The Baltimore Ravens had a dramatic free agency full of losses,, but should they be in panic mode?
The Baltimore Ravens may have suffered one of the worst free agency periods out of any team due to steep losses on both sides of the ball. Losing center Tyler Linderbaum may be the catalyst that unwinds the 2026 season.
There is also the Maxx Crosby trade fallout, and losing two safeties, tight ends, and more. Due to the steep free agent losses and a questionable plan in place, should the Ravens be panicking?
The good news for the Ravens is they have 11 picks to work with in the 2026 NFL Draft. The bad news is that the team, in its current state, is a bit lacking.
Losing Linderbaum has still not produced a starting center replacement. The Ravens brought in John Simpson, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Danny Pinter, but only Pinter is a viable center among them.
Simpson might be the guard replacement for Daniel Faalele, but he is still not the highest-rated guard. He is dependable and started all 17 games in the last three seasons.
Safeties Ar'Darius Washington joined the New York Giants, and Alohi Gilman joined the rival Kansas City Chiefs. Tight end Isaiah Likely also joined the Giants, and Charlie Kolar joined the other Harbaugh brother with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Ravens did find a solid blocking tight end replacement for Kolar in former Chicago Bears tight end Durham Smythe, but there is no pass catcher apart from the aging Mark Andrews.
All-Pro punter Jordan Stout and fullback Patrick Ricard also joined John Harbaugh in New York, leaving the Ravens without a starting punter and fullback.
To be fair, with Doyle running the offense, he may not rely so heavily on a fullback. Regardless, both players are coming off fantastic seasons and are now on another team.
General manager Eric DeCosta and the front office have been one of the best in terms of evaluating, drafting, and extending talent, but there comes a point when more needs to be done.
DeCosta's aversion to being a big player in free agency may have put the Ravens in a very tough position. The loss of Maxx Crosby and the addition of Trey Hendrickson were the right moves to upgrade the pass rush, but it was simply not enough.
The Ravens have more pass rush needs, a wide receiver, a starting center, and more. With teams racing to find their starters days and weeks ago, Baltimore appears to be the odd team out.
This is not to say that DeCosta cannot work some magic ahead of the draft, given the team's capital, but relying too heavily on unproven rookie talent at those core positions could be very precarious.
Then again, if the front office hits on several college prospects, DeCosta and the crew will look like geniuses for letting their way more expensive talent walk.
If the idea is to capitalize on the waning championship window of Lamar Jackson, then it feels like the Ravens took a major step back in a lot of areas.
What DeCosta plans to do will be crucial to ensure this roster is set for the 2026 season and beyond. As it stands right now, the plan does not seem so crystal clear.