Subscribe to our newsletter

Ravens Should Lock Up Brandon Williams

Brandon Williams of the Ravens runs with other players in the background.
Share
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Ravens know when to let players walk. There’s a long list of draft picks who thrive in their system, signed lucrative deals elsewhere, and never live up to the expectations that came along with their bloated contracts.

Arthur Jones is the most recent example. Since signing a five-year $33 million dollar contract with the Colts, he’s played in nine games in two seasons. He’ll miss the first four games of 2016 after being suspended for PEDs.

Of course, some players continue to thrive, and the Ravens miss their presence. Pernell McPhee has kept wreaking havoc in opposing backfields for the Chicago Bears, and Paul Kruger has been a productive player for the Browns since departing Baltimore. Managing the salary cap can be tricky, and sometimes teams have to make tough decisions. But one player the Ravens cannot let walk following this season is Brandon Williams.

[Counterpoint – Ravens Need to Wait on Williams]

It won’t come cheap. With other defensive linemen like Malik Jackson and Fletcher Cox inking contracts of $85.5 million and $103 million dollars, respectively, Williams has a massive contract coming his way next year, whether it comes from the Ravens or another suitor.

Williams has largely flown under the radar outside of Baltimore since entering the league. He’s been wrongfully snubbed by Pro Bowl voters and has just recently began to gain national media attention. Williams, however, made the transition from Haloti Ngata a seamless one and actually served as an upgrade as Ngata has struggled to stay healthy with the Lions.

Williams, meanwhile, didn’t miss a game in all of 2014 and 2015, and demands double teams from opposing offensive linemen. The Ravens have clearly made it a point that they want to get after the quarterback as two of their top three picks in this year’s draft were pass rushers. Williams won’t put up massive sack numbers but he is the Ravens’ best run defender and frees up opportunities for other players to get through the line.

Since the departure of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed the Ravens have largely lost their defensive identity and swagger. Offenses aren’t intimidated by Dean Pees’ unit, but the Ravens do have a foundation in place with young players like Williams and C.J. Mosley. They spent early draft picks on aggressive and intense players like Kamalei Correa and Bronson Kaufusi. The Ravens are trying to return to the days where their defense was referred to as organized chaos. Keeping Williams would go a long way toward achieving that goal.

The Ravens know when to let players walk, but they can’t let Williams be the next player to cash in elsewhere. He’s a dominant force and the foundation of their run defense. Hopefully they find a way to keep him Baltimore.

[cardoza_wp_poll id=”1468″]

Don’t Miss Anything at RSR. Subscribe Here!
Latest posts
Join our newsletter and get 20% discount
Promotion nulla vitae elit libero a pharetra augue