Brandon Stephens is coming off the best season of his career and was Baltimore's most consistent cornerback.
The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and General Manager Eric DeCosta sees Stephens as a long-term fit.
"Brandon had as good a year last year as anybody on the team," DeCosta said. "I love his attitude. I love how he just takes care of his business as a player. And I think he's going to make another jump this year. Again, he's a guy that we certainly want to keep him here long term."
While DeCosta places a high priority on retaining young homegrown, there are potential roadblocks.
"It's not without challenge," DeCosta said. "He plays a position where the best players are highly compensated, but we'll do our best. I just admire so many things about Brandon. This guy has had some adversity, he's overcome so many different things; position changes, transfers, and all these things, and he's made himself one of the best corners in the NFL."
If Stephens builds off his strong 2023, when he was the NFL's most targeted cornerback but more than held his own, he could be in for a big pay day. Baltimore's cornerback trio is stacked with Stephens, three-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey, and first-round rookie Nate Wiggins.
The Ravens will have to decide how they shape their cornerback room going forward, and that could be dictated by Stephens' contract.
"Generally speaking, I don't necessarily subscribe to the theory that every time you do a negotiation with a quality player, they need to be the highest-paid player at their position, and I think, in a lot of cases, we haven't done that," DeCosta said. "It's challenging at times. There is typically an expectation when you negotiate with agents that they want the market to work that way."
Earlier this offseason, Stephens said he isn't focused on a new deal and is letting his agent handle everything.
"I'm not even worried about it," Stephens said. "I'm just here to do my job – the rest will take care of itself, and I'll let that side just handle itself. I can't really do anything about it on my own – all I can do is come out here on the field and continue to prove myself."
