Ravens free-agency tracker: Arthur Maulet returns, Kevin Zeitler signs with Lions (2024)

It promises to be a busy few months for the Baltimore Ravens, who have several unrestricted free agents and salary-cap decisions to make. With the Ravens’ free-agency tracker, we’ll update all notable moves by the team throughout the offseason.

March 21

Ravens sign OL Josh Jones

Making their first move to solidify an offensive line that has lost three starters this season, the Ravens added a versatile veteran with extensive starting experience. Jones, 26, has started 24 games over the past three seasons, the first two with the Cardinals and last year with the Texans. He’s also played every position along the O-line but center, spending the most time at left tackle and the second most at right guard.

The Ravens have lost three starting offensive linemen this offseason. Right tackle Morgan Moses was traded to the Jets, and both starting guards, Kevin Zeitler (Detroit) and John Simpson (Jets), left in free agency.

Jones isn’t viewed as a lock starter in what will be a new-look offensive line in 2024. This signing also is unlikely to impact the team’s draft plans, where adding an offensive lineman or two figures to be a major focus. However, Jones does give Baltimore more options and more flexibility with his ability to play just about everywhere up front.

Welcome to Baltimore, @JoshJones_23❗ pic.twitter.com/pZu5rblzEN

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) March 21, 2024

March 19

Ravens reach one-year deal with LB Chris Board, his agent confirms

Board was initially signed by the Ravens in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State. He made the team as a rookie because of his special teams prowess and has since established himself as one of the better special teams players in the NFL.

The 28-year-old played four seasons with the Ravens, starting two games at linebacker in 2020, before spending the past two seasons with the Lions and Patriots, respectively. Because he was released by New England, he will not factor in the compensatory formula.

Back with the Ravens, he’s essentially the replacement for linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips, who signed with the Texans last week after two seasons in Baltimore. Board gives the Ravens special teams, which uncharacteristically struggled at times last year, a boost while also providing some linebacker depth behind Roquan Smith and Trenton Simpson.

Ravens agree to two-year deal with CB Arthur Maulet

Maulet was one of several veterans signed to modest, one-year deals last year who became key members of Mike Macdonald’s defense. Maulet played in 14 games last season, finishing with 37 tackles, two sacks, an interception, two fumble recoveries and five pass breakups. He was extremely effective as a blitzer from the slot and also had a role on special teams.

With cornerback Ronald Darby having already departed in free agency and Rock Ya-Sin unlikely to return, there was a need for another veteran for the cornerback corps, joining projected starters Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens. Maulet’s return almost certainly won’t take the Ravens out of the early-round cornerback draft market, either.

March 18

RG Kevin Zeitler agrees to deal with Lions

Zeitler’s pending departure means the Ravens will have to replace three-fifths of their starting 2023 offensive line, as they also traded right tackle Morgan Moses to the Jets and watched left guard John Simpson join them in free agency.

Zeitler leaving felt like a formality when the Ravens let his contract void in February, triggering more than $4 million in dead money on their salary cap. There was very little chance Baltimore was going to absorb the dead money and give the veteran a new deal.

March 17

QB Tyler Huntley agrees to one-year deal with Browns

Huntley’s three-year run as Lamar Jackson’s primary backup seemed tenuous in December when the Ravens plucked Malik Cunningham off the Patriots’ practice squad and added him to their 53-man roster. His return seemed even more unlikely last week when Baltimore re-signed veteran Josh Johnson.

Huntley, an undrafted free agent in 2020, started 10 games for the Ravens over the past three years, including the playoff loss to the Bengals in the wild-card round following the 2022 regular season. The Ravens won three of his 10 starts. He joins inside linebacker Patrick Queen (Steelers) and safety Geno Stone (Bengals) as Ravens free agents to depart for division rivals.

March 14

Ravens agree to one-year deal with QB Josh Johnson

Johnson, the 37-year-old quarterback, will extend his third stint with the Ravens. He becomes the third quarterback on Baltimore’s roster, joining Lamar Jackson and Malik Cunningham. Tyler Huntley, the Ravens’ primary backup to Jackson since 2020, is a free agent and it’s uncertain if he’ll be back.

