Friday’s stunning trade agreement to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for edge rusher Maxx Crosby interrupted nearly 10 weeks of roster inactivity for the Baltimore Ravens. And it set the tone for what could be a flurry of moves in the days ahead.
Getting Crosby, the dynamic edge rusher the team has lacked since perhaps Terrell Suggs was in his prime, is a huge first move as general manager Eric DeCosta and his staff begin the challenge of solidifying a roster that sprung some holes last season and will undergo further losses.
DeCosta checked another box late Saturday when he re-signed backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to a two-year deal. Huntley’s return leaves the Ravens with 18 unrestricted free agents, one restricted free agent and four exclusive rights free agents. They were sitting on about $19 million of salary-cap space before the Crosby and Huntley deals, so they’ll require significantly more to address all of their roster needs.
There are extension candidates, none bigger than star quarterback Lamar Jackson, and also players who could have their contracts restructured or taken off the books altogether.
The legal tampering window begins on Monday, and the official start of the new league year is Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. It feels like the right time to evaluate the Ravens’ roster before the free-agent frenzy begins.
Positions are ranked in order of need.
1. Offensive line
Who’s under contract: Ronnie Stanley, Roger Rosengarten, Andrew Vorhees, Emery Jones Jr., Carson Vinson, Jared Penning, Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan
Who they could lose: Tyler Linderbaum (UFA), Daniel Faalele (UFA), Joseph Noteboom (UFA), Corey Bullock (ERFA)
All eyes continue to be on Linderbaum, one of the top players poised to hit the open market. There was a level of optimism over the last few weeks that the team would be able to get a deal done with the three-time Pro Bowler, but it hasn’t happened and there’s considerable angst that Baltimore could lose him.
If Linderbaum does walk — and the belief is that teams such as the Tennessee Titans, Raiders and Washington Commanders are poised to present him with a blank check — the Ravens will need to enter the center market. The top free-agent options are Cade Mays, Lloyd Cushenberry and Luke Fortner. The Ravens could also make the position a Day 2 or 3 draft focus.
If Linderbaum opts to re-sign, the Ravens can focus on adding at least one starting guard and perhaps a swing tackle to compete with Vinson. The buzz at the NFL Scouting Combine was that the Ravens would be in the mix for the top free-agent guards, a group that includes the Los Angeles Chargers’ Zion Johnson, Buffalo Bills’ David Edwards and New York Jets’ Alijah Vera-Tucker.
With Faalele not expected to return and the jury still out on Jones and Vorhees, the Ravens need to make acquiring interior offensive line help a priority.
2. Defensive line
Who’s under contract: Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles, David Olajiga
Who they could lose: Brent Urban (UFA), Taven Bryan (UFA), C.J. Okoye (ERFA)
So much here depends on Madubuike. It’s been nearly six months since the two-time Pro Bowler went down with a season-ending neck injury, yet both he and the Ravens have remained mum about his future.
If the Ravens aren’t confident that Madubuike will play in 2026 or ever again, they’ll have a heavy lift here and need to add at least two starting-caliber interior linemen. If things are looking promising for a Madubuike return, the Ravens probably could get away with adding one potential starter and then a depth piece in the form of a Day 3 draft pick or a cheap veteran free agent.
The other factor here is what they do with Washington, who hasn’t made much of an impact since getting a contract extension and missed almost all of last season with an Achilles injury. Cutting him would create just over $4 million of cap space, but also further shrink the team’s depth.
With Jones, Jenkins and Okoye, the Ravens are set at nose tackle. It’s the other spots that are question marks.
3. Cornerback
Who’s under contract: Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, T.J. Tampa, Keyon Martin, Bilhal Kone, Robert Longerbeam, Marquise Robinson, Amani Oruwariye
Who they could lose: Chidobe Awuzie (UFA)
The Ravens’ decision-making here should start with Humphrey, who is coming off one of his worst NFL seasons and has the fourth-highest cap number on the team at $26.2 million. DeCosta said he expects the four-time Pro Bowler to return, and he downplayed the idea that a contract adjustment was required. But Humphrey is one of the few obvious places the Ravens can go to create a chunk of cap space.
Otherwise, the Ravens need another potential starter on the outside or to simply re-sign Awuzie. Tampa progressed last year and could be in line for a bigger role, and the Ravens really like Kone, but will he be healthy?
4. Tight end/fullback
Who’s under contract: Mark Andrews, Lucas Scott (fullback)
Who they could lose: Isaiah Likely (UFA), Charlie Kolar (UFA), Patrick Ricard (UFA)
Likely should do well on the open market, as his days in Baltimore were probably numbered when the Ravens couldn’t get a long-term deal done with him and turned to extending Andrews instead. There is interest in bringing Kolar back, but he’s probably going to be highly valued around the league, and spending between $8 million to $10 million per year on a No. 2/3 tight end might not be in the cards for the cash-strapped Ravens.
The door seems open for a Ricard return. Like last year, it will have to be at the Ravens’ price. They kept Scott around on the practice squad in 2025, and as good as Ricard is, they could opt to save some money at the fullback spot if new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle doesn’t plan to utilize one extensively.
