Calais Campbell on Ravens Trade: 'My Main Goal Was to Have a Chance to Win'

When Calais Campbell helped organize his trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Baltimore Ravens, he set out with one goal in mind: winning a championship.

Campbell told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that he could have found destinations offering more money but chose Baltimore because he believes the team is on the cusp of title contention. 

"So, we're going back and forth on the price and then as more information came about, it was one of those things where it was like, 'I could probably get you more money elsewhere' but I told him my main goal was to have a chance to win," Campbell said.

Campbell signed a two-year, $25 million contract with the Ravens that gave him $20 million guaranteed. The deal helped lower his cap number and essentially set him up for what could be two final runs at a Super Bowl. Campbell turns 34 in September and will be 14 seasons into his NFL career by the time his contract with Baltimore runs out.

"Obviously, this is a business and you got to think about the financial reward that comes from the value I bring, but, at the same time, I made a lot of money in this league and I only got so many prime years left," Campbell said. "I want to really capitalize on this one and I feel like Baltimore was a great choice. And they still paid me pretty good so it's not too bad."

Campbell made his fifth Pro Bowl (third consecutive) in 2019, compiling 56 tackles and 6.5 sacks in his third season with the Jaguars. Pro Football Focus graded Campbell out as an elite defensive lineman, giving him a 90.3 overall grade.

The Ravens are coming off a dream 2019 that saw Lamar Jackson emerge as the NFL MVP, spearheading a 14-2 regular-season effort before a disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round. Adding Campbell will help fortify a defense that ranked fourth in yards allowed; the team's biggest defensive weakness was the pass rush, ranking in the bottom half of the league with 37 sacks.