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The Ravens thought they had made a splash with their biggest trade in franchise history, adding defensive end Maxx Crosby for two first-round picks.
But that deal fell apart Tuesday night β and suddenly the franchise finds itself in dire need of help at multiple positions.
Ravens veterans began fleeing shortly after noon on Monday, when teams were first allowed to enter contract negotiations with players set to become unrestricted free agents at the start of the league year Wednesday at 4 p.m.
That new league year is also the deadline for teams to become cap compliant by the βrule of 51.β Going through with the Crosby trade would have meant the Ravens were projected to be $12.1 million over the cap, according to Over the Cap. Without making that move, theyβre projected to have around $20 million in space (though details of some recent moves are not known) according to Spotrac.
That may sound like a healthy number, but considering the team does not have a starting center and still lacks a game-changing pass rusher, itβs not.
The easiest way for Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta to create space would be to sign quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson to a contract extension.
But on Wednesday the team reportedly restructured Jacksonβs deal to free up about $40 million.
Read on to see every player who has come and gone this week.
P Luke Elzinga β Ravens
Reported deal: The terms have not been announced.
Analysis: An undrafted free agent in 2025, Elzinga has not played in the NFL yet. He attended the Tennessee Titansβ rookie minicamp last year but did not make a team. Over his five-year college career, with three years at Central Michigan before two years at Oklahoma, Elzinga averaged 43.1 yards per punt.
Elzinga is not an automatic replacement for departed punter Jordan Stout, who was drafted out of Penn State and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2025. The Ravens could still add a punter in free agency or through the draft. For now, Elzinga is the only punter on the roster.
WR Tylan Wallace β Cleveland Browns
Reported deal: The terms havenβt been announced.
Analysis: After a productive 2024 (193 receiving yards, one touchdown), Wallace returned to Baltimore last offseason on a one-year, $2.1 million deal β well above the veteran minimum.
But his production fell off in an out-of-sync Ravens offense, and he fell out of favor on special teams. Wallace, a fourth-round pick in 2021, had just four catches on eight targets for 45 yards and a touchdown. He was a healthy scratch in three games toward the end of the year and finished with just 151 special teams snaps overall, down from 268 the year before.
In Cleveland, Wallace will reunite with former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, entering his first year as the Brownsβ head coach.
C Danny Pinter β Ravens
Reported deal: The terms of the deal havenβt been announced.
Analysis: After Tyler Linderbaumβs departure, the Ravens sorely need help at center. Pinter provides that, but heβs not a shoo-in to step in for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Pinter, the Coltsβ 2020 fifth-round draft pick, has played 77 games over five seasons and has started in 10. Last season, Pinter played 12.9% of the teamβs offensive snaps and 17.4% of their special teams snaps. Over the 139 snaps Pinter played last season, he finished with a 56.5 Pro Football Focus grade. He was slightly better in pass blocking (60.9) than run blocking (53.9).
In 2024, Pinter started two games for the Colts and graded out better with a 68.6 overall grade, 69.1 run blocking grade and 60.2 pass blocking grade.
Pinter also has versatility, having chipped in as a right guard, and can line up as a sixth offensive lineman. He will be competing with backup center Corey Bullock and anyone else the Ravens might add.
OLB David Ojabo β Miami Dolphins
Deal: One year, money TBA
Analysis: Ojabo was a high-risk, high-reward pick when the Ravens drafted him No. 45 overall in 2022. Had they hit on the Michigan standout, a first-round talent who fell after tearing his Achilles tendon in the predraft process, the Ravens probably wouldnβt have tried to trade for the Las Vegas Raidersβ Maxx Crosby. They probably wouldnβt have needed to sign free-agent edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
But Ojabo never seemed to regain the burst that made him a star at Michigan. He missed most of his rookie year while rehabbing his Achilles injury and most of 2023 with a partially torn ACL, and he played just 471 defensive snaps over the past two seasons. In 32 career games (one start), Ojabo has 4.5 sacks, 32 tackles and 21 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ojaboβs departure leaves the Ravens with just three outside linebackers who recorded a sack in a game last season: Hendrickson, Mike Green and Tavius Robinson. Adisa Isaac, a third-round pick in 2024, will also return, but the team is expected to address its depth in free agency and the draft.
