The Baltimore Ravens did not cross the finish line on any deal ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday. They had already made three moves ahead of deadline day, and despite the frenzy that went on Tuesday, General Manager Eric DeCosta and Baltimore’s front office stood pat.
The decision to stay out of the action certainly angered some fans. As the team sits at 3-5, it is clear they need more help. The Ravens are on a two-game winning streak and are once again favored to win the AFC North in 2025, but struggling play of the interior offensive and defensive lines have been obvious even through their recent success.
Still, it may have been a smarter idea to stay out of the frenzy than to enter the bidding wars.
Ravens make smart move, steer clear of overpays
The most notable player that fans will say the Ravens should have traded for is new Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Baltimore finds themselves in a deep need for interior defensive line help with Nnamdi Madubuike out for the year, and while DeCosta likely did his due diligence inquiring about the three-time Pro Bowler, the price was simply too high.
The Cowboys could outbid nearly everyone on Tuesday. Even if Baltimore were to meet the luxury price of a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and a player like defensive tackle Mazi Smith, Dallas would have easily been able to outbid them.
While the Ravens are expected to have a ton of picks by the time the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around, most of those are late day three selections. Seeing how most effective contributors moved cost earlier day three capital at minimum, and in several cases, far more than that, it was wise to move forward with the current 53-man roster, and let the earlier acquisitions of safety Alohi Gilman and outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones make their impact.
For some targets, including seemingly perfect fits of defensive lineman Calais Campbell and offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, Baltimore would have had to fork up a projected comp pick in addition to the pick(s) they would have traded in a potential deal. That would have unnecessarily doubled the price on some trade candidates.
This only applies to guys who were just signed by the old team - like a Zeitler or Calais Campbell - this past off season, so it applies to some of the fanbases favorite targets, but certainly not all. https://t.co/1fIGBlDTxX
— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) November 4, 2025
Overall, the move will likely be to focus on positional upgrades to the offensive and defensive lines in the offseason. The trade deadline always drives up the price to an extreme, and with such a slow start to their 2025 campaign, it would have been a major risk to go all-in at the trade deadline. The deals they already finalized should work out fine. Fans will have to wait and see how it plays out.