The Ravens continue to deal with the ramifications of their inability to agree to a long-term extension with Lamar Jackson. Look no further than Baltimore's lack of moves — the team is hamstrung as Jackson's future remains in limbo, writes jeffzrebiec.
departed in free agency, while starting defensive end and locker room leader Calais Campbell became a cap casualty.
On paper, the Ravens aren’t any better than they were when their 2022 season ended with a 24-17 wild-card loss to the Bengals. In fact, they might be worse. Their wide receiver depth chart is concerning, to put it mildly. The picture isn’t much prettier at cornerback. Depth is needed along the interior of the offensive and defensive lines, and the Ravens could really use a high-impact outside linebacker, too.
Jackson hasn’t spoken to reporters in 3 1/2 months, so it’s hard to predict how he’ll even react. However, nothing in how he’s handled these negotiations suggests that he’s all of a sudden going to report to the Under Armour Performance Center willing to take what’s being offered., the quarterback who would presumably step in and lead the first-team offense if Jackson stays away from training camp, also is hardly a lock to return after the Ravens used the low restricted free agent tender on him.
Team officials insist that they were prepared for this reality as they waited out the Jackson situation. This was also widely regarded as a weak free-agent class, and the Ravens have never been a team that’s been especially free-wheeling during the first week of free agency. DeCosta and his predecessor, Ozzie Newsome, who is still a trusted voice in the front office, have traditionally found quality players at good prices in the second week of free agency and beyond.
But it’s anyone’s guess how much money the Ravens even have available. They ended last week with just $7.5 million of salary-cap space. According to Over The Cap, only five teams had less. There are a number of things Baltimore could do to create more cap space, and it’ll likely need to explore those avenues to make any major signings. However, it is currently operating like a team that is making decisions with the idea that it may have to match an offer sheet for Jackson.