Pundit Says This Is the One Free Agent Ravens Can't Afford to Lose
Safety Ar'Darius Washington's emergence as a key player in the pass defenses' second-half turnaround was one of the biggest stories of the Ravens' season.
Washington, who signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2021, made the leap after being a player who seemed to be on the roster bubble every season. Now, he's a restricted free agent.
Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman named Washington the pending free agent the Ravens can't afford to lose.
"His 86.1 PFF coverage grade placed him second on the team, behind fellow safety Kyle Hamilton," Wasserman wrote. "He also broke up eight passes and picked off two others despite not being considered a starter until Week 8. Keeping Washington alongside Hamilton in the secondary could help Baltimore maintain elite coverage production in 2025 and beyond."
General Manager Eric DeCosta made it seem like Washington isn't going anywhere during Wednesday's season-ending press conference. Restricted free agents almost always return to their teams if they want them back. It's more of a question of how high a tender the Ravens would extend.
"[He's] tough, physical, a playmaker, instinctive, smart, a leader," DeCosta said. "[He's a] great story. Just another one of these undrafted guys over the years that we've had that has developed into being a really good football player. We're proud of him. He's going to be a restricted free agent this year for us, and we're fortunate that we have him back again next year."
Washington played in just eight games in his previous three seasons with the Ravens, as injuries sidelined him for most of 2021 and 2023 and he spent the majority of 2022 on the practice squad.
Analyst Says Ronnie Stanley Has Earned Big Money Contract This Offseason
Speaking of the Ravens' pending free agents, left tackle Ronnie Stanley was named one of nine players who have earned big money contracts this offseason by NFL.com analyst Marc Ross.
"After signing a mega extension with Baltimore during the 2020 offseason, Stanley struggled to stay healthy. He missed 10 games in Year 1 of his new deal, and then another 26 over the next three seasons," Ross wrote. "He restructured his contract last offseason (he took a $7.5 million pay cut, per Over The Cap) – betting on himself in the process.
"He played in all 17 games for the Ravens in 2024 and re-solidified himself as a great tackle by allowing just two sacks on 590 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF, and helping pave the way for Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the NFL's No. 1 run game. Great left tackles are hard to come by in this league, and Stanley surely improved his value with his health and performance this season."
Stanley was named to the Pro Bowl yesterday, replacing Houston's Laremy Tunsil. It's Stanley's first time in the Pro Bowl since 2019.
J.K. Dobbins Calls Lamar Jackson a Legend
J.K. Dobbins doesn't play for the Ravens anymore, but he has nothing but love for his former teammates, especially Lamar Jackson.
During an appearance on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" show, the Los Angeles Chargers running back told Kay Adams that he didn't watch the episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks" that featured the Ravens' Divisional playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills because it would've been too painful.
"I love Lamar so much, like a brother," Dobbins said. "Not only is he one of the best quarterbacks ever to live, but he's the best person in the world. I knew some of the things that happened in that game the media is gonna say it's his fault maybe, or people are going to say he can't win, but he can. He's a legend. He's amazing.
"So I stay away from that because I love all them boys on that team still because they were my guys. So I leave that stuff alone. I ain't see none of it."
Dobbins said he knows firsthand how badly Jackson, who could capture his third MVP award next month, wants to win a Super Bowl.
"I was there with him. He wants that ring really bad," Dobbins said. "He couldn't care less about an MVP."
Sports Illustrated Writer Says Ravens' Playoff Loss Is 'Just Football'
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer isn't buying any narratives about the Ravens' latest playoff loss and said the team should be celebrated for its accomplishments this season.
"It's just football," Breer wrote. "They ran into a really good team on the road on Sunday, and the Buffalo Bills got them by two points.
"If anything, I look at all the transition the team went through at the beginning of the year, and handled so beautifully — turning over 60% of the [offensive] line, replacing Patrick Queen and Jadeveon Clowney on defense, and ushering in 32-year-old DC Zach Orr — and think maybe some early stumbles cost them having the Bills at home rather than having to go to Orchard Park on an Arctic-level night in Western New York. But that's the NFL."
