The Ravens took care of their most urgent piece of offseason enterprise over the weekend by making certain that Ronnie Stanley would defend Lamar Jackson’s blind aspect in 2025. The staff was then quiet on Monday, however sprung into motion on Tuesday, re-signing Patrick Ricard, including DeAndre Hopkins, and releasing Marcus Williams and Arthur Maulet.
Let’s break down Baltimore’s first strikes of the brand new league yr.
Signings
LT Ronnie Stanley
New contract: $60 million over three years ($20M APY, $44M absolutely assured, $5.8M 2025 cap hit)
Acquired through: 2016 first-round choose (#6 general), signed 5-year extension in 2020
2024 cap hit + function: $17,168,250 for 1,089 snaps at LT
Evaluation: This was Baltimore’s greatest offseason precedence by far, and there was by no means any doubt that Eric DeCosta would discover a technique to get the deal carried out. Stanley’s new contract got here in simply above my projection with an identical quantity and construction of assured cash.
Will Ronnie Stanley Re-Check in Baltimore?
His $20 million APY seems even higher after Dan Moore Jr. signed with the Titans for $21 million, a transparent overpay in a scarce market. Stanley nonetheless gave the Ravens a good-looking hometown low cost, as Sports activities Illustrated’s Albert Breer indicated that the Commanders and the Patriots had been prepared to supply upwards of $24 million per yr. The Chiefs would have matched the Ravens’ supply whereas nonetheless giving Stanley a transparent shot at a Tremendous Bowl. As a substitute, he selected to remain residence in Baltimore, the place he’s revered within the locker room and a very good slot in Todd Monken’s offense. Stanley will solely rely for $9.9 million towards the 2026 cap and his $24.1 cap hit in 2027 could even turn into cheap if the cap continues to skyrocket.
FB Patrick Ricard
New contract: $2.9 million over one yr ($2.9M fully-gtd, $1.44M 2025 cap hit)
Acquired through: 2017 UDFA, signed 2-year extension in 2019, re-signed in 2022
2024 cap hit + function: $5,155,000 for 435 snaps as a flexible blocker
Evaluation: Undertaking Pat is again for extra pancakes! He mixed with Derrick Henry to kind the league’s heaviest backfield in 2024 and in addition spent loads of time as an inline blocker. He’ll proceed that function in 2025, seemingly with a ~40% snap share just like the final two years in Monken’s system. The departure of Malik Harrison freed up the 4-year Qualifying Participant profit (rationalization right here) for use on Ricard, permitting the Ravens to pay him $2.9 million in money whereas accounting for roughly half that on the 2025 cap. He’ll make lower than his final contract, however the Ravens could have appeared right into a reunion with Kyle Juszczyk if Ricard didn’t settle for the veteran profit deal. This additionally indicators that Baltimore will go ahead on a year-to-year foundation with Ricard and doubtlessly search for a youthful substitute sooner or later.
WR DeAndre Hopkins
New contract: $5 million over 1 yr (as much as $6M, different particulars unknown)
2024 stats: 56 catches on 80 targets for 610 yards and 5 touchdowns
Final staff + contract: Titans, $26 million over 2 years (commerce to Chiefs at 2024 deadline)
Evaluation: After a number of shut calls and no scarcity of fan demand, the Ravens have lastly acquired DeAndre Hopkins. He’s not a perennial Professional Bowler, however he nonetheless brings a confirmed pedigree to Baltimore’s receiver room. Hopkins has dimension, too; his 13 contested catches in 2024 had been greater than any Ravens receiver, per Professional Soccer Focus. He’ll be 33 when the season begins, so $5 million is an acceptable worth that Hopkins may definitely outplay with a stable season. Crucially, he’s coming off two fully-healthy seasons, not like a number of of the opposite obtainable veteran WRs. The one-year size doesn’t preclude the Ravens from drafting one other younger wideout, both. It’s completely potential that Hopkins doesn’t thrive in Baltimore, however there’s no denying that that is an thrilling signing of a long-coveted participant.
