3 reasons Baltimore Ravens extending Broderick Washington was an easy decisions

1. Baltimore Ravens needed some long-term options on their defensive line

When you look at the Baltimore Ravens defensive line depth chart, they had to do something. Players set to enter free agency are Brent Urban, Angelo Blackson, Justin Madubuike, and Michael Pierce. That leaves Travis Jones and Broderick Washington as the only two out of the top six who are signed beyond this year.

Before they signed Washington, it was just Jones. The reality is that the Ravens were and are going to have to do something about this room. As we noted, one route could be paying up in free agency. Still, that ends up with you spending more and possibly getting a poor fit.

The Ravens wish they could draft that many replacements, but there are more needs and not enough picks to fill the entire room. So, the team was going to have to allocate more money to the defensive line in recent years, no matter what. They might as well have paid someone they trusted and ensured that there is now some help on the line.

If Washington and Jones take steps next year, the Ravens could draft a defensive lineman early and then sign a few depth pieces for cheap to fix the unit for 2024. It is more cost-affordable than paying a bunch of free agents, and Washington did not get quite what Madubuike is asking for. Overall, the deal makes too much sense for the Ravens not to offer it.