Takeaways from Ravens' Second Free Agency Wave

Breaking down how the second day of reported signings and transactions around the league impact and reflect on the Baltimore Ravens.

Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (8) celebrates after scoring against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The second day of the NFL's legal tampering period was just about as active as the first and saw more deals get agreed to in principle on Tuesday and they become official Wednesday when the new league began. There were more moderate than sizable contracts reported including the first moves to add outside free agents by the Baltimore Ravens who were one of a few teams not to make one during the initial wave.

Here are some of the major Ravens-related ripple effects from the second wave of free agency:

DeAndre Hopkins is latest example of 'right player, right price'

Since taking over the Ravens' front office, general manager Eric DeCosta has rarely made a splashy expensive signing or trade to bring in a prominent outside player aside from trying to address free safety with a notable veteran. Instead, he has elected to continue abiding by one of the core organizational philosophies his predecessor and close friend, Ozzie Newsome, established. The 'right player, right price' motto has served them both well in the past and is poised to do so again with the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.

For the second year in a row, the Ravens are bringing in a future Hall of Famer and one of the greats of their generation to address a position of need at a discount. Last year it was veteran running back Derrick Henry who signed for below market value and he vastly outplayed his contract by nearly running for 2,000 rushing yards and getting voted to his fifth career Pro Bowl in 2024.

Unlike Henry who was brought in to be the Ravens clear-cut starter and featured player at his position, Hopkins isn't being signed to be the No. 1 option in the passing game. His addition is one that provides the team with an upgrade over Nelson Agholor at the No. 3 receiver, veteran leadership, a true 'X' receiver body type and playing style and a playmaker with a proven track record of coming up with clutch snags in crucial situations.

Having him in the fold not only gives the Ravens extra injury insurance in the event 2024 Pro Bowler Zay Flowers or veteran Rashod Bateman misses time with injury as was the case in the playoffs but it will also help elevate what was already the best offense in the league last year. Their three-receiver sets have the chance to be as lethal as any they've had during the Lamar Jackson era. Getting Hopkins on a deal with a maximum value of $6 million has the makings of being another impressive feather in DeCosta's cap after seeing some of the larger-than-expected contracts that less accomplished and productive players at the position signed over the past two days.

Ravens running it back with bully backfield

The retention that many pundits who cover the team and fans who passionately support the team knew was coming finally happened on Tuesday when the Ravens signed to a one-year deal with five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard. This move ensures that he and Henry will share the same backfield and bulldoze through defenders for another year coming off a 2024 season in which they were a nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with coming downhill.

Together, they were two of the main catalysts of the NFL's top rushing offense that averaged 187.6 yards per game and 5.8 yards per attempt. Henry had the second most productive season of his illustrious career and Ricard was named First Team All Pro for helping him achieve it.

With Ricard and two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley agreeing to new deals this week, the Ravens will officially be returning every starter they opened the 2024 season except for versatile veteran Patrick Mekari. He began the season as the starting right tackle in a two-man rotation with second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten and replaced an injured Andrew Vorhees as the starting left guard for the remainder of the season beginning in Week 4. Mekari signing a three-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the first day of free agency.

Cornerback remains a top offseason priority

Another roster move the Ravens were expected to make to free up some much-needed cap space was moving on from veteran nickel cornerback Arthur Maulet and they did on Tuesday. While he was a key contributor on the team's top-ranked 2023 defense working out of the slot, injuries limited him to just three games in 2024 and ultimately prevented him from being able to playout the final season of the two-year deal he signed last offseason.

With Brandon Stephens who was a full-time starter at outside corner for the last two seasons set to join the New York Jets on a three-year deal combined with Maulet's release, the Ravens depth chart at the position is getting thinner. While top returners, First Team All Pro Marlon Humphrey and 2024 first-rounder Nate Wiggins, have the makings of a dominant duo, they need more quality depth to round out and reinforce the unit.

Humphrey split his time between lining up outside opposite Stephens and in the slot filling in for Maulet and did some of his best work there, making several of his biggest plays in tight coverage over the middle of the field. While the Ravens still believe in the potential of 2024 fourth-rounder T.J. Tampa who didn't see much action as a rookie outside of special teams in the nine games he appeared in including the playoffs, the team will likely add at least one veteran and one rookie in the 2025 NFL Draft and potentially multiple of one or the other.

Special teams is still important in Baltimore

The Ravens officially said goodbye to inside linebackers Malik Harrison and Chris Board on Wednesday after the deals they agreed to with new teams during the legal tampering period became official. In addition to helping stabilize the WILL linebacker spot down the stretch, both players were core special teams contributors in 2024. In response, DeCosta is re-signing veteran wide receiver Tylan Wallace and signing former Los Angeles Rams linebacker and renown special teams ace Jake Hummel.

Wallace put up career highs and made the most of his limited opportunities as a pass catcher in 2024 but where he made his impact felt the most was on special teams as punt returner and both blocking and covering kicks and punts. Hummel played more than 65% of the Rams total special teams snaps in each of his first three seasons and recorded eight total tackles and blocked punt last year. Both players will be looked upon to lead what was already a young special teams unit that is only going to get younger after the draft.

Interior defensive line reinforcements moved up list off needs

With the veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce announcing his retirement from the NFL after nine years on Wednesday, the Ravens not only won't be returning every member of their defensive line for the third year in a row but now adding more depth this offseason becomes more of a priority.

Even if Pierce wasn't riding off into the sunset, adding more talent and to the position was a necessity. Travis Jones is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, veteran defensive end Brent Urban is a free agent and the only two players on the depth chart under contract past 2025 are two-time Pro Bowler Nnamdi Madubuike and veteran Broderick Washington. Luckily for the Ravens, this year's incoming draft class is rich with defensive line talent and it will likely be a position they double dip at with 11 picks.

Strategy at safety is a little puzzling

The release of veteran free safety Marcus Williams was a move that was expected for months dating back to the regular season after he got benched permanently after starting nine of the first 10 games. He was one of the main culprits for the Ravens fielding the worst pass defense during that span and once it was clear that he would no longer be a starter and since he didn't play special teams, he was inactive for the final five games of the regular season and both playoff games.

While that move was understandable and expected, the Ravens approach to trying to retain restricted free agent safety Ar'Darius Washington is a bit of a headscratcher. After reported contract extension talks broke down before the start of the new league year, they decided to place the right of first refusal tender on him which will allow to match any offer he may receive from another team but if they opt not to, they wouldn't receive any draft compensation.

Because Washington is a former undrafted free agent, they couldn't use the original round low tender on him. However, they could've elected to place a second-round tender on him which would've paid him a little more than the right for first refusal, likely ensured that another team wouldn't want to sign him to an offer sheet and compensate them handsomely in the event that one did and they didn't match.

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