Analyst Questions Ravens' Long-Term Plan at Secondary

The Baltimore Ravens are all-in on this season. They've drafted, bought in on extension-worthy pieces and spent in the open market to put themselves in the best possible position to win an elusive Super Bowl this winter, with the franchise solely focused on that one mission.

But should they fail, the financial situation they'll face a year from now poses some interesting questions concerning how they've built certain parts of their team and how to bounce back from a potential disappointment.

Bleacher Report compiled a list of the cap space that all 32 teams can look forward to next spring, and the Ravens, having already committed to numerous long-term deals with their impact performers, can expect a hair under $18 million in next year's allowance.

That's more than a few teams, but much less than some of their peers anticipate. It's one of the costs of prioritizing the present over the future, but Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine, asking one big question of every NFL team, wonders: is the revamped secondary good enough to win when it matters?

The Ravens have had their hearts broken year after year in the Lamar Jackson era, and with the Ravens opting to focus much of their financial attention on improving the team's depth in the secondary, they'll be expected to raise their game in the playoffs.

"That leaves it up to the defense to set the ceiling for this squad. Last year, their cornerback depth was tested and failed," he wrote. "This year, they signed Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie. The veterans will join second-year players Nate Wiggins and TJ Tampa as candidates to play with Marlon Humphrey."

That cornerback group is renowned as one of the league's best, with their adding an experienced free agent in Jaire Alexander and a wunderkind free safety in the draft with Malaki Starks adding to the position group's depth as they attempt to bounce back from an inconsistent season in 2024.

They'll be a chief target for the Baltimore fan base and general NFL media to scapegoat should the Ravens once again get burned in a big game, potentially testing their spending strategy if they finish anything short of Super Bowl champions by season's end.

"Finding success in the AFC playoffs means beating the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. As good as Jackson is, the secondary has to be able to hold up their end of the bargain," Ballentine concluded.