There was a good amount of news with a few key press conferences at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, but I won’t bury the lede. After GM Eric DeCosta’s remarks, it seems a foregone conclusion that breakout DT Justin Madubuike will be back in black and purple for the foreseeable future:
Keeping the disruptive tackle needs to be a major priority in this team’s offseason plans. After becoming a household name and one of the league’s best at his position, Madubuike will command a huge paycheck, but he’s up there with Roquan Smith and company as one of the defense’s most important players. Last week I wrote that I was curious about what DeCosta’s approach to this caliber of free agent would be, and he let us know Tuesday:
"We're trying to get a deal done. We've had discussions with Justin."
GM Eric DeCosta on Justin Madubuike pic.twitter.com/NgEkWcBH7m
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 27, 2024
#Ravens GM Eric DeCosta says they’ll tag DT Justin Madubuike if they don’t get a long-term deal done. But the hope is to beat the tag deadline and do a deal for the rising young player.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 27, 2024
Ryan Mink gave a nice summary of DeCosta’s thoughts here:
Takeaways from Eric DeCosta's press conference:
🟣 Madubuike isn't leaving
⚫ Change coming on O-line
🟣 Talking with Gus/Dobbins, will make a couple additions at RB
⚫ Sees value at WR in draft
🟣 Have good safety depth, not sure what it means for Geno
⚫ Still talking with OBJ…— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) February 27, 2024
Similarly, John Harbaugh met with the media, and one of his biggest focus points was the reconstruction of the offensive line. With a number of question marks along the line, it will be critical that the Ravens get things sorted:
"You win in the trenches first… There's going to be some rebuilding there."
Coach Harbaugh on the O-line: pic.twitter.com/zrHAlcTb7Q
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 27, 2024
With a few free agents and several inconsistent or unproven others, QB Lamar Jackson could be protected by an overhauled unit, but there are a few directions DeCosta could look to solve the problem.
First and foremost, he could re-sign guys like John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler. If I had to guess, Zeitler will be the guy there. But he could also look to the draft – last year’s, that is:
It has been a year since Andrew Vorhees suffered an ACL injury at the 2023 Combine.
Let's jog our memories on what Vorhees brings to the table and how he fits in a Todd Monken offense!#RavensFlock https://t.co/xbXlmUyb7F
— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) February 27, 2024
There’s been a fair amount of talk about Vorhees across the Twitterverse the last few days, and for good reason. Vorhees was a promising player who just had an untimely injury. There’s a player there to be untapped this coming season.
Whoever mans the offensive frontline, they could be blocking for a new name in the backfield, and that’s another area in which DeCosta could go different directions. In my eyes, there’s no reason not to bring Gus Edwards back, assuming the price isn’t outlandish:
If the figures were right, I’d absolutely bring Gus Edwards back! #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/V1FzPa01j3
— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) February 27, 2024
The man is a late-game monster, and he’s been nothing but consistent for Baltimore. On the other hand, there’s some big names on the market. The biggest might be Saquon Barkley, and it’s starting to catch steam:
A member of the #Ravens’ organization on Saquon Barkley:
“Could you imagine Saquon Barkley and Lamar Jackson in the same backfield for the running game?” 👀
(Via @JFowlerESPN) pic.twitter.com/0WGODH6IiS
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 27, 2024
It’s an exciting idea, I can’t lie. Maybe that’s the kind of move we should be expecting Baltimore to make, though. As Harbaugh said here, it’s the team’s job to take advantage of the window with Jackson. To do that, they might have to make some splashes:
John Harbaugh on the Ravens’ offense and building around Lamar Jackson
“We want to do right by Lamar and build the best operation we can for him so his talents can really shine, and I think we're just starting with that” pic.twitter.com/ceE9zDELrj
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) February 27, 2024
To play both sides, Jeff Zrebiec reports that DeCosta may still take things cautiously, but allow me to dream.
Regardless of how things go with Madubuike, the O-Line, the running backs, or anything else over the coming months, it’ll be important to remember that the Ravens’ brass has an organized, calculated plan. And it’s a plan that’s worked, so we ought to trust them:
I've voiced my frustrations and even concerns with the ways in which we seem to lack preparation to attack playoff football and how we exit seasons in the playoffs.
But I am grateful that the @Ravens are an often competitive football product for its fanbase. #ravensflock
— Skepticgoat (@skepticgoat) February 27, 2024
