Usually at this point in the season pundits are speculating about which players the Ravens could acquire ahead of the trade deadline.
The conversation is different as Tuesday's deadline approaches. With the Ravens (4-5) in last place in the AFC North and Lamar Jackson on injured reserve, the debate is whether they should be buyers or sellers.
Last week's trade for veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the report that Jackson told teammates he plans to return this season suggests Baltimore isn't selling.
"I feel like the Ravens are more buyers than sellers," NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show." "If something makes sense for them, the really good GMs – and I think Eric DeCosta is one of them – would really consider anything. But I think for the Ravens, they're too talented to give up on the season.
"I just don't think they want to sell, and considering [they have] a first-year head coach with a lot of security and a really talented roster, I don't think I would sell either if I was them."
Here's a look at what other pundits are saying about whether the Ravens should buy or sell:
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "The Ravens are probably done buying unless there's a situation where they can add a player at a reasonable price who could significantly impact their team in 2027 and beyond. Acquiring [center Cam] Jurgens and Brissett is understandable because the Ravens still have to be functional on offense over the second half of the season, and that was going to be tough to do with your fourth center and third quarterback. You still want to give your new coaching staff, trying to establish itself, at least an opportunity to play good football, develop young players and win games.
"However, pouring more assets into the current team doesn't make much sense when there are holes throughout the roster and the Ravens are two or three losses away from not even being in the playoff mix. Selling, on the other hand, would make sense. The Ravens could recoup some draft picks they gave up in prior trades. They could clear out some salary and potentially create cap space ahead of an offseason where at least a partial rebuild feels inevitable. Moving veterans would also open up playing time for inexperienced players who need to be evaluated anyway."
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "The Ravens did not look like contenders Thursday night. They did not even look competitive. They instead looked like a team that needs the kind of help that is not readily available at the trade deadline. But after a 33-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Ravens' third straight blowout loss and fourth in a row overall, Head Coach Jesse Minter was unmoved. He sees a light at the end of this tunnel of dreary pain and dimming expectations. … Minter believes in these Ravens. Does General Manager Eric DeCosta? The answer could arrive in the coming days, as the team prepares for its next iteration, one with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback and a potentially tweaked roster around him. With barely any salary cap space, the Ravens would have a hard time taking on any dead money that they'd be charged with if a player on an expensive contract is dealt."
ESPN’s Jason McCourty: "I think you're not pulling the plug. You're not building and saying, 'Hey, we're trying to gain draft capital to go make a run in the next two to three years.' You're hoping that Lamar's back next year and you're trying to run it back with a lot of the same guys that are on the football team this year to go make a run at the Super Bowl."
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker: "As for the Ravens being potential buyers, don't count on it. If anything, they could look to move on from even more players, such as cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews, two veterans who wouldn't get much back but could clear some cap space, albeit with $11 million and $5.7 million in dead money charges. DeCosta also fundamentally believes in stockpiling draft picks, which could be even more important with a 2027 draft class expected to have more blue-chip talent than some recent drafts. Currently, they have five picks for next year's draft in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. They are also projected to have four compensatory picks: two in the fifth round, one in the sixth and one in the seventh."
Adam Schefter Says Ravens Aren't Trading Derrick Henry, Giants Inquired About Justice Hill
There has been speculation that Henry could be traded, with John Harbaugh's New York Giants being named a potential suitor, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the five-time Pro Bowl running back isn't going anywhere.
"The Ravens recently informed Henry that they have no intention of trading him, according to league sources," Schefter wrote.
Schefter added that there is "no direct evidence" the Giants inquired about Henry. However, Schefter said a league source told ESPN that the one Ravens running back the Giants called about was Hill.
Hill, a valuable asset for the Ravens as a complement to Henry, is on pace for a career-high 454 rushing yards and is averaging 7.3 yards per carry after ripping off a 65-yard touchdown run Thursday night against the Jaguars. Hill's 351 scrimmage yards are third on the team behind Henry and wide receiver Zay Flowers, and he's also an exceptional pass-blocker.
The Giants poached several of Harbaugh's former players in the offseason, signing tight end Isaiah Likely, fullback Patrick Ricard, safety Ar'Darius Washington and punter Jordan Stout in free agency, and trading for defensive tackle C.J. Okoye.
Pundits' Final Grades for Brissett Trade
Final grades and assessments for the Brissett trade are in now that terms have been finalized.
The Ravens reportedly sent a 2027 fourth-round pick and 2028 seventh-round pick to the Cardinals in exchange for Brissett and a fifth-round pick in 2027. According to the trade value chart, the Ravens essentially sent Arizona a late fifth-round pick.
The Cardinals reportedly also paid more than half of Brissett's remaining salary to complete the trade.
NFL.com's Kevin Patra: "Grade: B-. There is a reason Brissett has bounced around. There is also a reason he keeps winding up a starter. Brissett's not the ideal franchise-setter, but he's a solid addition to a floundering Ravens squad that has lost four straight games. The hope is that he fits in Declan Doyle's offense better and gets back to the distributing ways we saw last season. The price is about right for a player who was benched. … It's not great to spend assets to solve a problem on a sinking ship, but Baltimore couldn't move forward with what it had. On the slim chance Brissett turns things around and pushes the Ravens to the playoffs, it was worth the small price."
USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: "Grade: C. Bottoming out can be scary for NFL decision-makers, and it's understandable why a regime that expected a quick turnaround from John Harbaugh's final year would struggle to resign itself to such an outcome. But this isn't an outfit that should be depreciating its draft capital further – even if the cost isn't great – to attempt to rescue a lost season."
Shaffer: "Considering the Ravens are on the hook for less than $2.5 million in salary — and it's still unclear whether Brissett's cap hit will hit entirely in 2026 or affect part of their 2027 picture — this is a fair deal that helps both sides. And if Brissett impresses enough in Baltimore to sign a decent-sized deal elsewhere this offseason, the Ravens would likely earn a 2028 compensatory pick."
The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han: "I do understand the deal. It's hard to make it through eight more games without anything to play for. Thursday night's showing solidified that. You can't keep that type of performance up through the rest of the season. You still want players to play hard, especially the young ones who need to continue to develop. And you want the veterans to be able to go out there with pride. Brissett can give the Ravens' young wide receivers and tight ends those reps, while also sustaining longer drives to give the defense more time to rest. Maybe his arrival can spark belief that the Ravens can stay in the hunt. It's just not the move I would have made."
