Late for Work: Former GM Doesn’t Think Ravens Will Be Sellers at Trade Deadline Under Any Circumstances
Former GM Doesn’t Think Ravens Will Be Sellers at Trade Deadline Under Any Circumstances
With the Nov. 4 trade deadline less than two weeks away, pundits continue to speculate about who the buyers and sellers will be and which players could be available.
The general consensus is that the Ravens are in the “buyers” category – at least for now – and will look to acquire an edge rusher or interior defensive lineman.
As to players who might be on the trade block, ESPN analyst and former general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes it’s unlikely that any big-name players will be moved.
“I think there’s very few players that will actually be traded like a [Raiders defensive end] Maxx Crosby,” Tannenbaum told The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer. “But if you’re eliminated, or it looks like you’re going to be eliminated the way the Raiders are, you can get multiple picks for him, I think you’ve got to consider it. I think typically, what you see in the NFL is a little more of the depth [acquisition] — the extra corner, the extra safety, things like that. To me, I don’t think we’ll see blockbuster trades.”
A current assistant general manager expressed a similar opinion.
“Right now my sense is [the media is] expecting more from the [trading] deadline than the rest of the league is,” the assistant GM told Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano.
Eric DeCosta has been aggressive at the trade deadline since becoming general manager in 2019. However, unlike past years, the Ravens (1-5) will have a losing record heading into the deadline.
Shaffer believes the Ravens could move into the “sellers” category if they lose their next two games, which are at home against the Chicago Bears Sunday and at the Miami Dolphins next Thursday.
Tannenbaum doesn’t see the Ravens becoming sellers even if they fall to 1-7.
“I think [every team] has questions, right?” Tannenbaum said. “I think Buffalo’s defense has a lot of questions. The Colts — are they for real? We’ll find out. Kansas City’s playing better, but every team in a salary cap system has strengths and weaknesses. [The Ravens] have a lot of good, young players defensively. For whatever reason, they’ve started slow the last two years. Obviously, they turned it around last year. So I think we’ve got a long way to go.
“If John Harbaugh is your coach and Lamar Jackson is your quarterback, I’m just hard-pressed to think that you’re going to be out of any season, just given how you’re starting from a tremendous position of strength.”
