Insider Shares Date Ravens Fans Should Circle on Calendars

Free agency has mostly calmed down, and much of the league's attention has shifted to next month's NFL Draft. However, the free agent market could heat up again soon, and the Baltimore Ravens could be all over it.

For anyone wondering why, Ravens insider Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic has the answer.

"There will likely be another wave of free agency on May 2, because any free agent signed at that point will no longer count toward the compensatory formula," Zrebiec wrote. "Anybody who knows anything about Baltimore’s roster-building blueprint understands this is very much a deadline that the Ravens, who have gotten more compensatory picks than any team in football, circle on their calendars.

"In the past, the Ravens have hosted free agents before the draft with the idea of signing them after the compensatory deadline. They’ve also entered past drafts knowing they have a free-agent signing or two in their back pockets. That’s certainly in play again this year."

The Ravens are the undisputed masters of compensatory picks, as they've received more of them than any other team since the league implemented the formula in 1994. As a reminder, the Ravens began play in 1996.

According to OverTheCap, the Ravens are currently projected to receive three compensatory picks in 2026, two fifths from losing Patrick Mekari and Brandon Stephens as well as a seventh for losing Josh Jones. The addition of DeAndre Hopkins will likely take away a pick they could've received, but that's a case where they decided losing that pick was worth it.

Baltimore is also no stranger to late free agent signings. Some recent notable examples include Jadeveon Clowney in 2023 and Justin Houston in 2021. Not all of these late free agency signings have been a success, Eddie Jackson last year is an example of a flop, but the Ravens have hit on more than enough of them to validate the approach.

With just over a month to go until May 2, general manager Eric DeCosta is likely hard at work coming up with plans for that date and beyond.