In a move that screams desperation and a dire need for a shake-up, the Baltimore Ravens have shipped outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers. The trade sends a clear message from the front office: a 1-4 start is simply unacceptable, and no one is safe.
In return for their former first-round pick, the Ravens get safety Alohi Gilman and a swap of Day 3 draft picks. Baltimore receives a 2026 fifth-rounder, while the Chargers get a 2027 seventh-rounder. But let’s be real, this isn’t about draft capital. This is about stopping the bleeding now.
The Ravens’ defense has been hemorrhaging points, giving up a league-worst 177 points through five games.
That’s a staggering 35.4 points per game. You can’t win football games like that, and General Manager Eric DeCosta is clearly fed up. It’s a move that feels less like a strategic chess play and more like flipping the table over in frustration.
The same day, they also added veteran defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to their practice squad, who will likely be elevated either this week or next to play some free safety, some nickel cornerback. He was released by the Houston Texans earlier this year, but his aggressiveness on the field, despite his controversy in the locker room, is still something Baltimore lacks.
The Ravens lose a pass rusher but add two versatile defensive backs that will bolster their secondary ultimately, even if it may not matter due to their pass rush and interior defensive line.
What Happened to Oweh?
Remember the excitement around Oweh? The raw power, the freakish athleticism? Last season, he finally seemed to be putting it all together, racking up a career-high 10 sacks. The Ravens bet big on him, picking up his hefty $13.25 million fifth-year option, hoping he’d blossom into one of the league’s elite pass rushers.
That bet has officially gone bust.
Through five games this season, Oweh has been a ghost. Zero sacks. Ten tackles.
He was supposed to be a cornerstone of the pass rush, but instead, he was losing snaps to Tavius Robinson, who was playing 70% of the snaps compared to Oweh’s 45%. The writing wasn’t just on the wall; it was in flashing neon lights. The Ravens needed a spark, and Oweh’s fuse had fizzled out. With just six total sacks as a team, something had to give.
A Desperate Move to Patch a Leaky Secondary
While shipping out a pass rusher when your pass rush is nonexistent seems counterintuitive, the Ravens are playing whack-a-mole with their roster problems. The secondary is an absolute MAS*H unit.
Kyle Hamilton, the league’s highest-paid safety, was sidelined with a groin injury during last week’s humiliating 44-10 beatdown by the Houston Texans.
His status for this week’s game against the Rams is still up in the air, but he returned to practice today. The team wants to use Hamilton’s versatility all over the field, but they can’t do that without reliable help in the back.
Enter Gilman. The 28-year-old safety is a tough, reliable tackler who has been a full-time starter for the Chargers over the past three seasons. He’s not a superstar, but he’s a solid veteran who can hopefully bring some stability to a defense in chaos and has played with Hamilton at Notre Dame.
This move, coupled with the recent signing of C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the practice squad, shows the Ravens are scrambling for answers in their defensive backfield. This addition especially reminds me of some of what they lost when Marcus Peters left the team, a ball hawk with starting experience.
The Harbaugh Connection and What’s Next
It’s no surprise to see these two teams make a deal. The brotherly connection between John and Jim Harbaugh, along with former Ravens executive Joe Hortiz now serving as the Chargers’ GM, made this a natural fit.
For Oweh, it’s a fresh start on the West Coast. For the Ravens, it’s a financial reset: shedding his contract reportedly saves them $8 million on this year’s salary cap and is a desperate gamble to salvage a season that’s spiraling out of control.
But the question hangs heavy over Baltimore: Is this enough?
Trading a once-promising pass rusher for a safety might plug one hole, but it leaves another gaping. With a battered roster and a daunting schedule ahead, the Ravens are in a dogfight for their season. This trade is a bold, emotional reaction to a disastrous start. Only time will tell if it’s the move that stops the bleeding or just another symptom of a team in turmoil.
