6 Ravens pending free brokers worthy of contract extensions earlier than finish of season

The Baltimore Ravens are on the precipice of claiming back-to-back AFC North division titles for the primary time since 2019. Their late-season surge has come largely to a handful of gamers on each side of the ball who’re slated to turn out to be free brokers this offseason.

Since taking on the Ravens’ entrance workplace, common supervisor Eric DeCosta has handed out late-season extensions to a number of key gamers to maintain them from hitting the open market within the offseason. Three earlier examples embody cornerback Marcus Peters (2019), offensive lineman Patrick Mekari (2021) and inside linebacker Roquan Smith (2022), all of whom have been prolonged on December 28 or later and earn their payday the next yr.

Listed here are six pending free-agent gamers who need to be candidates for contract extensions earlier than the tip of the season.

LT Ronnie Stanley

Picture by Michael Owens/Getty Photographs

After agreeing to a contract restructure within the offseason that diminished his wage and voided the ultimate yr of his 2019 mega-extension, the Ravens’ franchise left sort out got here into the 2024 season with lots to show after years of accidents impacted his availability and effectiveness. With a clear invoice of well being in a ‘make-it-or-break-it’ yr, he has been an integral to the success of the offense line as its veteran chief and considered one of its finest performers.

Stanley has began each sport this season and performed 100% of the workforce’s offensive snaps of the snaps in all however 4. It’s near-impossible to seek out elite blindside expertise outdoors of the top-10 draft picks, so locking up the rejuvenated 30-year-old lineman now would keep away from a free company bidding battle.

DB Ar’Darius Washington

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The fourth-year professional shall be a restricted free agent after the season, so the Ravens have a simple path to maintain him on the roster in 2025. Washington’s ascension right into a full-time function subsequent to Kyle Hamilton as deep safeties has coincided with the turnaround of the Ravens’ go protection. Washington started to take his sport to an excellent increased stage as of late, rising as a playmaker who can generate clutch takeaways and large hits for key stops. Washington has recorded profession highs in complete tackles (60), tackles for loss (5) and go breakups (seven) to associate with two interceptions, a pressured fumble, a sack and two quarterback hits.

Considerations about his measurement triggered him to go undrafted in 2021 regardless of placing collectively a powerful profession at Texas Christian College. Accidents prevented him from staying on the sphere in his first few seasons, however, just like Stanley, improved well being has allowed him to shine and show himself worthy of a spot within the Ravens’ future plans. Ravens are anticipated to maneuver on from Marcus Williams – who Washington has outperformed since changing him within the beginning lineup – so they need to have the ability to afford an extension earlier than Washington’s price ticket rises any furhter.

OL Patrick Mekari

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The sixth-year veteran can be a former undrafted free agent who overcame skepticism about his less-than-ideal measurables and established himself as one of the vital versatile offensive linemen within the league. Mekari is able to taking part in all 5 positions up entrance and carried out so properly in his first profession begin at left guard in Week 3 that he has been the full-time starter ever since. He opened the season because the beginning proper sort out in a two-man rotation with rookie Roger Rosengarten and stays too precious as each a depth piece and extended-period starter to hit the open market. The Ravens signed him to his first extension throughout his third season on a three-year deal price $15.45 million and may have the ability to lock him up on a equally structured contract this time round.

Patrick Mekari manhandled Kwon Alexander and withstood Derrick Henry working into his again on Henry’s first TD run vs. the Broncos.

Mekari has tailored rather well to taking part in left guard. pic.twitter.com/XpfxVN7LFj

— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) November 4, 2024

LB Malik Harrison

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The Ravens got here into this season with second-year professional Trenton Simpson because the substitute for Professional Bowler and second workforce All-Professional Patrick Queen who departed to a division rival in free company. Whereas the 2023 third-rounder was the starter for the primary 13 video games, he has misplaced naps to Malik Harrison over the past month. Since Week 12, when Harrison stuffed in on the MIKE spot for Roquan Smith, the fifth-year veteran has performed a minimum of 60% of the workforce’s complete defensive snaps at a excessive stage on 4 events. He has began six video games and recorded career-highs throughout the board together with complete tackles (51), tackles for loss (three), sacks (two) and quarterback hits (three).

Initially drafted within the third spherical of the 2020 NFL Draft as an off-ball linebacker, Harrison’s positional versatility to play on the sting as a SAM on early downs and has made him a key cog on this protection who could make impactful performs irrespective of the place he strains up. Multifaceted gamers akin to Harrison who contribute on protection and particular groups are well-deserving of one other deal.

FB Patrick Ricard

Picture by Charles Brock/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs

The arrival of offensive coordinator Todd Monken in 2023 raised questions on Ricard’s future in Baltimore’s offense. The four-time Professional Bowler has confirmed that he’s simply as key to the success of their dashing assault as he was beneath Greg Roman even when he doesn’t play almost as many snaps. The pairing between Ricard and Derrick Henry who arrived through free company this offseason has been a match made in heaven as the 2 of them mix for almost 550 kilos coming downhill within the run sport, a scary sight for any defensive entrance. On condition that his place continues to be a dying breed that not many offenses within the league carry, locking him up shouldn’t be cost-prohibitive.

WR Tylan Wallace

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Photographs

The fourth-year professional continues to be the most effective particular groups gamers not simply on the Ravens, however in your complete league. He is a wonderful gunner when overlaying kicks and punts who made a powerful play to maintain a ball from bouncing into the tip zone for a touchback towards the Steelers in Week 16. Wallace has additionally made three tackles on particular groups as properly together with two solos and has returned six punts for 67 yards with a protracted of 21.

Along with his prowess on particular groups, Wallace has proved he can contribute meaningfully on offense this season. He has caught all 11 of his targets for a career-high 193 receiving yards and his first profession landing on an unbelievable 84-yard catch-and-run for a tying rating towards the Bengals in Week 10. Rewarding those that pay their dues, work their approach up the depth chart and show themselves within the third phases of the sport is what this group is well-known for beneath head coach John Harbaugh.