The Baltimore Ravens have been known for two things the last few seasons; a dominant run game and a vaunted pass rush. In 2022, the running game was there, but the pass rush came up short.
The drop-off in production led to Don ‘Wink’ Martindale being relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator. It didn’t take long for him to find a new job, as he is now the defensive coordinator with the New York Giants.
The Ravens finished 24th in the NFL with 34 sacks during the 2021 season. Tyus Bowser led the way with seven sacks, followed by five from rookie Odafe Oweh. They felt the loss of Matt Judon, who signed with the New England Patriots as a free agent and racked up 12.5 sacks with them.
Bowser and Oweh are just scratching the surface of their potential as pass rushers and could push for double-digit sacks in 2022. However, they could use some help when it comes to getting after the quarterback.
Could a reunion be in the cards? Over at PFF, a piece was put together detailing 15 trades they would like to see this offseason. One of them involved the Ravens acquiring Za’Darius Smith from the Green Bay Packers.
Smith spent the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens before signing with the Packers in free agency in 2019. He broke out in 2018, the final year of his rookie contract, with a pass-rush grade of 79.3, compiling 60 quarterback pressures and 10 sacks.
His first two seasons with the Packers were excellent, as Smith was a one-man wrecking crew with 144 quarterback pressures and 29 sacks. However, he missed nearly the entire 2021 season after undergoing surgery.
Counting so much against the cap and with Green Bay needing to slash some salary, Smith is someone that could be moved this offseason whether it is via trade or release. He may prefer being released so that he can pick where he plays next, but he would likely be okay heading back to the first franchise he played for.
With a surplus of fourth-round picks, as Baltimore is projected to have five of them, PFF believes they will send one of them to the Packers in exchange for Smith.
Getting any compensation for a player they are considering releasing would be a win for the Packers. The Ravens would be happy acquiring a player in Smith who can still produce at a high level when healthy.
