Ravens News 3/20: Option Predictions

NFL Power Rankings post-free agency: The Texans are going for it, the Cowboys are … not

Josh Kendall, The Athletic

6. Baltimore Ravens

Post-Super Bowl rank: 4

Notable addition: RB Derrick Henry

Notable losses: LB Patrick Queen, S Geno Stone, CB Ronald Darby, WR Devin Duvernay, RB Gus Edwards, Edge Tyus Bowser, WR Odell Beckham Jr.

The Ravens lost a lot of good players in free agency, but they extended star defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and added Henry, which makes it hard to be too down on Baltimore. Henry is 30 and since he entered the league in 2016, he’s the only player in the NFL with more than 10,000 yards. If he can hold up physically, the Ravens’ run game with Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson is going to be formidable.

2024 NFL free agency: Experts debate best signings, deals

Stephania Bell, ESPN

What was the best overall free agent signing?

Ravens signing RB Derrick Henry to a two-year, $16 million deal. Yes, he is 30 years old, but Henry is built to steamroller opponents with size and power. And he has shown durability with only one season in his eight-year career in which he has played fewer than 15 games. Henry will continue to pose problems for defenses that now have to account for other offensive talent alongside him, including a quarterback (Lamar Jackson) who is even more nimble as a runner than Henry.

How Ronnie Stanley helped the Ravens free up $9 million in cap space

Giana Han, The Baltimore Banner

The price of availability

The $4 million roster bonus turned $1 million roster bonus now includes a game incentive. Stanley will be paid a bonus for every game he is on the active roster. He can make up to $500,000 this season.

However, only $382,352 of this counts against the 2024 cap. Stanley played 13 of 17 games last year, and $382,352 is what he would make if he plays the same amount this year. Anything else is considered a “not likely to be earned” incentive.

Goodbye, 2025

Originally, Stanley’s contract lasted through the end of the 2025 season. But 2025 is now a void year.

Usually, if a player has void years in his contract, and a team doesn’t re-sign him, all of his prorated cap hit accelerates onto the next season. However, Stanley’s deal always ended after 2025, so there’s nothing to accelerate.

That means the Ravens still have to account for whatever is left in dead money, as well as any of the incentives he earned, but they don’t have to pay him his 2025 salary or 2025 roster bonuses. Stanley then becomes a free agent after this season.

Predicting the fifth-year option decisions for every 2021 first-round draft pick

Brad Spielberger, PFF

PICK NO. 27: BALTIMORE RAVENS: WR RASHOD BATEMAN

PFF Grade, 2021-23: 64.0

PFF WAR, 2021-23: 0.1527

Fifth-Year Option Amount: $14,345,000

PFF Prediction: Decline

This one could be really tough. Bateman has dealt with various injuries and disappeared at times when on the field. He’s still a clear top-two wideout on this roster alongside 2023 first-round rookie Zay Flowers, but his 46 receptions and 515 yards from his rookie season remain his career-best marks.

PICK NO. 31: BALTIMORE RAVENS: EDGE ODAFE OWEH

PFF Grade, 2021-23: 70.3

PFF WAR, 2021-23: 0.294

Fifth-Year Option Amount: $13,251,000

PFF Prediction: Exercise

Oweh was showing all the signs of taking the third-year leap in 2023 before some injuries caused him to miss some time, but he hit the ground running after returning and showed he is the clear No. 1 edge defender on this roster. With another offseason and a healthier 2024, he could be one of the big breakout players of the season, which makes exercising this option all the more paramount.

Who will be the Ravens’ backup quarterback? Here are some options, plus other free agents still worth pursuing.

Brian Wacker, The Baltimore Sun

A less heralded move was that of now ex-Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley bolting for the Browns, agreeing on Sunday to a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum.

Given how little Cleveland paid, it’s clear the Ravens had little interest in bringing back Huntley, one of their more than 20 unrestricted free agents entering the offseason, for a fifth year. Though he would have provided familiarity, that was perhaps the problem — Baltimore knew what it had.

Currently, the only other quarterbacks on Baltimore’s roster are 2023 undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham and veteran Josh Johnson, who has played for an NFL-record 14 teams, turns 38 in May and last week re-signed for another year with the Ravens. Put another way, Baltimore will likely want to bolster that group through free agency and/or next month’s draft.

2024 NFL mock draft 3.0: Vikings go get J.J. McCarthy; Jets jump for Marvin Harrison Jr.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com

30. Baltimore Ravens

Cooper DeJean

Iowa · CB · Junior

Baltimore has a knack for watching tough, smart and versatile players fall into its lap. We see it happen once again with DeJean, who comes from a noted Ravens factory at the University of Iowa, the alma mater of current Raven Tyler Linderbaum and former Ravens Geno Stone and Marshal Yanda.