Talk about a play out of left-field…
There were no indications that Baltimore was going to make a trade on Tuesday. The day’s news cycle consisted of putting DeShon Elliott on the injured reserve, signing Bennett Jackson to the 53-man roster, cutting A.J. Howard from the practice squad, and signing Denzel Rice to the same unit. It was hardly a slow day, but it looked like the Ravens were done by 4 P.M.
And then, it happened.
The Baltimore Ravens made splash trade that everyone was hoping for.
Cornerback, Marcus Peters, a two time Pro Bowler and the 2015 Defensive Rookie of the Year, is now a Baltimore Raven. What did the Ravens have to give up for such a commodity you may ask? Just inside linebacker Kenny Young, and a fifth-round 2020 draft pick.
The Rams got fleeced, hard.
Marcus Peters has struggled at times this season in Los Angeles, but the Ravens need help in the secondary. Peters is not far removed from being an elite cornerback in the National Football League. He has two interceptions so far this year, and 24 total since 2015. In Baltimore, Peters may even get more favorable matchups. Marlon Humphrey is the undisputed first-string cornerback, and he will cover opposing number one receivers. That means Peters will get the second-stringers, instead of the firsts like he did in Los Angeles. Humphrey and Peters can be a dynamic duo at cornerback this season, but one cannot forget about the impact of Jimmy Smith’s imminent return and Brandon Carr’s better-than-average play.
Peters’ contract will expire after this year, so Baltimore could use him as just a rental player. The Ravens will be tasked with signing Marlon Humphrey, Ronnie Stanley, and Matthew Judon to extensions this offseason, so money may be tight for Peters. If the Ravens lose Peters in free agency, Baltimore will likely receive a compensatory pick.
It is interesting to note that the Ravens received an extra fifth-round pick from the Minnesota Vikings earlier this offseason in exchange for kicker Kaare Vedvik. The Ravens were going to cut Vedvik anyway, so the trade essentially gave Baltimore a free fifth-round pick. So with this in mind, the Ravens are essentially giving up just Kenny Young for Marcus Peters and will either get a long-term top-tier cornerback or a compensatory pick in exchange for the backup linebacker.
Bravo, Eric DeCosta, bravo!
