Ravens Free Agency Notes: Crowded Safety Room Good News For Baltimore
Could there be a scenario in which Geno Stone stays in Baltimore? After the recent round of cuts, that possibility has certainly grown.
With the release of Justin Simmons from the Denver Broncos, the free-agent safety class will consist of some of the top overall talent at the position. With so many talented safeties mixed with a young group joining together, it could muddy the waters enough to allow certain cap-strung teams like the Ravens an opportunity to bring back one of their better players.
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"Many GMs are approaching this free agency as the RBs, LBs, and safety markets to be similar to the past," Athletic reporter Diana Russini said on Twitter following Simmons' release. "Lower deals than we may imagine. Depressed market for those positions. A lot of one-year deals."
As things currently stand right now, Stone is expected to receive an annual contract of over $7 million according to Spotrac. That number, based on Russini's reporting, could drop as well due to the demand at the position.
That would be excellent news for the Ravens.
When it comes to their offseason needs, safety isn't a position that gets talked about. After all, Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton are All-Pro talents that are still under contract.
A third safety is incredibly important though for modern teams in the NFL. That's what makes Stone's free agency so important for Baltimore. If his price drops enough, it could be enticing for the Ravens to give him a short-term deal and address other positions of need that require a lot more monetary value.
Baltimore, of course, could also look to spend even less than Stone can conceivably make simply because of the sure depth of the free agent room at safety. If they find a solid third safety that is good enough to play on Sunday that would be cheaper than Stone, that could be enough for the organization.
With free agency set to begin in under a week, the Ravens have a big decision to make regarding their young safety room.
