Ravens Urged. to Reunite With Pro Bowl Pass-Rusher After Jadeveon Clowney Exit.
Replacing Jadeveon Clowney doesn’t have to be difficult for the Baltimore Ravens, who can engineer a trade to reunite with Pro Bowl pass-rusher Matthew Judon.
He might find his position with the New England Patriots is under threat, but Judon is a good fit for the Ravens, according to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. Benjamin named Judon as a player “who could still be moved before or during” the 2024 NFL draft.
As Benjamin put it, “Judon is a prolific player at a premium position, but with reason to relocate. From his perspective, New England is rebuilding under a new coach. From the team’s perspective, Judon is solid but coming off an injury, going on 32 years old and entering a contract year.”
A deal with the Ravens makes sense for the Patriots, even though “the return for a player of his age might not be overwhelming, but the cap relief and/or draft compensation could enable New England to pour more resources into longer-term building blocks.”
Returning to Baltimore would also suit Judon, who went to back-to-back Pro Bowls as a member of the Ravens in 2019 and ’20. Judon still has juice left as a game-wrecker off the edge.
The Ravens need a proven commodity for the pass rush after Clowney signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
Matthew Judon Could Be Odd Man Out in New England
Judon’s 2023 campaign was wrecked by a torn biceps in Week 4. The Pats missed him, but Judon’s absence gave other edge defenders the chance to shine.
While neither Josh Uche nor Anfernee Jennings fully seized the opportunity, both did enough to be brought back in free agency. Retaining the pair means the Patriots are well-stocked and also getting younger at the edges of their front seven.
