00:00The new league year for the National Football League is officially on the 11th, which is six days away, but
00:06legal tampering starts on the 9th, which is Monday, and so that means stuff starts leaking probably on Sunday.
00:14There are some interesting names on the trade market, and we saw DJ Moore get traded earlier today, and Trent
00:21McDuffie yesterday, and I think more to come, but free agency, and this is not a banner crop of free
00:28agents,
00:29but when you look at who is out there free agent-wise, who is catching your eye?
00:34Let's start with some offensive linemen, interior guys that caught my eye, and this is obviously operating under the assumption
00:43that Tyler Linderbaum is gone.
00:45A name that's been connected to the Ravens a lot is Connor McGovern, the Bills center.
00:53Bills had a very good offensive line last year, and he was now pro football focus.
00:59I always take it with a grain of salt, but he was 13th among centers.
01:03I think that that's a cheaper option, much cheaper option than Tyler Linderbaum, and I think that that would make
01:10sense,
01:11because if Linderbaum walks, I don't know if you necessarily want to roll the dice with another rookie center,
01:19with Declan Doyle being a first-time offensive coordinator, Lamar Jack.
01:24You probably want more of a sure thing at center.
01:27Here's my thing about the center position.
01:29If they had two guards I liked, I think I'd feel better about going with a rookie center,
01:33but one guard is likely going to be Emory Jones,
01:36and the other guard is going to be somebody that isn't here.
01:40So, yeah, I'd probably be with you and look for a center on the market,
01:45and I looked at some interior offensive linemen as well.
01:49ESPN did a great job with some of the top 100 free agents,
01:54and there are definitely some guards out there.
01:57I'm going to start with a big fish, though, which it seems like the Ravens have some interest,
02:05and that's Trey Hendrickson.
02:06Trey Hendrickson, I don't know how hurt he is.
02:09There have been multiple reports that he just checked out on the Bengals
02:11because, you know, remember that he famously showed up that one day for, what,
02:15OTAs just to hold a press conference to crap on them and then never played
02:18and just took his money.
02:19Two years prior, he had 17 and a half sacks each year.
02:22I feel like the Ravens need to come out of this with a dude that they know can get to
02:28the quarterback,
02:29whether that be trading for Max Crosby or maybe a Jalen Phelps who wasn't in that class
02:34but can get to the quarterback, maybe a couple of middle guys like an Owe, a Khalil Mack, a Bradley
02:40Chubb.
02:40But they have to, and I think Eric knows this because they were so embarrassingly inept
02:46at getting to the quarterback last year.
02:48I think they have to come out of this with somebody.
02:50Well, that's why I keep saying that they need multiple edge guys.
02:54Maybe Chason.
02:54Yeah, Chason was, he made my list.
02:57He had 54 quarterback pressures last year.
03:00Owe is someone that you've been bringing up a lot, Ken.
03:03Maybe even a Boye Mafe.
03:05Yeah, I like him.
03:05I know that he's not one of those top, top guys, but if you got him and then someone else,
03:12you'd feel pretty good.
03:13And then a lesser name to keep in mind for me, I've always kind of liked this guy,
03:18and this is more of a rotational piece.
03:20Like, this is not the main thing, but like a Derek Barnett has been very effective.
03:26Yeah, he was solid for them in Houston.
03:28And that's kind of one of those guys that Eric has really liked
03:31when talking about bringing in edge guys from the outside.
03:35I'll talk about two older guys, one on offense, one on defense.
03:38So on defense, it sounds like Cam Jordan has done in New Orleans.
03:41Evans, is there anything left in that tank?
03:43That's on brand for them.
03:44And he's a guy that for years has been a consistent pass rusher, though, has slowed down.
03:49On offense, how about Mike Evans?
03:53I would love Mike Evans.
03:55Mike Evans is...
03:56I love...
03:57I have a Mike Evans fetish.
03:59I want them to draft him.
04:00Going back to Texas A&M, yeah, going back to him.
04:01I'll give you another old wide receiver that would fit the bill for the Ravens.
04:06Keenan Allen.
04:07Yeah?
04:07Like, either...
04:09Evans, I think, is the better player at this point.
04:12And I also think probably, like, Lamar just...
04:15He hasn't had that big-bodied guy.
04:17No.
04:18And Evans is...
04:19Oh, D-Hop-ish.
04:20Yeah, D-Hop.
04:21But Evans is that guy...
