March 4, 2026, 4:57 p.m. ET
The Baltimore Ravens might be past the point of being risk-averse. They may not need safety. They certainly need a little impact. With questions swirling around their pass rush and several contributors headed toward free agency, Baltimorecan’tt afford to ignore upside plays on the edge or leave money on the table.
With free agency approaching, it certainly seems like the term is fitting, right? That’s where this latest free-agency theory comes into focus.
Might someone like Arnold Ebiketie make sense for the Ravens in free agency?
Elite pass rushers rarely hit the open market in their prime. When they do, they cost a fortune. That reality forces smart front offices to hunt for traits, projection, and value. Who are we kidding? This is free agency we’re discussing. Teams are going to overpay for marginal talent. That’s why bargain shopping becomes important, and that’s why we tune our antennas to someone like Arnold Ebiketie.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon offers Top 2026 NFL Free-Agency Values at Every Position for Teams to Target. He mentions Ebiketie. Gagnon connects him to the Baltimore Ravens.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
“The 2022 second-round pick flashed at times with 12 total sacks between 2023 and 2024. He just turned 27 and has limited mileage, so there should be plenty of space for him to grow in a new setting… That low sack number could bring down his value, but the reality is his snaps fell way off as his role changed after the Falcons added two elite rookie edges. Ebiketie actually easily had the best PFF pass-rushing grade on the team for the third consecutive season.”
Despite seeing his playing time slashed, people will almost certainly still ask if two sacks in year four of his NFL journey, the lowest production of his career, is a sign of things to come. Yes, there’s some risk here as there is with every free-agent signing. Then again, if this were a sure thing, we wouldn’t be discussing bargain pricing now, would we?
The Ravens tend to bet on traits over box scores better than anyone. Baltimore doesn’t have to swing for the biggest name on the market. They just have to identify the right one. Arnold Ebiketie could be a good start.