ExtremeRavens Posted Monday at 12:00 PM Posted Monday at 12:00 PM Just like that, the season is over. The Ravens were eliminated from playoff contention after a wild 26-24 loss to the Steelers on Sunday night that clinched the AFC North title for Pittsburgh. After rallying from a 1-5 start to the season and getting an upset win from the Cleveland Browns over the Steelers in Week 17 to keep their hopes alive, Baltimore failed to take advantage of the golden opportunity in a must-win game against its biggest rival. Now, a long offseason awaits. Here’s a look at what to expect: Draft picks After finishing 8-9, the Ravens will have the No. 14 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. It’s the first time since 2022 that the Ravens will pick 14th, when they selected All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame. The Ravens are expected to have 11 total selections, including four compensatory picks — the maximum number — for the players they lost in free agency last offseason. Their top needs are along the offensive and defensive lines, as well as cornerback and wide receiver. Here are some of the top prospects to watch, according to Pro Football Focus’ big board: Edge defender Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (No. 6 overall) David Bailey, Texas Tech (No. 7) Keldric Faulk, Auburn (No. 14) Cashius Howell, Texas A&M (No. 16) Romello Height, Texas Tech (No. 23) T.J. Parker, Clemson (No. 25) Defensive line Peter Woods, Clemson (No. 10) Caleb Banks, Florida (No. 17) Kayden McDonald, Ohio State (No. 22) Offensive line Spencer Fano, Utah (No. 18) Francis Mauigoa, Miami (No. 20) Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State (No. 24) Kadyn Proctor, Alabama (No. 27) Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State (No. 8) Carnell Tate, Ohio State (No. 9) Makai Lemon, USC (No. 12) Denzel Boston, Washington (No. 21) Cornerback Jermod McCoy, Tennessee (No. 13) Mansoor Delane, LSU (No. 15) Avieon Terrell, Clemson (No. 19) Free agents The Ravens are currently projected to have $31.4 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. They have a big class of pending free agents, including some notable names. Unrestricted free agents (17) C Tyler Linderbaum CB Chidobe Awuzie EDGE Dre’Mont Jones QB Tyler Huntley FB Patrick Ricard S Alohi Gilman S Ar’Darius Washington OL Daniel Faalele EDGE Kyle Van Noy TE Isaiah Likely P Jordan Stout TE Charlie Kolar LT Joseph Noteboom EDGE David Ojabo DL Taven Bryan DT Brent Urban LB Jake Hummel Contract void (2) WR DeAndre Hopkins WR Tylan Wallace Restricted free agent (1) RB Keaton Mitchell Exclusive rights free agents (4) C Corey Bullock EDGE Carl Jones Jr. DL CJ Okoye WR Dayton Wade Re-signed (3) DT Travis Jones DT John Jenkins LS Nick Moore Biggest questions What happens with QB Lamar Jackson’s contract situation? Under the terms of the five-year, $260 million extension with $185 million guaranteed that Jackson signed ahead of the 2023 season, he carries salary cap hits of $74.5 million in each of the next two seasons. That’s untenable from a roster-building standpoint, so the Ravens either need to give Jackson a new deal or renegotiate the terms of the existing one. As a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, even coming off a disappointing season by his own standards, Jackson would almost certainly command top-of-the-market money. The four-year, $240 million extension that Dak Prescott signed with the Dallas Cowboys before the 2024 season is the current benchmark, averaging $60 million per season. The Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence and the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love all average $55 million per season on their recent extensions. On his current deal, Jackson averages $51.2 million in base salary in each of the next two seasons. The last round of negotiations with Jackson included a trade request and a business partner named Ken Francis, whom the league said might have been contacting teams on Jackson’s behalf despite not being an NFL Players Association-certified agent. Jackson still doesn’t have an agent as general manager Eric DeCosta and owner Steve Bisciotti navigate what’s expected to be a new round of contract talks. Is John Harbaugh coming back? Harbaugh said after Sunday night’s loss that he wants to return next season. Whether the franchise feels the same way is yet to be determined. In March, the longtime coach signed a three-year extension through the 2028 season. That doesn’t mean he can’t be fired, as Brian Billick was dismissed in 2007, soon after signing his own new deal. There’s also the possibility of a rare coach trade if another team is interested in parting with draft picks and paying Harbaugh top-of-the-market money. Harbaugh is the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, and