The 2024 NFL season was good for the Baltimore Ravens. With a 12-5 record at the end of the regular season, Baltimore won the AFC North division. The Ravens even defeated the Steelers to earn a Wild Card victory.
Sadly, Baltimore was unable to overcome a formidable Buffalo squad captained by MVP contender Josh Allen. Now, as they attempt to reload the roster, the Ravens head into the offseason with a desire for vengeance. Many of the Ravens’ key players have contracts in place for the 2025 campaign, which is fantastic news for the team.
The majority of Baltimore’s starting players on both sides of the ball, including Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Kyle Hamilton, and Roquan Smith, will be back. After selecting players in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Ravens can become even more formidable. Baltimore’s cap space constraints for the 2025 offseason are their only problem. Baltimore is expected to have about $17 million in cap space at the start of the offseason, according to Over the Cap. While it’s not a bad scenario, it might prevent the Ravens from overspending on any one player.
The question now is: out of the upcoming free agents, which guys will the Ravens prioritize? Or would they rather save some cap space and concentrate on the NFL Draft in 2025? We’ll look at three Ravens players below who Baltimore ought to re-sign prior to the start of the 2025 NFL free agency window.
Patrick Ricard is a necessary piece of Baltimore’s running game
One of the few true fullbacks still playing in the NFL is Patrick Ricard. Ricard offers Baltimore an edge over opposition defenses because he is the ideal run-blocking fullback. At six feet three and 300 pounds, he is a rock.
The Ravens have kept him around for so long for a reason. During the 2025 season, Ricard, who just finished a three-year contract, will turn thirty-one. Given how many clubs have completely abandoned the fullback position, he is nearing the end of his NFL career. But I think he should have one last season with the Ravens.
The running game will continue to play a significant role in Baltimore’s attack in 2025 because they still have Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. Ricard offers too much value in the near term to be disregarded, but he is undoubtedly replicable in the long run. It’s easy to understand why Over the Cap doesn’t think his free agency market will be robust. Like Kyle Juszczyk with the 49ers, Ricard probably means more to the Ravens than any other NFL team. As long as the Ravens have the funds to re-sign Ricard, this reunion feels natural.
Patrick Mekari is worth keeping around, even if he’s just offensive line depth
For many years, Mekari has been a pillar of Baltimore’s offensive line. The Ravens signed the six-year veteran as a UDFA in 2019 and he has been with the organization ever since.
This season, Mekari, who began playing left guard with the Ravens in 2024, was in the last year of a three-year contract extension. In 2024, his cap hit was around $6.5 million, which Over the Cap estimates is the amount he could fetch on the free market. If nothing else, the Ravens would likely want to retain Mekari and the offensive line camaraderie he has developed over the years.
If Mekari is kept, he may be eligible for a multi-year extension because he is only 27 years old. That might be significant because it might enable the Ravens to negotiate his contract so that his 2025 cap hit is as low as possible. A deal that keeps Mekari in Baltimore on a restricted cap hit for the upcoming season would be a tremendous victory for both parties.
Brandon Stephens is a no-brainer re-signing, so long as the price is right
On this list, Stephens might be the most significant player.
This season, Stephens and Nate Wiggins started for the Ravens at outside cornerback. Brandon Stephens was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. His rookie contract expired in 2024, so the Ravens will need to extend it to retain him in Baltimore.
For Stephens, more than for Ricard or Mekari, the price tag will be the most crucial consideration. In the current NFL, cornerback is a highly sought-after position, and in recent years, free agency corners have been known to get enormous contracts. Stephens is worth slightly less than $5 million a season, according to Over the Cap.
If several teams engage in a bidding battle, I think he may easily earn more than this in average annual value. The Ravens must re-sign Stephens as soon as possible and prevent him from testing the free agent market if they hope to keep him.
