The Baltimore Ravens finished with the best record in football last season at 13-4 and were viewed by many as the most complete team in the NFL.
Some still hold that opinion.
However, it’s hard to argue that after the Ravens were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game last January, which led to the Chiefs ultimately winning their second straight Super Bowl and third championship in five years overall.
Still, if anyone is going to dethrone Kansas City, it could be Baltimore.
The Ravens have always been known for their defense. That has been the case ever since the franchise won its first Super Bowl during the 2000-01 campaign. Last year, Baltimore finished sixth in the NFL in yards allowed and No. 1 in scoring defense, so things haven’t changed much.
But do the Ravens have a weakness that they haven’t really addressed this offseason?
Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus thinks so, noting that Baltimore may need to do something about its situation at safety heading into 2024.
McGuiness mentions that the Ravens lost Geno Stone in free agency and didn’t really replace him. They didn’t sign any safeties, and they didn’t draft one until the seventh round.
Is it a gaping hole for Baltimore? Not really, because it still has Kyle Hamilton, and Marcus Williams’ injury in 2023 was what opened a ton of playing time for Stone to begin with.
However, the Ravens may need some insurance in their defensive backfield, which is why they may want to consider making a run at Justin Simmons.
The Denver Broncos released Simmons back in early March in spite of the fact that he made the Pro Bowl last season. He played in 15 games this past year, registering 70 tackles, a sack, three interceptions, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and eight passes defended. Not only did he make the Pro Bowl, but he also earned his fourth Second-Team All-Pro selection in five years.
Clearly, Simmons has a lot left in the tank, which makes his current availability all the more peculiar. Perhaps he is asking for too much money, or maybe he is just patiently waiting for the perfect fit.
Whatever the case may be, the Ravens have been named a few times as a potential destination for Simmons this offseason, and I see no reason why that should change.
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