04:23Like, you throw him a 50-50 ball, you know he's coming down.
04:26He was doing it last year when healthy.
04:28Yeah.
04:28Like, D-Hop was just...
04:30God bless him.
04:32And he might...
04:32You know, he was really good for a long time.
04:34But he ain't that guy anymore.
04:36Whereas Evans showed signs of still being that guy when healthy last year.
04:41Totally.
04:42Totally.
04:42And an older guy has already gotten paid.
04:44I don't think you'd have to break the bank for a Mike Evans at this stage of his career.
04:50I expect them to bring in a veteran wide receiver.
04:54They just always have a veteran guy in that room.
04:57But going back to the offensive line, though, some of the guards...
05:01And I've been bringing up Isaac Sumalo a lot.
05:05I just think it makes a lot of sense.
05:07He's older.
05:08I don't think it would break the bank.
05:09It really reminds me exactly like Kevin Zeitler.
05:12Like, at this stage, he's 31, 32.
05:15David Edwards, he was on the Bills' offensive line as well.
05:19He's a guard.
05:20He had a solid year.
05:2128 years old.
05:22If you want to go the older guy route, Joel Batonio, if he decides to continue to play.
05:29And then Kevin Zeitler, he's out there as well.
05:33Interesting name.
05:33Elijah Vera Tucker missed all last year with an injury.
05:36He was a good player for the Jets before that.
05:39I don't know what his market is.
05:40But, again, they need guards.
05:43They do.
05:44They do.
05:44I fully expect them to sign at least one starter in terms of the offensive line in free agency.
05:56So, we're assuming Linderbaum's gone.
05:58Emory Jones gets one of the spots.
06:00I think one of them, at a minimum, is a veteran.
06:03Maybe then you could roll with a day one, day two pick at the other spot.
06:07But, this is, it is, and we talked about it all last year because we knew it was building up
06:12to this.
06:12But, this is a fascinating offseason for Eric DaCosta.
06:14And, I think, in a way, it kind of mirrors what's going on in Buffalo with Brandon Bean.
06:20Because, Brandon Bean, they fired the head coach.
06:22They kept the general manager.
06:23Now, Brandon Bean has reacted to it by making this DJ Moore trade today.
06:27I think the Ravens were interested in DJ Moore.
06:29I don't know about that compensation for DJ Moore.
06:32And, I like him.
06:33But, you're giving up, you got more than a five for a two.
06:37Second, yeah.
06:38And, that contract.
06:39And, you guaranteed him more money.
06:40He is not a number one receiver.
06:43Like, I like him.
06:44Yeah.
06:44But, he's a better Shakir, essentially, for the Bills.
06:49So, they don't have that outside guy yet.
06:51And, you're paying him like he's a big-time receiver.
06:53Well, the reality is, in sports, if you're the GM and you fire the head coach,
07:00well, the spotlight's on you.
07:01And, you've got to be aggressive.
07:04You've got to do things differently to try to get you over the hump.
07:08And, that's why I fully expect Eric to do at least one uncharacteristic move.
07:15But, the more I think about it, the more I think it's going to be a trade.
07:18But, I think there's going to be a big swing here.
07:20I think so, too.
07:22I think so, too.
07:23And, then, a couple other guys to keep in mind, in terms of defensive line,
07:30because they were both cut.
07:31Bradley Chubb and Javon Hargrave.
07:34Both interesting guys.
07:35I think both make a lot of sense.
07:38This defensive line needs some work, even if Nnamdi Matipi comes back.
07:42And, no comp pick formula.
07:43No comp pick formula.
07:45They like that.
07:45Because, both of them were released.
07:46I think those two guys also make a lot of sense.
07:50Yeah.
07:50I had Samalo on my list, too.
07:53There, I went incredibly deep.
07:56Like, I even threw guys like Joey Bosa and Stephon Diggs on the list.
08:00I don't think either of them are likely.
08:02I don't know if they would touch Diggs with the off the field.
08:05Now, if the off the field stuff wasn't there, yeah, maybe it's a different conversation.
08:10Heck, maybe he's still in New England.
08:12Yeah.
08:12That's the off the field stuff.
08:13Yeah, I guess he was owed $6 million tomorrow.
08:16So, he's like, yeah, well, thank you for that season.
08:18Thank you for your service.
08:19Thank you for your service, yeah.
08:20We're going to go another direction.
08:22We're going to go another direction.
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