It’s one of the harsh realities every January that only a select few NFL teams have a chance at a Super Bowl title. Unfortunately, the Baltimore Ravens were not able to make it to that elite group and instead are asking themselves: what do we need to change in order to get over the hump in 2025? Going into the offseason the Ravens have around $14 million of cap space to use, which is amongst the lowest in the league this year. They also have a number of big decisions to make in free agency that will greatly affect the starting line up moving into next season. One of the few bright spots in the loss against the Bills is that Lamar Jackson looked a lot better in the divisional round this year. Moving into the offseason, the Ravens need to stay calm, and continue with what they’ve been doing: getting as much talent around Jackson as possible.
The most imminent, and important decisions for next season come in the list of free agents that the Ravens have. Patrick Ricard, Tylan Wallace, Ronnie Stanley, and Ar’Darius Washington are all set to be free agents after this season, just to name a few. The two biggest decisions come from what to do with left tackle Ronnie Stanley and safety Ar’Darius Washington. Stanley is coming off of his first fully healthy season, where he has made a huge impact on our offense. If the Ravens do decide to bring back Stanley – it would be one of the more expensive decisions for them during free agency as he is in for a contract north of $15 million. If they decide to move on from Stanley, it will be the second year in a row that the Ravens will be on the lookout for a new starting tackle in either free agency or the draft. Ar’Darius Washington has been an asset for the Ravens all season, coming up from the special teams to being one of their top tacklers on defense. There’s no question it will be key for the Ravens to keep him as a building block to further improve the defense heading into next year.
A big way the Ravens could save some cap space this offseason is by reworking long time tight end Mark Andrews contract. The three time pro bowler has been a great player for the Ravens ever since he was drafted in 2018, but the Ravens could save a critical $11 million in cap space by cutting him this offseason. Not to mention, the Ravens have solid depth at tight end with Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, both of whom have made big plays during the 2024 season. Deciding on what to do with Mark Andrews will certainly be one of the trickier decisions of the offseason this year, but also, one of the most impactful.
The Ravens have made it to the playoffs in 6 of the past 7 years, and whenever you have a generational talent in Lamar Jackson, the Super Bowl window is always open. The most important thing going into this offseason is to continue doing what’s been working, developing talent, and having a solid defense. As long as the Ravens are consistently a playoff contending team, I would be surprised if Lamar doesn’t end up with a ring.
