Ravens Pillaged at Start of Free Agency

As much as he'll energize a defensive group that sank to the bottom of the league in pressure applied to opposing quarterback pockets in 2025, his announced entrance all but confirmed that previous go-to edge-rusher Dre'Mont Jones wouldn't be long in Baltimore.

He'd only been a Raven for the last nine weeks of their previous campaign, but he made an indelible mark along the edge as a much-needed nastiness injection. As fun as he'd been, he's no Crosby, and he understandably opted for a few more years of security with the New England Patriots.

Completely separate from their position group, the Ravens' safety platoon took some sizable hits once the first day's dust began settling down. Well after the first big wave of signings, both Alohi Gilman and Ar'Darius Washington bid goodbye to Baltimore in leaving for the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants, respectively.

The Ravens won't be left with nothing now that their profitable rental in Gilman and a reserve in Washington are each leaving, still armed with regular All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and rookie prospect Malaki Starks. A bona fide edge rusher should help diffuse the need for Hamilton to have to help out so close to scrimmage as often, but the team will need some depth pieces to consolidate their bench.

Sapping the Offense

As lopsided as the already-wonky Ravens defense looks following Day One of free agency, the offense suffered even more casualties.

First and foremost, Tyler Linderbaum. One of the Ravens' most valuable pieces has spent four years blossoming into one of the game's premier centers, the best and most necessary blocker manning Lamar Jackson's offensive line, but he left for the Las Vegas Raiders on a record-setting three-year, $81 million deal when his former team was financially incapable of matching such a mark.

As much as his loss is sure to sap the Ravens of their continuity as a scoring unit, he wasn't even the only key offensive piece to walk. Both of the group's often-used reserve tight ends in the pass-catching Isaiah Likely and the block-happy Charlie Kolar added to the list of blows for fans to try and sustain, with Kolar leaving to join Jim Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers while Likely further bolsters new New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh's plundering of his old team.

That's to say nothing of Jordan Stout, the Ravens' Pro Bowl punter who'll unquestionably soften some of the punch from Baltimore's special team attack. He'll be joining Likely and Washington as Giants in the fall.

What's more, when the organization had the chance to ink up-and-coming running back Keaton Mitchell for a little bit longer in restricted free agency, they turned their nose up at the idea in casting him into the open market. Of all of the recent Ravens who've been faced with the possibility of finding a new home, only backup quarterback Tyler Huntley has signed up for more go-arounds with the group.

It would be safe to assume that after nearly two months of Minter and his new front office strategically assembling a coaching staff with specific values as they ones they preach, they still have a plan for maintaining their competitive edge in 2026. Little's been revealed to the public, though, and the present state of the team suggests that they can't afford many more costly losses before finding a way to replace the former Ravens.