Baltimore Beatdown
Shortly after he was released by the Green Bay Packers over a week ago, All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander was immediately linked by many to the Ravens. The Ravens have a history of pursuing established veterans who become available, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Therefore, the speculation comes as no surprise.
The Ravens have in fact been rumored to be on a short list of several teams who are interested in signing Alexander. Adding steam to the train is the fact that Alexander has a relationship with Lamar Jackson, as the two were collegiate teammates together for three years at Louisville.
While speaking to reporters following the team’s first minicamp practice on Tuesday, Jackson made it known that he’s on board with the Ravens signing his former Cardinal alumni.
“Go get him, Eric [DeCosta],” Jackson said when asked if he’d like the Ravens to sign Alexander. “I love all of our corners . . . but go get him, Eric.”
In addition to imploring general manager Eric DeCosta to make this move, Jackson also indicated that he’d been in contact with Alexander himself about coming to Baltimore.
This should come as no big surprise, as Jackson has previously indicated a continued relationship with the two-time All-Pro cornerback in the past. He’s also been outspoken about trying to lure free agents to the Ravens before, too, and given such input to DeCosta.
Alexander, who is entering his eighth career season, is a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro representative. He earned both said honors in 2020 and 2022. Only just a couple seasons ago he was considered by many to be arguably the league’s best cornerback. Unfortunately, his status has taken a hit amidst injury struggles recently.
Over the past two years, Alexander has played in only 14 combined games. His 2024 season was cut short due to a knee ligament injury that required surgery. He’s still just 28 years old, however, and brings a high degree of both talent and pedigree to the table.
For the Ravens, pursuing Alexander makes sense beyond just the connection to their All-World quarterback. While the Ravens do have a talented cornerback room, pairing Alexander with a fellow All-Pro in Marlon Humphrey and rising sophomore Nate Wiggins makes for an enticing potential trio.
The Ravens have an unfortunate history of being snake-bitten by injuries at the position themselves in the past and have learned the importance of having quality cornerback depth. Although the team signed Chidobe Awuzie in free agency and drafted a pair of late-round corners, Alexander offers a higher level of performance.
DeCosta will certainly take Jackson’s wishes into consideration as well as a number of other factors in a potential pursuit of Alexander. It remains to be seen just how aggressive the Ravens are willing to be for his services and how competitive the market for him will be.
