The Baltimore Ravens have very few areas for concern on their roster ahead of their season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Their team is stacked, but one position where many expected them to improve on in the late stages of free agency was outside linebacker.
While Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh, Mike Green, and Tavius Robinson are a strong top-four, the team’s fifth edge rusher, David Ojabo, has been extremely underwhelming. With his lack of production, fans and analysts alike agreed that Baltimore could have targeted a player like Za’Darius Smith to replace Ojabo. However, that is no longer a possibility.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Smith to a one-year deal worth up to $9 million on Friday. In a corresponding move, they sent fullback Ben VanSumeren to injured reserve with a torn patella tendon. The move comes just a day after their Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, where the team failed to register a sack. Smith should provide Philadelphia plenty of juice off the edge, giving a boost to one of the Ravens’ biggest competitors for Super Bowl 60.
Ravens caught asleep at the wheel as Za’Darius Smith joins the Eagles
It would have been nice to see Smith back in Charm City. The 32-year-old tallied 18.5 sacks through four seasons with the Ravens to begin his career, and proved he still has plenty left in the tank last year. Across 17 games split between the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, Smith dropped the opposing quarterback in the backfield nine times.
Smith would have been a luxury to have for the Ravens. The team was second in the NFL in sacks last season with 54, but struggled with consistency at times. The former Kentucky Wildcat would have helped apply more consistent pressure, but now the reigning Super Bowl Champions will reap those rewards.
The Eagles had 41 sacks in 2024, which placed them in the middle of the pack. This past offseason, they lost Josh Sweat to the Arizona Cardinals and Milton Williams to the New England Patriots. They needed a veteran presence on the defensive line, and they will get that in Smith. For teams like the Ravens, who could face them in the Super Bowl, they should be kicking themselves for not capitalizing on Smith’s value this late in free agency.
Of course, if Ojabo finally turns a corner, no one will be talking about this by season’s end. However, for a team that sees the biggest opening in their Super Bowl window in 2025, Baltimore should have jumped at the opportunity to reunite with Smith.