Johnson was the team’s emergency No. 3 quarterback throughout the 2023 season, but he didn’t play in any games. Without another offseason addition at the position, he’ll likely compete with Cunningham for the No. 2 job this summer.

Ravens officially make WR Odell Beckham Jr. a post-June 1 release

This was considered pretty close to a formality after the Ravens and Beckham reworked his contract in January. He would have had $50 million guaranteed for 2025 if he was still on Baltimore’s roster by Thursday, and that obviously was never going to happen. The Ravens and Beckham had the option of working out an extension, but they want bigger roles for young pass catchers, including Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and tight end Isaiah Likely, and they don’t have much cap space. Beckham, meanwhile, presumably wants to play in an offense where he’ll get more opportunities than the 64 targets in 14 games he got last season.

In reworking his deal and making him a post-June 1 release, the Ravens now get to spread out the dead money onto next year’s salary cap. They’ll also get roughly $1 million of cap savings post-June 1. For Beckham, he gets to hit the open market. Since he was released, he won’t factor in the compensatory formula. That’s a win for the 31-year-old receiver as a handful of teams hold off on signing players because they don’t want to lose a potential comp pick.

The Ravens signed Beckham to a one-year, $15 million deal last April. He finished with 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens knew they weren’t likely to get $15 million of production out of Beckham, particularly in their offense. However, they valued his leadership and the impact he’d have on quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was in the middle of a contract dispute with Baltimore when Beckham was signed.

March 13

Ravens agree to one-year deal with DL Brent Urban

The Ravens appear set to run it back with their same defensive line from last season. After reaching agreement on an extension with nose tackle Michael Pierce in January and finalizing a long-term deal with defensive tackle Justin Madubuike last week, the Ravens made sure to keep Urban, too.

The nine-year pro is coming off one of his best NFL seasons with a career-best three sacks to go with 22 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 17 games (three starts).

Baltimore could add another rotational defensive lineman in the draft or free agency, but with Madubuike, Pierce, Urban, Broderick Washington and Travis Jones all returning, it doesn’t need to be a priority.

Ravens trade RT Morgan Moses to Jets

Ravens decision-makers made it clear that solidifying the offensive line was one of their offseason priorities. They wanted to get younger and more athletic up front. Moses played well for the Ravens over the past two years, but he just turned 33 and battled through an arm/shoulder injury for much of last season. Moving on from him should allow Baltimore to get a bit younger up front, and it also creates a much-needed $5.5 million of salary-cap savings.

The trade of Moses, along with John Simpson leaving in free agency and starting right guard Kevin Zeitler potentially signing elsewhere, further confirms that it will likely be an offensive line-heavy draft for the Ravens. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley is returning after he agreed to take a pay cut, and center Tyler Linderbaumis already one of the best centers in football.

However, as of now the Ravens need to fill as many as three starting spots along the O-line. They have some internal options. Veteran swing tackle Patrick Mekari has mostly played well when he’s started. Baltimore used a fourth-round pick on offensive tackle Daniel Faalele two years ago. It also has young drafted guards Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Andrew Vorhees.

One or two replacements may come from the guys already on the roster, but general manager Eric DeCosta has a lot of work to do.

LB Tyus Bowser released by Ravens, sources say

This was an expected move after Bowser missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury and played just nine games in 2022. A second-round pick in 2017, Bowser had his best season in 2021 with seven sacks, two forced fumbles and 59 tackles. He was sidelined this past season with a knee injury that the Ravens hoped would only cost him a chunk of training camp. However, he was never healthy enough to return.

Moving on from Bowser, 28, creates $5.5 million of cap savings. It further thins Baltimore’s outside linebacker depth as Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy are both free agents. Per colleague Joe Person, Clowney is currently in Charlotte meeting with the Panthers.

