March 14

Ravens agree to one-year deal with QB Josh Johnson

The 37-year-old quarterback Johnson will stay with the Ravens for an additional year. He joins Lamar Jackson and Malick Cunningham as Baltimore’s third quarterback.Since 2020, Tyler Huntley has been the Ravens’ main backup quarterback. He is a free agent, so it’s unclear if he’ll return.

Johnson was the team’s emergency No. 3 quarterback throughout the 2023 season, but he didn’t play in any games. Without another offseason addition at the position, he’ll likely compete with Cunningham for the No. 2 job this summer.

Ravens officially make WR Odell Beckham Jr. a post-June 1 release

After Beckham’s deal was adjusted in January between the Ravens and him, this was viewed as almost just a formality. If he had been on Baltimore’s roster by Thursday, he would have earned a guaranteed $50 million for 2025, but that was obviously not going to happen. The Ravens and Beckham could have worked out an agreement, but they don’t have much cap space and want to give young pass catchers like Zach Flowers, Rashid Bateman, and tight end Isaiah Likely more roles. In contrast, Beckham most likely wants to be a part of an attack that will provide him more chances than the 64 targets he received in 14 games during the previous year.

By renegotiating his contract and releasing him after June 1st, the Ravens will now be able to spread out the dead money over the salary cap for the next season. After June 1st, they will additionally receive cap savings of about $1 million. Beckham will be able to go on the open market. He won’t be taken into account in the compensating calculation since he was released. The 31-year-old receiver is winning because some teams are delaying signing players in order to avoid losing out on potential compensatory picks.

In April of last year, Beckham inked a $15 million, one-year contract with the Ravens. In the end, he caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three scores. Especially with their offense, the Ravens realized they wouldn’t likely get $15 million in production off of Beckham. On the other hand, they appreciated his leadership and the effect he would have on quarterback Lamar Jackson, who at the time of Beckham’s signing was embroiled in a contract dispute with Baltimore.

March 13

Ravens agree to one-year deal with DL Brent Urban

Using their identical defensive line from the previous year, the Ravens seem determined to make a comeback. The Ravens made sure to keep Urban as well, having reached an agreement on an extension with nose tackle Michael Pierce in January and concluding a long-term contract with defensive lineman Justin Madubuike last week.

The nine-year veteran just finished one of his greatest NFL seasons, recording a career-high three sacks in addition to 22 tackles, two interceptions, and a recovered fumble in 17 games (three starts).

Although Madubuike, Pierce, Urban, Brock Washington, and Travis Jones are all expected to return, adding another rotational defensive lineman via the draft or free agency doesn’t need to be Baltimore’s top priority.

Ravens trade RT Morgan Moses to Jets

Making improvements to the offensive line was clearly a top priority for the Ravens’ offseason decision-makers. Up front, they desired to get younger and more physically fit. Over the previous two seasons, Moses performed admirably for the Ravens; however, he recently turned 33 and missed a large portion of last season due to an arm/shoulder ailment. In addition to allowing Baltimore to acquire a younger starting pitching staff, cutting him loose will free up a much-needed $5.5 million in salary-cap space.

Moses’ trade, combined with the departure of John Simpson in free agency and the possibility that starting right guard Kevin Zeitler would sign elsewhere, all point to the Ravens’ draft class possibly being heavily weighted toward offensive lines. Ronnie Stanley, the left tackle, is coming back after deciding to accept a wage decrease, and Tyler Linderbaum, the center, is already among the finest in the NFL.

The Ravens currently need to fill up to three starter positions along the offensive line. They have a few choices therein. When he has started, seasoned swing tackle Patrick Mekari has often performed admirably. Two years ago, Baltimore selected offensive tackle Daniel Faalele with a fourth-round pick. Young guards Andrew Vorhees, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, and Ben Cleveland were also drafted.

General manager Eric DeCosta has a lot of work ahead of him, but one or two replacements might emerge among the people currently on the roster.

LB Tyus Bowser released by Ravens, sources say

This was an expected move after Bowser missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury and played just nine games in 2022. A second-round pick in 2017, Bowser had his best season in 2021 with seven sacks, two forced fumbles and 59 tackles. He was sidelined this past season with a knee injury that the Ravens hoped would only cost him a chunk of training camp. However, he was never healthy enough to return.

Moving on from Bowser, 28, creates $5.5 million of cap savings. It further thins Baltimore’s outside linebacker depth as Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy are both free agents. Per colleague Joe Person, Clowney is currently in Charlotte meeting with the Panthers.

