Ravens could embarrass Bengals by signing veteran LB after recent release

The Baltimore Ravens are no stranger to watching some of their best homegrown players leave in free agency, thanks to many of their stars signing huge contract extensions, and the Cincinnati Bengals are now getting a taste of their medicine after they parted ways with linebacker Germaine Pratt.

The Bengals not only are trying to free up every dollar they can in a vain attempt to keep Trey Hendrickson, but they also need to create a path to playing time for second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. Those dueling needs forced the Bengals to part way with someone who has been a reliable starter over the years.

Pratt was released, and there's a good chance that some contender out there signs him up in the name of beefing up their defense before their playoff push. The Ravens need to make a move quickly if they want to avoid missing out on a delicious bit of revenge on their old division rivals.

After losing Patrick Queen to an AFC North rival when he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason and watching Geno Stone join these same Bengals, Baltimore could benefit from their Ohio-based rivals' financial mismanagement and pick up a new starting linebacker.

Ravens could sign Germaine Pratt as starting linebacker after Bengals release

There is a competition brewing at the linebacker spot next to Roquan Smith. Trenton Simpson did not perform up to the level that many around the team expected him to be, and the Ravens didn't address the position before taking linebacker Teddye Buchanan in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Pratt's 60.6 PFF grade is indicative of a player who is taking a slight step backward, but that could just as well be chalked up to a Bengals defense that was so wretched that it was hard for a non-Trey Hendrickson-level talent to get into a groove. Baltimore could be a much better spot for him.

Playing alongside Smith is what every linebacker dreams of, as individual mistakes can be papered over without compromising the overall form and function of the defense. Simpson is by no means a better player than Pratt at this point in his career.

The Ravens' ability to take veteran castoffs and mold them into respectable players is almost second-to-none across the league, and Pratt could be the latest example of a player who could thrive after leaving the famously well-run and well-coached Bengals.

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