Ravens rework contract of veteran LT Ronnie Stanley, sources confirm

Stanley was due a $4 million bonus if he was on the roster by March 18. It’s now clear that he will be, as Baltimore and the 29-year-old left tackle have agreed to a revised contract that includes a pay reduction for Stanley. ESPN first reported the news, indicating that Stanley will play on “less in base pay but has upside potential to reach or surpass that number.”

Exact details of the level of pay reduction and how much cap savings it creates for the Ravens aren’t currently known. Before the new agreement, Stanley was carrying a $26.2 million cap hit, which would have been the second highest on the team. That number figures to drop significantly.

A pay reduction was always the most reasonable result for Stanley, who has struggled to stay on the field because of myriad injuries. Cutting him before June 1 would have created a ton of dead money on the salary cap and left the Ravens without their starting left tackle during an offseason where both their starting guards are free agents and there are questions about the future of starting right tackle Morgan Moses.

March 12

LS Tyler Ott agrees to three-year deal with Commanders

Ott was signed just before training camp last year after the Ravens learned that their long snapper, Nick Moore, tore his Achilles. Ott did a nice job for Baltimore. However, when the Ravens tacked an additional year onto Moore’s deal after his injury, it was pretty much established that Ott’s stay in Baltimore would be just one season.

LB Patrick Queen agrees to three-year contract with Steelers

A day after losing safety Geno Stone to the Bengals, the Ravens watched another of their top free agents join a hated division rival. Queen’s deal with the Steelers is reportedly a three-year pact worth $41 million. It’s a bit smaller of a deal than what was expected for Queen, who was one of the top inside linebackers on the market.

However, the Ravens were never really a threat to re-sign Queen because of their tight salary-cap situation and what they’ve already invested in fellow inside linebacker Roquan Smith ($20 million per year). The Ravens also have a potential internal replacement for Queen in 2023 third-round pick Trenton Simpson.

Queen, though, will certainly be missed. The 2020 first-round pick started every game over four seasons with the Ravens, amassing 454 tackles, 13 1/2 sacks, four interceptions, five forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.

To #RavensFlock 💜 pic.twitter.com/TKM7AHYI1w

— 🦈 (@Patrickqueen_) March 13, 2024

Ravens agree to deal with RB Derrick Henry

Roughly five months after theRavens nearly landedHenry in a pre-trade deadline move with theTitans, they finally got their man, agreeing to terms with the top remaining running back available, sources close to the negotiations confirmed. It’s a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million guaranteed and an additional $4 million available in incentives.

Henry is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl season with the Titans after rushing for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. The 30-year-old topped the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his eight seasons in Nashville.

Henry was 38th inThe Athletic’s rankings of the top 150 free agents. He is the first outside free agent to agree to terms with the Ravens since the negotiation window opened on Monday. Running back was one of the team’s biggest needs withGus Edwards, who agreed to terms with the Chargers, J.K. Dobbins andDalvin Cook all hitting the free-agent market this week.

LB Del’Shawn Phillips agrees to one-year deal with Texans

The Ravens had some interest in keeping Phillips, the 27-year-old linebacker who led the team in special teams snaps last season. However, the Texans made him a bigger priority, ending Phillips’ two-year run in Baltimore. Phillips finished last season with 24 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He played in every game and made one start as Baltimore opted to rest middle linebacker Roquan Smith in Week 18 against Pittsburgh.

The Ravens did reach an agreement with linebacker/core special-teamer Malik Harrison Monday night. However, Phillips’ departure further thins a linebacker group that could lose Patrick Queen, too.

March 11

Offensive guard John Simpson agrees to two-year deal with Jets

Ravens officials knew they had to rebuild their offensive line this offseason. They declined to sign veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler before his contract was voided, allowing him to hit the free-agent market. They also learned Monday that Simpson, who started every game for the team at left guard, has agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Jets with a max value of $18 million, his agent Kyle Strongin confirmed.

