just 2.5 sacks in 12 games in 2021, missing time due to a torn rotator cuff that he’s spent the offseason recovering from. He’s coming off a down year and had shoulder surgery in the offseason, but it isn’t hard to see why the Ravens are interested.
Tyus Bowser is recovering from a torn Achilles, Odafe Oweh is rehabbing from shoulder surgery of his own, and rookie David Ojabo tore his Achilles back in April. The Ravens need experienced bodies and Pierre-Paul fits the bill.
This would be the Justin Houston singing of the offseason, although with Houston still available, one could argue that he would be a wiser investment at this stage.
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Nonetheless, the Ravens are doing their due diligence on the veteran pass-rusher market. Jason Pierre-Paul is the latest player they’re keeping a close eye on.