Ravens 2026 LB Positional Assessment: Last Ride For Roquan?

There are a handful of older players the Ravens are quick to defend publicly and borderline gaslight the fans and media about when it comes to their performance. But the team’s actions speak loudest when it comes to what their really thinking.

A front office that has been too willing to extend declining players too often – whether in pursuing of additional cap space or because they believe they know better – has resisted the urge with some of the players on bloated contracts. Because they are concerns that they may have seen the best of the player and extending the player – even at his current payrate – could be a significant mistake.

The risk doesn’t match the reward.

Middle linebacker Roquan Smith is one of those such players. He’s making $20M and he’s in the final guaranteed year of his deal and the Ravens have made a few mitigated forays to address depth at his position in the draft, but nothing significant, but that could be changing in 2027. While defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver can go to bat for him in the media and Smith himself can get real about his 2025 campaign and what needs to change, this a prove it year for him that goes well beyond words.

The structure of the contract speaks precisely to that dynamic. That’s why they are carrying him at a fairly ridiculous $33M cap hit without moving any money or commitments into the future to address it.

Having a much better defensive staff is huge. Having a better cast of players around him in the front seven has eliminated any excuses. Smith needs to be a tone-setting, powerful, consistent presence for this defense and become less of a liability in coverage. There’s not much behind him on the depth chart and he wears the green dot for a reason.

Key Contracts

Starter:

Smith $20M cash ($33M cap): He’s been in steady decline for two years and needs to improve in every aspect of play. His rate of solo tackles and tackles for loss and ability to defend running backs in coverage are all in question. Should head coach Jesse Minter find some potential dime packages without him to give him a breather? This is a lot of money to spend on someone who has not been a playmaker since Mike Macdonald left town.

Backups:

Teddye Buchanan $1M cash ($1.2M cap); He is trying to get back from season-ending surgery but looked like the closest thing to an understudy to Smith on the roster after a rookie season in which he exceeded expectations. Looked to be more than just a special teams guy.

Trenton Simpson $3.7M cash ($3.9M cap): This isn’t a like for like as he is a weak-side guy and needs to be out on the perimeter, honestly. Maybe they can tap into his pass rush more in this new scheme. A stylized role would fit him best and this is a make-or-break year for him making some real money in his walk year.

Prognosis For 2026 – Shaky

The pass rush will be better, right? I mean it has to be better, right? And Smith will be able to diagnose those checkdowns and mitigate the damage? Teams won’t be in position to attack him or isolate him more downfield, right? And we can also point to the loss of dominant defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike last season as something that had devastating impact on Smith. But there’s also no guarantee Madubiuke will be the same after neck surgery and when you pay someone who doesn’t get sacks or interceptions or tackles for loss $20M a season, we also shouldn’t be talking about all of these other mitigating factors.

Prognosis Beyond 2026 – SOS

Yet another position where you could throw a dart in the second or third round next year at a prototypical Mike linebacker. Feels just like the situation with Marlon Humphrey and Ronnie Stanley and Derrick Henry. One last big-money ride before the nature of this roster changes in an even more sweeping and dynamic way in 2027 than it did in 2026. A few of these risks will not go their way. That’s football.

Projections

Smith has a lot of pride and he took more accountability during minicamp than we saw all of last season as this campaign devolved. I have a hard time thinking they get a $20M season out of him. Hopefully this is closer to a $10M-$12M season at the very least. There cannot be communication breakdowns and missed assignments; this defense cannot be continually a step too slow or late to react as it’s been since Macdonald left. I have a feeling they do get him off his feet at least on occasion this season, with a full compliment of safeties and more diverse body types at the corner spot as well. Buchanan will be interesting to watch. This might be it for Simpson.

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