The Ravens had a great defense. They had the 2024 NFL MVP. But they still couldn’t win the Super Bowl. That’s how hard it is - only one team gets the trophy. A couple of key injuries to RBs, Mark Andrews, the offensive line, the defenses and that is all it takes. 

That said, the Ravens are in a fine position to reload and make another run. The NFL combine starts this weekend followed by NFL Free Agency in less than two weeks, so we’ll be getting started on that sooner than you think! 

For now, let’s take a look at the depth chart, contracts, salary cap, and free agents to try to estimate what the Ravens will do in free agency this year!

*The salary cap numbers referenced in this article come courtesy of our friends over at Spotrac.com*

Fantasy Football Depth Chart: Baltimore Ravens

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson

Tyler Huntley

Josh Johnson

Malik Cunningham

Running Back

J.K. Dobbins

Keaton Mitchell

Gus Edwards

Justice Hill

Wide Receiver

Zay Flowers

Tylan Wallace

  

Wide Receiver

Rashod Bateman

Devin Duvernay

  

Wide Receiver

Nelson Agholor

Odell Beckham

  

Tight End

Mark Andrews

Isaiah Likely

Charlie Kolar

 

Fullback

Patrick Ricard

   



White = unrestricted free agent

Green = role is safe

Yellow = role could be in jeopardy

Red = could be traded or released

PROJECTED 2024 SALARIES: ~$240M

ESTIMATED 2024 CAP SPACE: ~$16M

 

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson: You would think that winning his second NFL MVP award would put the haters to rest but that’s the thing about haters - they will always find a way to hate. Us folks living in reality understand that Lamar Jackson is a tremendous player who is absolutely capable of leading a team to the Super Bowl. And the Ravens know that which is why they extended him.

The only long-term question, which matters mostly to dynasty fantasy gamers, is whether Jackson can eventually transition his game to a style of play that ages more gracefully. Lamar Jackson has attempted more than 100 rushes in every single season so far. There are exactly two QBs that attempted 100 rushes over the age of 27 years old: Michael Vick and Cam Newton. 

The oldest QB to do it was Cam Newton at age 31 in 2020 on the New England Patriots. He just turned 27 years old now so he’s either going to buck that trend or he may need to transition to more of a pocket passer as we move along. And I personally think he’s highly capable of it.

Tyler Huntley: The Ravens had a good thing here with Tyler Huntley but they’ve exhausted all their cheap ways to retain him. So now Huntley has a decision to make. Does he like the job security of being a backup in a familiar place? Or does he want to try his hand at competing for a job else where. He’s expected to leave and, as a competitor, he probably should. We’ve seen guys try their hand then inevitably sign back on as a backup later anyway plenty of times.

Josh Johnson: Josh Johnson is probably more “assistant QB coach” than he is backup at this stage but that’s a fairly valuable guy to have. He’s an unrestricted free agent so he could be picked up by a team looking to coach up a young QB. Or maybe the Ravens keep him around - he could certainly keep the team afloat for a couple games if need be. 

Malik Cunningham: The Ravens signed the explosive prospect away from the New England Patriots and, quite honestly, learning behind Lamar Jackson is probably the best thing for his development. He certainly fits his skill set more than what they were doing in New England, plus both Cunningham and Jackson are Louisville alum. 

They have an easy way to keep him next year on an exclusive rights free agent deal if they so choose but he can also be released with zero dead cap, so his roster spot isn’t 100% safe. 

RAVENS QB FREE AGENCY TAKE: They would be in good shape with Huntley back and they could probably get by with a combination of Josh Johnson and Malik Cunningham. But just going Lamar Jackson and Malik Cunningham is a bit risky. The Ravens are win now so here are some options that you would feel better starting games if need be. 

POSSIBLE FREE AGENT QB OPTIONS: Tyler Huntley, Jacoby Brissett, Mitch Trubisky, Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, Drew Lock, Gardner Minshew

 

Running Back

J.K. Dobbins: The Ravens running back group has been hit by hard luck in recent years, headlined by J.K. Dobbins. In college he broke his leg. Then he tore his ACL. And now, in 2023, he tore his Achilles. He’s had a rough go, but he just turned 25 in December so we’re hoping he can bounce back. 

The Ravens have been hopeful they can bring him back but he won’t be the only Ravens RB returning from injury so they might need to let him walk in favor of healthier options. He has shown explosive potential when healthy so another team would almost certainly be willing to give him a shot. 

Keaton Mitchell: There was some Keaton Mitchell smoke last offseason which turned to fire Week 9 when he got his first carries of the season and went for 138 yards on the ground. Mitchell displayed exciting explosiveness and even garnered a few deeper targets downfield but, unfortunately, the injury bug bit him as well. 

He suffered an ACL tear late in the season in December, so he’ll almost certainly start 2024 on the PUP list. He’s under contract on a cheap undrafted free agent spot so his roster spot is safe, but he’ll have no opportunity to battle for the starting job for the short term.

Gus Edwards: They like Gus Edwards. Not enough to ever give him the full workload regardless of how many other RBs get hurt. But enough to have paid him decently well to hang around and be their bruiser back. Perhaps Gus is interested in a bigger role elsewhere but I would not at all be surprised to see the Ravens bring Gus back either.

