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Ravens punter Jordan Stout was an All-Pro for the first time in 2025. He’ll also be playing elsewhere, but for a familiar coach next season. Stout, who will turn 28 in August, is reuniting with former Baltimore coach John Harbaugh and signing with the New York Giants, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The deal is for a reported three years and $12.3 million, making him the highest-paid punter in the NFL. He’ll also rejoin tight end Isaiah Likely, who is also signing with the Giants in free agency. Stout’s move comes after he led the NFL in net (44.9 yards) and gross average (50.5). He also had a 74-yard bomb against the New York Jets last season and landed seven punts inside the 10-yard line and four inside the 5-yard line. His departure also leaves a hole in Baltimore’s field goal operation, with Stout having been the holder for Justin Tucker and then Tyler Loop since the Ravens drafted him in the fourth round out of Penn State in 2022. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Ravens’ offensive line gets help as John Simpson agrees to 3-year, $30 million deal TE Isaiah Likely reportedly leaves Ravens to sign 3-year deal with Giants Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan has a new bed and is ‘feeling great’ in ACL rehab Ravens made a big splash trading for Maxx Crosby. What comes next? Sizing up Ravens’ organizational shift to land star edge rusher Maxx Crosby View the full article

The Ravens’ porous offensive line is getting some help in the form of a familiar face. John Simpson, who spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets, is returning to Baltimore. The guard has agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Simpson, who will turn 29 in August, joined the Ravens’ practice squad late in 2022 and signed with them for the 2023 season before leaving in free agency a year later. His addition should help bolster the interior of the line with center Tyler Linderbaum expected to leave in free agency and after guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees struggled last season. A fourth-round pick out of Clemson in 2020, Simpson spent his first two-plus seasons with the Raiders. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles TE Isaiah Likely reportedly leaves Ravens to sign 3-year deal with Giants Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan has a new bed and is ‘feeling great’ in ACL rehab Ravens made a big splash trading for Maxx Crosby. What comes next? Sizing up Ravens’ organizational shift to land star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens Hall of Famer Ed Reed responds to White House social media post View the full article

It was a matter of when. The ‘if’ felt like a long shot. Isaiah Likely is leaving the Ravens in free agency and has agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal with the New York Giants, reuniting with former coach John Harbaugh, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta explained at the NFL scouting combine that the front office had extension talks with both veteran Mark Andrews and Likely as his potential successor. Ultimately, the team rewarded Andrews with a three-year, $39.3 million extension and allowed Likely to test free agency. By all accounts, Likely had handled the inevitable as maturely as possible. He gave, by his own admission, a “vanilla” answer when the season ended about how he’d approach free agency. In late February, Likely sat for a podcast interview with Jon Gruden in which he made it clear Baltimore is “home for me” but that his priority was to be somewhere he could “blossom.” Likely reiterated a similar sentiment for Kay Adams, arguing he’s “shown enough ability to be able to help any quarterback in any situation,” while maintaining a loving respect for his time in Baltimore. Likely was drafted in 2022 and has since been mentored by veteran Mark Andrews. Likely told Adams that Andrews taught him “to be a star caliber tight end.” In 2024, Likely set career highs in touchdowns (six), receptions (42) and yards (477), proving to be a reliable target for Lamar Jackson. Then this past season, he missed four weeks with a broken foot and endured a few nightmarish weeks that included fumbling at the goal line and a reversed touchdown versus Pittsburgh. His final play as a Raven was a fourth-down conversion, a ridiculous grab downfield that set up Tyler Loop’s missed field goal in Week 18. Now in New York, Likely should have the opportunity to blossom. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. Related Articles Ravens’ offensive line gets help as John Simpson agrees to 3-year, $30 million deal Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan has a new bed and is ‘feeling great’ in ACL rehab Ravens made a big splash trading for Maxx Crosby. What comes next? Sizing up Ravens’ organizational shift to land star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens Hall of Famer Ed Reed responds to White House social media post View the full article

Teddye Buchanan’s new bed is high tech. It’s temperature-controlled. One side can automatically heat up while the other cools down, sometimes automatically in the middle of the night. The bed, from Eight Sleep, tracks the Ravens linebacker’s sleep and sends him a text every morning with a flood of information. Buchanan, who’s currently rehabbing a torn ACL, invested a pretty penny in a bed that personalizes his rest and recovery. He heard about it from Ravens center and impending free agent Tyler Linderbaum, whose “convincing words were, ‘When I sleep somewhere, I notice a big difference.'” Buchanan divulged some details about his recovery and reflected on his rookie season during an interview with “Aggie Pride: A UC Davis Football Podcast” hosted by two former players from his alma mater. The short of it: Buchanan is “feeling great,” he said. In mid-December, during a Week 15 shutout win in Cincinnati, Buchanan, then the team’s second-leading tackler, injured his knee on punt coverage and was carted off the field. He was dismayed in the visiting locker room at Paycor Stadium. A significant brace engulfed his right leg. He later limped out with assistance from a cane. Nearly three months later, Buchanan said on the recent podcast interview that he “couldn’t have asked for a more smooth start” to rehab. Surgery humbled him. Buchanan couldn’t walk, and his family flew out to assist with banal movements. By season’s end, he was able to move slowly throughout the locker room without much support beyond a heavy wrap. He’s walking again and “living a normal life,” he said. That means he’s still on schedule to be ready for the start of training camp this summer. The new bed is a fancy home recovery tool. But Buchanan shouted out the team’s Ammortal Chamber as being key to his rehab. “I don’t even know what it does,” he joked, trying to explain the nearly $160,000 red-light therapy bed. Buchanan said he spends about 30 minutes lying in what the website describes as “the future of human optimization” and “a revolutionary wellness product that seamlessly integrates over 10 proven, non-invasive technologies.” It plays relaxing music and can guide the user through some kind of meditation. Baltimore’s Ammortal Chamber was a noteworthy investment by owner Steve Bisciotti to level up the team’s revamped training room. During a tour of said facility last summer, Ravens officials noted they’re one of the only teams in the NFL with an Ammortal Chamber. Physically, it’s been a helpful piece of his post-injury recovery. Mentally, it has allowed Buchanan to better manage the emotions of a trying rookie year. The fourth-round pick replaced Trenton Simpson at starting weakside linebacker early in the year. At times, he struggled to acclimate to the NFL. By December, he evolved into one of the team’s more significant surprises, entering that Bengals win with 83 tackles, five for a loss, two quarterback hits and a half sack this season. He also intercepted Aaron Rodgers — a call that was, in the eyes of the NFL, regrettably overturned. Related Articles Ravens made a big splash trading for Maxx Crosby. What comes next? Sizing up Ravens’ organizational shift to land star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens Hall of Famer Ed Reed responds to White House social media post NFL’s free-agent spending frenzy begins first with a legal tampering period Ravens 2026 free agency tracker: QB Tyler Huntley returning on $10M deal “I was trying to be what I thought an NFL player was,” Buchanan said about his settling into a starting role. “But I realized eventually, ‘Teddye, you just gotta be you.’ I realized I am good enough and I deserve to be here.” Also on the podcast appearance, Buchanan told a story about being at dinner with fellow linebacker Roquan Smith and trying to play it cool when Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed walked up to say hello. He’s had a few interactions with Ray Lewis, too. “He’s exactly how I thought he would be,” Buchanan said. “Very intense. But just a plethora of valuable insight and knowledge and motivation. Everything and more that I would’ve thought.” There were also questions from listeners. Buchanan’s favorite spot to eat in Baltimore? Marta, an Italian restaurant on E. Pratt St. The best waffle-knit crewneck (great question)? Buchanan was wearing an XXXL sweater from Uniqlo. And presumed No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL draft, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a former teammate of Buchanan’s at Cal, asked how the Ravens rookie got so good at pingpong. “When you play against a Heisman winner every day, it’s pretty good training,” Buchanan laughed. Those two battled at Cal. Then Buchanan brought his talents to Owings Mills, where before the team cleared out games in the locker room because of a slow start, he was often seen duking it out with fellow defensive rookies Mike Green and Aeneas Peebles. Enough time in the Ammortal Chamber plus some restful nights on the Eight Sleep and Buchanan figures to reclaim his role as a starter on the field and a pingpong top dog in the locker room. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article

On Saturday night, Maxx Crosby hosted a Drake-themed party with a live performance from hip-hop and country artist, Shaboozey. He lit a cigar to celebrate six years of sobriety, a day after news broke of the blockbuster trade that will bring him from Las Vegas to Baltimore. Plenty of reason to celebrate. But in the days that followed the most significant trade in Ravens history, as smoke faded and music mellowed, it’s clear Baltimore decision-makers have more work to do. Acquiring Crosby by giving up a first-round pick in this year’s and next year’s draft changes some of the calculus. Here’s a look at what comes next: Address Lamar Jackson’s contract Before general manager Eric DeCosta can spend any more significant money, he’ll need to restructure Lamar Jackson’s contract, extend him, or at least add void years to kick the can down the road and free up cap space, rather than tap out from a chokehold of the quarterback’s $74.5 million salary-cap hit. The Crosby deal, according to Over The Cap, puts Baltimore roughly $12 million over the projected $301 million salary cap in 2026. The Ravens need to get under that number by Wednesday, and the easiest way to do it is by striking a deal with the two-time Most Valuable Player. It’s possible the team already has at least a framework in place, which made it possible for DeCosta to pull the trigger on Crosby. Jackson doesn’t have a traditional agent, so that news might take longer to reach the public eye. If they’re still deliberating, the Ravens will have to figure something out soon in order to, as DeCosta said he plans, be active participants in the free agent market. That frenzy begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday but really starts with the legal tampering period at noon on Monday. Keep Tyler Linderbaum or pivot and find his replacement The sharks are circling Baltimore’s All-Pro center. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday evening that it’s a sure thing Linderbaum becomes the league’s highest-paid center, meaning he’ll pass Creed Humphrey’s $18 million salary and more likely eclipse $20 million. DeCosta said at the NFL scouting combine that they offered Linderbaum a “market-setting” offer, but, according to Rapoport, the Raiders and Commanders could leave the Ravens with a gaping hole in the middle of the offensive line. If Linderbaum seeks compensation elsewhere, the Ravens will need to find a replacement in free agency or the draft. Perhaps they deal away a few more draft picks to bring in an immediate fix. Bottom line: The Ravens would love to keep Linderbaum — the player and organization have both said as much — but they need a contingency plan because he seems destined to at least explore his value on the open market. Related Articles Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan has a new bed and is ‘feeling great’ in ACL rehab Sizing up Ravens’ organizational shift to land star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens Hall of Famer Ed Reed responds to White House social media post NFL’s free-agent spending frenzy begins first with a legal tampering period Ravens 2026 free agency tracker: QB Tyler Huntley returning on $10M deal Positions of need in free agency or the draft It’s not just center. Baltimore had one of the worst guard duos in the NFL last season between Andrew Vorhees and impending free agent Daniel Faalele. Because of the Crosby deal, the Ravens lost their shot at drafting an immediate starter on the offensive line in the first round. There’s a chance they hit on a second-rounder, which is no guarantee. They could also chase Pittsburgh guard Isaac Seumalo, 35-year-old former Raven Kevin Zeitler or Cleveland’s Joel Bitonio in free agency, to name a few. Bitonio has the highest projected market value ($12.9 million) of the three, according to Spotrac. The Ravens can’t afford to push their chips in on a deal like Crosby that reenergizes their Super Bowl odds, then ignore their other issues from 2025. Beyond that, expect the Ravens to show interest in a difference-making wide receiver. They also need to beef up the secondary — a position DeCosta likes to compare to sports cars for how often they break down. Baltimore’s depth chart thins out past the nascent Nate Wiggins and aging Marlon Humphrey. The Ravens have 18 free agents left after re-signing backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to a two-year extension. How those 18 proceed will help determine the next steps. For example, tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar could be swept up by a team willing to shell out more money than they’d make in Baltimore, leaving DeCosta searching for a backup tight end as well. Punter Jordan Stout, who earned his first All-Pro nod in 2025, is another valuable player in line for a pay raise. The Crosby deal showed how serious Ravens’ decision-makers are about keeping open their championship window amidst a coaching turnover. However, the job’s not finished. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article

