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Eisenberg: 50 Words Or Less

Matthew Judon, Hayden Hurst and Calais Campbell in action during an NFL game.
Matthew Judon, Hayden Hurst and Calais Campbell in action during an NFL game.

Various thoughts on various things, each 50 words or less:

-- With their defensive interior rebuilt, the Ravens will focus on their pass rush. Some wonder if they should deal franchised outside linebacker Matthew Judon, but he ranked No. 4 in the league in quarterback hits in 2019. He had 33. No other Baltimore player had more than 10. Deal at your peril.

-- That the Ravens traded Chris Wormley isn't a surprise after they overhauled their defensive line with Calais Campbell and reportedly Michael Brockers. That they traded Wormley to the Pittsburgh Steelers is surprising. Hate to say but it doesn't suggest too much concern over the trade coming back to bite them.

-- The Ravens have done a masterful job of coaching up offensive linemen who came in as undrafted free agents (James Hurst, Matt Skura, Patrick Mekari) or lower-round draft picks (Bradley Bozeman). But after Marshal Yanda's retirement, it might be time to add a higher-round pick to the interior O-line mix.

-- Hayden Hurst experienced some tough luck in Baltimore. A broken foot limited him in his rookie season. His quarterback developed great chemistry with another player at his position. None of that reflects on Hurst's talent and potential. I expect him to catch a lot of passes in Atlanta.

-- The Ravens didn't just help their defensive line by adding Campbell. They added a player with commanding leadership skills. As soon as his departure from Jacksonville was revealed, the media covering the team was questioning how, if at all, he could be replaced in that regard.

-- Availability/dependability is an underrated aspect of player/contract value. Campbell and Brockers can't quite match outgoing cornerback Brandon Carr, who has never missed a start in 12 seasons. But Campbell has missed six games in 12 seasons and Brockers only missed two games in his last seven years with the Rams.

-- With veterans Chase Daniel and Case Keenum reportedly having agreed to deals worth more than $31 million combined to serve as backup quarterbacks, it's obvious why there might be a trade market for the Ravens' Robert Griffin III, who is due to make $2 million in 2020.

-- The Ravens actually fared better against Tom Brady than many teams during Brady's long run in New England. They beat him in the playoffs twice and prevailed twice in Baltimore during the regular season. Still, I'm guessing they won't mind letting NFC teams worry about him for a change.

-- I expect Brady to have some fun in 2020. He has a pair of thousand-yard receivers to throw to, and Tampa Bay Head Coach Bruce Arians is a respected offensive mind. My early line on Brady-to-Tampa is it could work out better than Unitas-to-San Diego and other infamous late-career moves.

-- The subtraction of Carr, both Hursts (James and Hayden) and Michael Pierce removes some of the Ravens' most amiable and approachable players from their roster. It's strictly a coincidence and just part of the business, I know, but best wishes to them all.

-- With the offseason jeopardized, I'm sure the Ravens are glad their unit coordinators stayed put, so they aren't installing new blueprints. But I dislike bringing up how the coronavirus crisis impacts the Ravens because it's meaningless compared to the health of those impacted. Be careful and stay safe, everyone.

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