Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore has $18.6M in room today but faces a projected shortfall of $38.9M next season (rank 32 of 32), making this the most cap-constrained offseason window in the league.

25 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Five starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Baltimore holds five picks across rounds one through five this cycle, including three first-rounders over the three-year window, giving a team with real roster holes a meaningful runway to add talent through the draft.

• Traded away: Round 6 to 49ers, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Eagles, this draft

Baltimore's biggest strength is its defensive front and linebacker pairing, while center is the weakest spot on the roster with a 24th-ranked starter and two backups both below 67 overall.

• Cmedium

  Ethan Pocic starts at center but ranks 24th among starters, and the backup options behind him, Danny Pinter (66 overall) and Jovaughn Gwyn (64 overall), offer little security.

• LEDGEmedium

  Zion Young leads the depth chart at left edge but the position ranks 26th among starters, and the backups, Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac, do not project as long-term starters.

• 71Broderick WashingtonDTBroderick Washington is a 71 overall backup DT behind a crowded interior rotation; releasing him frees $4.0M against $1.9M in dead money, making the savings worthwhile for a spot player.Frees $4.0M · $1.9M dead
• 71Andrew VorheesLGAndrew Vorhees sits as the backup left guard at 71 overall behind John Simpson; cutting him frees $3.7M with just $20K in dead money, a near-clean saving on a position where he is unlikely to start.Frees $3.7M · $20.0K dead
• 66Danny PinterCDanny Pinter is a 66 overall backup center who ranks second on the depth chart; releasing him frees $1.5M against $1.3M in dead money, though his departure deepens an already thin position.Frees $1.5M · $1.3M dead
• 64Skylar ThompsonQBSkylar Thompson is the third-string quarterback at 64 overall behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley; releasing him frees $1.1M with zero dead money and carries no competitive cost.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 70Kendall LammLTKendall Lamm is a 70 overall twilight-stage backup left tackle; releasing him frees $1.1M with zero dead money and opens a roster spot for a younger developmental option.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

Baltimore enters this window with real contention potential built around Lamar Jackson, a punishing ground game led by Derrick Henry while he remains effective, and a defense anchored by Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, and Nnamdi Madubuike. The immediate concern is the cap: with $18.6M in current room but a projected shortfall of $38.9M next season, roster management will demand difficult decisions before the team can add. Trey Hendrickson and several other contributors are in the late stage of their careers, so the window must be treated as now or never for some of these pieces. Nate Wiggins is the clearest young building block in the secondary, and Zion Young, Olaivavega Ioane, and Roger Rosengarten give the trenches younger legs to grow around. Addressing center and left edge, whether through the five picks Baltimore holds this cycle or via free agency, is critical to protecting Jackson and sustaining the run game as Henry's time at the top shortens.

The Ravens are technically an NFL expansion franchise born in 1996, though their origin is one of the most contentious relocations in league history. When Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell moved his organization to Baltimore for the 1996 season, the NFL brokered a settlement: the Browns' name, colors, and records stayed in Cleveland (to be revived in 1999), while Modell's players and personnel formed a 'new' Baltimore team officially recognized as an expansion club. Fans chose the name 'Ravens' in a poll of 33,288 voters, honoring Edgar Allan Poe, who lived, worked, and is buried in Baltimore. The franchise's first two draft picks, Jonathan Ogden (No. 4 overall) and Ray Lewis (No. 26) in 1996, both became Hall of Famers. After early growing pains under Ted Marchibroda, the Ravens hired Brian Billick in 1999 and broke through in 2000, when a historically dominant defense, which set a 16-game record for fewest points allowed (165) and pitched four shutouts, carried them to a 34-7 rout of the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, with Ray Lewis named MVP. The 2000s featured Jamal Lewis's 2,066-yard rushing season in 2003. John Harbaugh took over in 2008 and, with quarterback Joe Flacco, reached the playoffs in each of his first five seasons, culminating in a 34-31 win over Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII (the 'Harbaugh Bowl,' famous for a 34-minute power outage). The drafting of Lamar Jackson in 2018 launched a new era of MVP-level, run-heavy offense and six AFC North titles, but repeated playoff disappointments and a drama-filled 8-9 2025 season ultimately ended Harbaugh's 18-year tenure in January 2026.