When it comes to the Ravens’ draft strategy, general manager Eric DeCosta is fond of invoking “The Loser’s Curse,” a 2006 study by a University of Pennsylvania professor and a Nobel Prize-winning economist. The theory is relatively straightforward: Top draft picks are overvalued in a manner that is inconsistent with rational expectations and efficient markets, and consistent with psychological research, the paper states. Put another way, most teams don’t perform markedly better than the next at drafting players, so trading up rarely makes sense. There is no guarantee that a coveted pick will yield a superior player — and more often than not, the prospect a team covets will drift down the board anyway. “Everyone seems to be drafting the same players,” DeCosta said in an interview with the team website last offseason. “So it’s like going to a restaurant with 20 of your best friends and there’s 20 things on the menu, but all 20 of you are ordering one of the same three entrees. You’re all getting the steak and you’re all getting the pasta; maybe a few guys are getting the crab cakes; but nobody’s going after the vegetarian option and nobody’s getting the lamb. Everybody’s eating the same things. That’s kind of what the draft has become in some ways.” The analogy captures why DeCosta has long preferred to hoard draft selections with almost compulsive zeal, an organizational ethos he absorbed under his predecessor, Ozzie Newsome, and one he has amplified since assuming the role in 2019. Yet there sat Baltimore’s brass last week in South Florida, meeting with owner Steve Bisciotti and attempting to orchestrate a landscape-shifting maneuver — even as it contradicted their own long-held convictions. In theory, the thought of pairing a game-wrecking edge rusher like Maxx Crosby with the Ravens felt almost inevitable, the sort of snarling defender who conjures echoes of the franchise’s most bruising eras. It seemed a question more of when, not if. In reality, see: the Ravens’ organizational philosophy. But reality was cast aside Friday night when Baltimore sent not just one but two first-round picks to the Raiders in exchange for one of the league’s most relentless sack artists. DeCosta has also said he doesn’t subscribe to the notion that franchises operate within rigid championship “windows.” This move, however, suggests otherwise — a tacit acknowledgment that the moment to pursue a Super Bowl with an expensive, immediate difference-maker alongside two-time NFL Most Valuable Player quarterback Lamar Jackson is now. It was the first time in the franchise’s 31 years that it dealt a first-round pick for a veteran player. There is at least a compelling argument that the pivot was warranted. Following an underwhelming 8-9 season that resulted in missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021 — a final regression that culminated in coach John Harbaugh’s firing after 18 years — the status quo was no longer sufficient. As dynamic and versatile as All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton remains, the Ravens have not possessed a true defensive destroyer like Crosby, who has 69 1/2 career sacks and four seasons of at least 10, including last year — since the era of the franchise’s all-time sack leader and two-time Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist Terrell Suggs, which is, perhaps not coincidentally, the last time Baltimore hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. While Hamilton is the type of defender offenses must account for, Crosby is the type they must actively scheme to stop. Last season, Baltimore tied for the third-fewest sacks (30) in the league. Crosby, meanwhile, reached double digits for the third time in the past four years, and his 10 sacks in 15 games were twice as many as Baltimore’s leader — defensive tackle Travis Jones — recorded in 2025. Also, in the past five years, the Ravens have blown more leads in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter (16) than any team in the NFL. Related Articles Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan has a new bed and is ‘feeling great’ in ACL rehab Ravens made a big splash trading for Maxx Crosby. What comes next? Ravens Hall of Famer Ed Reed responds to White House social media post NFL’s free-agent spending frenzy begins first with a legal tampering period Ravens 2026 free agency tracker: QB Tyler Huntley returning on $10M deal That included a collapse against Crosby’s former team in Week 2 in 2024, when Baltimore squandered a 10-point fourth-quarter advantage at home in what was one of just four wins for Las Vegas. Crosby recorded six tackles in the game, including four for loss and two sacks — one of which came in the fourth quarter — along with a pass deflection to earn AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Crosby, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who will turn 29 in August, represents the sort of defensive presence Baltimore has lacked for nearly a decade. If Jackson is the whirring engine that propels the Ravens’ offense, Crosby is the closer — the kind capable of delivering the abrupt finality of a prime Mike Tyson uppercut. That presence should also ease the burden on Baltimore’s star quarterback, sparing him from having to play Superman every Sunday, a demanding assignment even for a player of Jackson’s otherworldly gifts. At 29 and entering his ninth NFL season, Jackson has guided Baltimore to just one AFC championship game appearance in 2024. That run required his second MVP-caliber campaign and a historic defense engineered by the scheming brilliance of Mike Macdonald, now the coach of the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Now the Ravens will lean on Crosby, alongside the omnipresent Hamilton, Pro Bowl inside linebacker Roquan Smith, perhaps even injured Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, and first-year coach and former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to restore Baltimore to its defensive roots and propel the franchise toward what has become an elusive third championship. It is a gamble to send a pair of first-round picks to Las Vegas for a player with an extensive resume as both a dominant pass rusher and elite run-stopping edge defender but whose past two seasons have been curtailed by injury. Yet even within that latest setback came a revealing glimpse of Crosby’s competitive desires. When the Raiders — their season spiraling toward the No. 1 pick and the chance to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza — informed Crosby that they planned to shut him down for the final two games of the regular season because of a nagging knee injury that required surgery, he stormed out of the building in frustration. Crosby wanted to play. He wanted to finish what he started. That sort of intangible edge, combined with the tangible reality that he routinely logs nearly 100% of defensive snaps, should noticeably raise the floor and the ceiling of Baltimore’s defense. Crosby, a fourth-round pick in 2019, leads all defensive linemen in tackles for loss during that span, ranks second in quarterback pressures and hits, and fifth in sacks. Relentlessness radiates from him. Eric DeCosta is betting that Maxx Crosby is worth the draft pick haul. (Michael Conroy/AP) It is also an expensive maneuver in draft capital and contract. Crosby’s current deal includes a salary-cap hit of more than $30 million, though it can be restructured to soften the immediate impact. It will likely have to be, particularly with uncertainty surrounding Jackson’s contract. The organization hopes to sign Jackson to an extension, but might instead need to reshape the deal with additional void years to reduce his looming $74.5 million cap hit roughly in half. Other needs persist as well, including along the offensive line, where Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, who is an impending free agent, appears almost certain to depart for a team willing to exceed $20 million per season. Depth is also needed at cornerback and wide receiver, as well as guard and defensive line. But the Ravens, long steadfast in their confidence to build through the draft, will not (at least for now) possess a first-round pick this year or next with which to do so. Instead, DeCosta is wagering on a philosophical pivot. The 14th pick once netted him Hamilton, who unexpectedly slid down the board in 2022. Baltimore already had two quality starting safeties but selected him anyway. Soon enough, we’ll discover whether Crosby was worth that and more. DeCosta is betting that he is. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

