Ravens Left Much to Desire Despite Strong Start to Free Agency

The Baltimore Ravens have filled all the major roster holes they needed to through the first week of free agency.

They got off to a strong start by improving the interior offensive line with guard John Simpson and, of course, the biggest move of the offseason with the signing of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. There were underrated moves as well, including re-signing cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and quarterback Tyler Huntley.

Overall, Week 1 of free agency was a good one for the Ravens, as they did exactly what they needed to be set up for a solid 2026 season. While it might have been better than a lot of teams in the NFL, there is a lot of meat the Ravens left on the bone that could have made it the best in the league.

Ravens could have done better in Week 1 of free agency

Pro Football Focus writer Gordon McGuinness gave the Ravens a strong grade for their offseason, awarding them a B+. McGuinness believes the team's deal so far, based on the PFF grades, is not with Hendrickson but with safety Jaylinn Hawkins.

New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"Hawkins broke out during the Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl, posting a career-high 74.9 PFF overall grade while earning a 74.7-plus PFF grade in both coverage and run defense. With his contract coming in way below projected value, he forms arguably the league’s best safety room with Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks."

With Hawkins, Hendrickson, and Simpson, these were signings with guys who are most likely going to start in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. Those moves, though, are not enough to really move the needle on the Ravens becoming Super Bowl contenders ... yet.

One move they are going to regret not making, trying to make happen, was bringing back three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, who ended up signing with the Las Vegas Raiders for an NFL center record $27 million per year. While the Ravens were probably right for not matching that high mark, losing a top center like that was a massive blow for an offensive line that struggled with its interior.

Another mishap was coming within 24 hours of trading for five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby from the Raiders. One, it was not the greatest look for the franchise to back out of the trade, but also, missing a chance to get a younger edge rusher in Crosby might haunt the Ravens for a long time.

This has not been a perfect offseason for the Ravens, but it has been a really solid one. Could it be better? Yes, it could be, and one or two changes could have made that B+ grade an A.

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