The Baltimore Ravens could be one of the more interesting teams to follow this offseason. They are under new leadership on the head coaching front for the first time in 18 years. They fired John Harbaugh, and in his place, they chose to hire Jesse Minter.
Baltimore’s front office will likely remain slow and steady throughout their offseason process, but it’s fair to wonder if they’ll be a tad more aggressive this year. They were severely disappointing in the 2025 campaign, finishing with a losing record and missing the playoffs. Throw in the arrival of Minter, and there could be an added sense of urgency.
The Ravens could look to spend a pretty penny in free agency if they do amp up their aggressiveness. They'll look to retain many of their pending free agents, most notably center Tyler Linderbaum. After that, though, countless talented players could be available to fill key areas of need. Unfortunately, it sounds like Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens won’t be one of them.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Cowboys are likely to use the franchise tag on Pickens. The tag will cost them around $28 million. It also sounds like they’re committed to a long-term future with Pickens. Schefter wrote:
“The Dallas Cowboys are expected to place their franchise tag on Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens, league sources told ESPN.”
“But the Cowboys want to lock in Pickens for at least next season and, as owner Jerry Jones told the team's website, for ‘a long time.’”
Ravens can likely cross George Pickens off their offseason target list
Of course, a tag and trade is an option. Dallas owner Jerry Jones is always open to doing business. However, their team seems very willing to attach a ton of money to their top two wideouts in CeeDee Lamb and Pickens. The duo helped make up the second-best offense in the NFL in 2025.
This is tough news to hear, because Pickens seemed like a strong fit in Baltimore. He would've complemented Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers perfectly. Outside of Flowers, the team also didn't have a receiving weapon tally over 422 yards.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson hasn’t truly had an elite contested catch artist on the outside in his NFL career, either. There’s no telling what kind of damage a possible duo of him and Pickens could have done. Ultimately, the Ravens will have to search elsewhere to find that guy. Other options could include Jauan Jennings, Alec Pierce, or maybe even A.J. Brown if things continue to unravel with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Regardless, Pickens may have been out of Baltimore’s price range. It was a dream target that wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities, but pretty darn close to. He finished with an electric 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns in 2025. Those efforts would’ve earned him a ton of money in free agency. And it may have been money that general manager Eric DeCosta wouldn’t have been willing to spend.