ExtremeRavens Posted 11 hours ago Posted 11 hours ago Former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald will celebrate a Super Bowl title along with the rest of the Seahawks on Wednesday in Seattle, closing a 2025 campaign that was as wild as it was transformative. But in the NFL’s unforgiving calendar, the victory marks less of an end point than a pause. Across Baltimore and for the league’s 31 other teams, the work of building for the 2026 season is already underway. The opener is less than seven months away, and between now and then comes a familiar sequence that quietly shapes contenders: franchise tags, the scouting combine, free agency, the owners meeting, the draft. For Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Eric DeCosta and first-year coach Jesse Minter, the mandate has been clear: The roster must be good enough to chase the organization’s third championship. The most paramount of those matters is the contract status of two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and quarterback Lamar Jackson. There are still two years remaining on his deal, but Baltimore has been eager to extend (or at least restructure) it to reduce a looming $74.5 million salary cap hit. Even with the league cap expected to rise by roughly $20 million, the Ravens will need every bit of room they can create to address several needs, including some of their own players with the start of free agency only a month away. Here’s a look at which Ravens are free agents, who could be back, who might not be and other important dates to remember: Unrestricted free agents CB Chidobe Awuzie Awuzie, who will turn 31 in May, slipped and fell on a double move by Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III to surrender the game-winning 26-yard touchdown pass in Pittsburgh that sealed Baltimore’s fate in the regular-season finale. But for much of the year, he was a solid contributor in coverage and would be an inexpensive third or fourth option at the position. DT Taven Bryan Bryan is a former first-round draft pick who has now played for five teams over his underwhelming eight-year career after initially signing with Baltimore’s practice squad. He also appeared in just five games and had little impact before suffering a knee injury, so a reunion seems unlikely. G Daniel Faalele No one on the offensive line drew more criticism than the 6-foot-8, 370-pound 2022 fourth-round pick. His size is appealing, and playing guard was a new position the past two seasons for the former tackle, but Ravens brass has made it clear that the offensive line needs to improve. S Alohi Gilman Gilman’s addition via in-season trade helped free up All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. But his tackling was subpar, particularly over the final few games. Still, he played for Minter when the two were with the Los Angeles Chargers, so a return shouldn’t be ruled out. WR DeAndre Hopkins With just 22 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns, the one-year Hopkins experiment didn’t pay dividends the way Baltimore hoped. He’ll also turn 34 in June, and it seems unlikely that the Ravens will bring him back. ILB Jake Hummel Hummel led the team in special teams snaps and was second in special teams tackles. He should also come relatively cheap, so a reunion would make sense. QB Tyler Huntley Huntley isn’t going to cost the bare minimum this time around after leading the Ravens to two wins while Jackson was injured. Still, with a minimal cap hit if the Ravens release the square peg in a round hole that was Cooper Rush post-June 1, bringing back Huntley would be wise. OLB Dre’Mont Jones Jones tallied 2 1/2 sacks in nine games after the Ravens added him at the trade deadline to bring his total to seven for the year. That could also price him out of Baltimore if he wants in the $10 million a year range, especially if DeCosta decides to spend big on a bona fide pass rusher such as Trey Hendrickson. TE Charlie Kolar With Mark Andrews getting a surprise extension after the team and Isaiah Likely couldn’t come to an agreement, it will be interesting to see what happens with Kolar. Four years into his career, he has proved to be a solid player who wouldn’t break the bank, and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle comes from a Chicago Bears team that often used two-tight end sets. TE Isaiah Likely See above. The only way Likely sticks around is if he doesn’t get the money he hoped for — which is a possibility after an injury-filled and underperforming season. He is, however, close with Jackson, and that could be a factor. C Tyler Linderbaum Linderbaum will be among the top available players if he hits the market. He’s also the Ravens’ biggest free agent priority. For a team expected to contend now, letting a three-time Pro Bowl center leave the building would be foolish. OT Joseph Noteboom A swing tackle who was inactive for seven games for an offensive line that was inconsistent at best is telling. Noteboom wouldn’t cost a lot to bring back, but the Ravens could go a different direction. OLB David Ojabo That Ojabo, a 2022 second-round pick out of Michigan who was often injured and didn’t have the kind of impact that was expected when he was healthy, stuck on the roster this long was a circumstantial