Ravens Rank Dead Last in Spending at Key Position Group

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the best, if not the best offensive team in the league over the past several years. They've been especially effective on the ground, but their air game has grown more and more as Lamar Jackson continues to prove himself as one of the NFL's best passers.

Like most great offensive teams, the Ravens' success starts up front. The offensive line - recently highlighted by left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum - has consistently done a great job opening up holes to run through and keeping Jackson upright, though his elusiveness definitely helps.

So, it probably comes as a surprise that the Ravens rank dead last in the league in offensive line spending, but it's true.

According to OverTheCap, the Ravens are spending around $18.8 million in cap space on their offensive line, over $4 million less than any other team. While that may sound bad at first, it's far more of a blessing than a curse.

First, four of the Ravens' five projected starters up front are currently on their rookie deals. Linderbaum, left guard Andrew Vorhees, right guard Daniel Faalele and right tackle Roger Rosengarten are all on their first NFL contracts, and thus take up very little cap space. For the value they provide, Linderbaum especially, those contracts are a steal.

Then there's the fifth starter in left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who just re-signed with Baltimore on a three-year, $60 million deal. While that sounds like he would carry a high cap hit, the Ravens structured his contract in such a way so that he only takes up around $5.8 million in cap space this season. That number will rise significantly as the contract progresses, but for now, it's very manageable against the cap.

The Ravens probably won't get to enjoy this luxury for long, however. In addition to Stanley's rising cap hit, Linderbaum is also due for an extension very soon and will likely become one of the league's highest-paid centers, if not the highest-paid. Faalele, though controversial among some fans, could also see a nice raise very soon, as he's set to play this season on the final year of his rookie deal.

Remember, this is strictly in regard to 2025 cap hits. There are probably several other metrics that place the Ravens far higher in offensive line spending, but it goes to show how clever they've been with their cap space.

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