Ravens' Potential Target Hints Decision is Coming

The Baltimore Ravens may soon add another talented veteran to their already star-studded defense.

Free agent linebacker Jadeveon Clowney shared that he is getting closer to choosing who his next team will be.

"I'm still planning to play this season," Clowney said, via NFL insider Josina Anderson. "I've been keeping in touch with four to five teams."

It remains to be seen if the Ravens are among the few teams Clowney has been in contact with, but they have been often linked to the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft this offseason.

"I could see a scenario in which the Ravens use the first few weeks of training camp to evaluate the young edge rushers," Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes. "If they don’t think they’re ready to make an impact, they could turn to Clowney or (Za'Darius) Smith."

Clowney, 32, still proved to have some good football in him last season. In 2024, he recorded 46 tackles, 5.5 sacks and four passes defensed in 14 games with the Carolina Panthers.

It was a down year after is 9.5-sack campaign in 2023 with Baltimore, but a reunion could be all Clowney needs to extend his NFL career by another year or two.

The Ravens should be interested, too. 34-year-old Kyle Van Noy isn't getting any younger. Odafe Oweh must still prove his 10-sack campaign a year ago was not an outlier. Second-round rookie Mike Green is unproven, as are Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac.

Clowney could provide some much-needed insurance for Baltimore if it were to suffer any injuries at the position or if any of the team's younger players underwhelmed.

However, Zrebiec believes the Ravens' No. 1 priority is giving their young talent the best chance to succeed, and that may not include Clowney.

"The Ravens like their young edge rushers and believe they need to play to appropriately develop," Zrebiec adds. "I don’t think they want to reduce the snaps of Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh and Tavius Robinson any more than the presence of Mike Green and a healthy Adisa Isaac already could. You can never have enough pass rushers, but adding Clowney or Za’Darius Smith would impact what production you get from the guys you already have."