This is how the Ravens can game the second wave of free agency

I’m not going to lie to you, Ravens fans. It’s not been a great free-agency period for Baltimore so far. Earl Thomas will make the Hall of Fame and was a big get, but the losses of Terrell Suggs and C.J. Mosely leave gaping wounds. The Cleveland Browns empire is beginning. (Wow, I just typed those words.) Pittsburgh is still a real threat to the division even without Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.

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So, how can Baltimore continue to keep pace with the Browns? Here are my ideas:

Bring in the veteran leftovers on the edge

Matt Judon and Tim Williams are a start towards a real edge-rushing core, but Baltimore will need some veteran help. Za’Darius Smith left for Green Bay and Terrell Suggs chose to head back to the desert, leaving things unsettled.

This is a draft that is deep in talent on the edge, but not deep enough that the depth will last until Baltimore’s first pick at 22. Brian Burns (Florida St) and Clelin Ferrell (Clemson) both usually head off the board in this area in mock drafts. Montez Sweat’s amazing combine results may have locked him into a top 10 selection.

So why hope to rely on a rookie when you could get a strong veteran rushing edge and let chance fall as it may on draft day? Justin Houston is by far the best free-agent EDGE left on the board, possibly the best free agent left period. Jeff Zrbiec speculated for The athletic that Houston is still a bit too expensive at this point, but that price should continue to go down. It’s a good fit for him as far as rehabbing his value, too, as Baltimore’s defense was stellar last year. Houston figures to be in good situations to rush the passer in Wink Martindale’s scheme.

Another possible fit would be Miami’s Robert Quinn, who was recently rumored to be on the trading block by the Dolphins. Quinn out-hurried Houston 26 to 25.5, per Sports Info Solutions’ hurries numbers. Houston has a higher ceiling at this point in their respective careers. Both players have had superstar-esque ceilings in their past, but Houston’s best seasons were more recent.

Make plays for Zach Brown and T.J. Lang

The recently-released Washington linebacker has become one of the best linebackers for-hire in the NFL. Brown bounced from Buffalo to Washington after a bad stint with the Titans. While Kenny Young deserves a chance to earn a starting role, bringing Brown in as someone he’d have to beat out would benefit the Ravens depth. It would give them more security in the event that Young isn’t quite ready. Young was quite up-and-down in 2018.  

The interior of the Baltimore offensive line had some issues last season. Alex Lewis struggled and Matt Skura was out-right whooped at times. Lang missed a lot of last season with a neck injury and has reportedly contemplated retirement, but a chance to play on a playoff contender again and crack some skulls in Greg Roman’s offensive scheme may appeal to him. Skura and Lewis could then compete for a role as starting center.

Dial the receiving market early and often

Receiver looks to be the other big hole for Baltimore. John Brown walked, and Michael Crabtree’s release leaves them with a boatload of targets to replace. Only Chris Moore has demonstrated much in the way of NFL skills at wideout on the lower depth chart.

I won’t lie to you, receiver is a rough spot right now. If I were to target one wideout still available, it would be Chris Hogan in the hopes that whatever happened to New England’s offense with him was a mirage. Hogan was one of the best deep-ball receivers in the NFL in 2017, and could replace Brown’s role for the Ravens. Hogan is in a spot not unlike Brown last season, needing to rehab his reputation off a down year.

The best solution would be to trade for a good wideout. There are no more Antonio Browns or Odell Beckhams, but perhaps A.J. Green could be had for a second-round pick or a bit more. If the Dolphins are rebuilding, Kenny Stills should be a player that piques Baltimore’s interest. Emmanuel Sanders could be a target, especially as an in-season addition. The inevitable bad Broncos start under Joe Flacco is worth preparing for.

The market is not bearing much in the way of free-agent receivers with juice, but that doesn’t mean Baltimore can’t find a non-draft solution. They must work the phones.

I don’t think Baltimore is in a bad spot for the long haul. They have a unique offense, a quarterback that I project to grow a lot in his second season, and a defense that baffled some offenses last year. But they’re light enough at a few major positions to make incremental upgrades important. These are upgrades worth pursuing as they try to zero in on who to pick in the draft.