The Beatdown staff react to the surprising news of the Baltimore Ravens signing DE Yannick Ngakoue to the practice squad.
According to multiple reports, the Baltimore Ravens are signing pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue to the practice squad. Below are the reactions from the Beatdown staff.
A move I had no expectation of. While I saw he was available throughout the offseason, I imagined that ship sailed, both as it didn’t work out the first go-round and also as the Ravens seemed content with Kyle Van Noy and the young crop of outside linebackers they’re developing and giving reps.
The addition of Ngakoue is, at worst, a test to see if he get back to his 2021-2022 form. He totaled 19.5 in the two years after he played for Baltimore. But in 2023, Ngakoue’s production took a hit as he tallied four sacks for the Chicago Bears in 13 games. Now, how much of that was Ngakoue being unable to go after quarterbacks versus being on a Bears team that rarely if ever had a lead?
According to PFF, in 2023, Ngakoue was the fourth-lowest graded pass rusher (47.6) among all edge players who played a minimum 20% of snaps. By the same metrics, Ngakoue was graded as the third-worst run defender (37.7).
The Ravens are giving a shot to a veteran who has a good track record but struggled last season. He’ll have to prove 2023 was an aberration and not a steep decline. — Kyle Phoenix
This move definitely comes as a bit of a surprise given how his first stint with the team didn’t go as well as expected and the investment of a third-round pick on rookie Adisa Isaac in this year’s draft who was a full participant in practice last week but was a healthy scratch.
But much like the cornerback position, a team can never have too many quality pass rushers especially when they’ve struggled to generate consistent pressure late in their first three games after being dominant for the first three quarters.
I still hope they give Isaac a chance to show what he can do in the regular season even after Ngakoue gets up to speed and in football shape on the practice squad. It also never hurts to have multiple Terps on the team even if it is not at a position of need necessarily.
— Joshua Reed
I have a lot of questions. Don’t get me wrong, I like the player, I like the juice, and I love the potential in a defense like this. Should go much better than Ngakoue’s last time in Baltimore. But pass rush has been one of the best aspects of the team. Kyle Van Noy’s been fantastic, Odafe Oweh is in the midst of a breakout, David Ojabo and others are performing their roles well, and the defensive line has been stellar.
Where does Ngakoue get playing time? Adisa Isaac has been a healthy scratch. Why not support for the secondary that’s been struggling? This move makes me wonder if there is an injury news that’s coming down the pipeline or if Harbaugh’s comments on Monday about undisciplined pass rush late in games truly is a massive concern.
Overall, I love the player. It’s a shock but it’s a great move. Don’t worry about the run defense, just be the pass rushing monster the league knows Ngakoue can be.
— Zach Canter