Mink: The Ravens reportedly met with pass rusher Justin Houston and offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva over the past week, but even if they were going to sign them, I wouldn’t expect it to happen until after May 3, when inking free agents no longer counts in the compensatory pick formula. The Ravens treasure picks, and it was highly unlikely that they would give away a projected fourth-round pick on top of what they would already pay the free agent.
Now, once the comp pick isn’t in play, yes, I could see the Ravens making a move and doing so quickly. The reported visits could have been Baltimore just doing its homework and getting face-to-face time to make their pitch.
The results of the draft could impact whether the Ravens would still want to go through with a signing, but I don’t expect that it would alter their intentions too much in the cases of Houston and Villanueva. Even if the Ravens draft a pass rusher in Round 1, they could still use another top option (and veteran) considering they lost two premier talents in Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue. If Baltimore picks an offensive lineman in Round 1, they could end up starting at right tackle, left guard or center. To me, the biggest draw of Villanueva is if Ronnie Stanley weren’t ready to play at the start of the season after rehabbing from his two leg surgeries. The Ravens might have more confidence in a two-time Pro Bowler who started every game at left tackle for the past five years in Pittsburgh than a late first-round pick to fill in at the beginning of the season.