On Friday, the official White House account on X posted a video montage of what appeared to be drone strike footage mixed with several NFL highlights set to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” The video flipped back and forth between footage that read “UNCLASSIFIED” and a football player delivering a big hit. The caption read, “Touchdown.” Two Ravens Hall of Famers made the cut. The second clip used was a punishing hit by Ray Lewis and the next showed Ed Reed. By Sunday evening, the clip — posted to stir emotion about the ongoing war in Iran — amassed 10 million views. That’s when Reed responded, quote-tweeting Washington D.C.-based reporter Ben Jacobs and denouncing the video. “I do not approve this message,” Reed wrote. Lewis has not made any public comments. Earlier Friday, the White House posted a similar video using baseball highlights. That showed one home run after another, mainly clips of Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez. No Orioles players, past or present, were featured. “Pure American dominance,” was the caption. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. Related Articles NFL’s free-agent spending frenzy begins first with a legal tampering period Ravens 2026 free agency tracker: QB Tyler Huntley returning on $10M deal Ravens’ Maxx Crosby speaks after trade: ‘I know there’s no guarantees’ 5 things you might not know about new Ravens star Maxx Crosby Josh Tolentino: DeCosta’s biggest swing brings Maxx Crosby to Ravens | COMMENTARY View the full article

By ROB MAADDI Ready, set, negotiate multi-million contracts. The NFL’s free agency period opens Monday with a 52-hour legal tampering period ahead of the official start of the new league year Wednesday. Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III head the list of high-profile players who will be free to sign a contract with a new team. Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Kyler Murray also will be seeking new teams because they’re going to be released by their teams. Here’s an explanation of rules and terms: What does legal tampering mean? At noon EDT Monday, teams can start negotiating with certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire at the start of the new league year on 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday. Teams aren’t permitted to speak directly to the players, who can’t sign a new contract until the league year officially begins. The two-day negotiating period applies only to players who will be unrestricted free agents. Who are unrestricted free agents? Any player with four or more accrued seasons — six or more regular-season games on a club’s active/inactive, reserve/injured or reserve/physically unable to perform lists — whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent and may negotiate and sign with any team. Who are restricted free agents? Restricted free agents are players with three accrued seasons who have received a qualifying offer when their current deals expire on Wednesday. What is a franchise tag? Each team can designate one potential free agent a franchise player. Cowboys receiver George Pickens, Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts and Jets running back Breece Hall received the tag before the March 3 deadline. An exclusive franchise player is not free to sign with another club and is offered the greater of the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position for the current year as of the end of the restricted free agent signing period on April 17; or the amount of the required tender for a nonexclusive franchise player. A nonexclusive franchise player can sign with another team, but that club will owe his previous team two first-round draft picks. All the players tagged this year are nonexclusive. What is a transition tag? The transition tag is a one-year offer for the average of top 10 salaries at the position. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player might receive from another team. The tagging team is awarded no compensation if it chooses not to match a deal. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones received the transition tag this year. The signing period for transition players begins at 4 p.m. EDT on March 11 and ends on July 22. After July 22 and until 4 p.m. EDT on the Tuesday following the 10th week of the season, the prior club has exclusive negotiating rights. Teams can decide to withdraw franchise and transition tags and the player automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent. What is the salary cap for 2026? The salary cap is $301.2 million per club, up from $279.2 million last year. Teams must be under the salary cap by 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday. What is salary cap rollover? A team may carry over salary cap space from one league year to the following league year by submitting notice to the NFL prior to 4 p.m. EDT on the day following the team’s final regular-season game. A team can carry over 100% of its remaining 2025 room to its adjusted salary cap for 2026. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl View the full article

The Ravens entered this offseason under first-year coach Jesse Minter with more questions than answers. In addition to building an entirely new coaching staff and trying to navigate a path forward following an unsatisfactory 8-9 campaign that resulted in Baltimore failing to reach the postseason for the first time since 2021, the roster is in significant flux. The Ravens have 19 unrestricted free agents, one restricted free agent (running back Keaton Mitchell) and a handful of exclusive rights free agents (players with fewer than three accrued seasons who cannot negotiate with other teams if tendered). Many of them were starters or played significant roles last season, and general manager Eric DeCosta must now decide who Baltimore wants to bring back with several needs across multiple position groups. The NFL’s legal tampering period begins Monday at noon, which is when teams can officially meet with representatives of free agents. Though free agents can’t sign with new teams and players can’t officially be traded until the start of the new league year beginning Wednesday at 4 p.m., many deals will already have been agreed upon by then. Here is the latest on the Ravens’ signings, departures and notable moves. March 7: QB Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley returning Veteran Cooper Rush never looked like the right fit for the Ravens’ offense, despite his previous success with the Dallas Cowboys. So it’s of little surprise that Baltimore is bringing back its most familiar backup to Lamar Jackson. Huntley led the Ravens to a pair of crucial wins to temporarily keep their playoff hopes alive last season while Jackson was injured. Now he’s being rewarded with a two-year, $10 million deal that is worth up to $11 million with incentives, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. The former undrafted free agent who spent all but one of his six seasons with the Ravens had earned just over $7 million for his career before the new contract. Baltimore can also save $2.1 million by designating Rush as a post-June1 release and save another $700,000 from a roster bonus if they make a move by March 15. As for Huntley, he completed 77.6% of his passes for 426 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and rushed for 151 yards on 24 attempts in five games last season. That included a Week 17 must-win matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, where Huntley completed 16 of 20 passes for 107 yards and touchdown and ran for 60 yards on eight carries in the 41-24 victory. “We got all the trust in the world in ‘Snoop,’” center Tyler Linderbaum said after the victory over the Packers. “He got us out of some really critical situations and made a lot of plays. That’s what you need.” Related Articles Ravens’ Maxx Crosby speaks after trade: ‘I know there’s no guarantees’ 5 things you might not know about new Ravens star Maxx Crosby Josh Tolentino: DeCosta’s biggest swing brings Maxx Crosby to Ravens | COMMENTARY Mike Preston: Ravens turn weakness into strength with Maxx Crosby trade | COMMENTARY NFL pundits react to Ravens trading for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby In his two starts — the other came at home against the Chicago Bears in Week 8 — Huntley completed 33 of 42 passes for 293 yards and two scores while adding another 113 rushing yards on 16 carries. Huntley was Jackson’s primary backup from 2021 to 2023 before signing with the Browns in free agency in 2024. He then rejoined the Ravens’ practice squad after Cleveland released him before the start of the regular season. He was then signed off their practice squad by the Dolphins, going 2-3 as a starter for Miami before returning to Baltimore for his third stint last year. For his career, Huntley, who is close with Jackson and has guided Baltimore to seven wins in 16 starts, has completed 66.2% of his passes for 3,212 yards and 13 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for 795 yards and five scores on 165 carries. