Who doesn’t love a little extra money? The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2026 offseason with enough money to play with. Their cap space sat at just over $21 million, and with a Lamar Jackson extension, that money is expected to jump a fair bit. However, the NFL gifted teams with plenty more wiggle room on Friday.
The NFL announced that the projected salary cap for 2026 will hover around $301.2 million to $305.7 million. That’s a jump of over $20 million from this year’s $279.2 million cap space number.
The NFL informed clubs today it is projecting a 2026 salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2026
That would represent another significant jump from this year’s $279.2 million cap number, and nearly $100M than the $208.2M cap in 2022. pic.twitter.com/3Mr146H01C
After a disastrous 2025 season, the Ravens clearly need to make several big-time upgrades in free agency and the draft. They also have a stacked class of pending free agents that they’ll need to satisfy with extensions. This cap boost will certainly give them the flexibility to do just that.
Of course, this only means free agents and those looking to sign extensions this offseason will ask for more lucrative contracts. However, an area where Baltimore can definitely take advantage of this new cap number is the trade market.
Ravens should attack trade market after cap increase
There are a few areas where the Ravens need proven talent. The most notable positions include pass rusher, interior offensive line, and secondary. The offensive guard and cornerback spots can be filled with veterans on the free agent market, and the need for depth there can be satisfied in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Baltimore needs a superstar off the edge. If they are aggressive enough, they can find that via trade.
Two players who could be targeted are Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard.
Crosby has been a speculated trade candidate since he became disgruntled after the Raiders didn’t allow him to play through a knee injury late in the season. He carries a base salary of $30 million and a cap hit of around $33.88 million in 2026.
Greenard could be on the trade market due to the Vikings’ general manager situation. They fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday, meaning new management could be looking to move some of his acquisitions. Greenard could be a part of that. He carries a base salary of $18.39 million and a cap hit of $22.3 million for this upcoming season.
After hiring Jesse Minter to be the head coach, a stronger emphasis will undoubtedly be placed on improving the defense. The unit was horrendous this past season, and a huge factor in that was the lack of pass rush. They tallied just 30 sacks. A player like Crosby or Greenard could shift that trend immediately.