Ravens Rumors: Former Buccaneers DE Jason Pierre-Paul Visiting BAL in Free Agency
June 9, 2022
Former New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is visiting the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Pierre-Paul notably posted an Instagram story featuring him taking in the Ravens' locker room.
The 33-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion who earned All-Pro honors for the 2011 Giants. The free agent has amassed 91.5 sacks and 603 tackles over his 12-year career.
Last year, Pierre-Paul had two-and-a-half sacks an 31 tackles in 12 games for the Bucs.
Pierre-Paul joined the Giants after New York selected the former South Florida star with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He became a starter in his second season and starred with a team-high 16.5 sacks for the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Pierre-Paul never replicated that sack production, but he was still a valuable player for New York during his eight-year tenure, totaling 58.5 sacks overall.
In March 2018, the Giants traded Pierre-Paul to Tampa Bay, where he enjoyed a great second act. JPP notched 12.5 sacks in his first year with the Bucs.
Two years later, Pierre-Paul led the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers with nine-and-a-half sacks. He notably added another two in Tampa Bay's 31-26 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
Pierre-Paul is now looking for a new NFL home, however, after his two-year, $25 million contract expired.
Baltimore added plenty of young defensive talent through the draft, including Kyle Hamilton, David Ojabo, Travis Jones and Jalyn Armour-Davis. In free agency, the Ravens also picked up Marcus Williams and Michael Pierce, among others.
Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe sit atop the depth chart at defensive end. Odafe Oweh is the team's top edge-rusher, with fellow edge-rusher Ojabo on the ledger to contribute once he returns from a torn Achilles suffered during his pro day.
The Ravens are looking to bounce back after a rough year on that side of the ball in which their scoring defense dropped from No. 2 in 2020 to No. 19 in 2021. Adding Pierre-Paul would be an improvement as Baltimore attempts to make the playoffs after missing out in 2021.