Ravens Have 'Strong' Fit with Colts Free Agent

The Baltimore Ravens could benefit from adding a member from the Indianapolis Colts defense.

Jared Koch | 16 Hours Ago

Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) runs down field after intercepting a pass Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, during a game against the Cleveland Browns at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts made major changes to their core of defensive backs to start the new league year.

Following their signings of cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum as injections of new talent into the defense, this Indianapolis secondary is primed to look incredibly different heading into next season, hopefully showing improvements in the process after ranking 26th in yards allowed through the air in 2024.

However, as the defense is set to make changes around the edges, it leaves the 2020 third-rounder and pending free agent safety Julian Blackman inevitably as the odd man out in Indianapolis, potentially set to join a new team for next season after five years with the Colts.

In the eyes of Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, one of the better fits for Blackmon could be to sign with the Baltimore Ravens.

"Blackmon is young and possesses positional versatility—he's played free safety, in the box and in the slot—but he may be best as a schemed-specific coverage safety," Knox wrote. "The Ravens would also be a strong fit for Blackmon, who could rotate with Kyle Hamilton and Ar'Darius Washington at safety and in subpackages. Baltimore has regularly utilized a three-safety rotation and recently dumped Marcus Williams from its roster."

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If a return to the Colts isn't in the cards, perhaps staying in the AFC to join the Ravens could be Blackmon's best option on the board.

For a Baltimore secondary that saw its fair share of ups and downs across last season's sample size, adding Blackmon's youth, versatility, and effectiveness in pass defense could be enough to convince the Ravens to bring in the Colts' safety.

Blackmon was a starter in all 16 matchups he suited up for during his 2024 season, putting together 86 combined tackles, four passes defended, and three interceptions.

The jury isn't completely out on a return to Indianapolis. Yet, as the Colts have invested heavy dollars into the secondary unit with their two big signings to start free agency, it's hard to believe the front office would dish out another sizable contract into the group with Blackmon with other needs protruding on the roster.

Expect traction centering Blackmon's free agency to come together in the coming days to weeks, as the Ravens propose an interesting fit for the 26-year-old.

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