Ravens Must Go All In During 2026 Offseason

The Baltimore Ravens have always been known for standing on the sidelines during free agency and focusing more on bringing back their own and building through the draft.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta even said during the offseason that he would be more focused on evaluating prospects in the draft than in free agency. ESPN's staff put together a massive offseason guide, and one of the sections listed who would have the quietest offseason, including the Ravens.

"Let's specify by saying that Baltimore will be quiet with signing other teams' free agents, but it could bring back some of its own. Baltimore usually prioritizes maximizing its compensatory selections via lost free agents; players such as Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely, Alohi Gilman and Dre'Mont Jones could generate those 2027 compensatory picks if they do indeed leave. Plus, the Ravens have the third-least amount of 2027 cap space currently."

Should the Ravens have a quiet offseason?

Baltimore has a lot of guys who are about to hit the free agent market that they should take care of first. The closer the NFL gets to the official start of the offseason, the more uneasy Ravens fans are about Linderbaum returning to the team. Recent reports of him seeking $25 million per year have many believing that, despite DeCosta's "market-setting" offer, Baltimore might come up short.

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

That's exactly why the Ravens need to be aggressive right now and not let top players go. The first thing they should do is give Linderbaum what he wants to keep him in Baltimore for a long time.

After that, they should be making every call to the top free agents to bring them into the building or calling about trades. One of those trades they should make is Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby and offer two first-round picks to help a defense that had just 30 sacks a season ago.

There might be other options as well, and the Ravens should look into the free agent guards like Isaac Seumalo, David Edwards, and Zion Johnson. This will ensure that they are good with the interior offensive line and don't have to use a draft pick on that.

Baltimore could also check in on wide receiver Mike Evans to see if he wants to join the wide receiver room to pursue a Super Bowl title. If they can't get him, they can always use the draft to find one in the second round.

Sitting back and waiting around like they have been doing over the last decade hasn't led to Super Bowls. They have a new coaching staff and momentum on their side. DeCosta needs to break the routine and get top talent in the building to help them bring home the Lombardi Trophy.

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