Barrett Brings a Familiar Face to a Linebacker Room That Was Running on One

The Ravens signed Michael Barrett on August 27, reuniting the linebacker with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who coached him at Michigan. It's a straightforward addition to a position that badly needed one.

Last season, Roquan Smith was essentially the entire linebacker operation. He was the only one who logged meaningful snaps, which left Baltimore with no real fallback if Smith missed time. Barrett doesn't change the ceiling here — Smith is still the engine — but he at least gives Minter something to work with behind him.

The Minter connection is worth noting, if only because it shortens the learning curve. Barrett already knows how Minter wants linebackers to operate, which matters in late August when the roster is still being sorted. Baltimore has had enough surprises this month — two offensive linemen retired, a center tore his patella tendon, a receiver is facing a league review — that a quiet, low-friction signing is its own kind of relief.