The Baltimore Ravens are slowly but steadily proving to be one of the NFL’s best teams. They’re currently the fourth-best team in a crowded AFC after Thursday night’s thrilling win over the Cincinnati Bengals. To get here, the Ravens have had to navigate a tough AFC North, one they’re in second place of, just behind the Steelers.
Knowing how stiff the competition is in their conference, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta set out to make some deals ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline. The thing is, the Ravens did make one fairly sizable addition, trading for Diontae Johnson from the Carolina Panthers for a 2025 fifth-round pick.
While Johnson could help strengthen what’s already the NFL’s top-scoring offense, Baltimore’s defense mostly went unaddressed, and that unit ranks 25th in points allowed. The Ravens did add Tre’Davious White, but he had been phased out of the Los Angeles Rams’ rotation, so it’s hard to see him suddenly becoming a key part of a potential Super Bowl run in Baltimore.
However, just because the Ravens didn’t make a significant addition on defense, it doesn’t mean that Baltimore didn’t try swinging for the fences with an all-in blockbuster.
Washington Commanders bested Baltimore Ravens’ Marshon Lattimore trade offer
The Baltimore Ravens may already have a roster capable of helping Lamar Jackson knock off the final item on his checklist: a Super Bowl win. Yet, if the Ravens ultimately come up short again, perhaps it will be the moves they didn’t make that prevented a third Super Bowl trophy being added to the showcase.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Ravens tried adding a pair of Pro Bowl talents. One was four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The other was former Ravens All-Pro Calais Campbell, who Miami decided not to trade.
“Now, there were a couple of trades that didn’t work out. They offered a third-round pick for Marshon Lattimore and got outbid by the Washington Commanders. They worked on a deal to bring Calais Campbell back from the Dolphins in the days leading up to the deadline, and the Dolphins pulled away from the table at the last minute.”
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Baltimore Ravens’ trade deadline attempts
For the record, Lattimore got dealt to Washington in exchange for a third, fourth, and sixth-round pick, while a fifth-round pick went back to the Commanders. If Baltimore had matched the offer, perhaps Lattimore would be in Ravens purple heading into Week 12. Yet, there’s no indication that the Ravens had the opportunity to match Washington’s offer as the deadline drew near.