The Ravens will be in the tight end market. They’ll draft one, if not two.
Patrick Ricard, a six-time Pro Bowler, has spent his entire nine-year career in Baltimore. (Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
5. Wide receiver
Who’s under contract: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, LaJohntay Wester, Cornelius Johnson
Who they could lose: DeAndre Hopkins (UFA), Tylan Wallace (UFA), Dayton Wade (ERFA)
Bateman is the subject of trade speculation for a third straight offseason, but the Ravens are not in a position to just give him away — and his value can’t be especially high after an injury-marred 2025. Even if Bateman returns, and you’d think the team’s decision-makers would want to see how the talented wideout reacts to a new coaching staff, Baltimore would still need to add a few receivers.
The Ravens love their annual offseason veteran receiver addition — who will it be this year? — and with 10 potential draft picks, there’s no reason not to select one or two. That shouldn’t impact the desire to give Walker a bigger role, either.
6. Safety
Who’s under contract: Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Keondre Jackson
Who they could lose: Alohi Gilman (UFA), Ar’Darius Washington (UFA)
New head coach Jesse Minter uses a lot of three-safety looks, which is why the identity of a No. 3 safety has probably gotten more attention than necessary during discussions of the Ravens’ biggest needs. Re-signing Gilman or Ar’Darius Washington — the latter would probably come cheaper — would suffice.
If the Ravens can’t re-sign either of them, there should be a number of modestly priced options to choose from on the free-agent market. How about a reunion with Tony Jefferson? The combination of a solid veteran and a Day 3 draft pick would solidify the position.
7. Edge rusher/outside linebacker
Who’s under contract: Maxx Crosby (pending physical), Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac, Kaimon Rucker
Who they could lose: Kyle Van Noy (UFA), Dre’Mont Jones (UFA), David Ojabo (UFA), Carl Jones Jr. (ERFA)
This was No. 2 on the list of needs before the acquisition of Crosby. His addition doesn’t completely take the Ravens out of the pass-rush market, but it surely drops it down the list of priorities.
Green showed enough as a rookie to be excited about his future. Tavius Robinson has turned himself into a valuable rotational guy on the edge. However, the Ravens will want to have at least four, and Isaac, the 2024 third-round pick who has appeared in just four games in two injury-plagued seasons, just hasn’t played enough to guarantee himself a role.
Due to the importance of the position, it makes sense to draft an edge rusher every year. That will probably be a Day 3 goal for Baltimore. It could also sign a vet on the cheap.
8. Inside linebacker
Who’s under contract: Roquan Smith, Teddye Buchanan, Trenton Simpson, Jay Higgins IV
Who they could lose: Jake Hummel (UFA)
It’s not that the Ravens couldn’t use some stability in the weak-side linebacker spot next to Smith. It’s just that they have so many bigger needs.
Buchanan was in the midst of a solid rookie season before he sustained a significant knee injury. Simpson also made some progress last year. This is said to be a deep inside linebacker draft class, so perhaps the best course of action for Baltimore is to address the position in April.
9. Running back
Who’s under contract: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali
Who they could lose: Keaton Mitchell (RFA)
There’s some intrigue here. One, the Ravens will have to decide whether they want to keep Hill, an organizational favorite who is coming off a season-ending neck injury and whose release would generate just over $3 million in cap savings.
Two, the Ravens need to determine whether they will place a $5.8 million second-round tender on Mitchell or a $3.5 million original-round tender. The former would all but guarantee he’ll be back, but that’s a heavy price tag for a reserve running back. The latter is a bit more forgiving, though it leaves the Ravens open to losing the speedster and getting no compensation in return.
Any way you look at it, there will be a lot of money tied up in the running back room if both Hill and Mitchell return behind Henry. Adding a young developmental back figures to be a Day 3 draft pursuit.
10. Specialists
Who’s under contract: Tyler Loop (kicker), Nick Moore (long snapper)
Who they could lose: Jordan Stout (punter, UFA)
The Ravens insist that they are committed to Loop, whose rookie season ended with a 44-yard miss in Pittsburgh that kept Baltimore out of the playoffs. However, it would make sense for the Ravens to bring in some competition, whether that’s a rookie or a veteran free agent.
Baltimore also needs to decide whether it will pony up the cash to keep Stout, whose breakout season came in his contract year. The league’s top punters make in the $4 million range per year, and Stout made a case to join that group in leading the league in net punting average.
The Ravens have enough needs where they probably don’t want to add a punter, but their limited salary-cap flexibility will force tough decisions.
11. Quarterback
Who’s under contract: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Cooper Rush
Huntley’s return makes Rush’s departure a formality. It doesn’t seem to be a matter of if, but when. It will create less than $500,000 of cap space, so it will be more of a football decision than a financial one.
Meanwhile, either extending Jackson or restructuring his deal feels like a must if the Ravens are going to make meaningful additions over the next couple of weeks.
