'You Watch!' John Harbaugh Not Bothered By Baltimore Ravens' Lost Free Agents

Head coach John Harbaugh is undeterred by the surplus exodus from the Baltimore Ravens' roster.

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks to the media at / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

In terms of percentages, the Baltimore Ravens' apparent exodus has put Thanos' snap to shame when it comes to widespread departures.

With less than a fortnight before the 2024 NFL Draft, the Ravens' roster has taken a beating, one that has seen several starers journey elsewhere. All in all, 15 Ravens have left the flock according to a report from Jamison Hensley of ESPN, a list that includes staples like Devin Duvernay, Gus Edwards, Patrick Queen, Geno Stone, and Kevin Zeitler.

No Ravens? No problem, head coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week. The Baltimore boss, in fact, welcomed the challenge of working without some familiar faces in his final public comments before the Ravens hit up Detroit for the draft.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh addresses reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. / HAL HABIB / The Palm Beach Post / USA

"It's not just a math equation," Harbaugh said of the departures in Hensley's report. "It's more than that and that's what makes it so exciting and so interesting. We're going to have a heck of a team next year. You wait. You watch, and see what we do."

On paper, Baltimore does still seem capable of at least attaining some of the heights reached last season: the return of Mark Andrews and another year of development for Zay Flowers are unconventional veteran additions in their own right, while quarterback Lamar Jackson will now work in front of All-Pro running back Derrick Henry. On defense, the Ravens re-upped with Justin Madubuike on a long-term deal and also welcomed back Kyle Van Noy.

Faced with his share of challenges through his lengthy tenured with the top headset, Harbaugh's accepting this one with a smile and a catchy mantra.

"It's really interesting and good to look at the parts like you say, 'OK, they lost this many guys. They are not going to be as good of a team,'" he said. "But, in the end, it's not just about the parts, it's about the sum of the parts."

"They say, 'It's not about the X's and O's. It's about the Jimmys and Joes. That's real clever and it rhymes," Harbaugh continued. But it's more than just the Jimmys and the Joes. It's how the Jimmys and Joes fit together and you build the schemes and the whole machine."

Baltimore picks 30th in the upcoming NFL Draft, which gets underway on Apr. 25 in Detroit.