his .686 winning percentage ranks eighth all-time. But the Ravens haven’t reached the Super Bowl since winning it in 2012 and have advanced past the divisional round just once in that span. The growing discontent about second-half collapses and late-season failures could push the franchise in a new direction. John Harbaugh is under contract to coach the Ravens through 2028. (Justin Berl/AP) Will the coaching staff have drastic changes? The Ravens are already set to lose tight ends coach George Godsey to Georgia Tech, kicking off an inevitable round of coaching turnover. But how deep will the changes be? Defensive coordinator Zach Orr and offensive coordinator Todd Monken will be under the microscope after disappointing seasons on their respective sides of the ball, particularly in big moments. Orr faced scrutiny about his job security early in the season before helping the defense turn into a slightly-above-average unit near the end of the year, according to Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. Monken dealt with Jackson missing four games and relied more heavily on Derrick Henry down the stretch to get the offense near the top 10 in DVOA, but it fell woefully short of preseason expectations. Dismissing one or both coordinators would be an acknowledgement that something needs to change for the Ravens to recapture their form as Super Bowl contenders. The question is whether there are any internal or external candidates who could be an immediate upgrade for a win-now team that values continuity. What happens with Nnamdi Madubuike? Since the star defensive lineman was ruled out for the season with a neck injury in late September, there have been few updates about his status. How long will the two-time Pro Bowl selection be out, and does the injury threaten his career? The 2020 third-round draft pick signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension before the 2024 season. It’s unclear what kind of salary cap relief, if any, the Ravens would receive if Madubuike, 28, is forced to retire. But as long as he’s out, the Ravens will be missing a key piece in the middle of their defense that they have struggled to fill since his departure. Will the Ravens invest in a pass rusher? Dre’Mont Jones led the Ravens with seven sacks this season. Just 2 1/2 of those came in Baltimore after he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore’s long search for a star pass rusher will continue this offseason. But just how aggressive will they be in getting one? The 14th overall pick is a nice consolation prize to land an impact player in a class that’s already being heralded for its depth among the edge rushers. There are also some big names to consider in the trade pool, such as the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, the Miami Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb and the New York Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux. Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips will be at the top of the free agent market. Veterans Von Miller (9 sacks) and Jadeveon Clowney (8 1/2 sacks) might not be ready to retire yet, either. Will Tyler Linderbaum and Marlon Humphrey return? Linderbaum has turned into a three-time Pro Bowl selection, which means that the 2022 first-round draft pick will be a highly sought after free agent. Spotrac projects his average annual value at $17.7 million, which would rank among the highest on the Ravens’ roster. After giving new deals to Madubuike, linebacker Roquan Smith, Henry, tight end Mark Andrews, safety Kyle Hamilton, defensive tackle Travis Jones and left tackle Ronnie Stanley in recent years, and with Jackson’s contract clogging up the salary cap at the moment, there might not be enough money left to secure one of the league’s best centers. That creates more uncertainty on an offensive line that also needs to decide what to do with starting guards Daniel Faalele, a pending free agent, and Andrew Vorhees. Both rated below average by Pro Football Focus’ grading and often drew the ire of fans for their lowlights. Emery Jones Jr., a 2025 third-round draft pick, is the heir apparent after getting some playing time near the end of the season, including when both Faalele and Vorhees were banged up Sunday night. Then there’s Humphrey, who has one year and $19.25 million left on his contract and is due a $4 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. That’s among the top salaries at the position for a player who turns 30 years old in July and is not as fast and athletic as he once was. The Ravens could let him play out the final year of his deal (perhaps on a lower salary) or move on. Either way, his situation is worth watching. Have a news tip? Contact C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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