The Baltimore Ravens crushed another offseason. They dominated the draft and made do with the money they had, signing key free agents and many of their own. The acquisitions helped build what is possibly the best roster in the NFL going into 2025, and they are ready to go full throttle into another explosive campaign.
One of the most critical moves of their offseason was re-signing left tackle Ronnie Stanley, and it feels like it has flown under the radar. The offensive tackle market outside of Stanley was not that brilliant. Bringing back Lamar Jackson’s blindside protector was a must, and the deal could be the steal of the offseason.
Baltimore inked Stanley to a three-year $60 million contract in March, setting the team up for another run similar to that of 2024. He was a prominent piece to the passing attack that cracked 4,000 yards through the air for the first time with Jackson at the helm, but he also helped their rushing offense punish opposing defenses on the ground for over 3,000 yards.
It was a historic season in Baltimore, and Stanley was a crucial part of that. The scary part is that the offense could be even better in 2025. It makes the Stanley decision look that much better. In a recent article, Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus (PFF) listed every AFC team’s best move of the 2025 offseason, and for the Ravens, he chose the re-signing of Stanley. Wasserman wrote:
“The Ravens are already on shaky ground at guard. The last thing they needed heading into the offseason was a vacancy at left tackle, too. Fortunately, they negotiated a new contract with Ronnie Stanley to avoid that problem. Stanley is still a terrific blindside protector who earned an 80.9 PFF pass-blocking grade last season, ranking 16th among qualified offensive tackles.”
The Ronnie Stanley extension was the best move of the offseason
The Stanley contract is already looking like a steal, which makes it possibly the best free agency move of this past offseason. His $20 million per year salary ranks tied for 11th among offensive tackles around the league. He sits next to great company near the top, but for a tackle who was just about to hit a competitive market, the Ravens got the Notre Dame product for a bargain. Sure, there is injury risk, but based on pure talent, Stanley looks to be on a hometown discount.
It is no secret that Stanley has struggled with injuries over the past several seasons, and it has shaken him. Thankfully, the 31-year-old played the full 17-game slate in 2024 and returned to Pro Bowl form, making the team for the second time in his career.
With another year of playing at 100 percent, Stanley should maximize his play and put himself back in All-Pro contention. Though injuries have taken a toll on him, he is still one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL. Last year proved that. If he can return to the top of his game, the Ravens could break even more records in their 2025 campaign.