Pro Football Focus projects Steelers losing Javon Hargrave to Baltimore Ravens

Javon Hargrave is expected to test free agency and get a contract that will end his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers after four seasons.

Not only would the Steelers be without the 27-year-old nose tackle, they could lose him to their biggest rival in the AFC North — at least if one prominent website is correct.

Pro Football Focus, listing possible destinations for its top 50 free agents, projected Tuesday that Hargrave will end up signing with the Baltimore Ravens.

PFF projects Hargrave as its No. 33 free agent and has him signing a four-year contract with the Ravens that will average $12 million a season and include $28 million in guaranteed money.

This is what the site wrote about Hargrave and the Ravens:

“The Ravens’ interior defensive line last season was among the bottom five in PFF pass-rush grade, and that might just be the position they target in March. The Steelers don’t have the money to pay Javon Hargrave, which is great news for their division rival. Hargrave finished the 2019 season as one of the 15 highest-graded pass-rushers at his position.”

The Steelers likely will use a $16.2 million franchise tag on outside linebacker Bud Dupree, but will not have enough money under the salary cap to also re-sign Hargrave, their third-round draft pick in 2016.

With the loss of defensive end Stephon Tuitt near midseason to a pectoral injury, Hargrave played a career-high 62% of all defense snaps in 2019 — the first time in his four seasons that he topped 50%. Tuitt finished 10^th on the team with a career-high 60 tackles that included four sacks and seven tackles for loss. He also had six quarterback hits and a forced fumble.

Hargrave earned $2.025 million in base salary in the final year of his rookie contract. He recently switched representation and signed with high-powered agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Free agency begins March 18.

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