The Baltimore Ravens needed a boost to the defense after Za'Darius Smith's sudden change of heart left them in an uncomfortable position. After initially agreeing to a four-year, $35 million deal with Smith, the EDGE rusher got cold feet and backed out of the deal, opting to head back to free agency. In response, the Ravens filled a different need on the D-line, signing veteran DT Michael Pierce in a move to bring him back to Baltimore, per Ian Rapoport.
Source: Former #Vikings DT Michael Pierce is going to the #Ravens on a 3-year, $16.5M deal. Back where he started.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2022
While Ravens fans were expecting a reunion with Smith, it's actually Pierce with whom they will be reuniting. Pierce will return on a $16.5 million deal that will span over three years, returning to the team that picked him up as an undrafted free agent back in 2016.
After missing the 2020 season, Pierce latched on with the Vikings on a one-year deal last offseason. He featured in 8 games for the Vikings, missing more than half the season to injury. He was productive when healthy, however, racking up 3.0 sacks and 20 tackles on the year.
The 29-year-old out of Samford will be returning to his old stomping grounds and the Ravens will be hoping he can be a key contributor in the trenches for a team that struggled defensively last year.
The failure to complete the signing of Smith was a major blow for the Ravens, but landing Pierce in his stead is a good way to lessen the pain. Now, the team needs to look to make further improvements on that side of the ball in order to get back to the playoffs in 2022.
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