The trade deadline isn’t the best avenue for addressing multiple needs, which is why it’s hardly surprising for the Ravens’ work to feel underwhelming.
One can certainly argue that landing Jaelan Phillips for a third-round pick like Philadelphia did would have been preferable to coming away with Dre’Mont Jones for a fifth-round pick that could easily turn into a fourth, but let’s not pretend Phillips is Terrell Suggs. And while many believed three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was worth trading a future first-round pick to the New York Jets, surrendering as much as Dallas did to land him is a different story, especially if the Cowboys would have been willing to go even higher than a first, a second-round choice, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
To no surprise, general manager Eric DeCosta remained more methodical than maniacal in acquiring Jones as well as safety Alohi Gilman a month ago, which is still more than the likes of Kansas City and Buffalo did at the trade deadline. Gilman’s arrival has already paid dividends for a defense that’s been much better over its last three games, and we’ll see if the versatile Jones can move the needle for a punchless pass rush.
Of course, it’s fair to note that the Ravens gave up former first-round pick Odafe Oweh to acquire Gilman, which further weakened the outside linebacker group even before Tavius Robinson fractured his foot and landed on injured reserve. Many were clamoring for Baltimore to add a third safety from the moment Ar’Darius Washington tore his Achilles tendon in May, and you wonder if addressing that position earlier rather than evaluating former seventh-round pick Sanoussi Kane — who was waived Tuesday — as the No. 3 safety all spring and summer could have helped prevent such a poor start.
Trading Oweh and disappointing cornerback Jaire Alexander created more than $11 million in salary cap space that positioned DeCosta to take a bigger swing at the trade deadline. But that didn’t come to fruition, and much of that space will likely be rolled into 2026, which isn’t the worst outcome when remembering the daunting offseason agenda that looms. Like it or not, the Ravens aren’t an “all-in” team that’s going to ignore long-term roster construction, especially after a 1-5 start that’s eliminated much of their margin for error for the rest of this 2025 campaign.
Still, it’s understandable to be disappointed when considering the state of the Ravens’ offensive and defensive lines, which don’t exactly look like championship-caliber groups midway through the season. But frustration should be directed more at an offseason that hasn’t aged well than what DeCosta did or didn’t do at the trade deadline.
In March, the Ravens prioritized keeping left tackle Ronnie Stanley and did so on a well-regarded three-year, $60 million contract, but their best outside addition for the suspect guard spots that lost the versatile Patrick Mekari in free agency was drafting an injured Emery Jones Jr. in the third round. The LSU product recovering from shoulder surgery all spring and summer — and into the start of the season — all but eliminated any serious competition for Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele.
8
That wasn’t good enough, and it’s resulted in an offense that’s struggling to run the ball consistently and protect the quarterback, which is an unnerving combination for any would-be contender. And as we saw at the deadline, most teams simply aren’t in the business of parting with quality offensive linemen.
On the other side of the ball, there’s no downplaying the significance of losing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike to a season-ending neck injury in Week 2. However, it wasn’t a secret that the defensive line lacked depth behind Madubuike and Travis Jones and the 2025 draft was regarded as deep with prospects in that area. But instead of selecting a defensive tackle earlier in the draft, DeCosta waited until the sixth round to take the undersized Aeneas Peebles, who’s been a healthy scratch for three straight games now.
To be fair, the June signing of 36-year-old nose tackle John Jenkins has been a solid replacement for the retired Michael Pierce, but the absence of an impact 3-technique defensive tackle really hinders expectations for this pass rush the rest of the way. That’s why the idea of trading for Williams was so exciting, especially with Madubuike’s long-term future unclear.
No, the Ravens were never going to fix all their position concerns at the trade deadline, but some disappointment is understandable. That should stem more from an underwhelming offseason than wanting DeCosta to do something hasty now.
No team’s roster is perfect, and there’s still much to like about the Ravens beginning with a healthy Lamar Jackson, meaning they shouldn’t be counted out by any stretch. But it’s also fair to want more from a team that got off to a lousy start and is still trying to break through even if John Harbaugh’s group manages to qualify for the postseason for the seventh time in eight years.
The trenches just don’t inspire much confidence that this January will be in any different, and the trade deadline did little to remedy that.