Cuts
S Marcus Williams
Cap financial savings: $2.1 million in 2025
Useless cash: $6.7 million in 2025, $6.7 million in 2026
Evaluation: Useless cash is rarely excellent, however that is the very best the Ravens may do after Williams’ spectacular, considerably inexplicable regression final season. His five-year, $70 million contract felt nice in 2022, however he missed 13 video games because of damage in his first two years in Baltimore. In 2024, he fell aside earlier than being benched alongside Eddie Jackson with Ar’Darius Washington and Kyle Hamilton ending the season at security. Williams will seemingly should take a ‘prove-it’ deal in 2025 within the hopes of signing one other multi-year deal earlier than he turns 30.
CB Arthur Maulet
Cap financial savings: $2.25 million in 2025
Useless cash: $250,000 in 2025
Evaluation: That is an fascinating one. Maulet impressed because the Ravens’ slot nook in 2023 and appeared implausible in coaching camp earlier than struggling the primary of a number of accidents that restricted him to 3 video games in 2024. A $2.5 million cap hit is comparatively cheap for a veteran nickel who can even play particular groups, however Maulet can be 32 when the 2025 season begins. He wasn’t within the staff’s long-term plans, and so they wanted the cap house. They’ll additionally want so as to add secondary depth this offseason. Maulet will seemingly even be in search of an opportunity to re-prove himself in 2025.
Remaining Strikes
The Ravens had simply $5.58 million in cap house earlier than re-signing Patrick Ricard and including DeAndre Hopkins, per RSR’s Brian McFarland. Right here’s the place they’re at the moment:
Lastly! The groups adjusted Cap is the league vast Cap ($279.2M) plus the carryover of any extra 2024 Cap house ($2,136,843) plus/minus 2024 inventives/different changes (-2,898,276). I had been estimating -$2.95M for the adjustment, so it was a slight bit much less. https://t.co/LjLi2Cjpbo
The staff nonetheless wants to put an RFA tender on Ar’Darius Washington. That may price one other $3.26 million for the right-of-first-refusal tender, although a multi-year extension would lead to a decrease 2025 cap hit.
The Cowboys signed pending RFA security Markquese Bell to a three-year, $9 million take care of $6.2 million fully-guaranteed and a most worth of $12 million. That may very well be a blueprint for Washington’s deal, as each safeties initially went undrafted and struggled with accidents to start out their careers. Right here’s what that might seem like for the Ravens:
Washington’s 2025 cap hit can be $1 million lower than the RFA tag, and he’d be below contract for 2 extra years. In return, he will get an additional $2 million in assured cash, together with the chance to earn one other $1 million per yr in incentives. Washington performed 64.17% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps in 2024, so Baltimore may add NLTBE incentives value $250,000 every for reaching 65%, 70%, 75%, and 80% snap shares. Baltimore may additionally use a extra aggressive construction with void years and/or an possibility bonus to cut back Washington’s 2025 cap hit much more.
It’s theoretically potential to construction the contracts of Hopkins and Washington to remain below the 2025 cap by the beginning of the brand new league yr at 4:00pm ET, however the Ravens might want to make room for different signings and their rookie class anyway. An extension for Derrick Henry was made dearer by Saquon Barkley’s new deal, however that might free as much as $6.2 million in house. Buying and selling Mark Andrews earlier than March 17 would wipe his $4 million roster bonus and $7 million wage off the ledger, however the Ravens could not wish to transfer on from their longtime TE with out acceptable compensation. As a substitute, they may ask so as to add void years to his contract to drop his 2025 cap hit as little as $9.1 million. That would depart $7.8 million of useless cash in 2026, however because it stands, the Ravens are paying Andrews that cash anyway.
After All-Professional seasons, extensions for Lamar Jackson and Marlon Humphrey could take too lengthy to barter with a tough deadline on cap-compliance. A unilateral restructure would open up sufficient house to maneuver ahead, even with one other free agent or two if the Ravens can discover the proper participant on the proper worth. DeCosta will seemingly wish to reserve some house for his annual summer season signings as effectively.
