Part of the Ravens’ calculus in acquiring Diontae Johnson at last year’s trade deadline (and reclaiming him off waivers after the regular season) was the potential to recoup a compensatory pick for him when he left in free agency.
However, Johnson’s lack of production and locker room issues in both Baltimore and Houston is expected to scuttle any chance of him getting a contract that would qualify for the compensatory formula. Instead, Johnson will likely sign a one-year deal for the veteran minimum that could earn him more money with incentives, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.
His 51.0 yards per game in Carolina had him on pace for a sizable payday in free agency that would have likely netted his former team a compensatory pick, but his struggles with the Ravens and the Texans cratered his value. He only made three catches for 18 yards across five games and expressed frustration with his minimal role with both teams. As a consistent (albeit target-dependent) wideout over the course of his career, Johnson will likely have a chance to rebuild his value next season.
- After moving on from inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone last week, the Ravens have tapped Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci as his replacement on Zach Orr‘s staff, per a team announcement. The 36-year-old Santucci was previously the defensive coordinator at Duke and received NFL interest in the past, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Ravens will be hoping that Santucci can develop 2023 third-rounder Trenton Simpson after his disappointing 2024 season.
- Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said that the team hopes to re-sign All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard, who is set to hit free agency in March, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. Ricard has expressed his desire to stay in Baltimore, per Ravens team reporters Ryan Mink and Matt Ryan. “I want to stay here,” said Ricard after the Ravens’ season ended. “I want to be here. I want to retire here. We’ll see what happens when the time comes.” Ricard had a bigger role under Greg Roman compared to recently-extended Ravens OC Todd Monken, but still maintained a 39% snap share over the last two seasons as part of Baltimore’s league-best rushing offense. Few teams use a fullback at the same rate, so Ricard may not see a robust market if he enters free agency, further incentivizing a return to the Ravens.
- Baltimore has just under $6MM in cap space entering the offseason, per OverTheCap, so they will need to create space to retain Ricard and other key free agents like Ronnie Stanley. The Ravens could look to restructure Lamar Jackson‘s deal, per Zrebiec, which could create up to $15.8MM in cap space. That would further backload Jackson’s deal, which is already set to have cap hits of $74.65MM in 2026 and 2027.
- If the Ravens can’t re-sign Stanley, they may consider moving Roger Rosengarten to left tackle, according to Zrebiec. The 2024 second-round pick started most of his rookie year at right tackle. He played the same position at the University of Washington, where he was entrusted to protect left-handed Michael Penix‘s blindside.