'Nothing Not to Like' About Ravens Re-Signing Kyle Van Noy
A key member of the Ravens' league-leading sack attack is coming back, as veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy agreed to a two-year deal worth a reported $9 million plus incentives yesterday.
Van Noy, 33, had a career-high nine sacks in 14 games last season despite not signing with the Ravens until late September.
Here's a look at what pundits are saying about Van Noy re-signing with Baltimore:
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec: "Van Noy, who has 42.5 career sacks, proved to be an immediate fit at the strongside linebacker spot due to his versatility. He can get to the quarterback. He also does a lot of the little things, from setting the edge in the running game to dropping in coverage to getting his hands in passing lanes. Even more than his on-field production, Van Noy provides leadership for a young pass-rushing group. All four of the Ravens outside linebackers — Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson and Malik Hamm — are under age 26. General Manager Eric DeCosta will presumably still look to add an outside linebacker, but the sense of urgency isn't as great. The Ravens now have a solid rotation with Van Noy and Oweh as the presumed starters and Ojabo and Robinson providing depth. The Ravens still would benefit from either an Oweh or Ojabo breakout season, but they know what they're going to get from Van Noy."
ESPN's Pat McAfee: "He seemingly loved [the Ravens'] culture, loved the team, loved everything about being a Raven quickly. Now he will have another two years doing as such. He had a great season for them. He made a lot of great plays late, too, which I think a lot of Ravens fans got endeared to 'The Mormon Monster.' And he enjoys giving back to the game in the locker room."
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "Kyle Van Noy finished 29th among EDGEs last year in pass rush win rate, per PFF, ahead of Haason Reddick, Jaelan Phillips, Jonathan Greenard, Brian Burns, etc. If he can repeat his 2023 production — a big if, given his age — this deal could be a bargain."
Baltimore Beatdown’s Joshua Reed: "I absolutely love this move for the Ravens from several major standpoints. Van Noy was the top remaining veteran EDGE on the open market and re-signing him knocks adding another [edge rusher] early in the 2024 NFL Draft down a notch on their pre-draft needs list. He is coming off a career year in which he was able to hit the ground running and quickly ingratiate himself to the franchise, locker room and fan base. Van Noy also possesses the versatile skill set to play SAM linebacker, which the Ravens are in need of since they officially moved on from Tyus Bowser this offseason. This signing also takes some pressure off of 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo, who is heading into a pivotal third season after his first two have been hampered by injuries."
Russell Street Report’s Chris Schisler: "The thing that stands out about Kyle Van Noy is how hard he works off the edge. Having a veteran with his kind of motor and his kind of ferocity proved to be very valuable for the Ravens. This is a common sense move. Van Noy proved he's a perfect fit in Baltimore. Why not bring him back? He plays like a Raven. … The move doesn't break the bank. The second Van Noy inks the deal, John Harbaugh knows exactly what he's getting. Signing Van Noy was a smart move last year; re-signing him was a no-brainer. There's nothing not to like. The Ravens can always get more exciting in the pass rusher department, yet known quantities like Van Noy never go out of style."
Baltimore Positive’s Luke Jones: "Van Noy's return to the Ravens brings a known commodity and much-needed veteran leadership for a young and mostly unproven group of outside linebackers that includes Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, and Malik Hamm."
Ebony Bird’s Mike Luciano: "After a down year in Miami and a season with the Chargers, Van Noy came to Baltimore as a pass rusher who got to the quarterback at a rate never before seen in his career. Van Noy's nine sacks last year were the best mark of his career. This comes despite the fact he only played 52% of Baltimore's defensive snaps after playing at least 70% in each of the last six seasons. Even in a limited role, getting a player with his production for $4.5 million per year is a steal."
Zrebiec's Seven-Round Mock Draft Has Ravens Trading Out of First Round
Zrebiec conducted a Ravens seven-round mock draft. He began with a trade in the first round that had the Ravens sending pick No. 30 to the Las Vegas Raiders for a second-round pick (No. 44) and third-round pick (No. 77).
