Ravens may have missed their shot at top trade target after TNF statement
The Baltimore Ravens are in the market for pass rushers. After their latest flurry of acquisitions in safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Alohi Gilman, it is clear they still have hopes of competing in 2025. The Odafe Oweh trade has made their pass rush room shallow, and it is likely General Manager Eric DeCosta is searching for answers at the position.
There are a slew of potential options on the market to fill the Ravens’ need. Miami Dolphins outside linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are obvious candidates given the team's 1-4 record. However, possibly the most highly sought-after piece in New York Giants’ pass rusher, Kayvon Thibodeaux, may have gone off the market after a tremendous team performance on Thursday Night Football.
While he did not tally a sack in New York’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, he was feasting on their rushing attack. The standout showing helped move the team to 2-4, and with the young group headed by Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo looking competitive, the Giants are likely no longer sellers.
Thibodeaux would have fit well into Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr’s defense. The 24-year-old is finally breaking out, but as a part of a young, dominant defensive line and a squad with a bright future ahead, DeCosta may have to shift his attention elsewhere.
Ravens may have to search elsewhere for pass-rush help
Baltimore’s pass rush group would have significantly benefited from Thibodeaux’s services. Their defense has only tallied six sacks through five games in 2025, a mark that ranks tied for third-worst in the NFL, and their run defense has allowed 732 rushing yards, which ranks fifth-worst. Thibodeaux’s 72.4 run defense and 65.3 pass rush grade, per Pro Football Focus, would have slotted in perfectly, but there are other trade candidates available.
Chubb might be the most enticing option. He looks fully recovered from his ACL tear that he suffered in 2024 and is already up to four sacks this year. He is a veteran with 43.5 career sacks, but at 29 years old, he probably does not fit into the Dolphins’ future plans. His hefty contract could make him a tough to move, though, which could make him a buy-low option for the Ravens.
Baltimore also worked out former second-round pick Drake Jackson. Jackson totaled three sacks in back-to-back seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2022 to 2023, before being released due to a knee injury.
There are other needs in Baltimore, including interior defensive line and offensive guard. Still, the lack of depth at outside linebacker is concerning, and Thibodeaux is just another potential trade option crossed off the list.
The numbers show that Minnesota Vikings offense is set for positive regression and it's easy to see how they get there
When you look at the Minnesota Vikings offense, it's a complete mixed bag.
They have put up 20+ points in four of five games, including a 48-point explosion in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, where they were responsible for 34 of those points. There have been some really interesting moments across the board, especially with head coach Kevin O'Connell's play calling seeing a shift.
Overall, the unit has seen a multitude of issues across the board, but a lot of them have a chance to show positive regression.
Minnesota Vikings offensive positive regression
Injury luck
The Vikings have seen a significant amount of players miss time due to injuries. Just on the offensive side of the football, they have had 13 full games lost, with most of them on the offensive line.
|
LT Christian Darrisaw |
2 games |
|
LG Donovan Jackson |
2 games |
|
QB J.J. McCarthy |
3 games |
|
C Ryan Kelly |
2 games |
|
RT Brian O'Neill |
1 game |
|
RB Aaron Jones |
3 games |
This doesn't include when the players missed the majority of the games in which they left, as Kelly missed the second half of two games, Darrisaw most of the second half last week, and O'Neill the final three quarters against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Against the Cleveland Browns last week, the offensive line only had one starter on the final drive, and that was right guard Will Fries. The Vikings were in great shape last year when it came to injury luck, and it was bound to take a toll on them this year, but to this extent, has been insanely unlucky. That is going to improve significantly, and hopefully stay that way.
Procedural penalties
Penalties have been brutal for the Vikings this season. They have 44 so far this year, which is the most in the NFL. Last season, the Vikings had 110 penalties (T-16th in the NFL), and they already have 40% of that total after just five games. If they don't fix this, the Vikings are on pace to have 150 penalties, which would have been first in the NFL last year by 10 penalties.
The biggest factor of those 44 penalties is the procedural penalties.
- False starts: 9
- Delay of game: 4
- Illegal formation: 3
- 12 men on the field: 1
16 of those are on the offense, which is a staggering amount. For context, this is what the Vikings had at each penalty all of last season.
- False starts: 25
- Delay of game: 6
- Illegal formation: 8
- 12 men on the field: 4
The good news for the Vikings is that you can attribute the majority of those to the lack of continuity on offense due to injuries, especially at center and quarterback. Having the starters return is going to be hugely impactful, as will the bye week, where O'Connell will work on a solution to fix this. So many of these can be fixed by just being smarter and more cohesive.
Red zone success
Going into the season, the Vikings were looking to improve in two areas: short yardage runs and red zone success. They still need to improve in short yardage situations, but they have been improved in red zone conversion rate.
Last season, the Vikings went 14-3 with a lot of success on offense, but they didn't succeed in the red zone. They ranked 19th in the NFL at 55.7% (34 touchdowns in 61 trips). This year, they have improved in the red zone, albeit with a smaller sample size at 66.7% (10 touchdowns in 15 trips). One of the biggest factors for that success has been Jordan Mason, who has three touchdowns, all of which are inside the five yard line. That is a very good sign that the Vikings have found success in fixing this issue, especially with the issues on the offensive line. Theoretically, if they can get healthy, this should make things even better.
