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Countless injuries blew out the Baltimore Ravens' 2021 campaign as they settled in the bottom-cellar spot of the AFC North this season. Surely enough, the team would want to add more depth in almost every unit in the roster in order to still save their campaign if they find themselves getting stuck in a similar situation next season.
However, the Ravens currently have little cap space with around $9.8 million for the 2022 season. They are expected to make crucial decisions in order to have more room to do significant roster moves that will allow them to have a better team moving forward. Hopefully, the changes that they will make will enable them to get back to being a consistent contender in the AFC for the years to come.
1 surprise roster cut for the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason
A player who is surprisingly on the edge of being cut by the Ravens would be cornerback Tavon Young. He has been synonymous with the team's secondary ever since he arrived back in 2016. Young balled out as a rookie which eventually allowed him to be the league's highest-paid slot cornerback with a three-year, $25.8 million contract in 2019.
Unfortunately, major neck and knee injuries have hindered his progression and caused his performance to regress over the past couple of seasons. Despite not being the player that he once was, Young still managed to have a healthy season when most of his teammates got injured in 2021. He produced 35 combined tackles, 2.0 sacks, and three passes defended in 17 appearances.
With those numbers, the 27-year-old eventually emerged as one of the most productive players in their secondary defense. However, he is set to enter the final year of his current contract which will carry a $9.18 million cap hit for 2022, the seventh-highest in the team. His level of performance in 2021 could validate the team's decision to retain him but his price tag would still be too steep, especially for the Ravens who have little cap space left for 2022.
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Additionally, the team is also set to welcome back most of the players in their secondary who were sidelined over the past season. This includes starters like Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, and DeShon Elliott. Given that Baltimore has one of the most potent secondary defenses in the league, they will most likely not skip a beat even if Young gets cut in the offseason, assuming all of the key players can stay healthy in 2022.
If they proceed to release him then the Ravens can save $6 million with $3.34 million in dead money. Having more cap space will allow the team to address the other units that need more depth which includes the offensive line, defensive line, and linebackers position.
The Ravens can also choose to add more contributors by way of the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft if they are keen on filling in a hole in the cornerback position. Fortunately for Young, all is not yet lost as he can still negotiate to restructure his contract for 2022 if he is willing to take a pay cut to stay in Baltimore.
Aside from him, other priority cut candidates for the Ravens would be Alejandro Villanueva and Justice Hill, which still leaves a small window open for the cornerback's return for 2022. However, if the Ravens choose to be aggressive and will be needing more cap space then Tavon Young's contract is expected to be in jeopardy as well.
