The Baltimore Ravens have made a couple of prominent under-the-radar moves this offseason. The veteran additions of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie were cheap moves and fill a need in their starting offensive and defensive rotations. A more significant signing came later when they inked two-time Pro Bowl corner Jaire Alexander to a one-year contract.
If this offseason is any telling of the way Baltimore’s front office operates, it is that they are never done adding and will capitalize on the talent left on the market. Just weeks before training camp, they might not be finished. One free agent who plays at a position of need for Baltimore and has Ravens ties is edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
On the Locked on Ravens podcast, host Kevin Oestreicher had CBS Baltimore anchor Rick Ritter on, and they discussed the outlook of defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s unit going into year two. During the talk, Ritter mentioned possibly bringing Clowney back to Baltimore.
“To me personally, I would like to see them add another body. You've got somebody like Jadeveon Clowney who’s sitting out there. He knows this system, he knows this franchise, he knows this team,” Ritter said. “You can’t have enough depth on the defensive line.”
Get Clowney back to Baltimore
Clowney had somewhat of a throwaway season in 2024. He signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers last offseason, and while he only tallied one sack through his first eight games, he finished the year strong with 4.5 in his final eight outings. However, the team released the 32-year-old in May to create cap space.
If the Ravens are looking to bring in an impactful free agent at this stage in the offseason, it should be someone who knows the system, and as Ritter said, Clowney is just that. He will not need much time to catch up with his teammates once training camp starts, and he still has the talent to compete with the deep pass rush room. He also had his best campaign since his Houston Texans days with the Ravens in 2023.
The former South Carolina superstar had a career revival that year. He totaled 9.5 sacks, which tied for the most in his career. He also proved to be one of the best pass rushers in the entire league, earning the 16th-best grade of all edge defenders at 85.7 per Pro Football Focus.
Head Coach John Harbaugh and his coaching staff have made it a theme of bringing former star defenders back to life once they sign on with the Ravens. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy is a prime example of that. He reached a career-high in sacks last year at 12.5 and played well next to Clowney in 2023, nearly matching his 9.5 with nine of his own.
The chemistry and fit are there for Clowney to return to the Ravens. With so much uncertainty and a lack of consistency in 2024, Clowney could help stabilize the group and rebuild the unit into one of the most feared in the NFL.