Pernell McPhee is a well-known quantity around Baltimore. Having been part of the Super Bowl 47 championship team, he was a welcomed sight heading back in to Baltimore for the 2019 season. He had a four-season absence in Baltimore (three with the Chicago Bears and one with the Washington Redskins).
Perhaps there were some questions about his recent production, but McPhee was a safe bet for the Baltimore Ravens for a few reasons: McPhee knew the culture and the system fairly well, was still young enough to make splash plays and stay on the field for at least 50% of the defensive snaps, and was a locker room vet/leader by the time the 2019 season began.