miracle as much as anything. But at this point, a fresh start somewhere else would do both sides some good. FB Patrick Ricard Even though Ricard doesn’t log a ton of snaps, he has been integral to a highly successful Ravens ground game and running back Derrick Henry. He also turns 32 in May, has a lot of miles and last season missed two months with a calf injury. With only a few teams employing fullbacks, perhaps he’s affordable enough to bring back, though the Bears did not use a fullback when they were in heavy formations. P Jordan Stout Stout was an All-Pro after leading the NFL in net punting. He’s also the holder in the field goal operation. Still, it might cost the Ravens close to $4 million a year to keep him. DE Brent Urban Urban will turn 35 in May, but he still proved a dependable backup this past season amid a string of injuries to the line. He also likes Baltimore, and another cheap deal could spark a return. OLB Kyle Van Noy Van Noy will likewise turn 35 this offseason. He’s also coming off a two-sack season after a career-high 12 1/2 in 2024. It wouldn’t be a shock if his career were over. Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy, shown cleaning out his locker after the 2025 season, saw a significant dip in his production this past season. He enters free agency with an uncertain NFL future. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) WR Tylan Wallace A special teams stalwart who is well-liked in the building, Wallace has never really developed a role on offense. Still, he likely wouldn’t cost much to bring back. S Ar’Darius Washington Washington is undersized and has a lengthy injury history. He also worked his way back from a torn Achilles tendon last offseason to make it back on the field for the final four games, and Baltimore needs a third safety to pair with Hamilton and Malaki Starks. His return, though, figures to be driven by what the price would be. Restricted free agents RB Keaton Mitchell How the Ravens handle the former undrafted free agent will be worth watching. If he gets a low tender, that would leave them vulnerable to another team plucking him without losing a draft pick. A second-round tender also seems too expensive for a player who has such an injury history. The best option is probably to sign him to an extension if Mitchell is amenable. Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell rushes for a long gain against the Steelers this past season. When healthy, Mitchell has been a valuable option in Baltimore's backfield. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Exclusive rights free agents C Corey Bullock A former Maryland standout, Bullock is one of a handful of Ravens players who have less than three years of accrued service and can be tendered a contract for the league minimum. If he is, he can’t negotiate with another team. After being active for every game last season, it would be a surprise if the Ravens didn’t bring him back, especially since he can be cut without impacting the salary cap. LB Carl Jones Jones appeared in just four games and only on special teams. Still, he’ll be just 25 in August, so there would be no harm in bringing him back. DT C.J. Okoye At 6-6, 370 pounds, Okoye is a developmental player from the league’s International Pathway Program, which the Ravens like. He also landed on the 53-man roster last season after a spate of injuries, so there are plenty of reasons for a return. WR Dayton Wade A significant rib injury landed Wade on injured reserve for the 2025 season. The Ravens could tender him with no risk, but the 2024 former undrafted free agent didn’t have the kind of training camp last year that he had the year before. Important dates to know Tuesday: Teams can issue a franchise or transition tag for one player. The franchise tag is more expensive (average of top-five salaries) and offers better protection (compensation if the player leaves), while a transition tag is cheaper (top-10 salaries) and offers no draft pick compensation if the player leaves. Feb. 23-March 2: NFL scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. March 3: 4 p.m. deadline for teams to issue a franchise or transition tag. March 9: Beginning at noon through 3:59:59 p.m. on March 11, teams can contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. March 11: The league year and free agency signing period begin at 4 p.m. Trades can also begin. March 29-April 1: Annual owners meeting in Phoenix. April 6: Teams that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2025 regular season can begin offseason workout programs. April 15: Deadline for clubs to time, test, visit, interview or conduct a physical with a draft-eligible player at its facility. April 17: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets. April 20: Teams with returning head coaches can begin offseason workout programs. April 22: Deadline for teams to exercise the right of first refusal to restricted free agents who signed offer sheets. Also the deadline for teams to time, test, visit, interview (including video and phone calls) or conduct physicals with a draft-eligible player at any location. April 23-25: NFL draft in Pittsburgh. 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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