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Maxx Crosby sat under studio lights and delivered a nearly 13-minute monologue that served as his farewell to Las Vegas and hello to Baltimore. The uber-talented edge rusher, who the Ravens traded away two first-round draft picks to acquire on Friday night, said that he’d keep his promise to be a “Raider for life.” Crosby wants to one day retire wearing a silver and black jersey, “but for the time being, it’s a new day. I’m going to Baltimore.” Crosby posted the video to several social channels. He wore a camo hoodie and a backwards black hat, deeply exhaled, and began his goodbye by acknowledging that he couldn’t believe this was real (a sentiment many Ravens fans share). The five-time Pro Bowl selection never thought that he’d leave the Raiders. Winning a championship with the team that took a chance on the kid from Eastern Michigan in the fourth round was always front of mind. Las Vegas never sniffed football in February, reaching only as far as the wild-card round in 2021. Crosby said that it was the most fun he’d ever had playing football. Now, he’ll join a defense in dire need of recapturing lost dominance. He’ll step into a locker room where simply making the playoffs isn’t enough. He’ll help shoulder the burden of championship dreams, which Crosby acknowledged. “I know it’s gonna be very difficult,” he said. “I know there’s no guarantees in this. But I’m gonna give everything in my heart and soul to bring a championship to Baltimore.” The Ravens will have Crosby under team control through 2029. The 28-year-old signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension last March with a salary cap hit of $35.8 million for 2026 and $115.8 million in total remaining on his deal. He’s earned every bit, logging 69 1/2 sacks over seven seasons. Crosby said that he’s already spoken with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Eric DeCosta, first-year coach Jesse Minter and several other coaches. He promised to “lead by action.” “I’m going to be myself fully,” he said. “I’m going to help the organization, help my teammates, help everyone involved, get as close as we possibly can, and get to the pinnacle. And that requires hard work. It’s going to be ups and downs. It’s going to be a roller coaster. But, ultimately, the goal never changes.” The video concluded with a series of thank yous. Crosby was transparent in his intentions: win here, go home, and retire off into the sunset. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. Related Articles 5 things you might not know about new Ravens star Maxx Crosby Josh Tolentino: DeCosta’s biggest swing brings Maxx Crosby to Ravens | COMMENTARY Mike Preston: Ravens turn weakness into strength with Maxx Crosby trade | COMMENTARY NFL pundits react to Ravens trading for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Instant analysis of Ravens’ trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby View the full article

Two weeks ago, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged a need to “augment” the team’s pass rush. Each of the past two Super Bowl winners featured a “ferocious pass rush” and, somehow, some way, he wanted that in Baltimore. On Friday, DeCosta took the biggest swing of his front office tenure by trading two first-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for superstar Maxx Crosby. Here are five (outside the obvious) things to know about Baltimore’s new pass rusher: He once signed the largest non-QB deal. That lasted less than a week. Three-hundred-and-sixty-four days before he was traded to the Ravens, Las Vegas made Crosby the highest-paid player in the NFL who isn’t a quarterback. It was a three-year, $106.5 million extension. Crosby held that title for all of four days before Cleveland made Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback. But it’s a nod to how valuable the position is and the caliber of player coming to Baltimore. Former Raiders coach Pete Carroll said at the time, “There’s no way we could find anybody that is more focused and directed and committed to giving everything he’s got to every opportunity he is going to get.” That opportunity looks a whole lot different one year later, nearly to the day. He went to rehab after a battle with addiction. Crosby has been sober since March 11, 2020. He’s been fairly transparent about addiction throughout his career. It started in high school and only intensified while playing at Eastern Michigan. There, he was suspended from the team after wrecking his car in a drunk driving accident. Coach Chris Creighton suspended him for two games, but struck a deal before the second: If Crosby stayed sober, took frequent breathalyzer and drug tests, and did community service, he could return after one game. Crosby stayed sober for nine months and made it to the NFL. Then he relapsed. Alcoholism runs in his family, Crosby said in 2021. He finished runner-up for NFL Rookie of the Year with a 10-sack season while battling alcohol dependency. Days before the world shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic, Crosby began a month-long stay in a rehab facility. “It was a big struggle,” he told ESPN in 2021. “But looking back on my journey, I know five years, 10 years down the road, I’ll look back and be like, that was the biggest offseason of my life, even though I was just trying to get my [stuff] together and just trying to stay above water. I know if I can make it through that [stuff] and get sober, I can do anything. It was special, and I met some awesome people along the way.” Related Articles Josh Tolentino: DeCosta’s biggest swing brings Maxx Crosby to Ravens | COMMENTARY Mike Preston: Ravens turn weakness into strength with Maxx Crosby trade | COMMENTARY NFL pundits react to Ravens trading for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Instant analysis of Ravens’ trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike provides most encouraging update yet He’s known for sacking the quarterback, but he’s also a merciless run defender. The Ravens are no strangers to Crosby’s propensity for dragging down quarterbacks. In two meetings since 2021, the Raiders have twice beaten the Ravens, partially off the strength of multi-sack outings from Crosby. The five-time Pro Bowl selection has four double-digit sack seasons. He logged a career high 14 1/2 in 2023, and he isn’t nicknamed “Mad Maxx” by accident. Those numbers are all reasons to be intrigued by how quickly he’ll upgrade Baltimore’s pass rush. But he can plug the run too. Crosby has three seasons with more than 20 tackles for loss. He led the league in TFLs in 2022 and 2023, with 22 and 23, respectively. He played only 15 games this past season and still managed double-digit sacks to complement a career-high 28 TFLs, second only to Garrett. This past season, Pro Football Focus graded Crosby’s run defense (78.1) a tick higher than his pass rush (77.1). Same with 2024 and every season going back to 2021 — so by that imperfect metric, this past season wasn’t an outlier. In fact, since 2021, Crosby has had the best run defense grade in the NFL. “He’s upfield, he’s underneath, he’s into you, he’s back around the back side, he’s spinning, he’s knocking your hands off, he’s running to the ball,” former Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Crosby last season. “He’s just a game wrecker — to use that word is exactly the right word.” The Ravens could have drafted Crosby seven years ago. To be fair, every team passed over Crosby. He was the 106th pick in the 2019 draft. There were 10 defensive ends selected before him. One of them was third-round pick Jaylon Ferguson out of Louisiana Tech. Ferguson was the all-time sack leader in FBS history, and by coming to Baltimore, he replaced the guy he usurped for the record: Terrell Suggs. Ferguson died three years later. Ferguson was much higher on team draft boards than Crosby coming out of college. But the Colleyville, Texas, native burst onto the scene in his first year at the pro level and never looked back, blossoming into one of the league’s most dominant edge defenders. One AFC team scout told NFL.com in 2019 that “when you watch him on tape, it gives off the same vibe as watching a good player’s old high school tape before he grew into his body.” Crosby proved him wrong. Add Crosby to the list of players with a podcast. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey has a podcast. Pass rusher Kyle Van Noy hosted a short show reacting to games. Both are questionable to return in 2026, but either way, there’s new listening material for Ravens fans interested in player podcasts. It’s called “The Rush With Maxx Crosby.” He has 129 episodes and 100,000 subscribers. Former Ravens linebackers coach (among other stops) Rob Ryan, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and ESPN insider Adam Schefter have all appeared on the show. During the season, Crosby reacted to happenings around the NFL and weighed in on some of the league’s preeminent storylines. He was asked on a recent episode if he still had intentions of being a “Raider for life.” Crosby didn’t offer much beyond “Life is good.” He has since been traded from a three-win team to a Super Bowl contender — fair to say life got even better. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article

Just days after he fired his close friend and coach of 18 seasons, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti reaffirmed his trust in another longtime partner, general manager Eric DeCosta. The vote of confidence was understandable given DeCosta’s overall success as the franchise’s top football executive following his predecessor, Ozzie Newsome. But like outgoing coach John Harbaugh, DeCosta endured a miserable 2025 season. If the Ravens’ front office were handed a report card for last year, the general manager probably would’ve received an “F.” Among the lowlights: Nearly every position group regressed during a season that ended with an 8-9 record and the worst home mark in franchise history. A roster once touted as one of the best in the NFL was quickly exposed. DeCosta’s offseason missteps, like signing backup quarterback Cooper Rush, became glaring once Lamar Jackson went down with an injury, and the Ravens neglected to reinforce several weaknesses before the trade deadline. Despite those failures, DeCosta retained the important backing of his boss. “The hits and misses in this business, I think you have to average them out,” Bisciotti said earlier this year. “I think Eric is one of the best GMs in the league, and so I think he’s batting .800. I’m just making up a number for you — but I’m not going to look at Eric’s 200 whiffs. I’ll look at his 800 singles and doubles and home runs. To me, that’s fair.” Late Friday night, DeCosta stepped into the batter’s box and delivered the biggest swing of all. The Ravens stunned the league by acquiring star edge rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders in the most significant trade in franchise history, in which Baltimore parted ways with two first-round picks. Yes, two first-rounders are departing Baltimore, an organization that has historically preferred to build and develop through the draft. Crosby arrives as a five-time Pro Bowl selection who leads the league with 360 quarterback pressures since entering the NFL in 2019. The steep price reflected the magnitude of the moment. To outbid several interested teams, including the pass-rush-needy Dallas Cowboys, the Ravens traded a first-round pick for the first time in franchise history. The move represented a stunning departure from longtime structure, a clear signal that last season’s failures, paired with Harbaugh’s departure, were alarming signs for DeCosta. It could very well end up being what Bisciotti described as a “home run,” if Crosby arrives as advertised. When news of the trade broke late Friday evening, my colleague Matt Weyrich and I were sitting inside a packed bar in Sarasota, Florida, the spring training home of the Orioles. Within minutes, word spread rapidly across the room filled with Baltimore sports fans. Related Articles 5 things you might not know about new Ravens star Maxx Crosby Mike Preston: Ravens turn weakness into strength with Maxx Crosby trade | COMMENTARY NFL pundits react to Ravens trading for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Instant analysis of Ravens’ trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike provides most encouraging update yet The reactions ranged from disbelief to pure elation. “There’s no way that’s real, DeCosta would never!” one nearby Howard County native shouted. Traditionally, that fan’s instinct might be accurate. But this is now a whacky and different type of offseason. It sure feels like that for DeCosta and company. The Ravens finished the 2025 campaign with just 30 sacks, the third-fewest in the NFL. Meanwhile, Crosby recorded 10 sacks and two forced fumbles despite missing the final two games. He has also produced 17 multi-sack performances in his career, building a reputation as one of the league’s most relentless defenders. Crosby arrives at a pretty ideal time for first-year coach Jesse Minter, who probably went to bed salivating at the idea of featuring Crosby and fellow star safety Kyle Hamilton in his defense. Looking ahead, there is still plenty of work to accomplish and hurdles to maneuver around for DeCosta and the Ravens. The NFL’s legal tampering period begins Monday, and Baltimore must address several other roster holes and Jackson’s looming cap hit if it hopes to return to playoff contention. But there’s little doubt that this move sends a clear message about the urgency at the top of the organization. Bisciotti might insist that DeCosta remains firmly in his good graces. The franchise’s owner has publicly emphasized patience and perspective when evaluating his general manager. But the stakes are high, and DeCosta is operating like his seat is warm, just like how Harbaugh’s seat evolved throughout his forgettable final season in Baltimore. By trading for Crosby, DeCosta made it clear that his urgency is higher than it’s ever been and that he has little intention of being the next one shown the door. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Josh appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article

The Ravens just became one of the top contenders to win the Super Bowl again. There had been a lot of talk about restructuring the contract for two-time Most Valuable Player and quarterback Lamar Jackson to free up salary-cap space, which would allow the Ravens to pursue top free agents, but Baltimore filled its most glaring need this offseason by agreeing to a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby on Friday night. This isn’t hype. Regardless of all the other speculation, this was by far the team’s greatest need because they had the 30th-ranked pass defense in the NFL last season and collected only 30 sacks, the third fewest in the league. To reach a deal with Crosby and the Raiders, the Ravens had to surrender first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027, but that’s what contending teams do when they feel that they are in a hunt for a championship. Jackson is 29. Running back Derrick Henry is 32, and left tackle Ronnie Stanley is 32. On the other side, middle linebacker Roquan Smith is 28 and cornerback Marlon Humphrey is 29. The Ravens needed to gamble, and they might have won. The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and the modern-day signal caller is quick, fast and mobile. They can run as well as pass, and the league features speedy quarterbacks such as Jackson, New England’s Drake Maye, Denver’s Bo Nix, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. It’s not just about