Ravens to wait on Alejandro Villanueva, Justin Houston, other free agents

The Ravens met with Alejandro Villanueva and Justin Houston recently, but they won’t be signing them or any other free agent this week. Instead, the Ravens are planning to hold off on any additions until May 3 (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic).

By waiting until May 3, the Ravens can make a better assessment of their needs after the draft. That date also marks end of the compensatory pick formula, so the Ravens won’t be penalized for any veteran signings. As it stands, the Ravens are set to earn two fourth-rounders in 2022 based on free agent departures. has played out thus far.

Some believe that the Ravens are targeting Villanueva as an Orlando Brown Jr. replacement. It remains to be seen whether Ravens GM Eric DeCosta will give into his demands, however. Meanwhile, Houston would help Baltimore fill the void on the edge after losing Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue.