Surprise, surprise—the Baltimore Ravens are not a perfectly constructed team. Believe it or not, they have flaws. Even with some roster holes, though, things could be much worse in Baltimore. They have a perennial MVP at quarterback, a Hall of Fame-bound running back, and a surging defense under one of the brightest young minds in the league, Zach Orr. Still, there's room for improvement.
Much to the chagrin of many Ravens fans, several positions need addressing this offseason. The offensive line figures to take center stage, with tackle and guard both being priority needs. Cornerback is another position they can't ignore. Brandon Stephens is heading into free agency, and after last season’s debacle, it seems very unlikely he’ll be back. Then there are the secondary concerns—wide receiver, linebacker, safety, and defensive line—positions that could all use reinforcements.
At the start of the offseason, the financial outlook felt bleak. Armed with just under $6 million in cap space, filling all those holes seemed like a pipe dream. Sure, contract restructures, extensions, and cuts could have added some flexibility, but nothing major. Well, sometimes patience pays off, and in this case, simply staying put ended up being the best move Baltimore could have made.
How much cap space do the Ravens have in 2025?
In a shocking turn of events, the NFL salary cap is set to be significantly higher than expected—and that’s going to help the Ravens considerably. ESPN’s Dan Graziano broke the news via X:
The NFL today informed teams that the 2025 per-team salary cap will fall in the range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million, way up from last year's $255.4 million. Cap will have increased by more than $53 million over the last two years.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 19, 2025
Do you remember that initial $6 million in cap space for the Ravens? Consider that—for my Parks and Rec fans—Kaboomed! The new figure reported by Graziono and later updated on Over the Cap, now shows the Ravens have more than doubled their available 2025 cap space, with a newly estimated $12.9 million available.
And the best part? That probably won’t be the final number once general manager Eric DeCosta works his usual magic.
Baltimore has several options to increase that figure even further. The most obvious move? Cutting cornerback Arthur Maulet, which would free up an additional $2.3 million. Maulet wasn’t in the Ravens’ future plans to begin with, and at 31 years old coming off an injury-riddled season, he’s an easy cap casualty.
Beyond that, restructuring Lamar Jackson’s contract and extending both Derrick Henry and Marlon Humphrey could create even more financial flexibility.
Henry and Humphrey are in similar situations. Both are getting older, and there are valid concerns about extending them long-term. But both are also coming off career seasons, and restructuring their deals to lessen their 2025 cap hits makes too much sense to ignore.
As for Jackson, he’s set to count $43.7 million against the cap this year, but that number balloons to $74 million in both 2026 and 2027. If DeCosta wants to get ahead of the inevitable restructuring conversation, this offseason would be the perfect time to start. And seeing how Jackson is laser-focused on winning a Super Bowl, it wouldn’t be shocking if he’s willing to play ball.
Regardless of how the Ravens approach their offseason maneuvering, one thing is clear—the financial outlook today is much brighter than it was yesterday. With this unexpected cap space boost, Baltimore is now in a far better position to make the necessary moves to stay in the championship hunt.