Ravens officially place franchise tag on Judon

The Baltimore Ravens have designated outside linebacker Matthew Judon as their franchise player, the team announced Friday.

It was reported earlier in March that Baltimore would place the tag on Judon. The team has now made it official after the defender's breakout 9.5-sack campaign in 2019.

Baltimore's classification of the 28-year-old is significant. The Ravens designated him as a linebacker rather than as a defensive end, meaning he'll earn $16.27 million under the tag in 2020 instead of $19.32 million, according to Over the Cap.

Judon was Baltimore's fifth-round pick in 2016 and has proved to be a value defensive piece in recent years. He forced four fumbles and added 54 total tackles last season in addition to his career-high sack total.

Previous reports indicated the Ravens' key pass-rusher could be a tag-and-trade candidate this offseason.