The Baltimore Ravens lost a devastating game to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. The loss stings so much for Baltimore because it felt like their best chance to make something happen. They had a talented roster and were fully healthy. Now, there are going to be plenty of starters who will be playing on a new team next year.
Which starters on the Ravens will not be back in 2024?
5. The Baltimore Ravens will not bring back Odell Beckham
The Odell Beckham signing did not work out. Yes, it helped them re-sign Lamar Jackson, but he did not make good on the impact the team thought he would. He was hardly even a part-time player, and by the end of the season, he was behind Nelson Agholor.
Beckham did not play much against the Texans, and despite a bigger role against the Chiefs, he was hardly impactful. Overall, Beckham finished the playoffs with three catches for 34 yards on seven targets. It was ugly.
The receiving room also failed to take steps together, as Beckham's leadership aspect did not come to fruition either. The Ravens do have an $11M dead money hit on Beckham this offseason.
So, there is a small chance that they try to extend him to work that out. However, the two sides restructured the deal already to help the Ravens cap space, which signals both sides know this arraignment is over at the end of the season.
The Odell Beckham signing did not work out, and he will not be on the Baltimore Ravens next year.
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4. The Baltimore Ravens will let Patrick Queen leave in free agency
Another name who is almost certain to be gone in free agency is Patrick Queen. The Ravens picked up his fifth-year option this year, but he will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and at linebacker, he should be the best available.
The Ravens would like to bring Queen back, but they know that it is all about price. Queen has played his best over the last two years, and he increased his market value in a big way. The Ravens are already paying Roquan Smith, and they have to feel that Smith had a big hand in improving Queen on the field.
So, the team has to be looking to add a cheap name next to Smith and letting Queen get his money elsewhere. Perhaps it is Trenton Simpson, who the Ravens drafted last year, stepping in to start over Patrick Queen.
The Ravens do not have the cap space, they have committed too much to linebacker, and they have the replacement plan already on the roster. Sunday was the last time Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith played together.
3. The Baltimore Ravens will not re-sign Geno Stone
The Baltimore Ravens are not going to re-sign Geno Stone. If they did, they would have to be releasing Marcus Williams first. It is clear that these two cannot play together, and Stone sputtered down at the end of the season when he had to move from free safety into the box as a strong safety.
Despite being one of the highest interception players of the year, Stone hardly played in the playoffs because he did not have a role. Now, he will leave via free agency.
The Ravens could not play him because he was a free safety stuck in the strong safety role. As a free safety, his market should remain robust. Teams will be all over his ball skills, and Stone is coming off of minimum salary deals, so he would be smart to jump on the best offer with the most guaranteed money.
Stone was a great help when Williams went down, but now he is too good to be depth for the Ravens. Look for him to play somewhere else next year.
2. Jadeveon Clowney will not return to the Baltimore Ravens
Jadeveon Clowney turned out to be the most underrated signing of them all. He posted a career-high 9.5 sacks this year, which is pretty surprising considering his age and the fact that he was coming off of a poor year in 2022. Whatever it was, it was the best we saw of him, and it came at the right time for Baltimore.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Clowney has moved around in recent years, and he is not afraid to leave a good situation for more money. This year, he will be a free agent, and coming off the best stats of his career, he will want to cash in. The Ravens cannot do that.
They do not have the cap space, plus it seems like a crazy bet to think that Clowney could repeat this magical year at the age he is. If Clowney wanted to come back on a team-friendly deal, he would become a legend in Baltimore. However, the odds are that he will play just one season with the Ravens and move on.
1. Will the Baltimore Ravens re-sign Kevin Zeitler?
The Baltimore Ravens will have a huge decision to make with right guard Kevin Zeitler. On the one hand, he had a great season. He has been reliable for years and may not take too much cap space. On the other side, he is about to be 34 years old. He started the year slow and finished the year limping away with an injury. His playoff performance was not as good as the 2023 season.
Now, the Ravens have a big decision to make about this future. Yes, he will not reset the market with his salary. Still, he will want to play for a decent deal, and there will be other offers for him.
For the Ravens, they have rookie Andrew Vorhees coming back from an ACL injury. Also, they have Ben Cleveland, who is still on his rookie salary. He was playing much better than in recent years when we saw him in limited time filling in for Zeitler.
Cleveland and Vorhees combined will be cheaper than the salary of Zeitler next year. With the Lamar Jackson contract kicking in, the team cannot spend money frivolously. One small move may be letting Zeitler walk while getting both cheaper and younger at the position.