Baltimore Ravens: Could Eric Weddle be a game-changer?
Normally, the Baltimore Ravens pride themselves on their defensive prowess, but last season, they were 24th in the NFL in points per game allowed. Injuries on offense were the main reason for a 5-11 record (the Ravens placed 25th in points per game), but the pass defense has to be the team’s biggest need this offseason.
To their credit, the Baltimore Ravens and ace GM Ozzie Newsome recognize the fact that they need defensive back help as badly as any team in the NFL. Perhaps the top free agent available in the secondary, veteran free safety Eric Weddle has yet to sign with a team, and the Ravens are one of the teams in on him.
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According to CBS Sports’s Jason La Canfora, the Ravens are one of three teams “keeping tabs” on Weddle, with the two others being the DB-needy Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are notoriously weak in the defensive backfield. Beating out the Steelers for Weddle’s signature would be huge for the Ravens, but I don’t doubt for one moment that the Oakland Raiders are involved. In fact, I speculate that they should be regarded as the favorites, and I wonder if the revenge factor against the San Diego Chargers could be at play.
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It’s worth noting that the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that four teams have submitted offers to Weddle, who will make a final decision on Monday.
The Ravens are in the thick of the race, so it’s fair to wonder just how profound of an impact Weddle would have on this defense if signed. Weddle isn’t that old at 31, and the former second-round pick out of Utah is still one of the best safeties in the business. Few are better at defending in all aspects of the game, as Weddle is a rangy tackler, a prolific blitzer, and excellent cover guy, and more than capable of mixing it up with slot receivers.
After coming in dead last with six interceptions last season as compared to 30 passing TDs allowed, the Ravens need all the help they can get back there. Weddle has just three interceptions in the past three seasons, so he might not help in the playmaking regard as it pertains to interceptions, but any Chargers fan will tell you that he is capable of making plays all over the field.
It wasn’t just the interceptions that were lacking, since the Ravens had just two players with at least ten passes defended last season. As you would guess, Lardarius Webb (11) and high-variance star Jimmy Smith (10) were those two, and Smith was the only player on the Ravens to record multiple interceptions.
Creating more interceptions and plays on the ball will be important for Baltimore, but more critical will be their ability to improve in coverage. The Ravens, as you can see by the number of touchdowns they allowed, gave up too many plays in the passing game last year.
No stat encapsulates this issue better than Football Outsider’s DVOA, as the Ravens were 28th in the NFL in this stat against deep passes. That is truly deplorable, and we can see that when looking at the “eye test”. Moving Webb to safety could help, and Will Hill is a good player. However, I’ve never been a fan of Terrence Brooks‘s game, and I just don’t think he’s fast enough to be a starter in this league, especially as a true free safety, since he is too prone to getting toasted.
Weddle, on the other hand, isn’t crisped by receivers often, which is part of the reason why the Chargers 17th-placed finish in DVOA against deep passes was their best mark against different types of passes last season. That’s not particularly strong, but you have to remember that the Chargers lacked depth in the defensive backfield behind Weddle, Jason Verrett, and surprise star Patrick Robinson.
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Although Weddle would help the Cowboys and Steelers more and the Ravens might need CB help more than safety help, Weddle’s versatility, including his ability to cover the slot, would make him an important addition. He may be over the age of 30, but he hasn’t shown signs of slowing down and is one of those players who is physical, versatile, and instinctive enough to play at a high level for a few more seasons, which would be the maximum duration of his next contract.