Ravens Have Freedom After Ronnie Stanley Deal

The Baltimore Ravens accomplished their main goal of the offseason, so what comes next?

Oct 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) blocks Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendricksen (91 in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

After weeks, if not months, of questions about Ronnie Stanley's future, the Baltimore Ravens finally locked down their franchise left tackle on Saturday with a three-year, $60 million contract. Re-signing Stanley was easily the Ravens' top priority this offseason, and they can now check him off their list.

The question now becomes a very common one: what's next?

Yes, Stanley may have been at the top of the Ravens' offseason checklist, but they still have several goals beyond just re-signing him. Luckily, they now have the freedom to fully attend to those matters, so it seems appropriate to take a look at what the rest of their offseason could look like.

Nov 7, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric Decosta one the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

First, and most importantly, is Baltimore's salary cap situation after this move. Over the Cap has the Ravens with just over $10.5 million in cap space before Stanley's deal, so if his cap hit is anywhere near the $20 million per year he's set to make, they are well over the cap now.

As a result, expect some cuts in the near future to help the Ravens manage their cap space. They could save $11 million against the cap by releasing veteran tight end Mark Andrews, who was already a popular cut candidate before this deal. With Baltimore even tighter on cap space, Andrews' days in purple and black could be coming to an end.

Second, there's the rest of free agency. General manager Eric DeCosta all but said that the team wouldn't be too active in free agency at the combine, and it seems very unlikely that anything has changed on that front. There will likely be some smaller signings, but there probably won't be any big splashes for the Ravens this offseason, unless Stanley is considered to be one.

Finally, there's the NFL Draft in April. Re-signing Stanley changed the Ravens' draft outlook substantially, as many mock drafts had them taking an offensive tackle in anticipation of his departure.

Now that he's back, they have the freedom to address essentially any other position. The secondary stands out as the biggest remaining need, but really, there would be very few bad options for Baltimore at No. 27 overall.

The offseason has now truly opened up for the Ravens, and how they take advantage of it will go a long way towards deciding their 2025 outlook.

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