OTL: Roster is Still – And Always – a Work in Progress

The art of constructing a roster with Super Bowl aspirations is not for the faint of heart.

There are the players and coaches who left your roster from the season before. The draft, and all that goes into that. The targeting and wooing of undrafted free agents once the draft concludes. Free agency. Players retiring. Injuries, both of the expected and unexpected variety. Starting a season and discovering you have a gaping hole you didn’t quite expect.

And so on and so on and so on…

What your team looks like today is not what your team will look like on opening day, and very few teams massage the entirety of their options in player acquisition like the Ravens. From signing pass-rushers during training camp and the early parts of the season to in-season trades to scouring the waiver wire, Eric DeCosta and company are constantly manipulating and fine-tuning the roster, hoping to get over the hump and reward Baltimore with its third Super Bowl trophy.

Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun had an interesting piece where he focused on free agents the Ravens could be looking to add this summer.

5 free agents Ravens could still target, including former Steelers pass rusher

Wacker listed two possible safety additions (I personally would like to see one Eddie Jackson bring his skills to the room) in Justin Simmons and Adrian Amos.

On Simmons, Wacker said, “His last deal in Denver in 2021 was for four years and $61 million, and while he won’t fetch anywhere near that number, a team such as the Philadelphia Eagles, which he has been linked to, has the money to land him with more than $25 million in cap space.

“Still, Simmons is probably the best free agent safety on the market and would be an enormous addition to a Ravens defensive backfield that likes to use a lot of three-safety looks and already includes what should be one of the best safety duos in the NFL in Hamilton and Williams,” he added.

Amos might be a little easier for the Ravens to afford, and could still fill an important role.

“Amos visited Baltimore last offseason before signing with the New York Jets in the wake of a season-ending injury to former Ravens starter Chuck Clark,” explained Wacker. “Released in December before being picked up by the Houston Texans, the Baltimore native is available again and, at age 31, would provide veteran depth behind starters Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams.

“Last year, the former Calvert Hall and Penn State standout played in 16 games (11 with the Jets, five with the Texans) and had 28 tackles while playing a role on special teams,” he continued. “He also signed for just over $1.1 million last season, so he would be affordable.”

Wacker also listed outside linebacker Markus Golden, off-ball linebacker Zach Cunningham and Dalvin Cook, who played very sparingly with the Ravens at the end of last season.

Keep your eyes out. There’s still plenty to determine with the Ravens’ roster.

Russell Street’s Dev Panchwagh shared a brilliant piece the other day about Derrick Henry that he had written this spring, and his potential impact on the Ravens this coming season.

Go ahead and read it. I’ll wait.

The Crowning of King Henry

Awesome, right?

Well, The Athletic’s Dan Pompei, truly one of the best football writers the sport has ever seen, seemed to share Dev’s brain, and he wrote a terrific piece on Henry.

He shared an amazing bit of information on Henry’s high-school and college prowess running the ball.

“At Yulee High, he ran for 485 yards in a game, 4,261 yards in a season and 12,124 yards in his career,” wrote Pompei. “At Alabama in 2015, he had more rushing yards in a season than any player in the history of the SEC, breaking a record that had been held for 34 years. Henry also won the Heisman Trophy and helped the Crimson Tide to a national championship that year.”

Pompei shared what the Ravens saw in Henry when they signed him this offseason.

“What DeCosta saw was a 16-wheeler with the acceleration of a Tesla,” said Pompei. “According to a Next Gen report, Henry ran 21.68 miles per hour after taking one handoff last season — faster than any of the backs who signed ahead of him and tied for the seventh-fastest speed in the NFL. Four of the faster players were wide receivers, and no one in the top seven weighs near 252 pounds.”

As magnificent as Henry has been to this point in his career, the sturdy back is looking forward to this season in Baltimore.

“The idea of playing out of the shotgun more frequently excites him because he believes he can get more explosive runs against a spread-out defense,” said Pompei. “He thinks Lamar Jackson is the type of quarterback who can bring out the best in all his teammates — including him.”

Let’s go.

Also of note:

Baltimore Ravens Draw Worrisome Eagles Comparison | Sports Illustrated

Eddie Jackson is rumored to be visiting the Baltimore Ravens tomorrow pic.twitter.com/iOeHe2k72R

— The Ravens Realm (@RealmRavens) July 16, 2024

“A real pro.”

Tune into Wired NOW: https://t.co/lCfuII6KQX pic.twitter.com/C5lJCAsmPj

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 18, 2024

“He throws dots to that corner.”

Catch the full Wired NOW https://t.co/lCfuII6d1p pic.twitter.com/f4HW9SI25f

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 18, 2024

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