Anybody interested in trading for a very experienced 4th-year defensive tackle?
Timmy Jernigan is for sale. The 6-2, 295 lb. veteran out of Florida State is in the final year of his rookie contract. He’s actually capable of bringing a lot of impact to any team’s 3-4 defense. There were times in the past when his emotions got the best of him in late-game situations, but he says he’s grown past that.
“Head Coach John Harbaugh said other teams are interested in Timmy Jernigan because they see the depth the Ravens have on the defensive line. Harbaugh feels like Jernigan is ‘going to have the best year of his career, without question.’— Ryan Mink, Baltimore Ravens Media
According to Ryan Mink, the question is what the Ravens could get in return? If a team doesn’t come forward with a high enough offer (likely in draft pick currency), Baltimore could keep Jernigan and get a compensatory pick in the 2019 NFL Draft if he signs elsewhere next season.
“Everybody is up for trade. I’m sure that if the Ravens got enough, they’d trade me in a second,” Harbaugh joked. “[Trading players is] part of the conversation in the NFL.”
Jernigan is a very talented player. The 2014 second-round pick started 15 of 16 games last season and registered 31 tackles, a career-high five sacks, three passes defensed and an interception. He has 13 career sacks in three seasons.
The Florida State product started hot last season with three sacks in the Ravens’ first three games. Over the second half of the season, however, he notched one sack and seven tackles.
John Harbaugh is putting a major positive spin on the idea that Jernigan is an incredible value right now for someone looking to upgrade their defensive line for the price of a reasonable draft pick:
“Timmy, I’m sure he’s training hard. I know how passionate he is, I know how much he wants to be great. He’s another guy that gives me big squeezes and tells me everything is going to be OK. He wants to be a great player.”
When the Ravens made a splash by re-signing their own free agent defensive tackle Brandon Williams to a 5-year, $52 million contract, Jernigan basically became expendable.
Along with Williams, the Ravens are returning rising sophomore Michael Pierce
, who was highly impressive as an undrafted rookie last season. Pierce logged 35 tackles and two sacks, and could be in line for a bigger role.
The Ravens also have Carl Davis and Willie Henry. Davis, a third-round pick in 2015, spent last season on injured reserve (leg), but played in 13 games and made 11 tackles as a rookie. Henry, a fourth-round pick last season, didn’t see any game action and finished the season on injured reserve.
In other Ravens news coming out of the league’s owners meetings in Phoenix, Harbaugh made it clear he would like to see wide receiver Anquan Boldin return to Baltimore, but added several factors would need to fall into place for it to happen.
Not sure I thought I would ever see those words in print after 2013, but there they are.
Harbaugh said he would be “interested” in a certain receiver on the market, and was later asked specifically whether the team is considering a reunion with the 15-year veteran.
“I’ve got to be careful in how I answer that because, of course, we are. Of course, I am. I’m thinking about it every day. Just like I’m thinking about [several other open spots on the roster],” Harbaugh replied. “But that’s up to Ozzie. It’s up to all of us, but in the final accounting, I think we need to see what all the options are. And I don’t even know if Anquan wants to come back. That would be another thing that we have to look into.”
Boldin is an unrestricted free agent after playing on a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions last season.
As far as Boldin’s play is concerned, Harbaugh believes the 36-year-old veteran would be a major boost. Boldin showed last year that he’s still productive. He led the Lions with eight touchdowns and finished second on the team with 67 catches for 584 yards while playing in the slot as the No. 3 receiver.
“I will say this: I do believe he can still play at the highest level,” Harbaugh said. “I think his ability and skills are such that he’s not going to drop off the edge just because of how he plays.”
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