NFL: Free agency fits for the top 10 teams in terms of cap space

Bonus: Baltimore Ravens – Le’Veon Bell

When I started putting together this list about a week ago, Baltimore still was at ten on the list of NFL teams with the most cap space and while it would be a bold move, I just have a feeling that this is going to happen.

The only reason the Ravens are even anywhere close to this amount of available money (and they are eleventh right now) is due to trading long-time quarterback Joe Flacco and his 20-million dollar price tag to Denver. That move clearly indicates that they are all-in on Lamar Jackson as their guy for the future.

Jackson took over for Flacco in Week 11 after the bye-week when the ten-year veteran was out with an injury and the rookie never looked back, leading his team to a 6-1 record and a division title. However, in their wildcard round loss to the Chargers, the former Heisman trophy winner struggled mightily to keep his offense on the field and all those stupid comments about Lamar actually being a running back came back up. All he can do to prove those doubters wrong is work his butt off this offseason to improve the passing game and allow his coaches to open up the playbook more.

With that being said, he needs some help. The complete overhaul of the receiving room with Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead wasn’t bad, but none of those guys have number one upside, especially this deep into their careers, and the most productive running back on that roster was an undrafted free agent. Gus Edwards ran wild once he started becoming the featured guy at that position with Lamar entering the spotlight, rushing for more than a 100 yards per game in those final seven weeks, as the inside battering ram to go with the threat of Jackson pulling the ball.

While I do believe that offense got exposed for what wasn’t even a read-option based rushing attack, but rather already designed plays, adding a guy of Le’Veon Bell’s stature would give them a completely different dynamic running the ball as well as being an easy underneath target for the second-year QB. Bell might not say it, but he wants to make the Steelers pay and he would be perfect for this run-heavy approach in Baltimore.