DL C.J. Okoye π Ravens
Reported deal: One year, $1.005 million
Analysis: After three years as an International Pathway Player, Okoye was set to become a restricted free agent before the Ravens locked him up for another season. A basketball player from Nigeria, Okoye started playing football only a few years ago. He was selected to be a part of the IPP program, and he went through camp at IMG Academy before being signed to the Los Angeles Chargersβ practice squad.
Okoye joined the Ravens for 2025 training camp, and then-defensive line coach Dennis Johnson spoke highly of his upside. He started the season on the practice squad, but injuries along the defensive line led to his call-up. He played 13 games, making 15 tackles with one quarterback hit and one sack. He provides depth and a lot of potential as he learns the game.
G Jovaughn Gwyn β Ravens
Deal: One year, money TBA
Analysis: Gwyn, a seventh-round pick out of South Carolina in 2023, spent his first three seasons with new Ravens offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford in Atlanta. But the 6-foot-2, 301-pound Gwyn played sparingly for the Falcons: just 11 total offensive snaps in last season, with nine coming at right guard. He played almost exclusively right guard in college.
QB Cooper Rush β free agency
Analysis: Almost a year ago, the Ravens signed Cooper Rush to a two-year, $6.2 million deal to back up Lamar Jackson. The move was supposed to give the team a more mobile backup than Josh Johnson, and a more stable option than Devin Leary, who struggled as a rookie and was waived before the start of the 2025 season. Rush had been a very successful backup for the Dallas Cowboys with a 9-5 record in 14 starts.
When it came time for him to step in Week 4 after Jackson was injured against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rush struggled. He then went 0-2 over the next two games, completing 25 of 39 passes for 251 yards and four interceptions. The Ravens turned to a familiar in former backup Tyler Huntley, who started the year on the practice squad. Huntley led the team to two wins and was much more effective as a passer and runner.
By cutting Rush without a post-June 1 designation, the Ravens save only $453,000 in 2026. But the extension for Huntley made Rush redundant.
RB Keaton Mitchell β Los Angeles Chargers
Reported deal: Two years, $9.25 million with $5 million fully guaranteed
Analysis: Keaton Mitchell fought his way back from a torn ACL to become the Ravensβ second running back by the end of the 2025 season. Now, he has a new home.
The Ravens, who have Derrick Henry, Hill and Rasheen Ali under contract in 2026, decided not to tender Mitchell. On Thursday, Mitchell signed with Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers.
The former undrafted free agent quickly caught fansβ attention with his lightning speed. However, injuries limited him through his first three NFL seasons. While Mitchell returned from his torn ACL in 2024, he wasnβt quite the same until the 2025 season. Even so, the Ravens benched him for the first five games. Former Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in press conferences that Mitchell knew why he was benched. Mitchell said the team did not make it clear to him.
Coming out of the bye week, Harbaugh said they made an emphasis on working Mitchell into the game plan. He rushed for 43 yards on four carries. After Justice Hill suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 13, Mitchell saw his workload increase. He finished with 59 carries for 341 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt.
TE Durham Smythe β Ravens
Reported deal: No details yet
Analysis: Durham, most recently a Chicago Bear, reunites with his former offensive coordinator Declan Doyle in Baltimore. The tight end played 334 snaps for Doyle last season and spent 70% of them as a blocker, making him a likely Charlie Kolar replacement (Kolar played 402 offensive snaps last season). Smythe also had six catches for 25 yards.
Prior to Chicago, the veteran played seven seasons for the Miami Dolphins, where he caught 132 passes for 1,228 yards. His career-best season as a receiver was in 2023 when he had 35 catches for 366 yards. Durham is now the second tight end in the room behind Mark Andrews.
