Former Ravens Star Still Available, Reunion Coming?

A former Baltimore Ravens pass rusher remains a free agent after two weeks.

Detroit Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) celebrates a sack against Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the Baltimore Ravens' short list of remaining needs, pass rusher is definitely at or near the top.

The Ravens have two quality edge rushers in Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, who had 12.5 and 10 sacks last season, respectively. Van Noy is turning 35 on Tuesday, and Oweh's future in Baltimore may be uncertain with just one year remaining on his contract. They also have very little depth behind those two.

All of that is to say that the Ravens need some help on the edge, and at this point, an old friend may be their best option.

Za'Darius Smith, who spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore from 2015-18, is still a free agent after playing with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions last season. In fact, he's one of the best free agents remaining, according to ESPN's Matt Bowen.

"Last season -- with both the Browns and Lions -- Smith had nine sacks and 38 pressures," Bowen wrote. "He's a speed-to-power rusher who can also align as a standup nose or 3-technique to get interior one-on-ones. Smith could help a contender looking for a rotational edge with scheme versatility."

There's some merit to a reunion with Smith. Even at 32 years old, he's still a very effective pass rusher who can line up anywhere up front. Not only adding some help on the edge, but along the entire defensive front, would be very beneficial to a Ravens team looking for just a few missing pieces.

It should be stressed that any reunion with Smith would likely be a short-term one. In addition to him being in his early 30s, the Ravens would like to preserve their future cap flexibility to make some further additions, as they so often do. A one or two-year deal at a reasonable cap hit should be something they look into, however.

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