Although the Ravens are tight against the salary cap and Ronnie Stanley is one of the top pending free agents in the league, Baltimore feels good about its chances of retaining the Pro Bowl left tackle.
Besides getting a look at this year's draft prospects, Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta said he will meet with Stanley's agent, Kim Miale, in Indianapolis to talk about making a deal.
"You never want to say 100%, but I feel good that we'll have a good, healthy debate, a good process," DeCosta said. "We're going to meet with Kim in Indy this week and I'm optimistic that we'll be able to get a deal done."
Head Coach John Harbaugh shares DeCosta's optimism.
"I think that we'll probably keep Ronnie," Harbaugh said. "I'm hopeful that we will."
ESPN's Matt Bowen ranked Stanley No. 3 in the free agent class and said his best fit is re-signing back in Baltimore. The Ravens don't have a lot of salary-cap space (projected to be just less than $10 million), but they place a high value on retaining their talented homegrown players, especially at such a key position.
Since being the Ravens' No. 6-overall pick in 2016, Stanley has been one of the NFL's top left tackles when healthy. Health was an issue from 2020-2023 as Stanley suffered a major ankle injury, then dealt with knee injuries.
However, he played and started every game last season for the first time in his career and returned to Pro Bowl form after first being an All-Pro in 2019. Stanley had a strong season on and off the field, showing leadership on the Ravens' young offensive line.
The Ravens and Stanley have a long relationship, and DeCosta feels that will help them continue together.
"Well Ronnie and I did a deal last time, so that's great," DeCosta said. "He and I have a good friendship; we've known each other for a long time. He's got a great agent in Kim Miale."
The Ravens do have options if they aren't able to retain Stanley, who Spotrac projects to receive a contract averaging just more than $20 million per year. Roger Rosengarten, who excelled as a rookie starter at right tackle last season, has experience playing left tackle in college.
Harbaugh said he "absolutely" views Rosengarten as one of the options if the Ravens can't keep Stanley.
"We're confident that Roger can kick over there if need be, but we're going to be in the market for offensive linemen," DeCosta added. "We'll know if we lose Ronnie before the draft, so we'll have an opportunity to look at free agency and other things. We're going to draft the best available player. Obviously, offensive line is something we prioritize. I would expect us to draft an offensive lineman whether Ronnie stays or goes."