S Jaylinn Hawkins β Ravens
Reported deal: Two years, $10 million
Analysis: A six-year veteran, Hawkins brings experience to the safety room, providing a partner back deep for second-year player Malaki Starks. The Ravens defense steadied itself last year when Alohi Gilman arrived to play next to Starks and allow Kyle Hamilton to serve as the nickel, but Gilman and safety ArβDarius Washington left in free agency. Prior to signing Hawkins, the Ravens only had Hamilton, Starks and special teamer Keondre Jackson in their safety room. That would have pushed Hamilton back deep instead of allowing coaches to use him in a variety of ways.
Hawkins was a starter for the New England Patriots last season, playing in 15 games with 71 tackles and four interceptions.
CB Chidobe Awuzie π Ravens
Reported deal: One year, $5 million
Analysis: Awuzie, 30, was the Ravensβ most consistent cornerback for much of last season. After signing a one-year, $1.3 million deal last March, he outperformed high-profile signing Jaire Alexander, who was later traded. When targeted in coverage in 2025, Awuzie allowed 23 catches on 50 attempts for 309 yards and two touchdowns, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Awuzie gave up just 0.8 yards per coverage snap, a better rate than starting cornerbacks Nate Wiggins (0.9) and Marlon Humphrey (1.3). He also forced tight-window throws on a team-best 27.6% of his targets, according to the NFLβs Next Gen Stats, and limited yards after the catch (2.6 per reception).
Awuzieβs medical history cooled his market last year. He missed 20 games from 2022 to 2024, and hamstring and foot injuries sidelined him for three games in Baltimore. But his return gives the Ravens insurance at a suddenly shaky outside corner position. Wiggins and Humphrey both struggled last season, T.J. Tampa has played mostly on special teams over his first two years, and Bilhal Kone missed his rookie season with a knee injury.
Trey Hendrickson β Ravens
Reported deal: Four years, $112 million, with incentives worth up to $120 million total
Analysis: News of Hendricksonβs deal came 13 hours after the Las Vegas Raiders said the Ravens had βbacked outβ of a trade that would have sent Maxx Crosby, a five-time Pro Bowl defensive end, to Baltimore in exchange for the teamβs 2026 and 2027 first-round picks. Itβs believed that the deal fell apart Tuesday because of concerns over Crosbyβs physical. Trades are contingent on players passing their physical, which Crosby reportedly failed.
Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowler with the Cincinnati Bengals, was an All-Pro selection in 2024 after he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks. He was considered one of the top free agents available in this class and fills a need in coach Jesse Minterβs defense.
The Ravens finished with 30 sacks last season, and got just 13 from their edge rushers. Since 2021, Hendrickson ranks second in the NFL in pressure rate (13.2%), fourth in total sacks (61) and fourth in sacks that result in fumbles (11), according to ESPN, using his elite get-off and hand-fighting ability to shed blockers.
But Hendrickson has his own medical questions. He turns 32 in December and missed most of last season with a core muscle injury that required surgery. He finished with just four sacks in seven games. Hendricksonβs ability as a run defender, an important attribute in Minterβs defensive schemes, is also well below Crosbyβs.
FB Patrick Ricard β New York Giants
Reported deal: Two years, money TBA
Analysis: Over his nine years in Baltimore, Ricard embodied the smashmouth style of football that former coach John Harbaugh wanted for the Ravensβ offense. A converted defensive lineman and former two-way player, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Ricard became a punishing run blocker and reliable pass blocker for offensive coordinators Greg Roman and Todd Monken.
Ricard, limited by a calf injury last season to just 11 games, his fewest since 2018, said in January that he wanted to retire with the Ravens. Heβd signed a one-year, $2.9 million extension last offseason, and a return to Baltimore seemed more likely after the Ravens lost Charlie Kolar, their top blocking tight end, to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Instead, Ricard will reunite with Harbaugh. The Giants have also signed former Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, safety ArβDarius Washington and All-Pro punter Jordan Stout.
Ricardβs departure leaves the Ravens in desperate need of proven run blockers. His partnership with running back Derrick Henry in 2024, their first year together, helped power one of the NFLβs best ground games. With Ricard on the field, according to TruMedia, Henry rushed for 1,324 yards, 68 first downs, 15 touchdowns and 6.2 yards per carry.
