The free agency signing period doesnโt officially begin until Wednesday, but the Ravens remained busy Tuesday clearing salary cap space by parting ways with two veterans on the offensive side of the ball.
Baltimore cut starting right tackle Austin Howard and running back Danny Woodhead, according to NFL Networkโs Ian Rapoport. Their departures save roughly $3.8 million in space when including the salaries of the two players replacing them in the โRule of 51โ calculation.
Howardโs future appeared up in the air at best after the Ravens re-signed offensive lineman James Hurst to a four-year, $17.5 million contract on Monday. Signed last August after being cut by Oakland, Howard, 30, appeared in all 16 games and ranked 36th among offensive tackles in Pro Football Focusโ grading system, but the organization declined to pick up his 2018 option and will save $3 million in cap space by doing so.
It remains unclear who will man the right tackle spot in 2018 with neither Hurst nor Alex Lewis โ the logical in-house candidates โ having proven themselves as a starting-caliber option there. The Ravens would have another hole at center if free agent Ryan Jensen fetches a lucrative contract on the open market as many are anticipating.
Those arenโt exactly encouraging developments for an offense already in need of more talent at wide receiver and tight end.
The Ravens signed the 33-year-old Woodhead to a three-year, $8.8 million contract at the start of free agency last March, but a serious hamstring injury in the season opener sidelined him for eight games and he finished with just 33 catches for 200 yards. The third-down back has now missed 35 games over the last four seasons, leaving his NFL future at a crossroads.
Howard and Woodhead joined defensive back Lardarius Webb as cap casualties a day after Webb saw his contract officially terminated, seemingly ending his nine-year run in Baltimore.
Ravens part ways with right tackle Howard, running back Woodhead
Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
Podcast Audio Vault
Right Now in Baltimore
Can Ravens beat Steelers without Zay Flowers?
The Baltimore Ravens will be without their speedy wide receiver on Saturday night in an AFC Wild Card playoff game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the Zay Flowers injury and how the Ravens will attack theirโฆ
Lamar Jackson, three other Ravens receive 2024 first-team All-Pro honors
Jackson and Roquan Smith were two of Baltimore's four first-team selections made by the Associated Press.
Twelve Ravens Thoughts (and a prediction) ahead of wild-card playoff clash with Pittsburgh
The Steelers havenโt won a postseason game in eight years while Baltimore has lost three of its last four home playoff games.