Ravens rework contract of veteran LT Ronnie Stanley, sources confirm

Stanley was due a $4 million bonus if he was on the roster by March 18. It’s now clear that he will be, as Baltimore and the 29-year-old left tackle have agreed to a revised contract that includes a pay reduction for Stanley. ESPN first reported the news, indicating that Stanley will play on “less in base pay but has upside potential to reach or surpass that number.”

Exact details of the level of pay reduction and how much cap savings it creates for the Ravens aren’t currently known. Before the new agreement, Stanley was carrying a $26.2 million cap hit, which would have been the second highest on the team. That number figures to drop significantly.

A pay reduction was always the most reasonable result for Stanley, who has struggled to stay on the field because of myriad injuries. Cutting him before June 1 would have created a ton of dead money on the salary cap and left the Ravens without their starting left tackle during an offseason where both their starting guards are free agents and there are questions about the future of starting right tackle Morgan Moses.

March 12

LS Tyler Ott agrees to three-year deal with Commanders

Ott was signed just before training camp last year after the Ravens learned that their long snapper, Nick Moore, tore his Achilles. Ott did a nice job for Baltimore. However, when the Ravens tacked an additional year onto Moore’s deal after his injury, it was pretty much established that Ott’s stay in Baltimore would be just one season.

LB Patrick Queen agrees to three-year contract with Steelers

A day after losing safety Geno Stone to the Bengals, the Ravens watched another of their top free agents join a hated division rival. Queen’s deal with the Steelers is reportedly a three-year pact worth $41 million. It’s a bit smaller of a deal than what was expected for Queen, who was one of the top inside linebackers on the market.

However, the Ravens were never really a threat to re-sign Queen because of their tight salary-cap situation and what they’ve already invested in fellow inside linebacker Roquan Smith ($20 million per year). The Ravens also have a potential internal replacement for Queen in 2023 third-round pick Trenton Simpson.

Queen, though, will certainly be missed. The 2020 first-round pick started every game over four seasons with the Ravens, amassing 454 tackles, 13 1/2 sacks, four interceptions, five forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.

Ravens agree to deal with RB Derrick Henry

Roughly five months after the Ravens nearly landed Henry in a pre-trade deadline move with the Titans, they finally got their man, agreeing to terms with the top remaining running back available, sources close to the negotiations confirmed. It’s a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million guaranteed and an additional $4 million available in incentives.

Henry is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl season with the Titans after rushing for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. The 30-year-old topped the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his eight seasons in Nashville.

Henry was 38th in The Athletic’s rankings of the top 150 free agents. He is the first outside free agent to agree to terms with the Ravens since the negotiation window opened on Monday. Running back was one of the team’s biggest needs with Gus Edwards, who agreed to terms with the Chargers, J.K. Dobbins and Dalvin Cook all hitting the free-agent market this week.

LB Del’Shawn Phillips agrees to one-year deal with Texans

The Ravens had some interest in keeping Phillips, the 27-year-old linebacker who led the team in special teams snaps last season. However, the Texans made him a bigger priority, ending Phillips’ two-year run in Baltimore. Phillips finished last season with 24 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He played in every game and made one start as Baltimore opted to rest middle linebacker Roquan Smith in Week 18 against Pittsburgh.

The Ravens did reach an agreement with linebacker/core special-teamer Malik Harrison Monday night. However, Phillips’ departure further thins a linebacker group that could lose Patrick Queen, too.

March 11

Offensive guard John Simpson agrees to two-year deal with Jets

Ravens officials knew they had to rebuild their offensive line this offseason. They declined to sign veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler before his contract was voided, allowing him to hit the free-agent market. They also learned Monday that Simpson, who started every game for the team at left guard, has agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Jets with a max value of $18 million, his agent Kyle Strongin confirmed.

The Ravens have three potential Simpson replacements on their roster: second-year guard Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, who Simpson beat out during the preseason for the starting left guard job; 2023 seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees, who missed his entire rookie season as he recovered from a knee injury; and 2021 third-round pick Ben Cleveland, who has started seven games over his first three seasons.

Ravens agree to terms on one-year deal with LB Malik Harrison

Harrison has long been a favorite of Baltimore’s coaching staff because of his versatility. He’s been a core special-teamer, playing the second-most special teams snaps on the team last season. He started eight games last year at strong-side linebacker, where he was a strong edge setter against the run. He also was one of the Ravens’ backup options at inside linebacker.