ILB Jake Hummel β Houston Texans
Reported deal: Two years, money TBA
Analysis: Hummel joined the Ravens last March on a one-year, $1.2 million deal. He played just 33 defensive snaps over 17 games in 2025, but he led the Ravens in special teams snaps and was second in special teams tackles. Hummel finished with a career-high 18 tackles overall, including one for a loss.
Along with the departure of tight end Charlie Kolar, first-year coordinator Anthony Levine Sr. has now lost two of the Ravensβ three most active special teams players from last year.
S Alohi Gilman β Kansas City Chiefs
Reported deal: Three years, $24.7 million, including $15 million guaranteed
Analysis: Gilman heads to an AFC rival after a productive stint in Baltimore. His arrival in the early-October trade that sent outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers helped stabilize the Ravensβ secondary, which featured All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
Gilman and rookie Malaki Starks meshed well as the Ravensβ deep safeties, though they couldnβt keep their outside cornerbacks from regular breakdowns. Gilman struggled with his tackling in the open field (16.7% miss rate), but he had just two games in which he was charged with more than 50 yards allowed in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. His most memorable play came in a Week 15 blowout win against the Cincinnati Bengals, scoring a defensive touchdown after an interception and lateral by outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
With both Gilman and safety ArβDarius Washington leaving in free agency, the Ravens will likely need to find a third safety in free agency or in the draft.
S ArβDarius Washington β New York Giants
Reported deal: One-year deal, money TBA
Analysis: Safety ArβDarius Washington has had a rough go of it since being drafted. Heβs dealt with multiple major injuries, most recently an Achilles tendon tear, but has fought his way back onto the field every time. The Ravens stuck with him through it.
Coaches and players admired Washingtonβs grit. He is undersized but hits above his weight class. He was a major part of the midseason stabilization of the 2024 defense, and teammates said it was because of his willingness to do the dirty work as well as his intelligence and communication skills.
The coaches who so admired Washingtonβs work ethic and toughness are all gone. Those who know him are now on the Giants β the team Washington will now play for.
TE Charlie Kolar β Los Angeles Chargers
Reported deal: Three years, $24.3 million
Analysis: Within a two-hour span, the Ravens have lost their best run-blocking lineman (Tyler Linderbaum) and their best run-blocking tight end. Kolar played over 400 offensive snaps last year, a career high, and was the teamβs most reliable in-line blocker at the position. He had the lowest blown-block rate (0.4%) among all NFL tight ends with at least 200 blocking snaps last season, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Kolar, a prolific receiver at Iowa State, was never a featured part of the Ravensβ passing game. He had just 30 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns over his four years in Baltimore, including 10 catches for 142 yards last season. But Kolar has good hands and can be an inviting target over the middle.
Kolarβs departure makes the return of fullback Patrick Ricard more likely. The six-time Pro Bowl selection can contribute along the line of scrimmage in pass protection and as a run blocker. But first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, whoβs coming from a Chicago Bears offense that leaned on its two reliable in-line tight ends, will need a more full-time option. DeCostaβs options in free agency are thin, but he will likely not need to invest a high pick in the draft to find a solid option.
With the departure of Kolar and tight end Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews is the only tight end on the Ravensβ roster.
C Tyler Linderbaum β Las Vegas Raiders
Deal: Three years, $81 million, including $60 million guaranteed
Analysis: DeCosta said last month that the Ravens had made a market-setting offer to Linderbaum, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and one of their best young players. The bar to clear was not especially high: Kansas City Chiefs star Creed Humphreyβs deal, signed in August 2024, was worth $18 million annually.
The Raiders not only jumped over the bar, but cleared the interior-lineman bar altogether. Linderbaumβs $27 million-per-year deal is the richest ever for a guard or center, eclipsing Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Smith ($24 million).
Thatβs a staggering price for a center whom offensive line expert Brandon Thorn called a βvery good starterβ in his free-agency preview, but not an elite one. Linderbaum is one of the NFLβs best run-blocking centers, but heβs struggled at times in pass protection.
