Kyle Van Noy always knew he'd return to Ravens after free agency chase

The Baltimore Ravens mitigated the loss of veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney in free agency by agreeing to a contract with linebacker Kyle Van Noy after a breakout season. Van Noy agreed to a two-year deal worth $9 million with some extra incentives that could earn him a nice chunk of change.

While the Ravens seem confident in former first-round pick Odafe Oweh and often-injured second-rounder David Ojabo, getting Van Noy back adds a degree of veteran experience to a group that will keep a unit that remains a question mark as stable as can be.

While Van Noy had said in the past he wasn't going to take a discount to return to the Ravens, it seems as though he knew he was always going to return to Baltimore. Van Noy seemed thrilled to return to the Ravens and take one more shot at winning a third championship ring.

"I really bought into what we were doing last year," Van Noy said via the Ravens website. "I really believe that we have the pieces...I feel honored to put on a Ravens jersey on and compete for another championship. It didn't end the way we wanted to. To be able to come back with another group and go at it to get another trophy is a blessing."

Kyle Van Noy said returning to Baltimore Ravens "matter of when"

Van Noy seems excited for the challenge of helping Ojabo and Oweh reach their full potential in the pros. Keeping a veteran mentor for both of them will prove invaluable.

"Those guys know that I'm going to push them, and they know I'm going to help them," Van Noy said. "I want them to be just as successful as me, if not more. I love winning."

Van Noy recorded nine sacks last year despite the fact he only played 52% of the defensive snaps last season. While he made his mark as a versatile linebacker (primarily) for Bill Belichick's New England Patriots, Van Noy has reinvented himself as more of a traditional pass rusher.

Van Noy's two-year deal gives Baltimore a quality short-term option that can give their pass rush more teeth while also keeping them flexible enough to draft a standout edge rusher and integrate them into the rotation. Van Noy, Oweh, Ojabo, and a pass rusher to be named later could be enough to keep Baltimore's nasty pass rush strong in 2024 and beyond.