After flaming out this past season, the Baltimore Ravens need a major retooling. They've already made the first move, firing long-time coach John Harbaugh and bringing in Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as their new head coach. Baltimore's defense has declined significantly since Mike Macdonald's departure, so having a defensive-minded coach should be helpful.
That being said, fixing the Ravens' shoddy defense requires more than just a new mastermind. There have been clear gaps in the personnel that the team fielded this season. Free agency is one way for the Ravens to improve their roster. While it's possible for Baltimore to snag one of the big free agents this offseason, there are also a few under-the-radar players who will be useful to the Ravens. Let's look at these free agents.
D.J Reader, IDL
The Ravens' biggest issue last season was their inability to get to the quarterback. With offenses being so complicated now, the best chance for a defense to be successful is to generate pressure. Baltimore, however, had one of the worst defensive lines in the league. They generated pressure just 31.5% of the time last season, good for fourth-worst in the league.
With one of their best interior linemen, Justin Madubuike, potentially retiring before the season starts due to injury, the Ravens could be in need of a big body to fill the interior. DJ Reader isn't quite the same player that he was when he was still in the AFC North, but he still provides great value. He's also likely going to be available for relatively cheap.
Keenan Allen, WR
Outside of their defense, there's one area of the offense that has been an issue for what feels like forever. Baltimore's wide receiver corps has been lacking for quite some time now. It's been better over the last few years: Zay Flowers is emerging as a solid top wide receiver for Baltimore. That being said, the Ravens' pass-catchers still lag behind other top contenders in the league.
Their already thin wide receiver room might become a little thinner this offseason. Veteran DeAndre Hopkins and Tylan Wallace are set to hit free agency this offseason. The Ravens might just be down to Flowers, Rashod Bateman (who's coming off a career-worst 224 receiving yards), and unproven WRs Devontez Walker and LaJohntay Wester. That's not a recipe for success in the NFL.
With that in mind, Keenan Allen deserves some consideration for the Ravens. He's not the same 1,000-yard threat that he was in his prime, but last season with the Chargers showed that he's still got the chops to be a competent secondary or tertiary wide receiver in an offense.
Montaric Brown, CB
The Ravens' woes on defense don't end in their pass-rush, though. Further exacerbating their issues on defense is their struggling secondary. Outside of a resurgent Chidobe Awuzie, Baltimore's cornerbacks struggled heavily in coverage against most receivers. While part of their struggles is due to the pass-rush, having better lockdown cornerbacks will help the team mitigate their struggles in generating pressure.
To make matters worse for the Ravens, Awuzie is set to enter free agency in the offseason. Marlon Humphrey is already 30 years old and has shown signs of declining over the last few years. The rest of the Ravens' cornerback room is filled with untested cornerbacks that are a bit of a gamble to lean on from the outside looking in.
Montaric Brown isn't a flashy name, but he's been effective for a Jaguars team that was one of the better units in the league. He recorded 2 interceptions and 12 passes defended last season. He should be an upgrade for the team if they're able to sign him.
