Baltimore Ravens Sign Big Michael Pierce Replacement to a 1-Year Deal
The Baltimore Ravens signed their veteran run-stuffer, as they added nose tackle John Jenkins to be their Michael Pierce replacement after he retired. He comes in on a one-year deal, likely a veteran minimum or around there, as the Ravens don’t have a lot of salary cap to work with moving forward.
Plus, Baltimore has more extensions on the way after re-signing Derrick Henry. I would imagine players like Lamar Jackson, Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, and Isaiah Likely would be next for the Ravens to re-sign after they extended John Harbaugh, Todd Monken, and Ronnie Stanley this offseason. Suprisingly, they did end up not trading Mark Andrews, at least currently.
They also brought in DeAndre Hopkins, Chidobe Awuzie, and Cooper Rush this free agency and made a notable cut in Justin Tucker. Baltimore, on both sides of the ball, should look a bit different roster-wise, but it seems to be improved one way or another. Jenkins is just a veteran signing that fits the mold of a Raven and could be a impact rotational player forces teams to not run his way.
Baltimore Ravens Sign Nose Tackle John Jenkins
Baltimore adds the 35-year-old to fill a potential need, as he gives them depth at nose tackle specifically. Entering his 13th season, Jenkins gives an already top run-stopping Ravens defense a bigger boost, as the veteran can take on blocks up the middle. The journeyman gives them more beef and complements the different types of defensive tackles already on the roster.
The free agent has played for seven NFL teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, for the last two years and started both seasons. Jenkins has a career 4.5 sacks, but his real role lies in the game tape, taking on double teams when necessary, freeing up others next to him and off the edge. This will give the other front seven players more single team blocks, making the job easier for them to get after the quarterback as a pass rusher or ball-carrier. Baltimore just made a strength even better for 2025.
Defensive Line needed a Run-Stopping Specialist
The Ravens now have a few new defensive linemen starters and depth pieces for their loaded front seven. Former sixth-round rookie Aeneas Peebles can now shift more as a rotational pass-rush type defensive tackle like Nnamdi Madubuike, who uses their “undersized” position to explode at 3-tech.
Travis Jones can play nose as well, along with a 3-4 defensive end, and rotate around wherever he is needed. Broderick Washington can do a similar thing, but besides that, that highlights their notable depth at defensive tackle. Finding an anchor is valuable to any defense to clog up the middle.
You could argue that was the last missing piece of the puzzle for their defense on paper in 2025, as they already have talented playmakers at most, if not all, spots. But due to the Ar’Darius Washington injury, despite drafting Malaki Starks, they could add a veteran free-agent safety for depth in 2025.
Final Thoughts
Jenkins could easily make the team and carve out a role late in his career and thrive in Baltimore. He gives the Ravens a reliable and consistent presence at nose tackle, which was filled in the last few seasons with Pierce in a big way. They hope that this free-agent pickup could be the answer at nose.
Veteran Calais Campbell was another name that the Ravens might’ve been interested in had he not gone back to the Arizona Cardinals, the team that drafted him. He was in Baltimore before signing with the Miami Dolphins and was with the Atlanta Falcons prior to becoming a free agent.
