The Baltimore Ravens don’t do reckless spending. It’s not their thing. While other teams throw bags of cash at big-name free agents, general manager Eric DeCosta and Co. take a much different approach—one that involves developing homegrown talent and scouring the metaphorical couch cushions for every last penny.
With Ronnie Stanley as their only must-sign free agent and a pretty underwhelming free agent market, the Ravens probably won't be making any splashy moves. That’s not pessimism—it’s just reality. DeCosta all but confirmed this during his pre-combine press conference, making it clear that Baltimore’s strategy isn’t about bringing in the biggest name. It’s about value, long-term sustainability, and, of course, the draft.
This really isn't all that shocking. The Ravens don’t operate recklessly. They build through the draft, they find hidden gems in free agency, and they let the rest of the league overpay for players they’ll regret signing a year later.
Don't expect the Ravens to make any major offseason moves
If you had any expectations of Baltimore making a big free-agent splash this offseason, boy, does DeCosta have a message for you:
"I mean, you guys know the Ravens. [It has to be] the right player [and] right price. We don't have a lot of cap room. We have [vice president of football administration] Nick Matteo working tirelessly to find some space for us. We call it 'couch cushion coins.' We're trying to find 50 grand here, 75 grand there and a couch cushion. But we're not a team that's going to make a lot of splashes, generally speaking."
That quote tells you everything you need to know about how they're approaching this offseason. Baltimore doesn’t have a war chest of cash to throw around, and even if they did, history tells us they wouldn’t throw it carelessly anyway. Even with the surprising salary cap increase, the Ravens will be operating with just about $12 million. That's before they try to re-sign Stanley, so it's looking like it'll be a pretty boring offseason from a free-agent acquisition standpoint.
The focus is on retaining homegrown talent, which is why guys like Lamar Jackson, Marlon Humphrey, Mark Andrews, and Nnamdi Madubuike got their well-earned deals before outsiders even became an option.
Stanley is the one big-name free agent who matters to the Ravens, and based on DeCosta’s comments, it sounds like they’re ready to get a deal done. Beyond that? Expect cheap veteran additions and draft picks to do the heavy lifting.
Baltimore’s approach isn’t just about financial restraint—it’s also about smart roster building. This year’s free-agent market isn’t exactly overflowing with top-tier talent, and there’s little reason to throw money at mid-level guys just to make headlines.
The Ravens are sitting on a ridiculous 11 draft picks, and that’s where the real reinforcements will come from. Draft picks are the ultimate cost-effective solution, and Baltimore has been one of the best teams in the league at finding impact players without breaking the bank.
Could they make a small trade? Sure. Could they snag a value free agent on a cheap deal? Absolutely. But if you’re expecting a major splash, you haven’t been paying attention. Baltimore is going to do what they always do—play the long game and win the offseason without making headlines.