POLL: Should the Ravens be buyers at the trade deadline? What position do they need?

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The 2023 NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away (Oct. 31) and teams have begun to realize whether they’re in or out of the competition. With teams trading away assets, should the Ravens to get involved?

Should the Ravens Be Buyers at the Trade Deadline?

The Ravens are in their post-Lamar Jackson rookie contract window. They still have talent. They appeared to push all-in this offseason as General Manager Eric DeCosta signed multiple void year contracts for wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor. Defensive tackle Michael Pierce and the Ravens also agreed to a restructure to add void years to his contract, too. Therefore, it would appear the team is ready to involve themselves in the deadline for premium assets.

However, going all-in and failing would be costly. The Ravens are already deep in their reserves of cap space (it would appear, because cap space is bizarre). They are still in a highly competitive conference. Do they feel this is the year?

What Position Should They Trade For?

Running back

There’s some talent out there if they want. Big names, including running back Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor. The likelihood is slim, but there are options.

Cornerback

With the Denver Broncos going full fire sale, there’s no time like the present to swing big for star cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Paired with Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton and Geno Stone (along with Marcus Williams when healthy), the secondary would silence passing attacks. The depth at cornerback improves and they could contend with any offense, including the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

Defensive line

The depth here is solid, but they could always add another body to fill out a rotation. Right now, Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington and Pierce have been excellent, but can they remain fresh for such a (hopefully) lengthy postseason on top of 17 games?

Edge rusher

Plenty of teams could ship out their edge rushers with enough value. However, the Ravens went and nabbed two studs already in Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy. With Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo expected to return, that’s a solid four-man unit. However, four edge players isn’t the optimal rotation. So, a fifth player, like Chase Young, Carl Lawson or Brian Burns, helps tremendously. Especially after all the uncertainty surrounding Tyus Bowser.