Cornerback is the one obvious arae of concern on defense for the Baltimore Ravens, so the franchise should go “bold” and “double up” with two new faces at the position, including adding Buffalo Bills starter Rasul Douglas in 2025 NFL free agency.
The idea comes from ESPN’s Aaron Schatz. He pointed out how “Free agent cornerback Brandon Stephens was the weak link in the 2024 Ravens’ secondary, so Baltimore can upgrade its defensive backfield by finding a solid veteran to play alongside Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey.”
Douglas is one of the names Schatz thinks the Ravens should consider on the veteran market, despite a decline in his performances during 2024. As Schatz put it, “It’s important to note that cornerback metrics are very unstable from season to season, so veterans who struggled in 2024 could very easily bounce back in 2025. For example, Buffalo’s Rasul Douglas was third in my coverage DVOA metric in 2023 before dropping to 52nd in 2024. The Jets’ D.J. Reed went from 42nd in 2023 to 63rd in 2024. Both Douglas and Reed will be free agents this offseason.”
Signing Douglas would be just one part of the strategy. Schatz also thinks “Better yet, the Ravens should double up at the position. With so many good receivers among the top AFC contenders, it’s important to have depth in case of injury. The Ravens should use one of their early-round draft picks on a cornerback who can start fourth on the depth chart and move up as he improves.”
Committing so many team-building resources to one position would be beyond bold for the Ravens. Especially when general manager Eric DeCosta is hamstrung by limited space under the salary cap.
Rasul Douglas Helped Bills Land Ravens Fatal Blow
The Ravens have painful, recent experience of going up against Douglas. His hands smothered the onside kick that sealed a 27-25 win for the Bills in the AFC Divisional Playoffs that ended Baltimore’s season.
Seeing Douglas again so soon would bring back some painful memories, but the 30-year-old has merit as a handsy cover man who acquits himself well in zone. Schatz’s colleague Matt Bowen dubbed Douglas “an easy fit in a zone system that allows him to reroute underneath and attack the ball from the outside third of the field.”
This interception against the New England Patriots late in the 2023 season was a perfect example of what Bowen described. Douglas played off-coverage, read a slant pattern and broke on the ball, per Bowen.