"If one of the better offensive tackles is still available, such as Georgia's Amarius Mims or Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton, or a top cornerback, such as Clemson's Nate Wiggins, the Ravens should stand pat and make a pick," Zrebiec wrote. "However, the bet here is those guys won't be available and Baltimore is looking at several players who grade out similarly to the options it'll have at No. 44. Trading back and setting up for a significant Day 2 of the draft would make sense.
"According to trade charts, moving back 14 spots and out of the first round while picking up a relatively early third-round pick would represent a win for the Ravens. The Raiders, though, want a quarterback in this draft. Getting back into the first round to land Washington's Michael Penix Jr. or Oregon's Bo Nix, thus getting a fifth-year option year on the player, for the cost of a third-round pick is a small price to pay."
Here's a look at Zrebiec's Ravens picks for Rounds 2 and 3:
Round 2, No. 44 (from Raiders): Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
"Suamataia is one of the second-tier prospects who figures to come off the board either late in the first round or early in the second. Suamataia is big (6-foot-4, 329 pounds), athletic for a guy his size and has experience playing right and left tackle. He has the necessary footwork and physical traits to perform in different blocking schemes. There are questions about how high his ceiling is, and there are things he'll need to work on, but the Ravens believe they have one of the best offensive line coaches in Joe D'Alessandris and they'll have confidence they can get the most out of Suamataia."
Round 2, No. 62: Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
"Melton, a fast-rising prospect, has so many traits the Ravens look for in corners. He offers size and length at 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds. He can run (he was timed at 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine). He has ball skills (eight college interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 22 pass breakups). He can play both outside and in the slot. He's also a skilled special teams performer, having blocked four kicks in college. That he had a great Senior Bowl week, which the Ravens put a lot of stock in, is icing on the cake."
Round 3, No. 77 (from Raiders): Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
"Polk is projected as a Day 2 guy after a breakout final college season in which he had 69 catches for 1,159 yards, averaged 16.8 yards per reception and scored 10 touchdowns. He's not a burner, but he has good hands and a wide catch radius. He plays to his size at 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, and he's adept at snagging jump balls and making contested catches. He'd help diversify a wide receiver corps that lacks size and jump-ball ability."
Round 3, No. 93: Dominick Puni, G, Kansas
"In Ben Cleveland, Andrew Vorhees, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Josh Jones, the Ravens have enough internal starting guard candidates that they won't feel like they have to reach at the position. But if the right guy is available, they won't hesitate to pull the trigger. … Puni is well-built at 6-foot-5 and 314 pounds and has very good feet for a big man. His pass blocking is ahead of his run blocking, but the total package and his experience suggest he'll be ready to compete for a starting job from the jump."
Derrick Henry Juked Marlon Humphrey About Signing With Ravens
Perhaps no one was more surprised when Derrick Henry agreed to sign with the Ravens last month than Marlon Humphrey, who was Henry's college teammate at Alabama.
Humphrey told the story on a recent episode of his "Punch Line” podcast about how Henry gave no indication that he was talking with the Ravens when exchanging texts with Humphrey the day before the deal was announced.
Humphrey said DeCosta had contacted him and revealed that he was talking with Henry and wanted to know Humphrey's thoughts about him. Never shy about recruiting free agents to Baltimore, Humphrey offered to talk to Henry, but he said DeCosta firmly rejected the offer.
"He's like, 'No. Do not mess up what I'm doing.' He made it very clear," Humphrey said.
Humphrey did get the OK from DeCosta to "speak casually" with Henry. However, the star running back did not take the bait when Humphrey reached out. Henry never mentioned anything about the Ravens.
"I'm throwing everything out there," Humphrey said. "Dang, I'm like, EDC don't know what he's doing. He's not doing a good job clearly. The guy hasn't said anything. We're out. There's no shot. I'm like, 'EDC's lost his touch.' And then the very next morning, the dude signs with the Ravens. I'm like, 'Bro. You didn't even tell me anything.'"
