Realistic Ravens free agent targets: Running Back

The team can still add veteran talent limited cap space — it just likely won’t be near the top of the market.

With the new league year quickly approaching and an increased salary cap for all 32 teams, some fanbases hope their team will be active in unrestricted free agency — taking at least one big swing to put them over the top.

However, fans of the Baltimore Ravens shouldn’t get their hopes up in that regard. The Ravens likely won’t have an abundance of cap space to work with even after extending Pro Bowl defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. General Manager Eric DeCosta probably won’t try to land a top-of-the-market free agent, barring contract restructures or releasing of some veteran players.

Nevertheless, there will still be veteran players at the team’s top positions of need who can be had for affordable-to-moderate annual salaries. They will be able fill vacancies or at least contribute on a rotational basis.

The third position where realistic free agent options will be broken down is one that’s depreciated in value but has several talented playmakers slated to hit the open market — running back. The Ravens only have two running backs currently under contract through the 2024 season in Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell. Mitchell suffered a torn ACL in mid-December last season.

When talking to reporters at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, DeCosta didn’t rule out the possibility of bringing back either or both of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Given how loaded this year’s veteran crop is slated to be with former All-Pros, Pro Bowlers, and league rushing champions, there’s a strong chance that they could be retained at a discount.

Here are some potential upgrades that could be in the Ravens’ price range in the first, second, and third waves of free agency who could get signed before the 2024 NFL Draft.

Tony Pollard

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The five-year veteran most recently played for the Dallas Cowboys where was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Memphis. He has recorded back-to-back seasons of 1,000+ rushing yards and is only a year removed from making his first career Pro Bowl. In 2023, Pollard started all 17 games and recorded 1,005 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 252 carries to go along with 55 receptions on 67 targets for 311 receiving yards. He is a big play threat who can also run hard between the tackles and be a weapon in the passing game out of the backfield.

While he was still productive in his first crack as a full-time starter last season, Pollard has been most effective as part of a heavy backfield rotation, which is the approach that the Ravens take in their deployment of the position. He’d benefit greatly from playing alongside Lamar Jackson and complement the running backs they currently have and could continue to add.

According to Spotrac, the 26-year-old first-time free agent is projected to garner a two-year contract worth $13.05 million, which averages out to $6.5 million per year. Even though he is at the top of the perceived second tier of free agent running backs, Pollard could be had for a reasonable amount. His cost could possibly be even a bit lower than the projected figure over a three-year deal, so that the Ravens can spread his cap hits over the length of the deal.

D’Andre Swift

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The four-year veteran most recently played for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the 2023 season after being acquired via trade from the Detroit Lions last offseason. Swift thrived as part of a backfield committee during the first three years of his career before getting his first chance to be a bell cow last year. It resulted in the most productive season of his career to-date and first Pro Bowl nod.

Swift appeared in a career-high 16 games and recorded 1,049 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 229 carries. He caught 29 receptions on 39 targets for 214 receiving yards and one touchdown. He is a gifted athlete who paired well in the same backfield as two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts and would be even more lethal in tandem with Jackson.

According to Spotrac, the 25-year-old first-time free-agent is projected to garner a four-year contract worth $27.15 million, which averages out to $6.7 million per year. While he is right next to Pollard at the top of the second tier, Swift’s checkered injury history and lack of proven durability outside of the 2023 season — paired with a deep free agent class — could drive his asking price down.

The Ravens also might not be willing to make as long of a commitment as his projected contract length and would most likely try to sign him to a two or three-year deal with no guarantees in the final year.

D’Onta Foreman

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The seven-year veteran most recently played for the Chicago Bears where he spent the 2023 season. Foreman has been a solid contributor in potent backfield committees during stints with four different teams. He’s only one year removed from recording a career-high 914 rushing yards and five touchdowns with the Carolina Panthers in 2022.

Foreman was limited by injuries in 2023, appearing in nine games in which he made eight starts and recorded 425 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 109 carries. He added 11 receptions on 16 targets for 77 receiving yards and one touchdown. While he doesn’t offer much of a threat as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, he is a rugged runner between the tackles who has good contact balance. He could help offset the loss of Edwards at the goal line and in short-yardage situations if he ultimately departs.

