Trying to boost their pass rush this offseason, the Ravens welcomed free-agent defensive end Mark Anderson to visit the team’s Owings Mills facility on Tuesday.
After collecting 10 sacks with the New England Patriots in 2011, Anderson has received plenty of interest on the open market a week into free agency. In addition to the Patriots trying to maintain his services, the 28-year-old defensive end had already visited Miami and Tennessee before arriving in Baltimore on Tuesday.
Attempts to reach Anderson’s representatives were unsuccessful, and the Buffalo Bills announced team officials were meeting with Anderson on Tuesday night before he was scheduled to visit the Bills’ facility on Wednesday.
In six seasons, Anderson has collected 35 1/2 sacks in stints with the Bears, Texans, and Patriots. Though he started only one game last season, his presence as a pass rusher was a valuable asset to the Patriots, especially after veteran Andre Carter went down with a season-ending injury. The Ravens would likely use the 255-pound defensive end as a situational pass rusher as well as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 base defense.
Anderson is a product of the University of Alabama, making him likely to hit it off with Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome. However, that common strand didn’t seem to help the Ravens land free-agent guard Evan Mathis, who chose to remain with the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend.
And like Mathis, Anderson appears to have left town without an agreement in place.
