By Joe Schiller
NFL free agency doesn’t officially kick off until March but important decisions loom for the Ravens regarding 10 unrestricted free agents set to hit the open market – one of the most crucial being Za’Darius Smith.
The fourth-year outside linebacker posted a breakout season in the final year of his rookie deal in Baltimore, totaling a team-high 8.5 sacks along with 45 combined tackles.
I could only assume the Ravens would love to have one of their top pass rushers back on the NFL’s No. 1 defense, but the question becomes: Has Smith priced himself out of Baltimore?
This certainly isn’t a new problem for the Ravens. They’ve seen pass rushers emerge late in their rookie deals and typically, those players have earned lucrative contracts elsewhere.
Refer to the comparison below:
Player A is Paul Kruger and Player B is Pernell McPhee. Both, like Smith, provided their best seasons with the Ravens during the final year of their rookie deals. Both signed big deals in free agency the following season but failed to live up to their contracts.
Kruger was released just before the start of the 2016 season. He finished with 18 sacks in three seasons with the Browns. McPhee became hampered by injuries and was released following the 2017 season after totaling just 14 sacks in three seasons with the Bears.
This isn’t to say Smith is destined to sign a long-term deal elsewhere and fail but he’s benefitted playing among one of the NFL’s top defensive units since coming into the league as a fourth-round draft pick in 2015.
The decision to re-sign Smith or let him walk will ultimately be one of the toughest for the Ravens. Outside linebackers are one of the most important positions in a 3-4 defense it’s something that remains uncertain for the Ravens heading into the 2019 season.
Matt Judon returns but both Smith and Terrell Suggs are set to become unrestricted free agents. Younger talent such as Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser have struggled to find the field when healthy, making little-to-no impact through two seasons.
So while Smith may carry a heavy price tag, the Ravens should highly consider forking over the cash for a player they could desperately miss in 2019.