Will Ravens Use Franchise Tag for Third-Straight Year?

With free agency just weeks away, all eyes are on Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Stanley returned to form in 2024 after battling injuries for years, providing excellent blindside blocking for Lamar Jackson and co. He bet on himself last offseason by restructuring his contract to make him a free agent this spring, and that bet paid off.

Now, Stanley is in line for a massive pay day next month. He will likely sign with the highest bidder, as at 31 years old, this will probably his final big contract in the NFL. However, the Ravens could make sure he doesn't hit the open market.

The ideal scenario would be to sign Stanley to a scenario before free agency begins in March, but the franchise tag is available as a backup option. As a reminder, the franchise tag is essentially a one-year tender with a value that depends on the type of tag, but usually takes the average of the highest-paid players at the position. The most important part is it keeps the player with the team through the offseason, and gives them until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal.

While Stanley may seem like a prime franchise tag candidate, ESPN's Jamison Hensley believes the Ravens won't go down that route.

"The Ravens have used the franchise tag for the past two seasons, placing it on quarterback Lamar Jackson in 2023 and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike last year. But Baltimore doesn't have a candidate for the tag this offseason, and it doesn't have the salary cap room even if there were one," Hensley wrote. "The Ravens' top free agent is offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, and the tag for offensive linemen is over $25 million. Baltimore is projected to rank among the bottom 10 teams in terms of cap space."

In both prior cases, the Ravens were able to extend those players shortly after tagging them. They signed Jackson to a record-setting extension (at the time) on April 27, 2023 after tagging him on March 7. Madubuike hardly took any time at all, as the Ravens extended him on March 8, 2024, just three days after tagging him.

The franchise tag window opens Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET and lasts until March 4, so the Ravens have some time to formulate a plan. Unfortunately, their cap situation drastically limits their options.

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