pressure, but having a player who other teams have to focus on. It’s about having an end or an outside linebacker who forces offensive coordinators to stay awake at night, causing them nightmares, or having a player who can run through double or triple teams even in third-and-long situations. Crosby is no slouch against the run, either. Ask the Ravens. Ever since the team moved to Baltimore from Cleveland for the start of the 1996 season, the Ravens have had only a few dynamic pass rushers. There were defensive ends Michael McCrary and Rob Burnett at the turn of the century, and later outside linebackers Peter Boulware and Terrell Suggs. Now, they finally got another one in Crosby. No need to talk about him turning 29 in August, or his past two seasons being cut short because of injuries. It’s more about being willing to gamble and taking a shot at acquiring the best pass rusher in the game outside of Cleveland’s Myles Garrett. Since 2020, Crosby has been one of the league’s most durable players and ranks second in pressures and third in quarterback hits during that time. In six seasons, Crosby has 69 1/2 sacks, including 10 last season despite missing the last two games with a meniscus injury. Let’s compare: Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones led the team with five sacks in 2025 while outside linebacker Tavius Robinson had 4 1/2. Rookie outside linebacker Mike Green had 3 1/2. Related Articles 5 things you might not know about new Ravens star Maxx Crosby Josh Tolentino: DeCosta’s biggest swing brings Maxx Crosby to Ravens | COMMENTARY NFL pundits react to Ravens trading for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby Instant analysis of Ravens’ trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike provides most encouraging update yet Maybe the biggest player to benefit from this trade is Green, because opposing teams now have to focus on Crosby. The 2025 second-round pick will be able to get one-on-one matchups against offensive linemen instead of being the focus. And if the Ravens get Nnamdi Madubuike back from a neck injury, this front four can be almost as good as any in the NFL. They can get pressure from the outside, but also up the middle, which is key for any pass rush. At least now the Ravens might be in the class with the past two Super Bowl winners in Seattle and Philadelphia, teams that didn’t rely on exotic blitzes or crazy schemes but could get pressure with their front four. Maybe, just maybe, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has figured out that regardless of how much the NFL has changed through the years, with a lot of emphasis on the passing game, teams still win by dominating up front in the trenches or the line of scrimmage. It comes back to my favorite subject again: a team needs to have balance in all three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams — to win consistently in the NFL. After 18 seasons, DeCosta no longer has John Harbaugh to push around. He is now the coach of the New York Giants. Maybe the happiest players for the Ravens are those in the secondary, including safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks and cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Humphrey. Even if a team has Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Mel Blount at corner, they too will get burned on occasion if there isn’t a pass rush. But this is all about the Ravens. They just improved their biggest weakness from a year ago, even though the offensive line still needs to be upgraded. But maybe those answers come in the annual NFL draft in April. For now, though, Baltimore couldn’t get pressure on the quarterback, regardless if he was stationary or mobile. That changed Friday night. The Ravens got Crosby. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The Ravens made national headlines Friday night, landing Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby in a blockbuster trade. Baltimore gave up a pair of first-round picks to land the two-time All-Pro defensive game-wrecker. Here’s a sampling of what national analysts had to say on social media in the immediate aftermath of the significant move. Field Yates, ESPN The Ravens had just 30 sacks in 2025. That was their fewest as a team in 15 years. Their team leader had just 4.5 sacks. A desperate pass rush gets fixed in a hurry with Maxx Crosby. Emmanuel Acho The Ravens gotta have the best one of the best on-paper defenses in the history of on-paper defenses. Maxx Crosby Roquan Smith Nate Wiggins Kyle Hamilton Marlon Humphrey Malaki Starks Crosby is a great chess piece for Minter. Benjamin Solak, ESPN Well done by the Raiders man, that’s excellent return. And Crosby is a huge boon for a Ravens team that has needed legit pressure presence off the edge for ages now. And has the run defense Minter’s EDGEs needs. Good fit. Warren Sharp, Sharp Football Analysis Maxx Crosby among all defensive linemen since 2019, when he entered the NFL: #1 in tackles for loss (133) #1 in solo tackles (277) #2 in QB pressures (431) #2 in QB hits (119) #3 in total tackles (437) #4 in batted passes (20) #5 in sacks (69.5) Traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Adam Schefter, ESPN AFC North adds to its pass rusher repertoire: Since 2019, Maxx Crosby has 360 pressures in his career, 29 more than the next closest player, Myles Garrett. Now both are in the same division. Tom Pelissero, NFL Network While the Raiders insisted publicly Maxx Crosby would be on the team in 2026, the reality is it was never going to happen. A trade made sense for both sides, as Las Vegas gets ammo for their rebuild and Crosby gets a fresh start at age 28. Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated Simple, and clean, no givebacks or pick swaps. A win for the Raiders to get that much, for sure. And the Ravens fill a massive need. Bill Barnwell, ESPN No doubting that the Ravens needed serious help on the edge given trading away Oweh and Kyle Van Noy/Dre’Mont Jones hitting free agency. Crosby was the best player available at their biggest position of need. Love that fit. But I wonder whether spending enough to win the [Trey] Hendrickson bidding + holding onto the first-rounders would have been a better way to attack those concerns. Ravens are very top-heavy now between Lamar (likely on a new deal), Crosby, Stanley, Madubuike, and top-of-position deals for Hamilton and Roquan Smith. You can win with that formula, but you need your stars to be healthy and really productive. Sam Monson I get why the Ravens were desperate for pass rush after last season, but I wouldn’t give up 2x 1sts for Maxx Crosby. He’s dropped off after those injuries, is almost 29. You may never be getting peak Maxx Crosby. Lindsay Rhodes, SumerSports I think the Maxx Crosby deal is a good one for both sides. And I think tonight probably sucks for Raiders fans, in spite of that. Pat McAfee, ESPN HOLY [CRAP]! What a play by The Ravens. Related Articles Instant analysis of Ravens’ trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike provides most encouraging update yet Ravens agree to trade for All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby, dealing 2 1st-round picks Explaining Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s contract situation and its implications READER POLL: Who is on Mount Rushmore of visiting athletes in Baltimore? John Breech, CBS Sports There are only three NFL players who have recorded at least 30 sacks, 70 QB hits and 45 tackles for a loss over the past three seasons combined: Myles Garrett T.J. Watt Maxx Crosby Jordan Schultz The Raiders were very consistent in their desire to land two first-rounders, according to sources. They never wavered. The Ravens were the only team willing to go there for Maxx Crosby. Dianna Russini, The Athletic Both the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys had been working on this for days. They kept communication with the Raiders. The Jacksonville Jaguars were another team trying to put together a big trade package that would get it done. Ravens win. Have a news tip? Contact Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens