In last week’s Ravens Reacts survey, we asked Baltimore Beatdown readers about the Ravens’ biggest remaining need and most impactful departure in free agency. Your answers had a theme: offensive line, specifically the center position.
36% of respondents answered that the Ravens needed to sign a veteran center, with another 24% looking to add another guard even after John Simpson’s return to Baltimore. Those fans may be setting themselves up for disappointment: pickings are slim at the first position, and the team is unlikely to give out a starting-level contract to the second.
Lloyd Cushenberry and Ethan Pocic are the most experienced centers in free agency, but both are coming off multiple down years and injuries. Cushenberry underwent shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for the season, while Pocic’s outlook is less certain after tearing his Achilles in December. At the moment, neither is worth a significant investment. Baltimore would be better off looking for a center on Day 2 of April’s draft where the position is rich with young talent.
Advertisement
The Ravens already upgraded at left guard by reuniting with Simpson on a three-year, $30 million deal with $17.5 million guaranteed. They could also bring back Kevin Zeitler, but beyond that, pickings are slim.
Baltimore also spent a third-round pick on former LSU right tackle Emery Jones last year with the intent of turning him into a guard. Shoulder surgery sidelined him for much of his rookie year, but he should have an opportunity to compete for a starting job this summer. A veteran signing would preclude that.
2024 UDFA Corey Bullock and free agent signings Jovaughn Gwyn and Danny Pinter could also factor into competitions for the center and left guard jobs, though none profile as clear starters at the moment.
Just as Ravens fans prioritized center in their answers about the team’s needs, they did the same when naming the player that will be missed most in Baltimore:
The reasons for missing a Pro Bowl center are obvious and hardly need restating here. More interesting are the second- and third-place finishers: tight end Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard. Both were fan-favorites in Baltimore, particularly Ricard, a college defensive tackle who converted to fullback as an undrafted rookie. He quickly endeared himself to fans with his physical style of play and fun-loving personality. Ricard’s bone-crunching blocks played a key role in the best rushing offense in league history over the last decade, but the Ravens are phasing the position out of their offense under Declan Doyle. They certainly would not have matched the league-high contract the Giants gave Ricard to reunite with John Harbaugh in New York.
Advertisement
Likely, though, would have been worth keeping. He dazzled in training camp as a rookie and quickly emerged as an impactful, efficient pass-catcher, particularly in the red zone. The Ravens tried to extend him last year, but he held out for a bigger deal and the team opted to pivot to Mark Andrews. Likely ended up taking a deal similar to Andrews’, –worth $40 million over three years – from the Giants, but the Ravens may not have been able to get him at that price during the season. His playmaking ability will be missed in Baltimore, and he also took major strides as a blocker over the last four years.
Charlie Kolar also walked in free agency, signing a three-year, $24 million deal with the Chargers. His departure alone is less impactful, though his personality and humor will be missed. But combined with Likely, the Ravens now badly need to fill their tight end snaps for next season. They have already added Durham Smythe, who was a blocking tight end in Doyle’s offense in Chicago, and hosted former Brown David Njoku for a visit last week. April’s draft is another strong source of talent at the position.
Running back Keaton Mitchell signed in Los Angeles, too, where he will likely receive a bigger role than he would have in Baltimore. The Chargers did use a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton last year, but he only appeared in nine games as a rookie. Mitchell brings an explosive element that was consistently on display in Baltimore when he was healthy and active, but his snap count was limited behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.
The Ravens declined to place a restricted free agent tag on Mitchell, and they may not have matched the Chargers’ two-year, $9.25 million offer, either. Still, his athleticism and explosive production (career 6.4 yards per carry) offers tantalizing upside if he can maintain it at a higher volume.
Read the full article here
