Bleacher Report says loss of pass rushers should be Ravens’ biggest regret of 2021 offseason
The Baltimore Ravens will be relying on a plethora of talent to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2021. However, a lot of that talent is relatively unproven at the edge rusher position after the team lost Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jihad Ward in 2021 free agency.
Players like Tyus Bowser, Jaylon Ferguson and Odafe Oweh will most likely be asked to make up the production that the team lost during the offseason. When looking at one big regret that every NFL team should have from the 2021 offseason, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report highlighted the losses of both Judon and Ngakoue for Baltimore.
“The Baltimore Ravens did help reload their pass rush by drafting edge-defender Odafe Oweh in the first round. However, that move only came after Baltimore lost pass-rushers Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue in free agency.
Judon signed with the New England Patriots, while Ngakoue landed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The issue isn’t necessarily that Baltimore let either Judon or Ngakoue get away. It’s that both left. The two were responsible for nine of the Ravens’ 39 sacks in 2020. Losing Judon is particularly regrettable, though, as he was a defensive mainstay with 15.5 sacks and 63 quarterback pressures over the last two seasons.”
It probably wasn’t ideal for the Ravens to lose both pass rushers. It wasn’t likely that Baltimore was going to be able to retain either due to the fact that they were expected to demand big contracts on the open market. Both ended up signing big-money deal with their new teams, and if the Ravens were to match either contract, it would have put them in a tough spot financially. Even if the team wanted to retain one or both of Judon and Ngakoue, their contracts or even sometimes spotty production likely contributed to their departures.
Knox lays out the fact that if Baltimore struggles to pressure opposing quarterbacks, their Super Bowl aspirations will become a lot more difficult to achieve.
“Baltimore looks like a Super Bowl contender in 2021, but a title will prove difficult if the Ravens struggle to pressure opposing passers.”
The Ravens certainly believes in the pass rushers on their roster, and rightfully so. Players like Bowser, Ferguson, and Oweh can thrive if put in the right situations, and with increased roles could certainly provide plenty of pressure from the outside. However, if they don’t produce as the Ravens anticipate, it could provide unanticipated problems for their defensive unit.
