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The Baltimore Ravens suffered an unfortunate end to their promising 2023 NFL season. Despite having home-field advantage in the American Football Conference championship game, they lost to the Super Bowl-bound Kansas City Chiefs.
While their campaign is over, head coach John Harbaugh won’t be on the hot seat, and offensive coordinator Todd Monken is expected to remain. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald could get a head coaching role with either the Washington Commanders or the Seattle Seahawks.
He’s not the only one Baltimore might lose in the 2024 offseason because of its lengthy list of free agents. Five of them could be tough to replace if general manager Eric DeCosta won’t re-sign them.
#1 Justin Madubuike, DT
The defensive tackle from Texas A&M had a breakout 2023 season for the Baltimore Ravens, collecting 13 sacks, 56 tackles, and two forced fumbles. Those numbers earned him a Pro Bowl and a Second Team All-Pro selection this season. It’s easily his best year because he had a combined 8.5 sacks in his first three seasons with Baltimore.
However, the team doesn’t have a contract extension in place, though he is in the final year of his rookie scale contract. They cannot exercise a fifth-year option for Justin Madubuike because he wasn’t a first-round pick. However, after his dominating performance as an interior defensive lineman, keeping him on the roster is a no-brainer.
#2 Patrick Queen, LB
Like Madubuike, Patrick Queen earned Pro Bowl and Second Team All-Pro honors this season. He did so on the back of collecting a team-leading 84 tackles, 3.5 sacks, nine tackles for losses, six passes defended, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
He and Roquan Smith were elite sideline-to-sideline defenders for the Ravens, covering intermediate routes or run plays in the middle of the field or at the edges. Baltimore could have exercised their fifth-year option on him because he was a first-round pick in 2020. After seeing his growth as a player, they could try to keep him at least one more year before negotiating his next contract.
#3 Kevin Zeitler, G
The three-year, $22.5 million deal he signed with the Ravens in 2021 expires after the 2023 NFL season. With the Ravens being the NFL’s best rushing team, he is a massive part of that success as he helps create gaps for Gus Edwards, Keaton Mitchell, Justice Hill, and Lamar Jackson to exploit.
Zeitler has started 181 of 182 games played. While he did not make it to this year’s Pro Bowl, he gained the most votes among AFC guards. Getting him back will help maintain Baltimore’s advantage in the run game, especially in the interior offensive line.
#4 Gus Edwards, RB
The fifth-year running back from Rutgers did not disappoint in his first full season after his ACL injury in 2021. The undrafted free agent established career-highs of 198 carries, 810 yards, and 13 touchdowns in 2023. Gus Edwards added 12 receptions for 180 yards for the Ravens.
The two-year, $9 million contract he signed in 2021 will expire after this season. He has done enough to be the featured back in Baltimore’s rushing attack, making him a perfect complement to a mobile quarterback like Jackson. They must keep him through a multi-year extension or the franchise tag.
#5 Odell Beckham Jr., WR
He had 1,035 receiving yards the last time he played double-digit regular season games. Therefore, his 64 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns he tallied in 2023 are low for his lofty standards. Worst yet, he had only four catches for 34 yards in two postseason games for the Ravens.
Still, it’s best to have him back, especially when he is their second-best receiver after Zay Flowers. However, if they are to re-sign him, giving him another one-year, $15 million deal could be highway robbery. While he didn’t live up to that salary, Beckham Jr. can still contribute to Baltimore.
Complete list of Ravens free agents in 2024
In addition to the previously mentioned, here are the other Ravens players whose contracts expire after the 2023 NFL season closes.
- DE Jadeveon Clowney
- G John Simpson
- S Geno Stone
- WR Devin Duvernay
- LB Kyle Van Noy
- WR Nelson Agholor
- CB Ronald Darby
- CB Rock Ya-Sin
- QB Tyler Huntley
- RB J.K. Dobbins
- CB Arthur Maulet
- C Sam Mustipher
- DE Malik Harrison
- DE Brent Urban
- S Daryl Worley
- RB Dalvin Cook
- LB Del’Shawn Phillips
- LS Tyler Ott
It will be a busy offseason for DeCosta as he decides to have these players return or replace them with other free agents or rookies. Barring any additional trades, the Ravens will have seven picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including the 30th overall pick.
Baltimore will consider their estimated surplus of $13.6 million based on the projected 2024 salary cap in signing players. A few tweaks should retain their status as one of the AFC’s legitimate contenders.
