Everybody has been talking about the Baltimore Ravens' newest addition in 2-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. The former college teammate of Lamar Jackson has finally gotten the chance to reunite with the 2-time NFL MVP.
But, while Alexander's release was the final, long-awaited decision by the Green Bay Packers, it wasn't his immediate free agency that peaked the Ravens' interest. In fact, the Ravens have been interested in acquiring Alexander, in one way or another, for a while now.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens reportedly "flirted" with the idea of trading for Alexander back in March. This would have been when the Packers were still undecided, but maybe there was leaguewide opinion that the injury risk wasn't worth giving up draft capital.
The Ravens' patience with Jaire Alexander paid off, and it could continue to pay dividends
Baltimore was patient with the Alexander situation, and that likely means Eric DeCosta knew the former Packers cornerback wasn't going to generate the trade interest Green Bay was originally hoping for.
He had to have known that, ultimately, Green Bay was going to release him and end up moving on. At that point, he and the Ravens could make their move -- and they did.
Now, Alexander gets his opportunity to play with his former Louisville teammate for the first time in seven years. And this time, it'll be for much more than mere collegiate glory. One might argue that Alexander is the final piece of the puzzle for these Ravens, who have been dancing around the idea of a championship for a few years now.
Will he be what ultimately gets them over the hump? Baltimore has historically been banged up in their secondary and without adequate depth over the past several seasons, and it's ironic that Alexander could be the one who finally ends that worry.
If Alexander is able to stay healthy, then yes, the Ravens have a very good shot to overcome the obstacles they've been unable to surpass in recent seasons. Super Bowl here we come?