With the Ravens and the rest of the NFL having navigated the earliest waves of free agency, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Though other objectives remain, the Ronnie Stanley re-signing changed the complexion of the offseason when you can look at the roster and feel mostly OK about the starting lineup you’d field right now. That said, competition at guard and depth on the offensive line are serious needs after other departures.
2. DeAndre Hopkins is the Odell Beckham signing at an appropriate price point. You hope he’s an upgrade from Nelson Agholor who provides leadership and complementary production. The difference from Baltimore’s past veteran receiver signings is there being no unrealistic expectation level or need compared to what a 33-year-old Hopkins offers.
3. An area in which Hopkins still excels is making contested catches, which is something Lamar Jackson will appreciate on third downs and inside the red zone. Baltimore has slot options, but adding another receiver who can play outside — Hopkins played there 75% of the time last year — is a plus.
4. After the reported max restructure of Marlon Humphrey’s contract, Eric DeCosta doesn’t face quite as much urgency regarding the future of Mark Andrews and his $4 million roster bonus due next week. I’m still not giving away Andrews for spare change and the sake of saving salary cap space.
5. With Michael Pierce retiring and Brent Urban unsigned, the Ravens are in position to get younger on the defensive line ahead of a draft deep with talent in that area. With Travis Jones also entering a contract year, Baltimore should be aiming to draft two interior defensive linemen.
6. The combination of Pierce walking away after a nine-year NFL run and Patrick Mekari receiving over $12 million per year from Jacksonville sounds like an easy recruiting pitch to rookie free agents following next month’s draft. Pierce and Mekari were two of the many undrafted success stories Baltimore has had.
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7. With Malik Harrison and Chris Board exiting, the signing of linebacker and special-teams standout Jake Hummel from the Los Angeles Rams was a solid addition. He played with Charlie Kolar at Iowa State. Retaining Tylan Wallace was another plus for the special teams, which need to improve in 2025.
8. Though taking a cut at a specialized position, Patrick Ricard will return for a ninth season. He’s one of eight players to make five Pro Bowls as a Raven, joining Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Ed Reed, Marshal Yanda, Terrell Suggs, Justin Tucker, and Haloti Ngata. A Ring of Honor player.
9. Ar’Darius Washington receiving the low tender including only a right of first refusal was somewhat surprising. His injury history is a real consideration for a long-term deal, but I’d be leery of another team throwing money at him after seeing the bad contracts handed out across the league this week.
10. The Ravens need to add another safety to the mix, but Marcus Williams proved to be the latest in a long line of free-agent safety signings — Eric Weddle aside — that haven’t worked particularly well in the post-Reed era. I’d take my chances in the draft.
11. Yes, the Ravens need a backup quarterback. No, I don’t care all that much about whom it might be. I’m not wasting too many dollars on a scenario that sinks my season anyway if Jackson is sidelined for more than a few games.
12. Cincinnati has yet to extend Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins while Trey Hendrickson is on the trade block. Pittsburgh is apparently waiting on Aaron Rodgers. The Browns are… the Browns. What challenges the Ravens might have are certainly relative to the rest of the AFC North.
