Former GM Doesn't Think Ravens Will Be Sellers at Trade Deadline Under Any Circumstances
With the Nov. 4 trade deadline less than two weeks away, pundits continue to speculate about who the buyers and sellers will be and which players could be available.
The general consensus is that the Ravens are in the "buyers" category – at least for now – and will look to acquire an edge rusher or interior defensive lineman.
As to players who might be on the trade block, ESPN analyst and former general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes it's unlikely that any big-name players will be moved.
"I think there's very few players that will actually be traded like a [Raiders defensive end] Maxx Crosby," Tannenbaum told The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer. "But if you're eliminated, or it looks like you're going to be eliminated the way the Raiders are, you can get multiple picks for him, I think you've got to consider it. I think typically, what you see in the NFL is a little more of the depth [acquisition] — the extra corner, the extra safety, things like that. To me, I don't think we'll see blockbuster trades."
A current assistant general manager expressed a similar opinion.
"Right now my sense is [the media is] expecting more from the [trading] deadline than the rest of the league is," the assistant GM told Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano.
Eric DeCosta has been aggressive at the trade deadline since becoming general manager in 2019. However, unlike past years, the Ravens (1-5) will have a losing record heading into the deadline.
Shaffer believes the Ravens could move into the "sellers" category if they lose their next two games, which are at home against the Chicago Bears Sunday and at the Miami Dolphins next Thursday.
Tannenbaum doesn't see the Ravens becoming sellers even if they fall to 1-7.
"I think [every team] has questions, right?" Tannenbaum said. "I think Buffalo's defense has a lot of questions. The Colts — are they for real? We'll find out. Kansas City's playing better, but every team in a salary cap system has strengths and weaknesses. [The Ravens] have a lot of good, young players defensively. For whatever reason, they've started slow the last two years. Obviously, they turned it around last year. So I think we've got a long way to go.
"If John Harbaugh is your coach and Lamar Jackson is your quarterback, I'm just hard-pressed to think that you're going to be out of any season, just given how you're starting from a tremendous position of strength."
Rod Woodson Wants to See Keaton Mitchell Get More Touches
The Ravens will look to build on the success they had running the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6, when they rushed for 179 yards, their highest total since Week 1.
Derrick Henry and Justice Hill form a strong one-two combination, but Hall of Famer and former Ravens defensive back Rod Woodson wants to see Keaton Mitchell more involved in the offense.
"I know Justice Hill deserves the reps that he's getting because he's done a great job when he's in there, but Keaton Mitchell has that explosiveness where you can take a five-yard run into a 50-yard run, very similar to Derrick Henry, but just a little quicker," Woodson said on “Glenn Clark Radio.” "It's kind of like that thunder and lightning-type of feel [with Henry and Mitchell].
"I know you've got 60 snaps – how do you get everybody on the field? I know that's one of the issues you have, especially when you have some dynamic players on the back end. … But I would love to see in some form, some way, some fashion they can get [Mitchell] some touches to help the explosiveness of our offense."
Woodson, a WBAL color analyst for Ravens games, witnessed Mitchell's explosiveness in the Ravens' preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts in August.
In that game, Mitchell rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and returned three kicks for 65 yards. He showed the same burst he had as an undrafted rookie in 2023, when he averaged 8.4 yards per carry on 47 runs before suffering a torn ACL.
Mitchell returned to action last November and appeared in five games, finishing with 30 yards on 15 carries. In two games this season, Mitchell has played six snaps on offense and 22 on special teams. He has three carries for eight yards and one reception for five yards.
ESPN Analyst Assesses Ravens' Offseason
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell evaluated every team's offseason based on the first seven weeks of the regular season. He put the Ravens in the "way below expectations" category.
"The Ravens didn't spend much in free agency, and so although they've gotten the occasional big catch from DeAndre Hopkins and regular snaps from defensive tackle John Jenkins, much of the impact they were hoping to get from offseason additions this season was always going to be through the draft," Barnwell wrote. "The rookie class has had plenty of playing time given the injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but the rookies have been disappointing. The lone exception might be kicker Tyler Loop, who has gone 9-of-10 (including a 52-yarder) on field goals and 15-of-16 on extra point tries while also handling kickoffs for Baltimore."
As Barnwell noted, several members of the rookie class have been thrust into significant roles on defense because of a spate of injuries. While the young players are talented, they are still rookies who are learning on the job.
