Was the Ravens Trading for Micah Parsons Ever a Realistic Possibility?
For a brief moment on Thursday afternoon, Ravens fans likely had visions of Micah Parsons wearing a purple jersey.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Cowboys were fielding calls from teams interested in trading for the four-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker, naming the Ravens, Packers, and Cardinals as "teams that make sense in league circles."
Just a short while later, the Packers acquired Parsons from the Cowboys in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The Packers and Parsons agreed on a four-year deal reportedly worth $188 million with $136 million guaranteed that will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at $47 million per year.
One can only speculate as to how involved the Ravens were in the Parsons sweepstakes, but General Manager Eric DeCosta will always do his due diligence on any player who could make the roster better.
That said, giving up multiple first-round picks is not DeCosta's style. As DeCosta has often stated, his goal is to keep the Ravens' Super Bowl window open in perpetuity, and the draft plays a significant role in that.
There's also the matter of Parsons' huge contract. The Ravens do not have the salary-cap space either now or in the future to accommodate such a mega deal.
Plus, the Ravens want to use their resources to retain as many of their homegrown stars as possible.
They just signed Kyle Hamilton to a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $100.4 million that makes him the league's highest-paid safety. Quarterback Lamar Jackson's next contract is expected to make him the highest-paid player in the league, and there are several other extension candidates on the team.
So, no, as good as Parsons would've looked in purple and black, it probably wasn't realistic.
The Ravens will see Parsons when they play at Green Bay in Week 17.
Nate Wiggins Predicted to Lead League in Interceptions
As noted in Late for Work last week, an analytics model projected cornerback Jaire Alexander to lead the league in interceptions this season. Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano is predicting a different Raven to snag the interception crown: Nate Wiggins.
"My boldest prediction, but this secondary has vastly improved from last season with the additions of Jaire Alexander and Malaki Starks," Manzano wrote. "Throw in the possibility of opposing teams needing to stay aggressive to keep pace with Lamar Jackson & Co., and there will be plenty of opportunities for this secondary to create takeaways.
"Teams may stay away from Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton, now the highest-paid safety in the NFL, leaving Wiggins, the 2024 first-round pick, to fend for himself often in his second season. Ravens beat reporters have dubbed him the most likely player to have a breakout season in Baltimore. Wiggins had an up-and-down rookie year with only one interception, but many have taken notice of his improvements."
Wiggins said a few weeks ago that he's focused on more interceptions, and said his goal is double-digit takeaways.
"This year is about getting takeaways. That's the big thing I want to work on," Wiggins said. "I know I dropped plenty last year, so this year, it's just about catching it, because the ball is going to come. So, this year, we've just got to catch it."
Chris Simms Says Ravens Have No Question Marks
NBC Sports' Chris Simms made his predictions for over/under win totals, and he could not have been more emphatic in his outlook for the Ravens, whose number is 11.5.
"I'm definitely picking over. That's not a question. Over, over, over, over," Simms said.
Simms was hard-pressed to find a reason for concern about the Ravens.
"What do you look at with Baltimore to go, 'Well, yeah, I question this part here?' I mean, what is it? I'm not sure their first-round rookie star safety is going to be totally awesome right away? I don't know. He's going to be damn good and he's pro ready. I'm throwing out what ifs. Jaire Alexander can't stay on the field maybe the whole season? We're getting to iffy type of things when you break down their roster. There is not much to not like, certainly."
Simms said the only team he feels is on the same level as the Ravens is the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
"If you ask me the two top rosters in the game right now, I'm taking the Eagles and I'm taking the Ravens right behind them," Simms said. "... I think [the Ravens] are a team on a mission this year. It's hard for me not to pick Baltimore versus Philadelphia in the Super Bowl."
More MVP Love for Jackson
It was covered in Late for Work Thursday that Jackson was predicted to win his third MVP this season in voting by NFL.com analysts. “The Athletic Football Show’s” Derrick Klassen also believes Jackson will again be in the thick of the MVP race.
"Lamar Jackson is going to do it again, man. Three years in a row where he's going to be an MVP candidate," Klassen said. "We already saw Lamar Jackson, obviously, winning MVP the first year that he was a starter, but that was a very different player. And I think over the last two years, his ability to manage pre-snap, his ability to handle protections, his ability to beat the blitz, he has become all of the stuff that we ascribe to like the Tom Brady's and Drew Brees's of the world, on top of being the best athlete out there.
"So he has truly become this very special combination of different skill sets and players. He was in the MVP race last year and they've brought back, effectively, all of the same players. It's the same ensemble that he proved that he could do this with again. Barring some sort of catastrophe around him, he's gonna be in the MVP race again."
