The trade between the Harbaugh brothers lacks big names, but it raises some intriguing questions about where the reeling Ravens stand.
On Tuesday, John Harbaugh’s Ravens sent Odafe Oweh and a future seventh-round pick to Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
This is a beneficial trade for both sides as Baltimore is struggling in the secondary and Los Angeles has been hampered since losing edge rusher Khalil Mack to an elbow injury in Week 2.
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However, it’s a little odd that the Ravens traded a pass with star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike coming off a season-ending neck injury. This could be a subtle sign that Baltimore is losing confidence in overcoming a 1-4 start this season.
Here are the notes and analysis of this exchange between AFC teams.
It’s no big deal that Baltimore gave up on Oweh, a first-round pick in 2021. He likely wasn’t part of the team’s long-term plans due to his inconsistency throughout his career.
However, Oweh had 10 sacks last season, benefiting from frequent dropbacks from opposing quarterbacks to keep pace with the Ravens’ offense. He was perhaps the second-best edge rusher on the team last year behind Kyle Van Noy, who is now in his age-34 season. As for this year, Oweh fell to the No. 3 role, losing his starting job to Tavius Robinson, the 2023 fourth-round pick. Additionally, Baltimore used a second-rounder in April to select edge rusher Mike Green.
The Ravens weren’t necessarily in a bind at the position because Green and Robinson are inexperienced and Van Noy has been injured this season. So there’s an argument to be made that maybe the team should have kept Oweh for the rest of the season and let him leave in free agency. Once again, Madubuike is out for the year, and this entire defense needs all the help it can get.
I’m intrigued by what this means for the Ravens’ playoff hopes. Maybe it was a safe way to think about the future in case this team can’t stay afloat amid this rash of injuries, which includes Lamar Jackson sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Ravens now have the Chargers’ fifth-round pick to add depth to next year’s roster.
Does this also mean the Ravens don’t trust first-round pick Malaki Starks in the starting role opposite Kyle Hamilton? Gilman is a versatile safety who has started for the Chargers the past three seasons. In six seasons, he played in 73 games with 39 career starts.
It might be more about putting Gilman and Starks together at safety and allowing Hamilton to move around as a positionless player. Baltimore has been reluctant to have Hamilton play center, but he has been called upon more over the past two seasons.
Again, it’s difficult to gauge how the Ravens feel about this trade. They added flexibility in the secondary, but it came at the expense of depth with the pass rush.
Grade: C-
Credit to the Chargers for using blocking at safety to improve an area of need, but they probably should have used those resources on an offensive lineman.
However, it is difficult to find quality offensive linemen on the trade market. Adding a talented rusher who wasn’t on the wrong side of 30 was the next best option for the 3-2 Chargers, who are on a two-game losing streak.
Oweh, who turns 27 in December, will likely be slotted into the starting lineup opposite Tuli Tuipulotu before becoming a situational passer once Mack returns. Without a consistent push from the defensive front, the Chargers secondary struggled against the Giants and Commanders.
Additionally, run defense has become a weakness since Mack’s injury – it’s an underrated area for the future Hall of Famer. Los Angeles has allowed New York and Washington to rush for over 160 yards in the last two weeks. Perhaps the experienced Oweh can help establish the advantage.
In the secondary, star safety Derwin James should have plenty of help with Elijah Molden and comfort from former Raven Tony Jefferson.
This may not be a blockbuster trade, but it’s undoubtedly a beneficial move for the Chargers.
