5 Options For Ravens w/ Judon Walking
Ravens Nation, I’ve had it! There has been this love-affair with Matthew Judon, and I’m done with it. The feelings are not mutual. Matt wants his bag. He wants to get paid. He has made it clear he is looking for work, as mentioned here.
Welp we looking for work
— Matthew Judon (@man_dammn) February 14, 2020
Ravens’ fans and pundits alike have argued me left and right about Judon’s worth. PFF has him with the most QB hits in the NFL as an arguing point.
NFL.Com recorded him being 18th in the league in sacks.
Fans countered me on Facebook, saying Judon led the team in QB pressures this season. I covered everything you can possibly imagine about Judon in this article from Russell Street Report, right here.
Option 1: Already in place
Whether the answer is a cheaper option in FA, building through the draft, or trusting Jaylen Ferguson to mature into that dude, it’s time to move forward. Let’s look at the first option closest to filling the void. Is Jaylen ready to reclaim his nickname, “Sack Daddy”? Here is a draft breakdown on him done by Pro-Football Focus.
In my opinion, his bull-rush is effective against smaller school players, and while NCAA sack leader of 2018 has a rip and some lean into his rushes, they just have not been as effective in the NFL. I went back to the week 9 tape because I saw he had a sack against the Buffalo Bills. It turns out Judon caused the sack, and Jaylen simply was the first to touch Josh Allen after he hit the ground.
Below isn’t too good of a look either as it shows the rookie 1-on-1 with Bills’ TE Tyler Kroft.
However, they gave Lamar Jackson a chance and a second season to see what he is capable of and that turned out ok, I guess. Ending the season with the MVP crown is pretty solid.
Option 2: XFL
LB Latroy Lewis, out of Tennessee, is currently leading the XFL with 2-sacks. It’s only week-2 of the amateur league, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Lewis was not drafted but was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017. The former volunteer had flashes during the preseason that year. Here is one.
Lewis tried hard to secure a spot on the Raiders that season as he notched two sacks and the above tipped-pick-six. However, despite his efforts, in the end, he’s in Vince McMahon’s league. Baltimore could benefit by thinking outside of the normal channels and giving this young man a shot.
Option 3: Free Agency
As I continued to peruse the free-agent tracker, one name that may match the Ravens’ purse and talent need is New York Jets impending free-agent Jordan Jenkins. The former DSGB (Dirty South Georgia Boy) wasn’t as flashy as one would like to see due to injury but he had 8-sacks on the season in 2019 and is looking to test the market. As many former Ravens that were signed last year by the Jets, it would be nice to return the favor and snatch a high-value-target from the J-E-T-S…
Option 4: Draft
This option is the cheapest option and is more than likely the route Eric DeCosta likes the most. He has mentioned wanting to build teams with players still on their first contracts. Picking up a player like Alabama‘s Afernee Jennings could really fill the need and bolster the unit against the run. What I continued to see out of the former Roll Tide player was the ability to stay disciplined against the run. Additionally, another thing that popped off the tape for me was Jennings sniffs out and knocks down passes on the regular. The former 2x College Football Champion may be only 6-1, but his speed and ability make up for the height.
Option 5: Same Ol’ Same
Of course, bringing back Terrell Suggs is another option but the team is looking to build toward the future. The aforementioned are the most reasonable options available should Judon look for greener pastures. It will be interesting to see which ones the Baltimore Ravens choose.