The Baltimore Ravens traded Jaire Alexander to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, packaging the veteran cornerback with a 2027 seventh-round pick and receiving a 2026 sixth-rounder in return. Here are the reactions from the staff of Baltimore Beatdown.
Talk of an Alexander trade picked up this week, and it is not entirely surprising that Howie Roseman swooped in to bring him to Philly. However, when Alexander wasn’t a healthy scratch for the Ravens, he looked unsteady on the field. Getting back
to form from multiple knee injuries is not easy, especially for a gambling ballhawk like Alexander. My theory is that he is still adjusting to a different closing speed than his pre-injury heyday, which will force him to recalibrate his play style accordingly. Properly getting back to 100% – if he can – would also go a long way.
On the Ravens’ end, there’s really no reason not to go through with this deal. Sending Alexander to the NFC, in case he does reemerge this season, is smart. The compensation isn’t much, nor are the cap savings, but both could be enough contribute to another move. It would be a significant disappointment if the Ravens were not able to turn their surplus draft capital (that they have now added to twice this season) into an impact player or two for the rest of the year. — Nikhil Mehta
The Jaire Alexander saga in Baltimore did not go how I hoped it would, as the former star cornerback had been relegated to inactive status after a disastrous Week 1 showing. I don’t know if Alexander is still recovering from his knee injury or has just fallen to the undefeated Father Time, but either way, he was not contributing to the Ravens.
I hope this isn’t a trade that comes to haunt Baltimore if Alexander’s play picks up later on in the season, but it’s hard to be upset at moving him at this point. Signing Alexander to a cheap contract is a gamble that was well worth the risk before the season. This move does leave the Ravens thinner at cornerback, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a cheap player added to the room now. — Dustin Cox
The writing was on the wall here. Despite an amazing reunion in August and ultimate vibes while he was healthy during training camp, Alexander just couldn’t crack the lineup while healthy. He looked less than average when he was in and has been a healthy scratch more weeks than not. I imagine his roster spot will be taken by Keondre Jackson, who’s been an absolute special teams star during his three elevations. He needs to be added to roster or face waivers and I think this solves the roster crunch.
Hopefully DeCosta is continuing to work those phone lines. I doubt the reports of the Ravens looks for corners. I’m sure DeCosta is calling about any and everybody so he’s “looking” at corners, but edge and defensive line players will be the priority.— Zach Canter
When the Ravens signed CB Jaire Alexander in free agency, it was thought to be a needle moving acquisition that would catapult the Ravens secondary into elite territory. Unfortunately, Alexander’s time in Baltimore never materialized into something meaningful. After struggling in the opening game of the season against Buffalo, Alexander didn’t find any meaningful playing time and was not activated to the roster for a majority of games. Clearly, Alexander’s nagging injuries prevented him from being the player the Ravens thought they signed. Throw this one in the Dionte Johnson bucket for Ravens acquisitions that severely came in below expectations. — Stephen Bopst
