NFL teams are entering the stage of free agency where winners are built. Sure, big splashes to kick off free agency can help build contenders, but it's how you round out your roster that can build a champion. For the Baltimore Ravens, who have lost 12 players in free agency, the coming month will be important.
The Ravens have lost a significant amount of talent and are undergoing a major shift at tight end. Mark Andrews will still be the starter in 2026, but both backups, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, have departed. They added Durham Smythe to begin that transition in the backup role, but the team could use another receiving threat.
Darren Waller is a tight end who could be in play. According to Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, Waller is one of the most underrated players remaining in the free agent pool. Kay wrote:
“Waller suited up for nine games with the Miami Dolphins this past year, tallying 283 receiving yards and a whopping six touchdowns on just 34 receptions.”
“It's unlikely that Waller will ever become the high-volume, hyper-productive TE1 he was with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 33-year-old could still be a needle-mover for a team lacking a capable pass-catching tight end or large red area target.”
A potential return to Charm City could offer Waller a shot at redemption.
Baltimore Ravens may want to check in with Darren Waller to reinforce tight end room
Waller was drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, but never found his footing there. In his tenure, he only totaled 12 receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns. In 2017, he was suspended for substance abuse, but was picked up off Baltimore's practice squad by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2018, and his career took off from there.
Waller’s best days were with the Raiders, where he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards twice and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2020. While a variety of injuries threw him off-course, a brief retirement in 2024 allowed him to readjust, returning with the Miami Dolphins for a productive year in 2025. Now, with him a free agent and the Ravens in need of tight end help, things could come full circle.
Baltimore has been scouting around for tight ends this offseason. Along with their signing of Durham Smythe, they met with former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku. Nothing has come from the potential Njoku interest, which could signal that the pairing won’t be coming to fruition. Maybe a different addition in a tight end, like Darren Waller, could be in the cards.
Waller feels like a strong fit in the Lamar Jackson-led offense. The Ravens lost an athletic red zone target in Isaiah Likely, and Waller possesses similar traits, which could make that a seamless transition.
Injury history is a fair reason to consider skipping Waller. There’s definitely some risk there. However, it’s also a pairing that makes a ton of sense on paper, but we’ll have to wait and see how the Ravens opt to fill their current tight end void. It could ultimately be a draft focus rather than a free agent focus.