Baltimore Ravens 2018 Free Agency outlook: The Baltimore Ravens are preparing for free agency hoping to improve their team for the upcoming season.
The main goal is to make a "splash" in free agency on offense to help quarterback Joe Flacco by adding new receivers. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome believes that in order to make the impact he wants to make, cutting players may be one of the steps in the free agency process.
Ryan Mink is a Baltimore Ravens staff writer who attended Newsome's press conference where free agency was first discussed.
This included possible cap casualties like Danny Woodhead, Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Carr, and Ladarius Webb.
As the first phase of free agency began, general manager Ozzie Newsome re-signed offensive linemen James Hurst to a four year 17.5 million dollar contract and then re-signed defensive end Brent Urban for one year. Both of these contracts were reported by Ryan Mink on the Baltimore Ravens website. Next, the Ravens general manager began releasing players to create more salary cap space. He released Ladarius Webb and Jeremy Maclin and Danny Woodhead retired. Also living up to his words in his press conference, to reshape the Ravens receiver group, Newsome did just that. First, he signed wide receiver John "Smokey" Brown to a one year deal.
He also signed wide receiver Ryan Grant for four years.
Ravens sign Michael Crabtree
While the signings of John Brown and Ryan Grant showed Raven fans that Ozzie Newsome was trying to reshape the receiver group, what happened next was truly divine intervention. The Oakland Raiders would sign former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson which meant someone on their roster would be cut.
This player was linked to the Ravens all offseason, and now he was a free agent. Michael Crabtree, was scheduled to visit several teams including the Ravens which would be his first visit and unbeknownst to Ravens fans, his last.
However, many analysts and fans were left to wonder how the Ravens could afford to sign Crabtree given the team's limited salary cap space.
Ryan Grant who was signed two days before, failed a team physical, which was a result of an ankle injury suffered in 2017.
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Due to him failing a physical, the Ravens rescinded his contract once again making Ryan Grant a free agent. Michael Crabtree came to Baltimore to listen to what the Ravens had to offer him, and he ultimately signed.
Now with Michael Crabtree signed, the Baltimore Ravens kept cornerback Brandon Carr.
Ozzie Newsome getting Joe Flacco offensive players
With Ozzie Newsome adding John Brown and Michael Crabtree, he has lived up to his offseason promise of reshaping the Ravens wide receiver group. While these two new players are great additions, much work still needs to be done.
The next step was to add a tight end and to possibly bring back wide receiver Mike Wallace.
Ozzie Newsome wanted to add a pass catching tight end, because they are quarterback Joe Flacco's favorite target. However, both of these would prove difficult. The Ravens were hoping to bring in tight ends Jimmy Graham or Eric Ebron, neither of which they got a chance to do. According to Adam SChefter at ESPN, Jimmy Graham would sign a three year deal with the Green Bay Pcakers and Eric Ebron would go on to sign with the Indianapolis colts.
So with the tight end proving difficult, Ozzie Newsome should've brought back wide receiver Mike Wallace right? Well not so fast. Enter the super bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Also during this time, the Ravens would see center Ryan Jensen sign a lucrative contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for four years and $42 million according to Adam Schefter at ESPN.
So with the first phase of free agency done, the Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has reshaped the Ravens wide receiver group in hopes that it will help Joe Flaccco get back to his post season form. The 2018 NFL season will prove if Newsome, in his final year as Ravens GM, did the right thing or not.