With his exit, the Ravens are in line for a compensatory third-round pick in next yearβs draft. But theyβll need to find a starting center for 2026, whether itβs reserve Corey Bullock, a free-agent signing or a draft prospect.
P Jordan Stout β New York Giants
Reported deal: Three years, $12.3 million
Analysis: Jordan Stout was rewarded for his first All-Pro season β only the reward is coming from the front office of the New York Giants, where heβll join former coach John Harbaugh.
Stout showed inconsistency through the start of his career but straightened out his performance in his contract year. He averaged a career-high 44.9 net yards per punt and dropped 45.3% of his punts inside the 20-yard line. He played a pivotal role in several of the Ravensβ close victories and was named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro.
Stout said the special teams were closer this season than they had been in his previous three seasons. He attributed that to coaching from special teams coordinator Chris Horton and assistant Anthony Levine Sr. Horton followed Harbaugh to New York while Levine was elevated to the coordinator role in Baltimore.
TE Isaiah Likely β New York Giants
Reported deal: Three years, $40 million
Analysis: Limited for most of the year by a broken foot suffered early in training camp, Likely finished with career lows in targets (36), catches (27), receiving yards (307), touchdowns (one) and yards per route run (1.29) last season. But he showed over his four years in Baltimore that he could be a lead tight end. Over the final seven games of the 2023 regular season, with Mark Andrews sidelined by injury, Likely had 21 catches for 322 yards and five touchdowns.
The comparisons to Andrews will be inevitable. The Ravens had interest in re-signing Likely last offseason, but pivoted to Andrews after negotiations broke down over his asking price. Ultimately, the friends ended up with similar deals: Andrews signed a three-year, $39.3 million extension in December, and Likely is reportedly getting a three-year, $40 million deal that could be worth as much as $47.5 million to reunite with former coach John Harbaugh.
OL John Simpson β Baltimore Ravens
Reported deal: Three years, $30 million
Analysis: After the Ravens signed John Simpson to their practice squad and he helped them become the best rushing attack in the league in 2023, they let him go in free agency. The offensive line has not been the same since. In addition to losing Simpson, they also lost guard Kevin Zeitler to free agency and right tackle Morgan Moses to a trade.
With interior line the top priority of the offseason, the Ravens are bringing Simpson back. He spent the last two seasons with the New York Jets, where he started all 17 games in back-to-back seasons. Over the last season, Simpson graded out with a 56.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade and a 56.7 run blocking grade. His overall grade is just a tenth of a point higher than right guard Daniel Faalele and 2.3 points better than left guard Andrew Vorhees. He tied for the third-most penalties (11) out of all offensive linemen last year.
Prior to Simpsonβs first stint with the Ravens, he had fallen from a full-time starter to starting just two games for the Las Vegas Raiders. He resurrected his NFL career with the Ravens, helping them to an AFC championship appearance. Simpson had similar PFF grades in 2023 as he did last season. He saw a big uptick in 2024, grading out at 77.3 overall.
OLB DreβMont Jones β New England Patriots
Reported deal: Three years, $39.5 million
Analysis: The Ravens sent the Tennessee Titans a fifth-round pick to acquire the versatile Jones at the trade deadline. Over his nine games in Baltimore, according to Pro Football Focus, he had 32 pressures β tied with defensive lineman Travis Jones for the most on the team in that span β and 2.5 sacks.
DreβMont Jones finished the season with seven sacks and 51 pressures overall, both career highs. His 18.8% pass rush win rate on true pass sets tied for 23rd among regular edge rushers, according to PFF, and was by far the Ravensβ highest mark. (Rookie Mike Green was next best, ranking 44th at 14.2%.)
The Ravensβ trade for Crosby filled an aching need for a premier pass rusher, but questions about their depth persist. Green and Tavius Robinson have a combined 12.5 sacks, and Adisa Isaac has none over two injury-marred years. The Ravens will need to add help in free agency and the draft.
This article has been updated.
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