Ranking the Ravens Signing So Far This Offseason
March 16, 20140


Compared to last year, the Baltimore Ravens have had a busy off-season, and despite what people may think, Joe Flacco’s contract has not sunk this team. With six signings so far, the Ravens are almost certainly not finished, but below is my current set of rankings which place them by accounting for talent level and value. Feel free to comment your thoughts below.


#6 Jacoby Jones, WR

Jacoby Jones will get plenty more opportunities to run away from the Steelers in the coming years.

Jacoby Jones will live in Baltimore lore forever due to the “Mile High Miracle” and his Super Bowl performance, but he still comes in at #6 on this list. Jones signed a 4-year/$14M contract this offseason to contribute as a #4 receiver and Kickoff/Punt returner. Yet, there is only so much he can do in these roles. While this certainly wasn’t a bad signing, Jones will have a tough time providing a $3.5M impact given his place in the depth chart behind Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, and Marlon Brown. Jones will have to continue making “game-breaking” to live up to the standards set forth by his contract.



#5 Terrell Suggs, OLB

Terrell Suggs' new contract opened cap space for the Ravens to sign other pieces.

It is very likely that Terrell Suggs will retire a Raven, following his 4-year/$28.5M extension, but that is only half of the reason that this signing was beneficial. Suggs’ cap hit, following this move, fell by $4.6M! This allowed the Ravens to sign the likes of the aforementioned Jacoby Jones. Additionally, the Ravens could simply not afford to lose another locker room presence following their mass exodus in 2013. The only concern regarding this deal is Suggs’ actually play on the field, which has been declining for a few years. There is a very real possibility that in year three or four, Suggs might be a shell of his former self, and for that reason, he comes in at #5 on this list.



#4 Daryl Smith, ILB

Daryl Smith surprised everyone last year by leading the Baltimore Ravens in tackles

Daryl Smith led the Ravens’ Defense last year following the departures of Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, but somehow, he made their absences slightly less noticeable. With 123 combined tackles in 2013, Smith definitely warranted the contract he received; however, the fact remains that his 4-year/$16.1M comes at the age of 31. Much like Suggs, Baltimore fans can only hope that Smith’s productivity will continue throughout the entire life of his contract. If not, this deal could end up biting Baltimore around 2017, but for now, this move had to be made in order to ensure continuity in a defense that had recently undergone much change.


#3 Steve Smith, WR

Steve Smith will aid a Ravens' offense that could never seem to get going last year.

Steve Smith was so deeply entrenched in the Carolina Panther’s organization that many were stunned to see the franchise cut him. Don’t fret Ravens fans, he was not cut due to poor abilities; rather, a combination of his cap hit and the Panthers’ desire to turn over the locker room to players like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. Nevertheless, some Carolina fans have gotten a little emotional. With Smith on the market, it did not take long for the Ravens to swoop in and sign the WR to a 3-year/$11.5 M deal. In addition to adding a fourth Smith to the team (Torrey, Jimmy and Daryl), Steve Smith will bring his fiery passion for the game to Baltimore, and hopefully, it will rub off on the rest of the young receiver corps. Besides his intangibles, Smith possesses a solid pair of hands (5.5% passes dropped last year) and he should help to open up an offense that was essentially inept last year. The next player on the list, will also help in accomplishing that mission.



#2 Dennis Pitta, TE

Dennis Pitta shined during the Ravens' Super Bowl run, and he hopes to provide that same spark for years to come.

Dennis Pitta thought his career might have been over following his “excruciating” hip injury during an August practice last year. However, Pitta made an amazing recovery that defied all expectations. By December of 2013, Baltimore’s main TE returned to field and he even caught a touchdown in his first game back. With an impressive 2012 season and a miraculous 2013 return on his belt, Pitta hit the free agent market looking for a big contract, one which Baltimore provided in the form of a 5-year/$32M deal. With Pitta locked up, Joe Flacco should be able to operate more efficiently in the red zone which was ranked only the 31st best in 2013 (5th in 2012). The need for Pitta was huge, and the fact that he will remain a Raven for 5 more years at a somewhat reasonable price makes this the #2 signing this off-season. Still, Baltimore’s offense won’t be able to truly flourish without a solid offensive line, and the Ravens made a big step in securing this with the re-signing of this list’s #1 player.



#1 Eugene Monroe

With Eugene Monroe’s re-signing, the Ravens found their Left Tackle for years to come.

Last year, the Ravens traded for Eugene Monroe for a couple of third-day draft picks, and immediately, everyone knew that they had gotten a steal. Even if it was just for 10 games, Baltimore had secured a top 10 tackle for the remainder of 2013. Furthermore, by giving him a taste of the Ravens’ organization (which must have seemed fantastic when compared to Jacksonville), Baltimore increased their chances of signing Monroe that off-season. Unsurprisingly, Ozzie Newsome’s plan worked out and Monroe agreed to a 5-year/$37.5M contract, which many consider to be a bargain for a player of Monroe’s caliber. With Monroe penciled in at LT, the Ravens improved an offensive line that was considered by Football Outsiders to be the worst in the NFL. Though Center and Right Tackle are still a concern, Monroe will undoubtedly aid Baltimore’s line and give the Ravens more flexibility on draft day. If you still aren’t convinced Monroe’s re-signing was the Ravens’ #1 move this off-season, just think back to September of 2013, when Bryant McKinney held down the fort at LT. The stuff of nightmares. Hopefully, Monroe will help to alleviate some of those nightmares as he leads the Ravens’ line into the future.


http://statsports.net/?p=301


Not the best source but I agree with most of his thoughts

This post was edited by Mangina on Mar 16 2014 11:58am

Oh, and



This post was edited by Mangina on Mar 16 2014 12:36pm

Hb Ozzie

:worshipjpeg:

How was signing jacoby ranked #6 I would have been uber pissed if we let him slip. We can't seem to hold on to our core wrs

Because there were 5 signings that ultimately were better / more important.

Also, i highly doubt we'll see Torrey sign with another team next season, he just seems too passionated about purple nation.

Agreed about Torrey, you going to his draft day thing @ jimmies? It's like 60$ for all you can eat crabs / shrimp and domestic beer.

Wish i could, but as i live in Denmark it'll be rather difficult

excuses, excuses

I mean who would you rank lower than him? Not that it's a bad signing, just the others have a bigger impact.


I prob won't be at jimmies, but I love it there. One of the first bars I drank underage at