Justin Madubuike profiled as the Ravens’ top pending free agent and to no surprise, he will not reach the open market. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle received the franchise tag on Tuesday, per a team announcement.
A statement from general manager Eric DeCosta confirms Baltimore will continue negotiating a long-term agreement. Talks on that front took place during last week’s combine, but no agreement was reached. Now, Madubuike will be tied – at least temporarily – to a 2024 salary and cap hit of $22.1M.
The 26-year-old put up modest but improving numbers across his first three seasons in the league. A jump in production (particularly in the pass-rush department) was expected to an extent entering 2024, but the degree to which it took place was surprising. Madubuike posted 13 sacks and 33 QB pressures, shattering his previous marks in those and other categories while earning second-team All-Pro acclaim.
As a result, the expectation grew throughout the season that the Texas A&M product would be the next in line to secure a major DT pact. Reports recently made it clear the tag would be used the ensure such an offer would not come from an outside suitor, and now Baltimore will be tasked with hammering out a long-term agreement. Talks on that front can continue through to July 15.
The 2022 offseason saw several young producers along the defensive interior land new deals. A clear second tier behind Aaron Donald in terms of annual compensation emerged. Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Daron Payne each agreed to multi-year contracts averaging between $22.5M and $24M per year and including almost identical guarantee figures. Madubuike will no doubt be seeking an accord along the same lines after his breakout campaign.
The former third-rounder is one of several key pending free agents the Ravens have to deal with, however. Linebacker Patrick Queen, right guard Kevin Zeitler and edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney are among the starters at risk of departing once the new league year opens. Locking in Madubuike on a multi-year pact will be necessary to avoid carrying his $22.1M cap hit in full during the 2024 season. The ability of both team and player to come to an agreement will therefore remain a storyline worth following.
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