The Cincinnati Bengals impressed on the first day of legal tampering but have been quiet the past two days. The Baltimore Ravens, however, were quiet on the first day and then kicked things into high-gear on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Ravens first made waves when they signed safety Marcus Williams to a five-year deal. The 26-year-old spent five years in New Orleans and was one of the best safety options in free agency. Now the Ravens will have him in his prime for the next half-decade.
Baltimore also signed offensive tackle Morgan Moses to be their right tackle. As some might remember, the Ravens’ entire offensive line was banged up in 2021 and they were wise to get someone like Moses to shore up that position for the next three years.
Finally, the Ravens agreed to terms with Za’Darius Smith on a four-year deal to help their pass-rush flourish.
All of these moves were not just impressive because of the names being brought in, but for the amount of money the Ravens were able to get these guys for.
Bengals and Ravens both getting better in free agency
Many expected the AFC North to be quite difficult in 2021 but not many anticipated the Bengals being the ones to come out of the division on top. The stripes went 4-2 against the division, sweeping the Ravens and Steelers while getting swept by the Browns.
Bengals fans can say what they want about the Ravens last season but the fact of the matter is that injuries played a key part in why the sweep of the birds was able to happen, especially in that second game. If the Ravens can stay healthy in 2022, a sweep of Baltimore will be tricky.
Throw in that the Bengals were relatively healthy last year and that helped them dominate two teams who have had their number in recent years. It felt good beating Baltimore twice but the Ravens are getting better this offseason.
With these additions, the Ravens added two strong defensive players including one who will make it his mission to get after Joe Burrow. They also added help on the offensive line, making things trickier for the Bengals’ pass rush.
Fans might not want to give Baltimore their due diligence but they made good moves these past few days and they’ll absolutely be a contender to knock Cincinnati off of their AFC North throne in 2022.