The Baltimore Ravens are a wagon right now, winning their past four games and showing they can beat teams in a variety of ways.
No team is without flaws, though, and the Ravens' biggest is easily their pass defense. Baltimore ranks 31st in passing yards allowed at 275.7 per game, just edging out the Jacksonville Jaguars at 276.7 yards per game. For as much talent as there is in the secondary, the unit's performance has been quite disappointing this season.
As such, many believe that the Ravens should make a trade-deadline acquisition to bolster their pass defense. One possible trade target is New England Patriots veteran Jonathan Jones, as suggested by Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun.
"The New England Patriots are 1-5 and in last place in the AFC East, where the Jets could be poised to make a run at the division-leading Bills," Wacker wrote. "That could have the Patriots looking to deal Jones, who is in the final year of his two-year, $19 million contract.
"This season, he has 25 tackles, three passes defensed, a forced fumble and is just two years removed from a career-high four-interception season. Though the Ravens have several formidable cornerbacks, general manager Eric DeCosta is fond of saying they can never have too many, and adding someone like Jones could help bolster depth."
There is some concern about Jones' abilities in coverage this season, though. As the nearest defender, the 31-year-old has allowed 15 receptions on 21 targets for 220 yards and a touchdown for a 121.1 passer rating, per Pro Football Reference. In his defense, though, he's not in an ideal situation on a bad Patriots team, and he has shown he can succeed with better support around him.
Like Wacker mentioned, the Ravens know all too well how fast secondary injuries can stack up. They're relatively healthy right now, but most of their defensive backs have already dealt with injuries less than halfway through the season. Jones would be more than just a quality depth option, even in the latter half of his career.
It's a safe bet that DeCosta has something up his sleeve, but only time will tell what that is.
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