If you believe the Baltimore Ravens can replicate their excellent pass rush from last season without Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney in the fold, you are either the most optimistic fan in the world when it comes to Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo or you are Eric DeCosta.
Oweh and Ojabo are currently slotted in as the starters as Van Noy remains in the free agent pool and Clowney left Baltimore for a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. Two of their top three sack producers from last year in Clowney and Van Noy face the possibility of leaving the Ravens.
The Ravens have been in contact with Van Noy’s camp for quite some time, and it looks like they could come to some sort of agreement on a deal. However, Van Noy has made it clear in the past that he is looking to get paid after one of the finest individual seasons in what has been a very long career.
Van Noy now has even more leverage that he could use to earn a bigger payday now that Baltimore is running out of veteran options to replace Clowney. Unless the Ravens end up signing a veteran like Bud Dupree or Yannick Ngakoue, Van Noy should be at the top of their priority list.
Ravens must bring back Kyle Van Noy after Jadeveon Clowney leaves
While Van Noy came to the Ravens as more of a versatile linebacker than he was a traditional pass rusher, his nine sacks set a new career-best mark. The Ravens may not have Mike Macdonald back in the fold, but new DC Zach Orr will likely run a scheme similar to what Macdonald installed last year.
Oweh is a solid prospect, but he has never recorded more than five sacks in any of his three seasons and saw his snap percentage decline every year. Ojabo is a complete wild card who can’t be counted on to do much thanks to a bunch of unfortunate injury problems. Van Noy helps guard against another Oweh regression and Ojabo getting banged up.
While Van Noy is not the run defender Clowney is, and there is a chance that losing Macdonald takes some of the edge out of this defense, the former Patriots stud has shown to be versatile enough to help this defense in multiple spots while also bringing years of championship experience along with him.