After being traded to the Baltimore Ravens in the middle of the season, Alohi Gilman made a significant impact. His presence bolstered the Ravens' secondary and allowed Kyle Hamilton to move closer to the line of scrimmage. This helped spark a mid-season turnaround for the Ravens.
However, Gilman's future with the team was uncertain as the 28-year-old safety will enter free agency this spring. Now, with the hiring of new head coach Jesse Minter, Gilman seems more likely to stay in Baltimore. Minter was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers over the past two seasons. In LA, he spent a season and a half with Gilman, who started in each game for the team.
Of course, Minter's hiring doesn't guarantee that Gilman re-signs, but it certainly increases the likelihood, and that should be good news for Ravens fans.
Minter boosts the chances of Gilman re-signing
Retaining Gilman and building around a fairly promising secondary makes sense. The Ravens still need to bolster their pass rush -- but the secondary has some real upside, especially with a new coaching staff and other moves around the edges. Gilman gives the Ravens three quality safeties, and as noted, he allows the team to take advantage of Hamilton's elite versatility. *
I'd love to see what type of schemes Minter comes up with around this secondary. Ultimately, this could be a key factor in helping the Ravens return to Super Bowl contention.
On the season, Gilman posted 90 tackles and recovered two fumbles. With the Ravens he was on the field of 98 percent of the team's snaps.
Before trading for Gilman they Ravens allowed 35.4 points per game, and following the trade, the defense gave up 18 points per game. That's not to say that Gilman single-handedly transformed the Ravens' defense, but he certainly helped them get back on track and proved to be a valuable addition.
Plus, re-signing Gilman could actually be fairly cheap. According to Spotrac, Gilman's projected annual salary is $4.7 million. A two-year deal worth $9.4 million is the exact number Spotrac projects for Gilman. That's a very reasonable number for the 28-year-old safety, especially given the versatility that he allows the Ravens to unlock. Even a longer-term deal worth a similar annual amount could be worthwhile for Baltimore.
With his connection to Minter, I'm sure Gilman will be more excited to return. Likewise, I'm sure Minter will push to re-sign Gilman, especially if it's on such a cheap deal. Overall, the Ravens re-signing Gilman has never seemed more likely, and that's a clear positive for the team.