With the new league year officially underway and the earliest waves of free agency already in the books, I’ve offered a dozen Ravens thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Eric DeCosta called Derrick Henry “a unicorn,” and Baltimore certainly needed an impact running back. At the same time, this ground attack has been elite in the aggregate for years with only modest investments, allowing the Ravens to devote resources elsewhere. The bar is high, especially considering other roster needs.
2. Ultimately, this move — and every other one made this offseason — will be judged by its January impact, which is why monitoring and managing Henry’s workload will be important. He’ll be 31 by the time the playoffs begin, and you want him as fresh as possible for a Super Bowl run.
3. Henry’s age and 2,000-plus career carries are fair concerns with how often backs fall off a cliff at even younger ages, but last year’s career-worst 4.17 yards per carry was much more of an indicator of how bad Tennessee’s offensive line was. Evidence suggests there’s more in the tank.
4. The entertainment value of watching Henry and Lamar Jackson in the same backfield is obvious, but the speedy Keaton Mitchell complementing Henry would be as “thunder and lightning” as it gets. DeCosta said Mitchell remains on track to return “at some point” in 2024 from his mid-December knee injury.
5. You wonder if Henry’s addition signals a return to more of a run-heavy offense on early downs. Lost in the AFC title game rage was Baltimore ranking seventh in game-neutral early-down passing rate last season. The ground game typically didn’t take over until building sizable leads, which were common.
6. Regardless of Henry’s arrival, the Ravens have to protect their two-time MVP quarterback and now need to fill three openings on the offensive line. Yes, it’s a strong draft class, but filling multiple spots with rookies and unproven players almost always sounds better in March than it looks come September.
7. Ronnie Stanley taking a pay cut was always the most logical outcome considering the dead money his release would have created and the unlikelihood of him getting lucrative money going elsewhere. Drafting a potential successor who could play a guard spot or right tackle as a rookie would be ideal.
8. Patrick Queen receiving a three-year, $41 million contract from Pittsburgh reinforced perceptions that he benefitted greatly from playing next to Roquan Smith. However, he was showing marked improvement in 2022 even before Smith’s arrival. Queen will have every chance to prove his worth for another organization that really values defense.
9. As a pro wrestling fan and someone disappointed to see Ravens-Steelers decline recently, I hope Queen’s “heel turn” joining the enemy breathes life into this rivalry. Of course, Jackson being on the field and Russell Wilson looking more like the quarterback he was in Seattle are even more critical factors.
10. After Brent Urban appeared in just six games over his first two seasons and 25 over his first four because of injuries, no one would have predicted he’d still be playing at age 33. He has had a solid career and is back on a one-year contract for 2024.
11. Especially considering other roster needs, I’m not feigning concern about the backup quarterback job, which is why re-signing Josh Johnson is fine. Let the soon-to-be 38-year-old compete with Malik Cunningham and reassess in August. If Jackson goes down for any extended period, what exactly are you hoping to accomplish anyway?
12. Of Baltimore’s free agents still on the market, re-signing Jadeveon Clowney easily tops my preferences. I wouldn’t be overly comfortable penciling in David Ojabo and Tavius Robinson as my No. 3 and 4 edge rushers, let alone projecting either to start opposite Odafe Oweh. There’s serious work to do there.
