Ravens' front office just made their left tackle plans crystal clear

For weeks, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Baltimore Ravens has been what they’re going to do at left tackle. Ronnie Stanley, the longtime anchor of the offensive line, is a free agent, and with cap space tighter than ever, it wasn’t a guarantee he’d be back.

Throw in the fact that Roger Rosengarten looked like a natural at right tackle as a rookie, and there was a real conversation about whether the Ravens might just let Stanley walk and shift the young stud to the left side.

Well, if you were bracing for a massive shakeup, Eric DeCosta just threw ice-cold water on that idea. During his pre-combine press conference, the Ravens' GM didn’t outright say Stanley is coming back, but let’s be real—he may as well have.

"You never want to say 100%, but I feel good that we'll have a good, healthy debate, a good process," DeCosta said. "We're going to meet with Kim [Stanley's agent] in Indy this week and I'm optimistic that we'll be able to get a deal done."

It sure sounds like Ronnie Stanley will be the Ravens' offseason priority

That’s about as close to a guarantee as you’ll get in February. The Ravens have plenty of work to do when it comes to the salary cap, but DeCosta making it clear that Stanley is their “priority” says it all. It sounds like barring a complete breakdown in negotiations, Baltimore is running it back with their Pro Bowl left tackle.

And honestly, that’s probably the best move.

Stanley might not be the same dominant force he was in 2019, but he’s still one of the better left tackles in the league when healthy. After years of battling injuries, he finally played a full season in 2024 and looked like himself again. That’s not the kind of player you let walk, especially when Lamar Jackson is still the centerpiece of this offense.

If Stanley’s return is all but official, then that means Rosengarten is likely staying at right tackle. The second-round pick played lights out as a rookie, and while he does have experience on the left side, there’s no need to mess with what worked last year.

Baltimore still needs to add depth to the offensive line, but keeping Stanley gives them stability at the most important position up front. And more importantly, it gives Jackson the protection he needs to keep this offense rolling in 2025.

DeCosta wasn't the only Ravens talking head who expressed interest in bringing Stanley back. Head coach John Harbaugh also voiced his optimism and hope to bring back the Pro Bowl tackle: "I think that we'll probably keep Ronnie," Harbaugh said. "I'm hopeful that we will."

Obviously, the biggest hurdle will be the salary cap. DeCosta will need to navigate the limited space they have to accommodate Stanley's new deal, but after his presser, it feels like he's already thought about what he needs to do to make the money work.

So for all the speculation about a major change at left tackle, DeCosta just put that to rest. Stanley’s not going anywhere.

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