Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged Tuesday that the Ravens are trying to sign offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey to long-term contract extensions.
It's hardly a surprise. Both players came to the Ravens as first-round draft picks, Stanley in 2016, Humphrey a year later. Both have developed into key contributors. Both made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season, with Stanley also earning All-Pro recognition.
Stanley's situation is more immediate, as his rookie contract is due to expire after the 2020 season. Humphrey's expires after the 2021 season.
Asked about Stanley at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday, DeCosta said, "We've talked quite a bit, we'll meet again this week. Love Ronnie, played his butt off this year, All-Pro left tackle. Excited about that, excited about his future, excited about the player and excited about the person. We'll try to continue to have those dialogues as well."
DeCosta then mentioned Humphrey.
"We've also talked to Marlon Humphrey a little bit, (his agent) Joel Segal, great agent. We want to try and keep our elite young players. We think Ronnie and Marlon and are two of those guys," DeCosta said.
DeCosta has prioritized signing the Ravens' best, young players to extensions that keep them from becoming free agents. Tavon Young, Chuck Clark and Patrick Ricard are among the players who have signed such deals. The Ravens also signed Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters to an extension that kept him from becoming a free agent in 2020.
Stanley and Humphrey are more than just other examples of the kind of player the Ravens want to retain. They're key building blocks.
It seems the Ravens are working on securing their futures in Baltimore.
