Sometimes in the off-season, teams focus more on red flags. Call it tunnel vision, call it insider info, but they make decisions that seem… strange to the rest of the league. It happened with the Green Bay Packers. Their first-rounder from 2018 missed seven consecutive games in 2024 with a swollen knee. Injuries sidelined him in 2023, too. In the last two seasons, the cornerback only played 7 games each year. Now, with the franchise wanting to steer clear of uncertainty, they cut him loose. And the Baltimore Ravens‘ HC John Harbaugh was quick to pounce. It is an unexpected offseason bonus for the fans, one that comes with a risk but also the potential of elevating their playoff runs into a championship.

Since 2018, CB Jaire Alexander has forced tight windows on 31.9% of his targets. That’s not just good, it’s fourth-best in the NFL (min. 250 targets), per Next Gen Stats. Now pair that with Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, who also rank top five in that same metric, and you’ve got a secondary that’s suddenly not here to play fair. The Ravens didn’t just make a move, they made a statement.

John Harbaugh got that quality for pretty cheap as well. The cornerback is heading to Baltimore on a one-year, $6 million deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Other teams tossed more money his way, but Alexander chose familiarity and wanted to play with his Louisville teammate, Lamar Jackson. Sometimes, relationships speak louder than dollar signs.

Of course, there are red flags. Injuries have been part of the deal. Alexander’s played just 14 games over the past two seasons. But it doesn’t mean he’s washed. In 2022, when mostly healthy, he had five picks and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors, just like he did in 2020. The talent never left. Baltimore has got an elite corner at a budget price.

What’s more interesting is what this means for Lamar Jackson. He made it clear he wanted his guy. And the front office, aggressive in recent years, delivered.

John Harbaugh signs Lamar Jackson’s friend

There’s real history here. Jaire Alexander and Lamar Jackson go way back to Louisville (2015–2017), tearing up practice fields together. They were teammates, rivals, brothers-in-arms. When Jackson went No. 32 in the 2018 draft, Alexander literally leaped out of his interview, dancing, fist-pumping. “My boy, Lamar… Let’s go, man!” he shouted.

Even the HC, John Harbaugh, looked optimistic about adding more firepower to his roster. He spoke to the reporters about their signing and said, “Really excited. Had chance to sit down with him today, which was an awesome, awesome time. And he’s excited to be here. We’re excited to have him. It had been kind of behind the scenes in the works for a little bit and, and I know he wanted to be here, and we wanted him here.”

The deep friendship has always been the talk of the town whenever they are together. Last year, during the summer session at the Packers, they mostly stuck together. It was surreal for many fans who couldn’t help but get amazed by mutual respect and admiration for each other’s dreams.

“So for it to work out the way it did, it made Lamar happy,” John Harbaugh added “I think made everybody happy. Just an opportunity to become a better team in that sense today. So we’re really excited about it. Within hours, it was good timing.” A secondary already full of sharp minds and fast feet just added a former All-Pro with insider chemistry to the face of the franchise. Someone they know can turn the moments in their favor.

With 287 tackles, 70 passes defended, 12 interceptions, and 1.5 sacks in 76 starts, he is a dangerous player. He will get actual practice in the training camp, which opens for rookies on July 15, and a week later for veterans. Then comes the preseason opener against the Colts on August 7 at M&T Bank Stadium. And expect fans to feel it, the energy, the emotion, the reunion, the real possibility that Baltimore just found its final missing piece.