ExtremeRavens Posted Monday at 10:30 AM Posted Monday at 10:30 AM The start of the 2025 NFL season is still six months away, but the foundations of it have already begun to be laid with the first week-plus of free agency having come and gone. More moves will trickle in over the weeks ahead. But the significant deals are mostly done. The Bears, Patriots and Commanders were among the league’s biggest winners — at least as much as a team can be in March — with Chicago beefing up both lines, New England using its seemingly endless salary cap space on worthwhile additions and Washington adding Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to protect Jayden Daniels’ blind side while also trading for star wide receiver Deebo Samuel to play opposite two-time Pro Bowl selection Terry McLaurin. The San Francisco 49ers are at the other end of the spectrum after dealing Samuel and losing linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and cornerback Charvarius Ward, among others. The Ravens? They fell somewhere in the middle. Retaining left tackle Ronnie Stanley — still one of the best at his position — to protect quarterback Lamar Jackson was paramount. Adding wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins also strengthens a group that was already in good shape with Pro Bowl selection Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. Baltimore did lose a few players — notably left guard Patrick Mekari, cornerback Brandon Stephens, and linebackers Malik Harrison and Chris Board — but it can find applicable replacements in free agency or next month’s draft, and it did well to bring back fullback Patrick Ricard and wide receiver/special teamer Tylan Wallace. The rest of the AFC North — which the Ravens have won each of the past two years — had more mixed results. Here’s a look at what the rest of the division did — and didn’t do — in free agency with a way-too-early projection for this coming season. 1. Ravens In a division stacked with elite pass rushers that include T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson, keeping Stanley was wise. At an average of $20 million a season for the next three years (including a guaranteed $44 million split over 2025 and 2026), the price was reasonable for a player of Stanley’s skill set, and the Ravens simply couldn’t risk the unknown at the height of Jackson’s career. Losing Mekari stings, but they could find a younger, cheaper version of him in the draft or a more short-term fix in the free agent market. Hopkins is in his twilight, but he also doesn’t have to carry the burden on an offense with plenty of other mouths to feed between running back Derrick Henry, tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, and Flowers and Bateman, both coming off their best seasons. But what he does add is a valuable set of hands and elite know-how, both of which could be critical come playoff time, especially in short yardage and the red zone. 2. Pittsburgh Steelers Who will play quarterback for the Steelers next season could play a significant role in determining where Pittsburgh finishes in the division. But does it really matter? The Steelers led much of the way last season with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson at the helm before ultimately finishing 10-7 and in second place behind the Ravens. Whoever is under center this fall already has a better offense thanks to the addition of two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. Pairing him opposite George Pickens gives Pittsburgh a duo that’s as good as anyone not named Chase and Higgins in the division. Add in talented young tight end Pat Freiermuth and multidimensional running back Jaylen Warren, who takes over for the departed Najee Harris, and the Steelers seem poised to be much better than the bottom-third in the league on offense, as long as they don’t make a bone-headed decision on who their next quarterback will be. Cornerback Darius Slay is also an upgrade over Donte Jackson, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, and provides a nice 1-2 with Joey Porter Jr. Coach Mike Tomlin will undoubtedly find a way to frustrate Ravens fans, but not enough to escape a runner-up finish again. 3. Cincinnati Bengals Keeping the trio of quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins together, even if it meant spending $276 million on the latter two, ensures Cincinnati will have one of the most dangerous offenses in a league built around offenses. Defense, of course, is another story, especially given the uncertainty of Hendrickson, who wants a new long-term deal or to be traded. The additions of veteran nose tackle T.J. Slaton and linebacker Oren Burks help, but defense and a porous offensive line are still a problem and with a cap hit this year of more than $94 million for just Burrow, Higgins and Chase alone, fixing those problems will have to come via the draft. And if Hendrickson decides to sit out, things will only get worse for the already shaky defense. Perhaps Cincinnati will find a way to outscore enough opponents in 2025, but that’s a tough world to live in — as they found out last year. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett sacks Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in 2023. (Kirk Irwin/AP file) 4. Cleveland Browns Bad teams have a tendency to stay bad, and even though Cleveland was able to sign Garrett to an extension despite his earlier trade request, there are all sorts of question marks around a Browns team that went 3-14 last season. How much they improve starts with who will play quarterback. Deshaun Watson could be lost for all of 2025 after re-rupturing the Achilles tendon he tore in Week 7 of last season, but even when he has been healthy he’s been a shell of his former self. There’s ex-Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, now on his third team after being traded from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month, but he’s likely a backup. Russell Wilson visited this offseason, but nothing came of it. Kirk Cousins is still with the Atlanta Falcons, but if he gets released, Cleveland could perhaps be in play. The Browns also hold the No. 2 pick in the draft, which they could use on either of the top two quarterbacks, Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. On defense, veteran lineman Dalvin Tomlinson, a former second-round pick and solid interior presence, bolted for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency. Cleveland in turn added veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins, but this is a roster that is a long way from being a serious contender in the division. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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