According to Spotrac, the 27-year-old journeyman free agent — who was originally drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Texas — is projected to garner just a one-year contract worth $3 million. Foreman is solidly in the third or even fourth tier of free agents at the position. He may very well still be available to sign after the draft once he can no longer impact the compensatory pick formula.

Zack Moss

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The four-year veteran most recently played for the Indianapolis Colts where he spent the 2023 season after being acquired via trade from the Buffalo Bills at the 2022 midseason deadline. After being a decent rotational change-of-pace option in his first three years in the league, Moss had his best season to date as Jonathan Taylor’s understudy last year. In 2023, he appeared in a career-high 16 games, made eight starts, and recorded career highs in rushing attempts (183), yards (794), and touchdowns (five). He added 27 receptions on 37 targets for 192 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Moss possesses a complete skill set and presents more of a threat in the passing game than he gets credit for. He can run hard between the tackles as well as bounce outside and get the edge. The Ravens got a first-hand look at just how dynamic and dangerous he can be in Week 3 last season when he had a career day with 122 rushing yards on 30 carries and added two receptions on three targets for 23 receiving yards and a touchdown.

According to Spotrac, the 26-year-old first-time free-agent, who was originally drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Utah, is projected to garner a two-year contract worth $9.26 million, which averages out to $4.6 million per year. Moss is toward the bottom of the second tier and could be the kind of all-around veteran option that the Ravens could target in free agency. He’d give them a nice blend of what’d they be losing by letting both Edwards and Dobbins walk in free agency.

Devin Singletary

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The five-year veteran most recently played for the Houston Texans where he spent the 2023 season after being signed in free agency last offseason. He has been a durable, solid-to-above-average starter throughout his career thus far and is accustomed to splitting the workload with a complementary backfield mate or two. Singletary appeared in all 17 games last season and seized the starting role from Dameon Pierce about midway through the year.

In 2023, he recorded career-highs in rushing yards (898) and attempts (216) and scored four touchdowns on the ground to go along with 30 receptions on 38 targets for 193 receiving yards. Singletary runs with a lot of power through contact for someone his size at 5-foot-7 and just over 200 pounds. He can rip off chunk plays on a consistent basis.

According to Spotrac, the 26-year-old, who was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Florida Atlantic, is projected to garner a three-year contract worth $16.19 million, which averages out to $5.3 million per year. Singletary is also toward the bottom of the second tier like Moss, his former teammate in upstate New York for two and a half years. He could be right in the sweet spot of where the Ravens are willing to allocate resources to the position.

Antonio Gibson

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The four-year veteran most recently played for the Washington Commanders where was originally drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Memphis. After highly-productive start to his career with 1,832 scrimmage yards and 21 scrimmage touchdowns combined, Gibson was phased out of the offense in the nation’s capital the past two years. In 2023, he made just two starts and recorded career lows with 65 rushing attempts for 265 yards and one touchdown.

He did, however, log career highs with 48 receptions on 59 targets for 389 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He was mainly relegated to being a third-down back and pass-catching specialist. The the former converted wide receiver can gash opposing defense as both a ball carrier and pass catcher, though, out of the backfield or lined up in the slot.

According to Spotrac, the 25-year-old first-time free agent is projected to garner a one-year contract worth just $3.6 million. Given that he is coming off consecutive down years and entering a depressed market, the Ravens might be able to get him for even less than than projected figure. Gibson would be a nice low-risk, high-reward fit for Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme that emphasizes getting skill players the ball in space. He could possibly sit on the market until after the draft and compensatory pick formula deadline pass.

Alexander Mattison

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The five-year veteran most recently played for the Minnesota Vikings where was originally drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Boise State. After being an understudy and complement to four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook for the first four years of his career, Mattison was given his first shot to be the full-time starter last season. In 2023, he appeared in 16 games, made 13 starts, and recorded career-highs in rushing attempts (180) and yards (700) yards to go along with 30 receptions on 44 targets for 192 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Much like Pollard prior to getting his first shot at being a bell cow, Mattison was at his best when paired with or spelling another talented player at the position.

According to Spotrac, the 25-year-old first-time free agent is projected to garner a one-year contract worth just $3.2 million. Unlike the other veteran running backs mentioned in this article, Mattison isn’t a pending free agent. Since he was released as a salary cap casualty by the Vikings last week after inking a two-year deal worth $7 million last offseason, he is free to join any team at any time without having any implications on the comp pick formula.