agreed to trade two first-round draft picks for Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby: Brian Wacker, reporter Eric DeCosta is going for it. For a man who values draft picks the way a farmer values good dirt, the Ravens general manager swung for the fences with a blockbuster deal to acquire superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Just how big a deal was it? Never before has Baltimore shipped a first-round pick in exchange for a player. Friday night, they agreed in principle to send two of them (this year’s 14th overall and next year’s first-round pick) for the kind of bona fide, difference-making pass rusher the Ravens haven’t had since Terrell Suggs. But with a draft class lacking elite talent, DeCosta viewed it as a worthy gamble for a player who has 69 1/2 sacks, including four seasons of at least 10, and will turn just 29 in August. That deal, along with more encouraging signs from injured defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, could be a major boost to a defense that often couldn’t find the quarterback with a map last season. Baltimore was once a feared defense and only three years ago became the first team to capture the defensive triple crown of sacks, takeaways and points allowed. Now, perhaps it’s on its way to recapturing its glory days. Mike Preston, columnist The Ravens became serious contenders again. A season ago, they had no pass rush, which made a shaky secondary look even worse. General manager Eric DeCosta made a deal to bring in Maxx Crosby, one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, to a team that only had 30 sacks a year ago. Is it a gamble? Yes, but executives take gambles when they believe they are close to winning a championship. The Ravens have to give up first-round picks in April and next season, but it’s worth the risk. The team has made a coaching change at the top, which was necessary, and the Ravens solved their biggest weakness of the offseason by trading for Crosby. It still seems surreal because this is a team that loves to build through the draft, but it’s time to forget about the storied past, a team that had won two Super Bowl titles in its first 30 years in Baltimore. It’s what has this team done lately, and the Ravens didn’t even make the playoffs last season. The Ravens have a different mindset now, and they were aggressive in agreeing to terms with Crosby. If they get defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike back (if he can remain healthy) and outside linebacker Mike Green gets better because of Crosby, this defense should be much improved for the 2026 season. Josh Tolentino, columnist Turns out, Lamar Jackson knew a big move was indeed coming. The Ravens took a major step toward fixing one of their most glaring issues late Friday evening by acquiring star edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Still considered in his prime entering his age-29 season, Crosby immediately elevates a defense that finished with just 30 sacks in 2025, the third fewest in the NFL. Crosby had 10 sacks and two forced fumbles last season despite missing the final two games, and he’s posted 17 career games with multiple sacks. Crosby’s relentless motor and ability to win one-on-one off the edge – he’s also a plus defender in the run game – instantly gives the Ravens a proven difference-maker. Crosby has played in 110 career games, but only one playoff game. Now in Baltimore, the five-time Pro Bowler will aspire to help get the Ravens back to the playoffs after the franchise suffered two years of postseason regression. The jaw-dropping acquisition should also serve as a significant boost for first-year coach Jesse Minter, who now has a premier edge rusher in Crosby to build around as he reshapes the defense. Minter helped engineer a defensive turnaround during his two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Crosby provides the type of disruptive presence that can help anchor Minter’s system with fellow star Kyle Hamilton in the secondary. Crosby joins an edge group that features second-year player Mike Green and Tavius Robinson (eight combined sacks in 2025). There is still plenty of work ahead for the Ravens with the NFL’s legal tampering period beginning Monday, but the trade signals urgency from general manager Eric DeCosta after owner Steve Bisciotti fired longtime John Harbaugh at the end of last season. Sam Cohn, reporter This is a night worth rejoicing for those with a vested interest in Baltimore’s immediate Super Bowl aspirations. The loudest portions of the fan base have spent years dreaming — at times, pipe-dreaming — of this deal. And Eric DeCosta finally made his move, sending an unprecedented two first-round picks for an immediate positional fix. The Ravens were among the worst pass-rushing teams in 2025, down from historic runs over the two previous seasons. DeCosta didn’t shy away from that fact, saying at the combine, “We certainly know that we have to augment the pass rush and improve there.” New coach Jesse Minter called it “always a position that you’re looking for more.” Crosby brings the kind of gravitas the Ravens needed on the edge. He’s registered four double-digit sack seasons. Shortly before the deal was announced, a social media post showed All-Pro defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike working out, meaning that the Ravens could be in for a menacing pass-rush duo. It’s not hyperbole to call this the most significant trade in Ravens history — they’ve never dealt a first-round pick in 31 years. They mean business. C.J. Doon, editor If the Ravens end up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February, this will be a day to remember. What started with Lamar Jackson’s cryptic “Training Day” post ended with Nnamdi Madubuike sharing a workout video and the earth-shattering news (in NFL circles) that Maxx Crosby was headed to Baltimore. For as good as Crosby is and can still be as he enters his eighth NFL season, it’s still shocking to see Baltimore giving up first-round picks in back-to-back drafts. The Ravens have long prided themselves on being a “draft and develop” operation, which becomes even more important when a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player is taking up a significant amount of salary-cap space. But no rookie was going to deliver what Crosby can in 2026, and Jackson isn’t getting any younger. On the other hand, Crosby comes with some risk. He dealt with a knee injury that required surgery last year, and he turns 29 in August. If he’s not his usual Pro Bowl self, this trade will be extremely costly. But the Ravens had to try something to fix their dormant pass rush, and what better time than now with a new coach who’s heralded as a defensive wizard? There are still holes to fix on this roster, namely the three interior spots on the offensive line. This move seems to rule out center Tyler Linderbaum coming back, given how expensive his next deal is expected to be once he hits the open market. Adding another pass catcher should be a priority. Jackson still needs to agree to an extension or a restructure to limit his cap hit. But for now, fans should celebrate. The Ravens are going for it. Bennett Conlin, editor Do you think Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is feeling the pressure to win now? So much for building entirely through the draft, as Baltimore takes a massive swing to improve its mediocre pass rush. Crosby plays with an intensity that fits the franchise’s mold and produces at a level needed for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Jesse Minter’s calling card is defense, and now he has Kyle Hamilton and Crosby as chess pieces. That’ll work. It’s extremely exciting on paper, and the trade should make the Ravens a much better team. Strengthening the offensive line is the next step. Figure out the interior of the offensive front, and fans should expect a Super Bowl. If the Ravens can’t win a Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson, Hamilton and Crosby, it’d be a crying shame. Have a news tip? Contact C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article