Ravens' Matt Judon: Prepping for franchise tag

Judon is expected to receive a franchise tag, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Judon is the only reasonable candidate for Baltimore this offseason, coming off a 2019 campaign with career highs for sacks (9.5), QB hits (33) and forced fumbles (four). His representatives likely will argue that his fourth-in-the-league total for QB hits shows pass-rushing ability beyond the sack numbers, while Baltimore's front office can argue that Judon was aided by the team's league-high blitz rate (54.9 percent) and excellent secondary. Regardless of how the arguments play out, Judon presumably will want a contract exceeding that of former teammate Za'Darius Smith, who signed with Green Bay last offseason for four years and $66 million, though just 30.3 percent was fully guaranteed. There already have been some rumors that the Ravens could opt for a tag-and-trade if Judon won't take a team-friendly deal.