Ravens Still Have Three Roster Weaknesses Free Agency Can Fix

There are ample causes for excitement around the 2026 Ravens, and an offseason that's been so different than almost every before it.

A porous offensive line, however, can torpedo any season, and, as high as the sportsbooks seem to be on the Ravens, overall, they are also fairly tepid about the prospects for this offense. We are too. Every in-depth discussion we’ve had on “The Daily Flock” about this team, whether with Marty Hurney or Brian Baldinger or Bucky Brooks or Pete Prisco has invariably turned to the offense, and the line in particular and the fact there are no pass catchers you really fancy except for Zay Flowers.

It’s beyond time for the Ravens to fix their issue at center, and we’ve provided no shortage of options for them at various times the last two months. At this point, with mini camp around the corner and then no football til the start of camp in July, they’d best get serious about this too. So we’ve got three names for them to address on this roster – starting center, swing tackle, and potential No. 1 move tight end.

They already have $350M committed to payroll, by far a team record for one season and over consecutive seasons under Steve Bisciotti. So, what’s another $12M?

Center – Ethan Pocic

Nobody was buying what the Ravens have been selling about the center position. We reported how the odds of them trading for a starting caliber center right after the draft were viewed as scant, and here we are with them having three guys get run with the starters in OTAS. That means they don't have a starter.

The clock is ticking and with a new offense being installed, this is a box that should have been checked shortly after they realized Tyler Linberbaum was going to shatter their offers on the open market. Enough time and options have passed already.

Baldy believes Pocic is the best guy out there and would be the best fit. He has a serious body of work that is good enough. It’s eons beyond what they are currently employing.

“If you don’t get that position figured out soon it all collapses,” Baldy recently texted me. “Matt Burke is one of the reasons they won a Super Bowl.”

Given the Chargers serious issues with the interior of their offensive line, while Ravens coach Jesse Minter was defensive coordinator there, you’d figure this would be addressed by now. Pocic is only 31 and is coming off a deal in which he was making $6M a year. Let’s go already.

Tight End – Darren Waller

The Ravens drafting two tight ends is great and all, but they are quite likely going to have very refined roles and one of them is going to be much more of an understudy blocker. The Ravens decision to over-pay Mark Andrews at $13M and the draft picks might make this a nonstarter, but he would be the best move tight end on their roster and with previous target David Njoku off the market, he’s something of the last man standing.

This front office like to mythologize what Andrews has to offer – I guess when you can’t get anything for a guy in trade and then extend him anyway, it’s all you can do. Even with Waller missing time for being retired and slowing down some, he’s still far superior to Andrews. Multiple GMs have told me that, and even with Waller playing with a terrible QB with a pop-gun arm in a pathetic offense last year in Miami, the numbers speak to it.

2025 Production

Touchdowns: Waller 6 Andrews 5

Yds/Reception Waller 11.8 Andrews 8.8 (that’s not a typo)

YAC/Reception Waller 3.0 Andrews 2.1

Air Yds/Reception Waller 10.56 Andrews 7.26

Come on man. This guy played for a $2M base last year with lots of incentives on a bad team. A return to Baltimore would make too much sense and I guarantee you he provides infinitely more bang for the buck than Andrews, who has been a failure in the playoffs.

The defense got all the heavy resources this offseason. The offense still needs some.

Swing Tackle – Cornelius Lucas

I have suggested far more expensive options for this role in the past (Cam Robinson and such); the issue with the roster is as acute as ever but it’s also clear that this team might be near its max in cash spend for this season.

So why Lucas? Well, he has over 50 games of starting experience at tackle, he wont cost much more than the veteran minimum, he spent one year with Sean Payton in New Orleans so he will have a feel for this offense (Payton is rookie coordinator Declan Doyle’s primary mentor) and he spent 2024 blocking for Jayden Daniels so he has experiencing being on the perimeter for an improvisational, athletic QB. He’s played on both sides.

Agan, I’d like to aim higher, but I am trying to be incredibly realistic here. And he’s younger than some of the other low-level options. This team needs Ronnie Stanley insurance, badly, after neglecting OL in the draft after taking a guard with the 14th pick.

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