As the Ravens’ 2024 season gets underway, much of the attention surrounds veteran running back Derrick Henry.
Henry is one of the most electric offensive players of the last decade in the NFL. He also turned 30 this past January. While the Ravens are known for their history of drafting and developing, they’ve also had more than a fair amount of success with veterans who were signed deeper into their careers.
In fact, after I settled on this month’s concept of “The 15 Ravens Late-Career Acquisitions,” I was forced to define it more because the list was so long. First, everyone who made the list had to play their first game in Baltimore after turning 30. So guys like Elvis Dumervil, Mark Ingram II, Vonta Leach and Michael Pierce in his second stint were left off. All turned 30 during their first season.
Still, the list was so strong that I essentially had to rule out anyone who played here for just one season like Odell Beckham Jr., Jadeveon Clowney, Owen Daniels, Kyle Van Noy (who is still adding to his post-30 resume) and Benjamin Watson. Even after that, the list was still so strong that quality veterans like Chris Canty, Justin Houston and Morgan Moses didn’t quite make it.
So I guess the actual list should be “The 15 Ravens 30-Something Additions.” This list is in alphabetical order. These are not actual rankings.
1. Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo
Special consideration was given to players who won Super Bowls during their time in Baltimore, including this Super Bowl XLVII champion. The younger Ayanbadejo was already 32 and a decade into his career when he joined the Ravens in 2008. He was a special teams standout for his five seasons (including a Pro Bowl nod in ‘08) and provided valuable depth at inside linebacker.
2. Center Matt Birk
After six Pro Bowl nods in Minnesota, Birk joined the Ravens in 2009 at the age of 33. He still had four strong seasons in him, starting every game until he retired after helping the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII.
3. Defensive Lineman Calais Campbell
When Campbell played his first game with the Ravens in 2020, he was already 34. However, he remained extremely impactful, tallying 11 sacks and batting away nine passes during his three seasons. He was a Pro Bowler in 2020 and also became one of the stronger vocal and emotional leaders for the team.
4. Cornerback Brandon Carr
Carr was immediately impactful after joining the Ravens in 2017 at the age of 31. He came away with four interceptions in his first season in Baltimore and picked up six during a three-year stint, starting every game along the way.
5. Wide Receiver Derrick Mason
While this is a list and not a ranking, if it were a ranking there would be no debate about who would be at the top. Mason proved to be one of the Ravens’ greatest acquisitions regardless of age. He was 31 when he arrived in 2005 and proceeded to set the franchise’s records for career receptions (471) and receiving yards (5,777), numbers that still hold today despite his retirement coming more than a decade ago. His efforts playing through a shoulder injury in 2008 during the final game ever at Texas Stadium are remembered among the more courageous in team history as well.
6. Offensive Tackle Bryant McKinnie
McKinnie’s two and a half seasons in Baltimore were at times perplexing but unquestionably impactful. He was dogged by injuries, contract issues and rumors about his weight and commitment after arriving in 2011 at the age of 31. He didn’t start a single game during the 2012 regular season. But he was re-inserted as the starting left tackle for the playoffs and played some of the best football of his career during the postseason, helping the offense come to life en route to the Super Bowl XLVII title.
7. Defensive Lineman Trevor Pryce
Pryce was 31 when he arrived in Baltimore in 2006. He was tremendously impactful in his first season, tallying 13 sacks that year as the Ravens went 13-3 and won the AFC North. He played 56 games in four and a half seasons, finishing with 26 sacks in purple and black.
8. Tight End Shannon Sharpe
Perhaps Sharpe had lost a step by the time he arrived in Baltimore in 2000 at the age of 32. It certainly looked that way when Patrick Johnson was pushing him into the end zone during his incredible 96-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the 2000 AFC championship game against the Raiders. But he wrote another compelling chapter in his Hall of Fame career during his two seasons here, finishing with 1,621 yards and seven touchdowns (with 309 more yards and two more scores in the playoffs) and his third Super Bowl title.
9. Defensive Tackle Tony Siragusa
“The Goose” was 30 when he arrived in Baltimore in 1997. He instantly became a beloved figure in the city, taking on a role as a bit of an evangelist for the nascent franchise. His larger-than-life personality was evident on the field, where he provided a necessary toughness for a defense that would go down as one of the greatest units in football history en route to the Super Bowl XXXV title.
10. Linebacker Daryl Smith
The pressure of replacing a legend can be overwhelming. Smith was 31 when he signed with the Ravens in 2013 but had no issue whatsoever standing in the immediate shadow of Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis. Smith enforced the middle of the field across three seasons, posting nine sacks, seven forced fumbles and five interceptions during the span.
11. Wide Receiver Steve Smith Sr.
The Carolina Panthers legend was already 35 when he arrived in Baltimore in 2014, but he still had a lot left. Smith finished with 2,534 yards and 14 touchdowns during his three seasons in Baltimore despite missing half of the 2015 campaign due to injury.
12. Wide Receiver Mike Wallace
Only nine players in franchise history have recorded 1,000-yard receiving seasons. One of them is Wallace, who was 30 when he arrived in 2016 (his 1,000-yard season). He added another 748 yards the following season and totaled eight touchdowns during his two years as a Raven.
13. Safety Eric Weddle
Weddle would have a strong argument to be second behind Mason if this were a ranking. He was 31 when he joined the Ravens in 2016. He was a Pro Bowler in each of his three seasons in Baltimore, totaling 10 interceptions during that span. His Ravens tenure helped him clinch a spot on the NFL’s All-Decade team.
14. Defensive Back Rod Woodson
The Pro Football Hall of Famer was 33 when he joined the Ravens in 1998. He moved from corner to safety after the ‘98 season, making the transition seamlessly. During his four seasons in Baltimore, he recorded 20 (!) interceptions, returning five of them for touchdowns. He also forced three fumbles and recovered six during that span, making three Pro Bowls and helping lift the Ravens to the Super Bowl XXXV title.
15. Offensive Lineman Kevin Zeitler
Zeitler was 31 when he got to Baltimore in 2021. He proved to be a stalwart immediately and reliably handled the right guard spot for three seasons. In 2023, he finished with a 93.8% pass block win rate, helping him earn his first career Pro Bowl nod.
Photo Credit: Sabina Moran and Kenya Allen/PressBox
Issue 288: August/September 2024
Originally published Aug. 14, 2024