The Ravens could make some tweaks to the roster in the coming days.
Head Coach John Harbaugh acknowledged during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) this week that the front office is keeping an eye on some veterans still on the market.
"Sure, and I think we're aware of the guys that are still out there, free agents that would be more favorable to sign after June 1 and all that," Harbaugh said when asked if the team could make additional signings next week.
The Ravens have an incentive to wait until June 1 to sign some veteran players.
Veteran free agents signed after that date do not impact the formula for compensatory picks. General Manager Ozzie Newsome places a high value on the compensatory picks, as the Ravens have earned more comp picks than any other team since the NFL started handing them out.
The Ravens have a history of late free-agent acquisitions that turn out to be key moves. Last season, the team added inside linebacker Daryl Smith on June 5, and he went on to lead the team in tackling after starting every game at inside linebacker. This offseason, the Ravens signed him to a four-year contract extension.
In 2011, the Ravens added left tackle Bryant McKinnie at the end of the preseason and he ended up becoming the starting left tackle.
Harbaugh did not give any indication on which players the Ravens are watching, but they could look to add depth in the secondary or along the offensive line. Right tackle Eric Winston and cornerback Asanti Samuel have been speculated as two potential options.
Transactions are common at this point of the year, as the 90-man rosters are much more fluid compared to the 53-man squad in the regular season.
In addition to looking at the veterans that are currently available, the Ravens will also watch to see if any players of interest get released by other teams. Quality players often come available in training camp in August, and the Ravens have found starters like safety James Ihedigbo at that time as well.
"We're going to be watching the waiver wire real close," Harbaugh said. "We're going to try and get better. We had a conversation, Ozzie and I today, and I like to think on principle that we really believe this: We want to build as strong of a 53-man roster as we possibly can, and as we do that, try to get stronger every chance we can get. We'll be looking."
