The Baltimore Ravens have been filling a bunch of their needs thanks to an aggressive approach in the first week of free agency. They’ve pulled off some trades, signed one of the top free agents and re-signed a bunch of their own players. With fewer immediate needs to fill, the Ravens can turn their attention to the future and start finding players that will turn into starters in another few years.
The best teams in the league not only look at their immediate needs but keep an eye a few years in the future as well. They look at what positions could be ripe for salary cap casualties and where the next few drafts might line up with talent. Upcoming pending free agents and potential trade scenarios all go through the mind of a good general manager so they can keep their roster stacked with talent for the long term.
That’s exactly what Baltimore has done well over its franchise history. Guys like outside linebacker Matthew Judon, guard Marshal Yanda, center Ryan Jensen, tackle Rick Wagner and linebacker Adalius Thomas were all drafted with the expectations they’d sit and develop for a while before getting thrust into the starting lineup. Most got a chance to learn while on the bench and others impressed so much initially that they secured starting jobs and never looked back.
While the Ravens still have a bunch of immediate needs to fill this offseason, look for general manager Eric DeCosta and Baltimore to find some talent they’ll want to stash as well. These are the six positions where the Ravens will want to look for long-term replacement options now in order to save themselves trouble later.
Running back:
Ingram will turn 31 years old during the 2020 season and he hasn’t been known for his health to begin with, missing 23 games over his career. With an easy out on his contract next offseason that will save Baltimore $5 million on their 2021 salary cap, looking for an eventual replacement for him is a wise investment.
While the Ravens have Gus Edwards on an ERFA deal this year, there are no guarantees that he’ll have the same level of production to warrant coming back next year on an RFA contract. Baltimore also has an exciting player in Justice Hill but that’s simply not enough insurance by itself.
With such a run-heavy offense, keeping a steady flow of talent at running back will allow the Ravens to keep chugging forward for even more years.
Safety:
This is another position that looks full right now but could just as easily be a major hole in 2021. The Ravens ask a lot of their safeties. They use free safety to help protect the center of the secondary while strong safeties end up getting used more as cover linebackers and offer up support in the run game too. While they have Chuck Clark signed to a three-year extension and Earl Thomas signed through 2022, there isn’t much depth behind them.
Currently, only DeShon Elliott is under contract with Baltimore. Considering he went on injured reserve his rookie season and missed 10 games last year with a knee injury, counting on him as a long-term replacement seems iffy right now. Anthony Levine would make sense to bring back on an affordable deal but he’ll be 33 years old in a few days which makes him a short-term option at best.
Even if the Ravens add some depth, they need to address the future. Thomas will turn 31 years old in just a few months and has already played 10 years in the NFL. As we’ve seen far too often in football, guys can suddenly drop off physically and be a shadow of their former selves, meaning a clock is constantly ticking here for the Ravens. Adding to those concerns is the cap savings by cutting him as early as next offseason. If Baltimore were to move on from Thomas next offseason, they’d save $6 million on the salary cap. That means finding an heir for Thomas makes plenty of sense right now.
Cornerback:
The Ravens love having a bunch of capable cornerbacks on the roster. Even with two Pro Bowl starters in Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters as well as Tavon Young on the inside, Baltimore has learned to not rest on their laurels when it comes to their secondary.
After declining the 2020 option for Brandon Carr and Jimmy Smith still a free agent, the Ravens don’t have any experienced depth and no obvious players close to stepping into a starting role. Iman Marshall and Anthony Averett could turn into those players for Baltimore but neither have shown much in that regard so far.
Marshall spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve and only got four defensive snaps in the three games he played in. Averett was given a chance to start last season but didn’t play well, allowing a 92.0 pass rating when targeted, which helped lead to the team trading for Peters.
Even the starters the Ravens do have are not guaranteed to stick around long.
Humphrey will have his fifth-year option picked up, which will keep him in town through the 2021 season. But given the rate for star cornerbacks skyrocketing this offseason and likely to go up even more next offseason, there’s no lock Humphrey will sign a long-term extension. While Baltimore gave Peters a three-year extension late last season, the Ravens can save $9.47 million by cutting him next offseason, according to Over The Cap.
Baltimore needs more capable depth at cornerback to begin with and getting some guys that could potentially start as early as next season surely shouldn’t be ruled out.
Defensive line:
For all the help the Ravens added to their defensive line this offseason, none of their signings and trades were long-term options. Calais Campbell added one more year to his contract, which means he’s signed through the 2021 season. Michael Brockers was signed to a three-year deal that has an obvious out after the 2021 season, saving Baltimore $9 million on the 2022 salary cap. Both Justin Ellis and Jihad Ward were given one-year deals, so they aren’t guaranteed to be back even next season.
Brandon Williams is currently signed through the 2021 season but would save the Ravens $9.5 million if he was cut next offseason. Daylon Mack played in just one game last season and missed a bunch of his rookie campaign as a healthy scratch before going to injured reserve. Patrick Ricard is on the roster but played far more on special teams and offense than defense through his three-year career.
It’s clear Baltimore wants a stout defensive line and they’ve got it . . . for now. Finding some guys that can step into starting roles in two years would help them transition a lot easier and smoother.
Outside linebacker:
This is both an immediate need and a long-term one for the Ravens. But even in the best-case scenario where Baltimore is able to sign Matthew Judon to a contract extension and grab an immediate starting outside linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft, they still need to think about the future and more depth.
As the Ravens have found out recently, you can’t count on any player stepping up and making a serious impact. Tim Williams flamed out in Baltimore last year, getting outright released in the middle of the season. Kamalei Correa and Bronson Kaufusi struggled to make an impact when given plenty of opportunities and ended up being traded and cut respectively. Even Tyus Bowser, who started to find more consistency and better overall play late last season, is no lock to continue that ascension this season or return in 2021.
Grabbing a bunch of players is the closest way to ensure a deep and productive unit at outside linebacker. And with good pass rushers costing a fortune, constantly adding to the stockpile with young and cheap talent is a wise decision for all 32 NFL teams regardless of what their depth chart looks like. Much like cornerback, you can never have too many guys that can get to the quarterback in this generation of football.
Tight end:
With the trade of Hayden Hurst, this is also one of the team’s lesser immediate needs as well. But if they kept an eye towards the future and picked up a developmental prospect who could potentially replace either Nick Boyle or Mark Andrews in the next few years, that wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Both Boyle and Andrews are currently under contract through the 2021 season, giving the Ravens two more years. However, cutting Boyle next offseason would give Baltimore back $5.5 million on the salary cap. Even if neither player gets cut or traded before their contracts expire, they aren’t likely to be very affordable to re-sign.
That’s especially the case for Andrews, who has now entered the upper echelon of the position in the NFL. He was the Ravens’ top receiving threat last season in both targets, receptions, yards and touchdown catches. When they do eventually need to re-sign him, Andrews will likely look to be made the highest-paid tight end in NFL history, and with good reason.
By grabbing another tight end to train behind Boyle and Andrews, they could end up answering one of their biggest concerns in another two years with a guy they already have on the roster. If not, the Ravens might be backed up against the wall and have to pay out the nose.