Baltimore’s list of free agents included inside linebackers Queen and Phillips and outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy. It always felt like Harrison was one of the more likely Ravens unrestricted free agents to stick with how much they value his skill set.

CB Ronald Darby reportedly signs two-year deal with Jaguars

The Ravens’ day-one exodus of free agents continued with reports that Darby, who had a strong 2023 season in stepping up for an injured Marlon Humphrey, has verbally agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Jaguars. Signed during training camp last year after Humphrey was sidelined following foot surgery, Darby played in 16 games for the Ravens, starting seven. He had seven pass breakups and was stingy in coverage.

Darby, 30, was one of three free-agent corners for Baltimore, joining Rock Ya-Sin and Arthur Maulet. He seemingly was the one the Ravens most likely wanted to re-sign. However, they apparently have other ideas at one of the game’s most important positions.

WR/RS Devin Duvernay agrees to two-year contract with Jaguars

Duvernay, a two-time Pro Bowl selection as a return specialist, moves on after a season in which he struggled with injuries and faded out of the team’s offensive game plan. In 13 games, he had just four receptions for 18 yards and four rushing attempts for 15 yards. Duvernay did average 12.6 yards on punt returns and 19.3 yards on kickoff returns.

Duvernay was a third-round pick by the Ravens in 2020 and made his biggest mark on special teams with two kick return touchdowns over his first three seasons. However, the Ravens were never able to fully take advantage of his offensive skill set (he had 94 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns in four seasons) and injuries seemed to cost Duvernay some of his explosiveness over the past two years. His deal is a two-year, $8.5 million pact that could be worth as much as $12.5 million, a source with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

Safety Geno Stone agrees to two-year deal with Bengals

After Stone’s breakout 2023 season that saw him lead the AFC with seven interceptions, it was widely expected that he’d be playing elsewhere in the coming seasons. The Ravens have an established safety pair in veteran Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, an All-Pro last season. They are also tight against the salary cap. A high-quality No. 3 safety is more of a luxury than a necessity.

However, Stone landing with the divisional-rival Bengals will add another interesting wrinkle to the ascending Baltimore and Cincinnati rivalry. According to multiple reports, Stone’s deal is for $15 million over two years. It’s a well-deserved reward for Stone, who has been cut and non-tendered multiple times before he became a key part of one of the league’s best defenses in 2023. General manager Eric DeCosta recently said Stone might be the best seventh-round draft pick in team history.

RB Gus Edwards agrees to two-year deal with Chargers

The Ravens said they were interested in re-signing Edwards, but it didn’t happen. Edwards became the latest player to take advantage of the surprisingly quick-moving running back market as he agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers, where he’ll reunite with former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Edwards, a former undrafted free agent whose power running made him a key cog in the league’s most reliable rushing attack in recent seasons, set career highs in rushing attempts (198), rushing yards (810) and touchdowns (13) in 2023, but averaged a career-low 4.1 yards per carry and also fumbled a career-high three times.

Running back, meanwhile, remains a huge need for the Ravens with both J.K. Dobbins and Dalvin Cook eligible for free agency.

March 8

Ravens agree to four-year, $98 million extension with DT Justin Madubuike

Just three days after using the franchise tag on Madubuike, the Ravens agreed on a new contract with the 26-year-old defensive tackle, a move that checks off one of DeCosta’s stated priorities and also creates some much-needed salary-cap space. The franchise tag counted $22.1 million against the salary cap and put the Ravens over by about $10 million. However, Madubuike’s new contract was structured with a much lower 2024 cap number, leaving DeCosta with a little less work to do to be cap-compliant by Wednesday’s start of the new league year.

In terms of average per year, Madubuike becomes the second-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in football, behind only the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald ($31.67 million average per year). Madubuike’s breakout season — he led all interior defensive linemen with 13 sacks after having only 8 1/2 over his first three NFL seasons — came at the perfect time.

Feb. 18

Ravens sign WR Nelson Agholor to one-year, $3.75 million deal

Agholor had modest numbers in his first season as a Raven with 35 catches for 381 yards and four touchdowns, and he added another touchdown catch in the postseason. But the Ravens loved the leadership he brought to the locker room and a young wide receiver corps, and they appreciated how he took advantage of the few opportunities he did get.

There are questions about the future of Odell Beckham Jr., and Devin Duvernay is a pending free agent. DeCosta made it clear earlier this offseason that he didn’t expect to engineer another overhaul of the wide receiver room. Bringing back the 30-year-old Agholor offers the continuity he wants.