The Baltimore Ravens' secondary was one of the worst units in the NFL for the balance of last season. While the back end has been the focus this offseason, owner Steve Bisciotti is zeroing in on the front end of his defense.
The Ravens boast two quality edge rushers in Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. Suggs, 33, is coming off a torn Achilles tendon. Dumervil is 32 years old and earned just a six-sack season in 16 starts last year -- the veteran was more productive as a rotational player in 2014 when he had 17 sacks despite only starting two games.
"We have two very dynamic, productive players that are at the age where you don't know if you're going to get one year or three years left in them," Bisciotti said this week, via the team's official website. "We have to fill those spots with constant pressure. You need five pass rushers in the rotation."
Looking at the depth chart, the Ravens are three quality edge rushers short of Bisciotti's desired number. Baltimore boasts quality interior play with Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan, but will look to add another quarterback corraller.
Sitting at the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft, the Ravens have been linked to the likes of Joey Bosa and DeForest Buckner. Upgrading the defensive front with a young pass rusher would certainly aid a secondary that will still have question marks entering the 2016 season.
After watching the Denver Broncos dominate the playoffs with a smothering pass rush, Bisciotti drooled over the prospect of improving his own pressure package.
"I'm a pass-rush guy," Bisciotti said. "I have images of defense winning Super Bowls and three weeks after I had my end of the year press conference, we see what pressure did. We see what Denver's pressure did to (Tom) Brady in the AFC championship game and we saw what pressure did in the Super Bowl."
