3 reasons Baltimore Ravens stayed pat on trade deadline day

1. The Baltimore Ravens are pressed against the salary cap

The Ravens are a smart team when it comes to the salary cap, but with Lamar Jackson having big cap hits coming, the team needs to be prepared for what is about to come. As they stand, they have about $13M in cap space, and they can find space, but big names like Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike, and Geno Stone may all be gone. Michael Pierce, Kevin Zeitler, and Odell Beckham will need to be re-signed or replaced as well. Brandon Stephens will need to be extended now. The Ravens do not have cap space.

So, you see a third-round pick for Chase Young as a little price to pay. The Ravens see Chase Young as a rental, when the third-round pick is three years of a cost-controlled player. What if that third-round pick is Justin Madubuike, who ascends for four years, gets paid, and then nets you back a compensatory pick? That is how the Ravens view these assets. The team would have to extend Chase Young after this year, and they do not have the money to do that. They also just sunk a cost-controlled third-round pick who could have started for the team at a much lower price than most veteran starters would make.

It is hard to buy into the big picture when the team is on the cusp of a Super Bowl. However, the Ravens see Lamar Jackson and his prime as a door open for the next couple of seasons, and if they fail this year and are worse in 2024 because of it, it has devastating impacts.