If John Harbaugh has his way the Baltimore Ravens will re-sign “one or both” of veteran pass-rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy in 2024 NFL free agency. It may not be up to Harbaugh, though, not after Clowney enjoyed an “outstanding” visit with the New York Jets.
Clowney and Van Noy remain on the market, but Harbaugh told reporters on Monday, March 25 he’s “been texting” both, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Harbaugh also confirmed to Hensley how he’s “hopeful” the experienced duo will be back.
Hope might be all the Ravens can rely upon regarding the chances of Clowney returning to M&T Bank Stadium this year. There’s more concrete optimism from the Jets, especially general manager Joe Douglas.
The latter confirmed things went well when Clowney visited the Jets on Wednesday, March 20. Douglas told reporters he “spent about an hour just talking to him in my office and getting to know him. A very productive visit,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Although Douglas also revealed there’s “no news to report’ about an imminent signing, the Ravens will likely need to move fast to secure another deal with Clowney.
Ravens Should Beat Jets to Jadeveon Clowney’s Signature
Retaining Clowney or Van Noy would be useful for a Ravens’ defense lacking experience on the edge. Bringing back both would be a coup after they accounted for 18.5 of Baltimore’s league-leading 60 sacks last season.
Clowney led the way with 9.5 QB takedowns, the joint-highest, single-season tally of his career. A lot of the 31-year-old’s success rushing the passer can be attributed to the elaborate pressure schemes designed by former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, but Clowney also showed he still had enough left in the tank to win one-on-one matchups.
It’s what he did 15.5 percent of the time during the first few games of his career with the Ravens, according to Pro Football Focus.
Clowney’s ability to still beat individual blockers meant the usually blitz-happy Ravens could still put heat on the pocket even when just rushing four. That’s what happened when Clowney won off the edge for this sack, forced fumble against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12.
Plays like this are why the Ravens should beat the Jets to secure Clowney’s signature. Especially since there’s a lack of proven commodities on the edge of a defense decimated during free agency.
Ravens Need Veteran Help for Younger Pass-Rushers
Not only are Clowney and Van Noy still without deals, the Ravens also released 28-year-old outside linebacker Tyus Bowser. It means Harbaugh and new defensive coordinator Zach Orr will be looking to younger pass-rushers to pick up the slack.
There are intriguing options, including Odafe Oweh, who tied a career-high mark with five sacks in his third season. Oweh’s got the raw skills, but he lacks consistency.
It’s a different story for fellow youthful edge-rusher David Ojabo, who simply struggles to get on the field. A torn Achilles wiped out almost all of his rookie season in 2022, before Ojabo tore his ACL to wreck his comeback campaign in November.
The Ravens are still counting on Ojabo to reach the potential they deemed good enough to justify using a second-round pick to acquire. Fortunately, Harbaugh revealed Ojabo’s “healthy and he expects him to break out this year,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Ojabo, Oweh and Malik Harrison, who was re-signed in free agency, give the Ravens options on the edges of their front seven. Even so, the pass-rush rotation would look a lot stronger with an established presence added to the mix.
It make sense for that somebody to know the team and playbook as well as Clowney.
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