Ravens Pass Rusher Creates Interesting Contract Dilemma

The Baltimore Ravens have largely drafted and developed talent very well throughout their history, but there's a hidden cost.

The Ravens can't keep all the good players they draft. It's simply not feasible to pay every one of those players what they deserve, so they have no choice but to let some of them go. Granted, they've actually made that a part of their team-building philosophy due to the compensatory picks they receive, but it still hurts on some level to see all those players walk away.

Edge rusher Odafe Oweh could be the next to follow that trend.

Oweh, a 2021 first-round pick out of Penn State, broke out with 10 sacks in 2024, nearly matching his total over his first three seasons. He's now set to play the 2025 season under his fifth-year option, which will cost the Ravens roughly $13.25 million against the salary cap.

That's already a steep raise from what he was making on his rookie deal, and he could make even more than that on his next deal, be it with Baltimore or another team. With another strong season, Oweh could play himself out of the Ravens's price range, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.

"At least earlier this offseason, the Ravens weren’t acting like a team that was prioritizing a new deal with Oweh. That’s understandable with how many other contract questions they have. Still, with another double-digit sack season, Oweh may price himself out of Baltimore."

The Ravens' contract situation on the edge is very complicated right now. Kyle Van Noy, who led the team with 12.5 sacks last season, is also entering the final year of his contract at age 35, so it's anyone's guess if he'll be back after this season. They did add Mike Green at last month's NFL Draft, though, and he could end up being Oweh's replacement if he lives up to the hype.

It will be very interesting to watch how Baltimore decides to handle the position over the next year or so.