In just one year, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey went from an indispensable part of their defense to a player the front office needs to have at least a conversation about retaining due to a gigantic contract that is paying him an excessive amount of money.
The former first-round pick is just two years into a five-year, $97.5 million contract with $67 million in guaranteed money. While Humphrey is still a very effective player, as he recorded three Pro Bowl appearances in four years, he played in just 10 games last season due to injury.
If Humphrey were to hit the open market, it's very obvious that rebuilding teams with money to spend and contenders with a need in the secondary will try to throw boatloads of money at him. One of Humphrey's old teammates even got in on the fun, trying everything in his power to convince him to his belongings and head to Massachusetts.
Former Ravens pass rusher and current New England Patriots defensive end Matthew Judon took notice of a USA Today article that suggested Hmphrey could be cut in a post-June 1 move that would save almost $12 million in cap space for Baltimore. Judon took to Twitter to make his sales pitch to Humphrey, remarking that his No. 44 is currently available in Foxborough.
I like this move I think the patriots 44 is open 😊😊 https://t.co/GUNkMnB3br
— Matthew Judon (@man_dammn) February 17, 2024
Former Baltimore Ravens DE Matthew Judon tries to recruit Marlon Humphrey to Patriots
This move seems unlikely, given how unseriously many of the Ravens' secondary players have responded to this. Free agent safety Geno Stone posted the crying laughing emoji to make his feelings on the matter crystal clear, while Humphrey himself seems to believe he already "pissed off the fan base" too much to ever join them.
While the Ravens may need to shed some salary, getting rid of an established No. 1 cornerback when you had arguably the best defense in the league with a contention window open is just the epitome of bad business. Even in a deep cornerback draft, Humphrey is still an impactful defensive playmaker.
While Judon's effort is commendable, especially when he's trying to convince players to come to a 4-13 team that just lost Bill Belichick and will (in all likelihood) lean on a rookie quarterback in one of the toughest divisions in football, he may not successfully land any big names. Unless something drastic changes, expect Humphrey to suit up in Ravens purple once again.