A year after seeing quite the down year with an AFC North division rival in 2022, Jadeveon Clowney came to the Baltimore Ravens and made himself at home in 2023.
After posting just 2.0 sacks for the Cleveland Browns in 2022, Clowney tied a career-best with 9.5 sacks in Baltimore.
Clowney's presence was felt through and through within this defensive unit last season, and to this point, the Ravens had been holding out hope that the veteran free agent pass rusher would wind up returning to Baltimore.
Both Clowney and fellow veteran free agent Kyle Van Noy were two guys the Ravens had hoped they could eventually bring back to the league's top defense after free agency cooled off a bit. But, on Wednesday, Clowney's name was taken off the market.
#Panthers agree to terms with pass rusher Jadeveon Clowneyhttps://t.co/xVuaYJmTnV
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) March 27, 2024
Jadeveon Clowney has agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers, leaving Baltimore with a significant void
With Clowney signing in Carolina, now, the Ravens have to turn to whatever 'Plan B' or 'Plan C' might be. Obviously, bringing Clowney back to a familiar spot and within a defense that saw him thrive would have been ideal. But now, Baltimore might have to hope they can re-sign Van Noy and look elsewhere for another impactful, situational pass rusher to replace Clowney.
If the Ravens wanted to go by way of free agency, there are still several veteran pass rushers available. Here are just a few still waiting for their next gig:
Emmanuel Ogbah
Carl Lawson
Randy Gregory
Yannick Ngakoue
Charles Harris
Tyus Bowser
Jerry Hughes
Bud Dupree
William Gholston
Marquis Haynes
Shaq Lawson
The Ravens may now turn their attention to prioritizing Van Noy's return with Clowney signing with the Panthers, which would be a good move. Last season, Van Noy totaled a career-high 9.0 sacks with the Baltimore defense. This goes to show that the Ravens defense, as a whole, is a thriving unit that operates like a well-oiled machine.
Getting Van Noy back in the fold, and potentially signing another one of the above veterans, should be enough to keep this Ravens defense at the top of the league just as they were in 2023.
As for Clowney? He has his work cut out for him on a Panthers team that finished last year with the league's worst record.