The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the best teams at using the compensatory pick formula to their advantage. They generally have signed one or two players early in free agency and then let the rest of the market play out, and once the deadline for unrestricted free agents counting against the formula comes and goes they jump back into the market and add more talent.
There are certain players that don’t count against the compensatory pick formula, namely those who have been cut by their former teams. On Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks let go of star inside linebacker Bobby Wagner. When listing out possible destinations for Wagner, Doric Sam of Bleacher Report named Baltimore as one of them, saying that the pair of Wagner and Patrick Queen would be beneficial for the Ravens’ defense.
“Adding Wagner to their defense would give the Ravens their best leader on that side of the ball since Ray Lewis. Pairing Wagner with former first-round pick Patrick Queen would help improve a unit that ranked 22nd in sacks (34) last year.”
Wagner has been one of the best inside linebackers in football for a long time now, accumulating 1,383 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 11 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles over the course of his 10-year career. The eight-time Pro Bowler would be a tremendous veteran addition to Baltimore’s defensive unit, and would let the team keep one of the compensatory picks that they’d earn from losing one of their own free agents.