The Ravens still hope 2017 draft picks Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams emerge as meaningful contributors to their pass rush, but the competition for snaps continues to grow.
A day after reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal to bring veteran pass rusher and Super Bowl XLVII champion Pernell McPhee back to Baltimore, general manager Eric DeCosta has added former Denver first-round pick Shane Ray to the mix. The one-year deal will give the 25-year-old the opportunity to revive his career with a defense needing to replace free-agent departures Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs.
Ray appeared on his way to becoming a mainstay in the Broncos defense with eight sacks in 2016, but a left wrist injury led to multiple surgeries that derailed the remainder of his time in Denver. The Missouri product has registered just two sacks in 19 games over the last two seasons.
After the Broncos declined to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2019 season, Ray totaled one sack, a forced fumble, and 10 tackles in 253 defensive snaps over 11 games last season. According to Pro Football Focus, the outside linebacker recorded only 10 pressures on 138 pass-rushing snaps for the worst pass-rushing productivity rating of his four-year career.
If healthy, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Ray would give the Ravens another speed option to rush the quarterback off the edge while the 265-pound McPhee has the ability to rush from the inside or outside. There are no guarantees with these low-risk signings, of course, but their arrivals should signal to Bower and Williams — and even rookie third-round pick Jaylon Ferguson — that snaps won’t just be handed to them. The competition should be interesting with a mix of unproven youth and oft-injured veterans still carrying intrigue vying for roster spots. Beyond fourth-year veteran Matthew Judon starting at one spot, projecting the rest of the depth chart at outside linebacker is anyone’s guess at this point.
Baltimore begins organized team activities in Owings Mills next week.
