Pro Football Rumors
As the NFL’s trade deadline approaches a week from today, franchises are taking a candid look in the mirror to determine if they are a few key pieces short of a championship roster or if now is the time for them to unload restrictive or burdensome contracts en route to a rebuild, big or small. At several different points in this young season, the Ravens have appeared to reflect both teams in that mirror.
The team started as a Super Bowl favorite in the eyes of Vegas, coming in with one of the league’s more talented rosters. They came out the gates swinging, looking much like the class of the AFC they had been billed to be, before crashing back to reality at the hands of the team that had ended their season eight months prior. They rebounded with a win over former franchise quarterback Joe Flacco — who they’ll somehow get to play against two more times this regular season — but saw injuries derail their vaunted roster over the next several weeks.
Coming out of their Week 7 bye with a 1-5 record, the Ravens faced a crossroads. While the odds aren’t phenomenal, there have been multiple teams to come back from that same record to make the playoffs; a 1-6 record has only ever been overcome once in NFL history. This statistic put immense weight on the Ravens Week 8 game against the visiting Bears.
If the Raven ended up falling to Chicago, it was thought that they might begin to prepare for future seasons. Per Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, with things looking dire, there were rumors Baltimore could look to move players on the final year of their contract. This likely wouldn’t include younger players expecting new deals in the future like center Tyler Linderbaum or tight end Isaiah Likely, but more likely would be the case for veterans like tight end Mark Andrews, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, or pass rusher Kyle Van Noy. It could also encompass young players who might price themselves out of Baltimore like defensive tackle Travis Jones.
After Lamar Jackson was ruled out for the weekend, though, a 1-6 record seemed a likely destination. Facing a team that came into town sporting the only offense in the NFL to put up at least 21 points in each game this season, the Ravens were averaging 6.5 points per game in contests without Jackson. Newly anointed QB2 Tyler Huntley had other ideas in mind, and Sunday’s victory may have forced general manager Eric DeCosta to shift strategies for the trade deadline.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Ravens were already making calls concerning trades for a cornerback, even before their win changed their immediate outlook. Coming into the season, the new-look secondary was looking strong with Marlon Humphrey coming off a resurgent, first-team All-Pro season, first-rounder Nate Wiggins looking to take the next step, and newcome veterans Chidobe Awuzie and Jaire Alexander appearing to provide significant upgrades to the depth...
