One of the most effective functions of the Ravens front office has long been their ability to prey on 31 other franchises via cap casualties, as the team has the propensity to turn one mans trash into Baltimore’s treasure. 2018 will be no different, and so, let’s take a look at the most likely early season pink slips that can potentially lead to new ink on a contract with the Ravens.
So far, we’ve covered:
AFC West: Emmanuel Sanders (DEN), Derrick Thomas (KC), Travis Benjamin (LAR), Michael Crabtree (OAK)
AFC East: Charles Clay (BUF), Julius Thomas (MIA), Martellus Bennett (NE), Robby Anderson (NYJ)
AFC South: C.J. Fiedoriwicz (HOU), Margus Hunt (IND), Allen Hurns (JAC), DeMarco Murray (TEN)
Now it’s time to take a look in our own backyard, as we continue to prey behind enemy lines…
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Brandon LaFell
The Bengals are in like…is it a rebuild yet? I mean they need to! But they brought back Marvin Lewis, Andy Dalton isn’t going anywhere…whatever, the point is that they have some young receivers that need playing time, and that likely puts Brandon LaFell on the outs ($4M savings for Cincy).
Bringing in a LaFell would remind me a lot of the Mike Wallace addition a few years back, in the sense that they’d bring in a guy on the cheap, hoping to rekindle their success from a few years back. For LaFell, his best season was under Tom Brady in New England (953 yards, 7 TD in ’14), but being stuck behind A.J. Green on the depth chart has hindered his numbers since then, (though he had 862 yards as recently as the ’16 season).
The Ravens could bring in LaFell for cheap if Wallace doesn’t want to stick around, giving the team a valuable veteran presence, while still having the flexibility to nab a big name playmaker in FA.
Cleveland Browns: QB Kevin Hogan
Another one of those tough teams to assess, and a team that is unlikely to really cut anybody – they have no big-name, aging vets that are hogging cap space. Hell, they have no big names, period! So I’m looking at this as a player who is simply taking up a roster spot, needs to go, and could an intriguing band-aid for the Ravens’ clipboard-holder spot.
My 2 cents? The Ravens aren’t interested in drafting a rookie quarterback in 2018. At least not with John Harbaugh’s perceived short leash. After all, if he is in a do-or-die season for once, why would he* waste a pick on the future? Why not try to draft to make the team better now?
*not to say Harbaugh calls the shots-Â merely that he’d lobby against it when he needs to win NOW*
As such, the Ravens will be in the market for a backup quarterback.
The Browns, on the other hand, will likely draft a QB with the 1st or 4th pick, thus making Kevin Hogan disposable. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t love Hogan. I don’t think he’s the future of this team, or even a starter on 31 other teams. But in a pinch, I like what I’ve seen from him, and I think it would be worth throwing a few pennies his way to backup Joe Flacco in 2018.
At least he’s better than Ryan Mallett…
Pittsburgh Steelers: TE Vance McDonald
Honestly? The Steelers need to make cuts, and the guys they’re going to part with don’t do a damn thing for me. Mike Mitchell? HARD PASS. William Gay? I like my CBs under 33 years old… Darius Heyward-Bay? I’m looking at a different, much younger Terp to join the Ravens…
But perhaps Vance McDonald makes some sense to improve the Tight End group.
He’s not a prolific TE by any means, and for this to even happen, the Ravens would need to be in more of a ‘screw it, we’re over Maxx Williams‘ state of mind. While both Vance McDonald and Maxx have injury issues, at least when Vance is healthy, he can catch passes AND run block! But again, it would need to be on the cheap, and understood that another TE would still need to be added to the roster to make anybody feel warm and fuzzy.
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