[Baltimore Sun] Ravens roundtable: Offseason grades, roster questions, AFC North pecking order and more
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It’s been an eventful start to the Ravens’ offseason.
After losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in late January, the team that finished with the NFL’s best regular-season record was picked apart. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson were hired elsewhere, right tackle Morgan Moses was traded, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was released and linebacker Patrick Queen, running back Gus Edwards, safety Geno Stone and guard John Simpson were among a host of key contributors who departed in free agency.
But the Ravens also solidified their roster, re-signing breakout star Justin Madbuike to a four-year, $98 million extension to anchor the defensive line and adding running back Derrick Henry on a two-year, $16 million deal to give reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson an imposing partner in the backfield.
As we look ahead to next month’s NFL draft and the latter stages of free agency, Baltimore Sun reporters Brian Wacker and Childs Walker and columnist Mike Preston answer five questions facing the Ravens.
After saying goodbye to several key players and coaches, signing Henry and extending Madubuike, what’s your grade for the Ravens’ offseason so far?
Wacker: In some ways it’s incomplete, because they still have significant questions about their offensive line. But for the sake of providing a grade, I give it a B-plus.
Re-signing Madubuike and adding Henry are home runs. Madubuike is a rare talent — defensive tackles who can get after the quarterback, stuff the run and wreak havoc up the middle are hard to find and worth keeping long term when you do. Henry, meanwhile, is a difference-maker. Yes, one can argue that the Ravens led the NFL in rushing with a backfield of Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and briefly Keaton Mitchell, but how’d that work out in the playoffs? Henry is a star and his presence should take some of the pressure off Jackson, who was reluctant to run at times against the Chiefs in the AFC championship game.
Henry won’t necessarily help Jackson’s accuracy, but his playmaking and ability to churn out yards and wear defenses down will have a significant impact. After all, one of the best ways to beat the Chiefs is to keep the ball out of their hands.
Walker: B. It would be easy to look at the net loss of quality players and sound the alarm, but we knew the Ravens’ roster was going to take a significant hit in the first few days of free agency. They did not have enough cap space to bring back every man worth keeping. The question was how general manager Eric DeCosta would operate in this tight window to keep the team on track for another deep playoff run. On that count, he did well, prioritizing and securing an extension for the team’s most precious free agent, Madubuike, and signing Henry, one of the top players available at a position that no longer commands premium salaries.
The Ravens have always excelled at identifying which homegrown players they should build around, and Madubuike is another in that line. Henry might not transform a running attack that was already the most efficient in the league, but he will give offensive coordinator Todd Monken even greater firepower to keep defenses off balance. DeCosta still has much work to do, but the moves he has made have fit the greater mission.
Preston: The grade so far is incomplete and we won’t have a better handle on the offseason until weeks into training camp. Henry and Madubuike were good signings, but there will be more deals once the free agent market cools down. The second wave will begin once teams pour over their salary cap situations and cut some veterans, who will be available at bargain prices. Plus, the Ravens lost three defensive coaches this offseason, and all three had good relationships with their players. We’ll have to see if the replacements can develop the same rapport. That’s all part of determining the offseason grade.
The Ravens only have two returning starters on the offensive line. What’s the best way to rebuild that group for next season?
Wacker: Ideally, they’ll be able to draft a tackle they can plug in as a starter on the right side of the line this season, then perhaps shift to the left side if Ronnie Stanley isn’t back in 2025. To fill their two guard spots, they can again turn to the draft as well as their own roster, with Ben Cleveland and perhaps Andrew Vorhees their best in-house options.
As for free agency, they couldn’t afford a top-tier lineman like tackle Jonah Williams, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals for $30 million over two years, so at this point it’s best to wait and see what capable veterans are available as free agency enters its second week.
Walker: The draft, the draft, the draft. That’s not to say the Ravens won’t add a veteran to compete for one of the three open starting jobs; they likely will sign at least one. They’ll also give real shots to incumbent reserves Cleveland, Daniel Faalele, Vorhees and perhaps Patrick Mekari (though they love to keep him in the super-utility role). But it’s no coincidence that DeCosta embraced a rebuild of one the team’s most important units in a year with one of the deepest offensive line classes in recent memory. He won’t abandon his “best player available mantra,” but he hasn’t exactly hidden the fact he’ll be looking for a rookie starter or two at the end of next month.
“We have a good plan,” DeCosta said at Henry’s introductory news conference last week. “We’re fortunate that this draft class is pretty good from that standpoint. I don’t want to call it historically strong, but it looks like a very strong crop of offensive linemen.” That’s a pretty clear statement of intent at a time of year when DeCosta usually practices obfuscation.
Preston: The Ravens have been recognized as one of the best drafting teams in the league, and we’re going to find out, especially in terms of offensive linemen. Mekari is a versatile performer who can play anywhere on the line, but I’m not sure his lower body will hold up for 17 games as a starter.
