BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 08: Yannick Ngakoue #91 of the Baltimore Ravens chases Andy Dalton #14 of the Dallas Cowboys at M&T Bank Stadium on December 08, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Heading into the offseason earlier than they would’ve liked, here are five top targets for the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson got his first playoff win this year, but the team bowed out rather feebly to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. So it’s another year starting the offseason earlier than they would have liked, but the Ravens will be in the conversation among the best teams in the AFC (and the league, really) next season.
The release of veteran running back Mark Ingram this week cleared an extra $5 million in cap space for the Ravens. So according to Over The Cap, they currently have just under $29.8 million in cap space (seventh-most in the league).
The Ravens had the league’s top rushing attack, aided by Jackson’s prowess as a runner. But they also had the league’s worst passing attack. After the loss to the Bills, NFL Network analyst Steve Smith had pointed criticism of offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
The Ravens have few critical needs to address this offseason, but they do have a lot of players set to hit the open market. Here are five players they should target in 2021 free agency.
Top 5 targets for the Baltimore Ravens in free agency
5. DE Yannick Ngakoue
Ngakoue had a well-traveled 2020, traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Minnesota Vikings just before the season started. Then six games in, the Vikings flipped him to the Ravens. All things considered, eight sacks looks pretty good.
Ngakoue played nine games (with three starts) for Baltimore, with three sacks and three quarterback hits. A midseason trade makes him a tough evaluation for 2020, but this is a guy who is not yet 26 (March 31) and has 45.5 sacks on his resume.
Ngakoue will finally get the long-term deal he’s looking for on the open market this offseason. If the Ravens are left to choose between Matt Judon and him, Ngakoue is younger with more upside.