Justice Hill: Justice Hill neve quite lived up to the expectation of the fantasy community as a dynamic threat in the pass-game. But he’s found enough ways to contribute on special teams for the Ravens to keep him around and rotate him in the backfield when need be. Given the situation the Ravens are in at RB, I expect him to be back once again. 

Dalvin Cook: The thought process was there on guys like Melvin Gordon and Dalvin Cook - might as well kick the tires to see if there is anything left for these once great rushers. But injuries and general wear and tear have caught up to both over time and I don’t expect either of them back after hardly playing.

Patrick Ricard: Ricard not only plays fullback but also some inline tight end as a blocker (as well as special teams). He’s under contract for 2024 and they love him over there.

RAVENS RB FREE AGENCY TAKE: The Ravens have a choice to make here, as do many teams. So, do they go in on one of the top free agent RB options? Or do they piece it together with a mix of cheaper complementary players. 

Lamar Jackson hasn’t historically thrown it to the RB much but the idea of him running the RPO with the right back could mean serious efficiency on the ground. Let’s start at the top with guy we think would be a lot of fun both for the Ravens and fantasy gamers. Maybe they just bring back the guys they have but these names would certainly be intriguing. Especially since the Ravens are currently the top team among sportsbooks like DraftKings to land King Derrick Henry.

Ravens Free Agent RB Options: Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, D'Andre Swift, AJ Dillon, D'Onta Foreman

 

Wide Receiver

Zay Flowers: The Ravens use a lot of different looks. They are throwing out extra tight ends, fullbacks, you name it. Historically, it’s been rare for them to have multiple WRs that play full snap shares and, in some years, like 2019 when Willie Snead led the team at around 60%, no one is playing a full snap share. 

That’s why it’s so impressive that Zay Flowers was able to carve out a role where he was playing upwards of 98-99% of the snaps at times as a rookie. Flowers led the team in snaps, targets, receptions, and yards, in fact, which bodes well for his future with the club.

Rashod Bateman: Rashod Bateman was second on the team in snaps but he actually only cracked 80% of the snaps one time and 70% only four times. That’s how it goes in Baltimore. On one side, that’s not ideal to see him fall behind a younger player. 

On the other, head coach John Harbaugh had a lot of good things to say about him recently. Namely, that Bateman got healthier as the season went on and that he expects him to get a lot more opportunities in 2024. I’ve been a believer in Bateman personally so I’m willing to buy in but I understand why some folks would be hesitant. 

Odell Beckham: OBJ at this stage isn’t the super mega star he once was but he’s still a serviceable contributor when healthy. And the front office in Baltimore sure seems to have great things to say about him. Everything out there makes it pretty clear where the Ravens stand - if Odell wants to be a Raven at an affordable price, they would love to have him back. He’s not a full time player at this stage but that’s alright in Baltimore.

Nelson Agholor: It was announced last week that the Ravens already signed a one-year extension with Agholor to bring him back for 2024. Still waiting on the details of the contract but he’ll be there as a veteran presence and to stretch the field. 

Devin Duvery: Duvernay is an unrestricted free agent. He hasn't been a huge contributor on offense but he returned virtually every punt and kick for this team last year. That's the argument to bring him back.

Tylan Wallace: Wallace is a depth piece that doesn’t contribute much on offense but he does operate on four different special teams units. He can be released with over a million in savings, $170K in dead cap so they’ll have to decide if his special teams work is worth it. 

RAVENS WR FREE AGENCY TAKE: As we said, the Ravens with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Patrick Ricard have a lot of creative things they can do to limit the need for a bunch of wide receivers. With Flowers, Bateman, and Agholor, they just need to fill out the rest of the depth chart. 

That is, assuming they like Bateman as much as they say they do. But they really can’t afford to pay up for the top free agent options and the rest of the names out there aren’t more appealing than what they have so it feels like draft or ancillary pieces for the Ravens. 

 

Tight End

Mark Andrews: Mark Andrews is 28 years old. Zach Ertz had his first 1,000-yard season at 28. Travis Kelce had his at 27. Mark Andrews already has a top five fantasy tight end season under his belt. And he has a lot of high level football left to play.  Based on where I see him in dynasty fantasy football rankings, he’s a buy for any team competing now. 

Isaiah Likely: When you have a player as important to the offense as Mark Andrews, you need to have someone ready to step up in his place. Unlike many backup tight ends that serve as primary blockers, Likely has always played a similar game, lining up at WR over 80% of his snaps and rarely ever pass blocking. 

The challenge in 2024 for the Ravens is how to get Likely and Andrews on the field at the same time. The window for Likely to be startable in your fantasy leagues doesn’t really open until he or Andrews is on a different team or Andrews is hurt, however. 

Charlie Kolar: The Ravens honestly have three different tight ends that would be in the mix to start on many teams. And Kolar would probably have a bigger role if Andrews and Likely weren’t so good. Charlie Kolar is a stash for me in deeper fantasy leagues where you can swing it. He’s still 25 years old - a guy like Delanie Walker was stuck behind Vernon Davis until he broke out at 30.

RAVENS TE FREE AGENCY TAKE: Not sure if I made it clear with my write ups above but the Ravens don’t really need to do anything at tight end if they don’t want. They have three solid options plus Patrick Ricard who has been a hybrid fullback/tight end as of late.

NFL Free Agency Previews

Discover our other breakdowns for the rest of the league ahead of 2024 NFL free agency: