Three key defensive players of the Baltimore Ravens—defensive lineman Justin Madubuike, linebacker Patrick Queen, and safety Geno Stone—are approaching free agency next spring among many other current players rostered by the franchise with their deals expiring next February.
The Ravens will have very tough decisions to make, and they will simply not be able to hand new contracts to all of their pending free agents if only because there is not enough cap room for that. Adding wood to the fire, it looks like many of the Ravens players will be able to demand huge amounts of money from the franchises interested in them following a superb 2023 season.
According to Pro Football Focus' team of analysts, the Ravens will put four (at least through Week 14 of the regular season) players in the market who are seen as Top 50 Free Agents entering next offseason.
1. Chris Jones
— PFF (@PFF) December 16, 2023
50. Jordyn Brooks
The top-50 upcoming free agents with contract projections for each https://t.co/WfS4rzphwo
The folks from PFF released a comprehensive analysis of upcoming NFL free agents by ranking them from 1 through 50 according to many different parameters. They have used a decade's worth of market data and performance metrics to predict future performance, as well as compared past free-agent deals with levels of performance in order to come up with comparables to the players about to enter the market next offseason.
By the end of their process, the Ravens were good (or bad!) to find as many as four players among those making it to the Top 50 upcoming Free Agents as ranked by PFF. Here are their names, ranking, reasons for finding themselves among this elite group, and what the Ravens should do when they need to decide whether to re-sign them or let them go as free agents.
No. 45: Inside Linebacker - Patrick Queen
As surprising as it is, PFF did not list Geno Stone among their Top 50 free agents for 2024 league-wide. Stone, who has come out of the blue to have a true breakout season this year, is one of the three main FA-to-be currently rostered by the Ravens and definitely one about to cash in big time next March.
For now, however, the lowest-ranked pending free agent in the Ravens is, according to PFF, off-ball linebacker Patrick Queen.
"Queen’s prowess as a pass-rusher is not captured below (much like Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu highlighted above), but it carries significant value in addition to his strong play against the run and in coverage over the last two seasons. His 35 quarterback pressures and eight sacks over the last two seasons are both second among off-ball linebackers. With Baltimore’s addition of linebacker Roquan Smith — the highest-paid player at the position after last year’s extension — and several other pending free agents, Queen should get to test the market and potentially do quite well for himself."Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus
While Spielberger mentions Queen's pass-rushing prowess as "not captured below" in reference to his most comparable player in Jamie Collins, he was quick to add, "It carries significant value in addition to his strong play against the run and in coverage."
If the market develops for Queen as PFF expects it to do, then Roquan Smith's partner in crime should expect to land a deal in the $18 million/year ballpark next spring with some $50 million total guaranteed.
Right now, Smith is the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL pocketing $20 million per year with only two other players (Fred Warner of the 49ers and Tremaine Edmunds of the Bears) earning $18+ million a pop.
Queen, take a bow. This man is going to be paid mad money and it's more probable than not (as much as it hurts) that Baltimore will end up losing him next offseason. At least they will retain Ro.
Verdict: Let Patrick Queen fly free
No. 40: Edge - Jadeveon Clowney
Is Clowney the Cinderella-story player of the year? That could very well be the case after Baltimore signed him to (another, as it's been the case for him for the last thousand years) a one-year deal last summer and all the veteran has done is put on weekly shows on the gridiron.
As PFF put it, "Clowney is having a career year with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald," and knowing him it's reasonable to expect Clowney to keep getting paid big bucks whether that's under a short or a mid/long-term deal next spring.
"Clowney is having a career year with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald dialing things up for him, deploying simulated pressures and exotic blitzes out of various fronts. It seems Clowney will probably ride out the rest of his career on successive one-year deals that fluctuate based on his production the year prior, and he certainly earned himself a raise this season. He is on pace for his highest pressure rate, highest pass-rush win rate and most total pressures in a season."Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus
Clowney is earning only $2.5 million this season but he's still just playing his age-30 season. There should be nothing in his way to getting a humongous contract by someone ahead of 2024, but it's going to be down to him to capitalize on his nth breakout year and sign a larger multi-year deal or to keep betting on himself on endless one-year pacts.
The Ravens should definitely try to bring the veteran rusher back considering how perfect his fit has been within the organization, although again, that decision will have everything to do with how Clowney tries to sell himself and which type of contract he prefers.
Verdit: Re-sign to another one-year deal
No. 32: Offensive Guard - Kevin Zeitler
It's ridiculous that the Ravens keep getting away with robbery nearly every summer. As PFF points out, the Ravens signed offensive guard Kevin Zeitler a couple of seasons ago and although he's earning mad-high money these days ($7.5 million this year as part of a $22 million contract), the truth is that Baltimore initially signed him off the street.
"The Ravens adding Zeitler as a street free agent in 2021 after he was a cap casualty of the New York Giants has provided tremendous value, as he is on pace for more than 1,000 snaps played in every year with the team. The stalwart is still going strong at 33 years old, earning a pass-blocking grade above 80.0 for the second consecutive season in 2023. The Ravens let left guard Ben Powers walk last offseason on a big contract, so perhaps they keep Zeitler around to pair on the right side with another stalwart veteran in Morgan Moses at right tackle, pushing to lift a Lombardi Trophy before the two hang it up."Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus
With the veteran growing old but still relatively young at 33, there might still be a couple of good years in him going forward. That, paired with a Ravens squad that finds itself smacked right in the middle of a contending window should be enough to convice GM Eric DeCosta to try and bring Zeitler back.
PFF projects Zeitler to get a two-year, $15 million deal next offseason. That, assuming it's evenly split into two equally valued halves, would leave the guard where he currently stands in the NFL salary table and getting paid the 11th-most money among players at the RG position.
Verdict: Re-sign only if no cheaper/younger options emerge
No. 6: Defensive End - Justin Madubuike
Justin freaking Madubuike, folks. If the Ravens have not started talks for his extension or even if they held those but felt a rejection was coming, then Baltimore should lose no time in slapping Beeks with the tag as soon as they are able to do so next offseason.
Yes, Geno Stone has been fantastic. Patrick Queen is a top-10 inside linebacker. Madubuike, however, is simply a one-of-a-kind type of player, full stop.
"Madubuike has a strong case for being the player to earn himself the most money in 2023. With at least half a sack in 11 of 13 games this season, Madubuike has already doubled his prior season high — and he may double his total pressure output by the end of the season, as well. His effort and intensity on backside pursuit plays have always been there, and now an improved arsenal of moves with a more explosive first step has Madubuike set to cash in big time."Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus
Spielberger wrote about Madubuike as a player with "a strong case to earn the most money in 2023," and that's no secret anymore nor has it been for a few weeks.
Madubuike is, per PFF, the sixth-best upcoming free agent part of the class of 2024. The No. 1 player is another defensive lineman (Kansas City's Chris Jones) but it's really hard to project these two and who will end up on top in the salary scale once the ink on their new deals dry come September.
Beeks doubled his 2022 sacks this year and it didn't even take him (almost) half of the season to get there. He is on pace to reach 14 sacks in 2023, perhaps one or two more if things break right for him.
That's insane production for a man getting paid $1.2 million this year but about to multiply that figure by a 20-factor at minimum. PFF has a contract projection of four years for $92 million with an average of $23 million per season. Not far from our (and everybody's) prediction, is it?
EDC, start saving money because Beeks must stay in tow no matter how much it takes to keep him around The Bank for the next five or 10 years.