NFL Rumors: 3 teams that need to sign Justin Houston for playoff push

1. Baltimore Ravens can bring back a familiar face in Justin Houston

Houston spent last season with the Ravens, so there's built-in familiarity with Mike Macdonald's scheme. The Ravens, at 11-3, are also the No. 1 seed in the AFC, a conference littered with flimsy contenders marred in uncertainty. Do we trust the Chiefs? The Dolphins? The Jaguars??? There's a pretty clear favorite right now, and it's the Ravens.

That makes Baltimore a rather obvious destination for Houston. He could prioritize the size and impact of his role with other franchises, but the Ravens lead the NFL in sacks (50.0) and the infrastructure is in place for Houston to get the most out of his reps with Baltimore.

He appeared in 14 regular season games for the Ravens last season, so there's reason to believe Baltimore would still have a role for him. He was also regularly used in the playoffs. John Harbaugh defenses tend to perform in high-leverage situations. Houston would have to battle Jadeveon Clowney and Odafe Oweh for snaps, but Baltimore currently has three outside linebackers either out or on the injured reserve — Tyus Bowser, David Ojabo, Malik Hamm — so there's a need for depth. The interest here should be mutual.

The Ravens are clearly the best team listed here. Houston can petition to join the Niners, who are consensus title favorites at this point, but San Francisco has high-level defensive personnel in excess. There's really no need for the Niners to bid for Houston's services, and his next best chance at the Super Bowl probably resides in a place where he is most comfortable. An obvious win-win situation.