The Baltimore Ravens have enforced a straightforward approach this offseason. After ending 2025 on the most horrific of notes, ownership and the front office were clearly sick of coming up short. They’re doing everything in their power to put themselves back on the map in 2026.
It all started with the firing of John Harbaugh and the hiring of Jesse Minter. That aggressive approach has continued into free agency, too, as they finally went all-in for an elite pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson. While there’s been some chaos along the way through the Maxx Crosby debacle and a variety of key losses, it’s been a strong offseason thus far.
Mike Jones of The Athletic recognized this. In a recent article where he listed the winners and losers of free agency, the Ravens were the first winners he mentioned. Jones wrote:
“Hendrickson may represent a slight drop-off from Crosby; however, acquiring him for similar money and without having to give up the two first-round picks represents a win and wise decision for Baltimore. The Ravens also met some other key needs with the addition of interior offensive lineman John Simpson and safety Jaylinn Hawkins — both for good value.”
Baltimore Ravens’ chaotic free agency period is looking like a major win
The biggest question following the start of free agency for Baltimore has been the Hendrickson vs. Crosby debate. Let’s get one thing straight: Crosby is without a doubt the better player. He’s a devastating pass rusher and a game-wrecker against the run. However, Hendrickson has also been one of the best sack artists in the game over the past several seasons, which is exactly what the Ravens needed. It’s not that far of a drop-off from what they could’ve had in Crosby.
As Jones mentioned, the major difference is the two first-round picks that Baltimore will retain. Anytime a team has a first-round pick, it’s a chance to draft a game-changing player for your franchise, who could lead the way for the next five years. For the Baltimore Ravens, they may value the draft more than any other team in the league. General manager Eric DeCosta and company will surely put those picks to very good use.
The Ravens did intend to acquire both Crosby and Hendrickson, but they’re more than fine with getting one, and they can use that extra money and those draft picks to good use to fill other holes. And they’ve already done that.
The other signings that Jones highlights, guard John Simpson and safety Jaylinn Hawkins, are set to be heavy contributors in 2026.
Simpson comes back to Charm City after a one-year stint in 2023 and earned new offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford’s seal of approval to return. He comes in on a three-year, $30 million deal, bringing some stability to the interior of the offensive line. He was a bit of a polarizing signing given his penalty issues, but he will undoubtedly help keep quarterback Lamar Jackson healthy.
Hawkins is an improvement at the Ravens’ third safety spot. They lost both their players for that role in free agency, as Alohi Gilman joined the Kansas City Chiefs and Ar’Darius Washington followed John Harbaugh to the New York Giants. Hawkins was far better than both of those guys last year, though. He brings versatility in alignments and can dominate in both coverage and run defense. He should form a nasty trio between himself, Kyle Hamilton, and Malaki Starks.
This doesn’t even include the sneaky re-signing of reliable cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and the addition of a stable blocking tight end in Durham Smythe. Sure, losing center Tyler Linderbaum hurts a ton, but they’ve definitely improved their team this offseason.
Even after 11 players on the free agent market, they’ve filled in the cracks of their roster very nicely. Once the draft rolls around, they’ll be able to truly flex their ability to build a strong roster. It should look pretty nice come May.