It was not surprising the Ravens hosted free-agent inside linebacker Bobby Wagner for a visit.
He would satisfy a huge need for the franchise because they lack depth at the position. Wagner is also a solid linebacker that would give Patrick Queen more freedom to make plays.
Last season, Wagner became only the third player to finish with 100 or more tackles in 10 consecutive seasons, joining Ray Lewis and London Fletcher.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh acknowledged after the season the Ravens need more production from the linebackers.
“You’ve got to understand it’s not just about the scheme, it’s about your relationship to that running back,” Harbaugh said. “[Just] because scheme is telling me wide zone, doesn’t mean I’m running out there; the back might be running down here (points inward) and cutting to the back, and we started to learn those things. Or in the passing game, if I’m out here in space, I’ve got to understand, is it an inside-out angle? Is it an outside-in angle?
“I’ve got to maintain that relationship to a near hip or to a near shoulder, but not doing it in a way where I’m breaking down and giving the guy five yards to make me miss; doing it in an aggressive way where I drop my weight, and I run through and I make the tackle aggressively, on time.”
The Ravens currently have Queen, Malik Harrison and Kristian Welch as the only players under contract at inside linebacker.
Josh Bynes, L.J. Fort, and Otaro Alaka are free agents.
Baltimore could consider bringing back Bynes, who had 76 tackles and could be re-signed at a reasonable price. Fort, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Aug. 23, is also a likely candidate to be re-signed because he is also a force on special teams.
Queen was much improved when moved to the weak side and let Bynes handle the strong side. Queen led the team with 97 tackles and should improve even more heading into his third NFL season.
“Patrick is going to be successful no matter where he’s at,” new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald said. “He’s a great player, he’s got a great skill set, he’s very smart, he’s still really young. So, he’s got a great career ahead of him.”
Some have called this guy the perfect linebacker for today's NFL. @NflOgden evaluates Devin Lloyd c/o @Royal_Farms #RavensFlockhttps://t.co/7Qq7oSqDhX
— Ravens Draft Central (@RavensDraftPick) March 25, 2022
Harrison and Welch provided solid depth but they’ll have to show more production this season.
This is not a strong draft for inside linebackers but the Ravens could take a chance on Troy Andersen (Montana State) or Devin Lloyd (Utah) if either player is available in the later rounds.
The Ravens also need help at outside linebacker. Tyus Bowser, Odafe Oweh, Jaylon Ferguson and Daelin Hayes are the players under contract.
Bowser had his best season as a pro and finished with 59 tackles but suffered an Achilles injury in the finale against Pittsburgh. The Ravens are optimistic that Bowser will not miss any significant time next season.
“Tyus is going to work. So, I’m pretty excited,” Harbaugh said. “I think Tyus will be back for the start of the season. I think Tyus will be back for training camp; that’s my prediction. That’s my timeline, so I’m going to stick with that.”
Oweh is coming off a solid rookie season where he made several game-changing moves. He was second on the team with five sacks.
The Ravens do need more production from Ferguson, who could be on the roster bubble. He was a stellar college player but that performance has not translated to the pro level as of yet.
Justin Houston finished with 4.5 sacks and he could be a candidate to be re-signed as a free agent . Regardless, they need to add another player or two, perhaps in the draft. This group has to do a better job getting to the quarterback. Pernell McPhee is also a free agent.
This is a strong draft for outside linebackers with Jermaine Johnson II (Florida State), David Ojabo (Michigan), George Karlaftis (Purdue), and Travon Walker (Georgia) all being a good fit for Baltimore.
“Outside linebacker, for us, which would be the 4-3 defensive end, but for us the 3-4 outside linebacker-type guys, the edge players, I think is a strong class,” DeCosta said.
