General manager Eric DeCosta, Ozzie Newsome’s successor, has grown increasingly aggressive in handing out contracts, and he’s now built a Super Bowl hopeful for 2023 and beyond.
Baltimore currently has about $19,485,086 in salary cap space per Over The Cap, and they’re spending about $120+ million plus on the offensive side of the football.
The Ravens also have 27 players scheduled to hit free agency, and some tough decisions will be made regarding who returns to Baltimore.
PFF recently did an early ranking of the top 50 free agents for 2024, and John Harbaugh’s squad had four players make the list.
The overall positional spending will change in the coming years after Lamar Jackson signed a massive five-year, $260 million contract extension, making him among the three highest-paid players on average in NFL history.
With the NFL offseason fast approaching, we’re looking at five players the Ravens have to re-sign.
DT Justin Madubuike
Madubuike had a streak this season where he logged at least a half a sack in 11 of 13 games this season, while doubling his previous sack totals.
He’ll commander $25 million+ on the open market, but Baltimore has to have him back in the middle.
DE Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney is having a career year with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
Clowney ranks fifth in pass rush win rate among edge rushers, while logging a career high 9 sacks, along with 50 QB hurries, 10 QB hits and 69 QB pressures.
He is on pace for his highest pressure rate, highest pass-rush win rate and most total pressures in a season, and fits the Ravens culture perfectly.
LB Patrick Queen
His 35 quarterback pressures and eight sacks over the last two seasons are both second among off-ball linebackers in the NFL.
The running mate for Roquan Smith, Queen made his first Pro Bowl this season after logging a career-high 125 tackles (78 solo) and matched a career high with six passes defensed, while adding 3.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for the best defense in the league. Queen is the only NFL defender to produce at least 400 tackles (445), 10 sacks (13.5), and 10 takeaways (four interceptions and six fumble recoveries) since he entered the league in 2020.
With Baltimore needing to re-sign Justin Madubuike, Queen will likely get to test the market and potentially land a $100 million deal.
OL Kevin Zeitler
Zeitler is on pace for more than 1,000 snaps played in every year with the team.
The Pro Bwol snub is still going strong at 33 years old, earning a pass-blocking grade above 80.0 for the second consecutive season in 2023.
Since Week 4, Zeitler has 428 passing blocking snaps, allowing 12 pressures, 0 hits and 0 sacks.
RB Gus Edwards
Edwards 762 yards are second to Lamar Jackson (821) on the Ravens, but he’s a physical ball-carrier who’s logged a team leading 13 touchdowns, and 56 first downs.
DB Geno Stone
Stone is second in the NFL with seven interceptions despite not being a full-time starter, and he’s proven to be effective at safety, thanks to Kyle Hamilton’s versatility. Stone will have suitors on the open market, but Marcus Williams is injury prone, and you can never have enough good safety play.
RB J.K. Dobbins
Through 23 games of his career, Dobbins has been among the NFL’s most efficient runners, complete with the highest explosive run rate (15.2%) among all RBs in 2022.
Dobbins missed the 2023 season with a torn Achilles, but he makes the list because he’ll be healthier than Keaton Mitchell when training camp rolls around, and Justice Hill is the only other running back currently under contract.
Ar'Darius Washington
A talented slot cornerback, Washington got off to a strong start this season before his injury, making 11 tackles, one sack, and two passes defensed in the first two games.
As an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA) — A player with less than three credited seasons when his contract expires, Baltimore simply has to tender an offer to the defensive back to maintain his right. .
