A once-promising 2021 turned into a disaster for John Harbaugh’s club. But the Baltimore Ravens had quite the past few months when it came to adding talent.
It’s simply odd to say last-place Baltimore Ravens. But that was indeed the case in 2021 as John Harbaugh’s team, off to a solid 8-3 start, wound up dropping its final six games and tumbled all the way down to the divisional basement.
This was a team hit hard by injuries on both sides of the ball. But this offseason, you could make a case that general manager Eric DeCosta did as good of a job as any executive in the league. The Ravens have appeared to have struck gold with their two first-round picks. And the club made some shrewd acquisitions in free agency.
The franchise didn’t go overboard with their number of offseason additions. But what they added appears to be a lot of quality. So who were the team’s three pickups this year?
Baltimore Ravens top offseason pickup no. 3: T Morgan Moses (New York Jets)
When you rely on the running game (led by quarterback Lamar Jackson) the way the Ravens have the past four seasons, standout offensive line play is a must. The club had its ups and down in this area a year ago and some of that was due to injuries. But the offseason addition of reliable right tackle Morgan Moses was a solid pickup.
The massive performer was a third-round pick by Washington in 2014 and has played in every game for his team dating back to ’15 – including 2021 with the Jets. He is one of the better run-blocking run blocking standouts in the league, ranking 21st at his position in this department by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Baltimore Ravens top offseason pickup no. 2: FS Marcus Williams (New Orleans Saints)
The franchise has traditionally fielded a quality defense. But the Ravens had their issues in the secondary a year ago and much of that had to do with having enough healthy bodies. Star cornerback Marcus Peters was lost before the season even began and during the 2021 campaign, Marlon Humphrey went down for the remainder of the year.
The club was unable to stop anyone through the air and gave up more than a share of huge passing plays. When it was all said and done, regardless of who lined up in the defensive backfield, the Ravens were burned deep far too often and wound up allowing the most passing yards in the league.
There are quite a few new faces in the secondary. Eric DeCosta used a first-round pick on University of Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens signed veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller, late of the Denver Broncos. And new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald will also have safety Marcus Williams at his disposal.
In five seasons with the New Orleans Saints, the 2017 second-round pick from the University of Utah has played and started 76 regular-season games and accumulated 15 takeaways – including 15 interceptions. He’s knocked down 38 passes and forced three fumbles.
Baltimore Ravens top offseason pickup: C Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa)
Back to the offensive front. There were two areas of the Ravens that were devastated by injuries in 2021. Along with the aforementioned secondary, Baltimore’s running back corps took some major hits as the summer wore down. Yes, the team till wound up finishing third in the NFL in rushing yards per game. In 2019, the franchise set a league record for most rushing yards in a season and in ’20, led the league via yards on the ground.
You don’t accomplish those feats without a quality offensive line. And in April, with the second of their two first-round picks, the team and general manager Eric DeCosta grabbed the top-ranked center in the nation in Tyler Linderbaum.
Note the analysis of NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “Linderbaum has Pro Bowl potential but needs to be matched with a move-based rushing attack. He has the foot quickness and GPS to consistently find top positioning in the first phase of the block. He plays with leverage and body control to sustain and keep the running lane open…Teams with certain size standards might pass on him but his tenacity and talent make him a can’t-miss prospect if matched in the right scheme.”
The addition of the former University of Iowa standout by the franchise may mean the Ravens could be set at this position for years to come. That’s a bold statement but this is a quality prospect.