The Baltimore Ravens have signed multiple free agents during the 2022 offseason including safety Marcus Williams, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and defensive lineman Michael Pierce. However, they could still look to the free agent market in order to address more of their needs.
When looking at the best landing spots and other potential fits for some of the top free agents remaining, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus named Baltimore as a possible fit for two of the 10 free agents listed, the first being cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Spielberger talked about how much of an impact Gilmore can have for a team.
“Teams should be excited at the prospect of Gilmore stepping in and making an impact from Day 1, because he did just that following a trade to the Carolina Panthers last season. From Week 8 through the end of the season, Gilmore’s 79.5 coverage grade from press coverage looks ranked sixth among cornerbacks.”
The other free agent that Spielberger pens as a potential fit for the Ravens is wide receiver Antonio Brown, who has long been linked to Baltimore in some way or another ever since his exit from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Spielberger discusses how if a team is willing to deal with his off-field happenings, on the field he is still extremely productive.
“Despite Brown joining a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense already loaded with top-end weapons, his 90.3 receiving grade from 2020-21 ranked tied for fifth among wide receivers and his 2.40 yards per route run ranked seventh…If a team is willing to deal with all the rest that comes with Brown, he can still produce with the best of the best.”
Even though at this point Gilmore would likely be the much more expensive option as opposed to Brown, the cornerback seems like a better fit for the Ravens. Baltimore needs cornerback depth in a big way, and Gilmore wouldn’t just be depth, he’d create a three-headed monster with Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. Brown still can contribute on the field, but it doesn’t seem like the Ravens would be interested based on his off-field past.