In recent years, the Ravens have selected Faalele, Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Vorhees in the draft. Besides Vorhees, all three are big run blockers, but the Ravens have struggled in recent seasons with pass protection. Both Faalele and Cleveland struggle with bending their knees, backing up and pass blocking, and we’ve seen that for years in training camp. Vorhees might be the most interesting because he played well during his last season at USC before suffering a torn ACL during the 2023 scouting combine.
The Ravens will get some offensive linemen via the draft, but they usually don’t start right away unless taken in the first two rounds.
After losing Odell Beckham Jr., how aggressive should the Ravens be in adding another wide receiver this offseason?
Wacker: They need to draft a starting-caliber wide receiver. The good news is it’s a deep class, so getting someone who can contribute from the beginning shouldn’t be a problem on Day 2. They should also comb the veteran free agent market, like they did last season when they signed Nelson Agholor to a one-year deal last March. That experience worked out so well for both sides that he re-signed for another year. But with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Agholor as its top three receivers, Baltimore would ideally like to bolster that group.
Walker: They need one more. That’s another rich position in this year’s draft, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Ravens pick another wide receiver in the first few rounds, especially with Bateman potentially approaching the last year of his rookie deal. A splash on par with Beckham would be more surprising, but there are big names potentially available on the trade market, and they have made a few aggressive moves to give themselves more spending power, so it’s not out of the question.
Preston: The Ravens need to find a quality speed threat on the outside who can make the difficult catch in traffic or win a jump ball. They have all the other vital ingredients in the passing game, but they need a receiver on the outside, especially with Jackson’s difficulty throwing the deep ball.
Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd could be a fit for the Ravens as a free agent. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Which of the league’s remaining free agents is the best fit for the Ravens?
Wacker: Bringing back outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney should be a priority, but at a projected $9 million, per Pro Football Focus, and with several teams interested, he would probably have to be willing to take a lesser, incentive-laden deal to return to a place where he was genuinely happy. Bringing Kyle Van Noy back would be a cheaper, nearly as effective option, though Clowney is much better against the run.
The other area of free agent interest should be wide receiver, and Tyler Boyd would be a terrific addition as a slot receiver with good size (6-2, 185 pounds), excellent hands and a willing and capable blocker in the run game. Plus, it would weaken the division rival Cincinnati Bengals. But at a projected $8.25 million a year, per PFF, he is perhaps too expensive.
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Walker: It’s a boring answer, but Clowney. The top offensive linemen don’t feel like great answers, aside from Kevin Zeitler, who wanted to come back to Baltimore and could still help the Ravens on a short deal. But we know DeCosta prefers to fill out his edge rusher group with veterans on short deals, and Clowney in 2023 was his greatest coup, delivering Pro Bowl-level production and durability at a steep discount. Though Clowney loved his time in Baltimore, he has other suitors who might pay more than the Ravens can afford. He’s almost certainly looking for a significant, well-earned raise. But if he and DeCosta can get to an agreeable number, a reunion would be great for both team and player. Clowney has plenty of juice left, and he’s not going to win a Super Bowl ring with the Carolina Panthers.
Preston: The Ravens might need to gamble on edge rusher Chase Young or a cornerback like Stephon Gilmore or Steven Nelson.
There’s been a lot of player movement in the AFC North, most notably quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to the Steelers. Which team is the biggest threat to the Ravens?
Wacker: The Bengals are still the best team in the division the Ravens will face all year. The return of quarterback Joe Burrow alone from a season-ending wrist injury suffered against Baltimore immediately makes them a contender for the AFC title. They also franchise tagged receiver Tee Higgins and signed former Ravens safety Geno Stone, who should slot in nicely alongside Von Bell and Dax Hill in a three-safety look, with Hill serving as the Bengals’ version of Kyle Hamilton. Cincinnati added defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who fills a big hole with DJ Reader moving on to the Detroit Lions. The addition of running back Zack Moss also gives the Bengals a solid back who rushed for just shy of 800 yards, including 120 against the Ravens, and averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
Walker: It’s still the Bengals with a healthy Burrow at quarterback. The Browns have a stronger overall roster, but they have yet to find any consistent mojo with Deshaun Watson leading their offense. If they falter early, with 2023 savior Joe Flacco no longer around, Cleveland fans could turn on Watson with a fury. The Steelers picked up Wilson for almost nothing, but when was the last time he looked capable of leading a team on a deep run?
That leaves the Bengals, who have a lot of improving to do on defense but were the class of the division in 2021 and 2022 with Burrow throwing to his many weapons. It’s reductive to say everything comes down to the quarterbacks, but that’s the lesson the NFL teaches us year after year.
Preston: Every team in the AFC North is a threat. If quarterback Joe Burrow returns healthy, the Bengals will be good again. Pittsburgh has added Wilson and Fields, as well as former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, so they have talent. Cleveland is Cleveland, but the Browns will be in the playoff picture again. The AFC North is still the best division in football, even though it struggled early in the 2023 season.
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