The Ravens have three potential Simpson replacements on their roster: second-year guard Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, who Simpson beat out during the preseason for the starting left guard job; 2023 seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees, who missed his entire rookie season as he recovered from a knee injury; and 2021 third-round pick Ben Cleveland, who has started seven games over his first three seasons.

Ravens agree to terms on one-year deal with LB Malik Harrison

Harrison has long been a favorite of Baltimore’s coaching staff because of his versatility. He’s been a core special-teamer, playing the second-most special teams snaps on the team last season. He started eight games last year at strong-side linebacker, where he was a strong edge setter against the run. He also was one of the Ravens’ backup options at inside linebacker.

Baltimore’s list of free agents included inside linebackers Queen and Phillips and outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy. It always felt like Harrison was one of the more likely Ravens unrestricted free agents to stick with how much they value his skill set.

😁 https://t.co/b9PLjmE1w3 pic.twitter.com/63ZrvjheH7

— Malik Harrison 💂🏾‍♂️ (@Leek_39) March 12, 2024

CB Ronald Darby reportedly signs two-year deal with Jaguars

The Ravens’ day-one exodus of free agents continued with reports that Darby, who had a strong 2023 season in stepping up for an injured Marlon Humphrey, has verbally agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Jaguars. Signed during training camp last year after Humphrey was sidelined following foot surgery, Darby played in 16 games for the Ravens, starting seven. He had seven pass breakups and was stingy in coverage.

Darby, 30, was one of three free-agent corners for Baltimore, joining Rock Ya-Sin and Arthur Maulet. He seemingly was the one the Ravens most likely wanted to re-sign. However, they apparently have other ideas at one of the game’s most important positions.

WR/RS Devin Duvernay agrees to two-year contract with Jaguars

Duvernay, a two-time Pro Bowl selection as a return specialist, moves on after a season in which he struggled with injuries and faded out of the team’s offensive game plan. In 13 games, he had just four receptions for 18 yards and four rushing attempts for 15 yards. Duvernay did average 12.6 yards on punt returns and 19.3 yards on kickoff returns.

Duvernay was a third-round pick by the Ravens in 2020 and made his biggest mark on special teams with two kick return touchdowns over his first three seasons. However, the Ravens were never able to fully take advantage of his offensive skill set (he had 94 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns in four seasons) and injuries seemed to cost Duvernay some of his explosiveness over the past two years. His deal is a two-year, $8.5 million pact that could be worth as much as $12.5 million, a source with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

Safety Geno Stone agrees to two-year deal with Bengals

After Stone’s breakout 2023 season that saw him lead the AFC with seven interceptions, it was widely expected that he’d be playing elsewhere in the coming seasons. The Ravens have an established safety pair in veteran Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, an All-Pro last season. They are also tight against the salary cap. A high-quality No. 3 safety is more of a luxury than a necessity.

However, Stone landing with the divisional-rival Bengals will add another interesting wrinkle to the ascending Baltimore and Cincinnati rivalry. According to multiple reports, Stone’s deal is for $15 million over two years. It’s a well-deserved reward for Stone, who has been cut and non-tendered multiple times before he became a key part of one of the league’s best defenses in 2023. General manager Eric DeCosta recently said Stone might be the best seventh-round draft pick in team history.

Bengals signing safety Geno Stone to two-year, $15M deal. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/gKnQVtqT2Q

— NFL (@NFL) March 11, 2024

RB Gus Edwards agrees to two-year deal with Chargers

The Ravens said they were interested in re-signing Edwards, but it didn’t happen. Edwards became the latest player to take advantage of the surprisingly quick-moving running back market as he agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers, where he’ll reunite with former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Edwards, a former undrafted free agent whose power running made him a key cog in the league’s most reliable rushing attack in recent seasons, set career highs in rushing attempts (198), rushing yards (810) and touchdowns (13) in 2023, but averaged a career-low 4.1 yards per carry and also fumbled a career-high three times.

Running back, meanwhile, remains a huge need for the Ravens with both J.K. Dobbins and Dalvin Cook eligible for free agency.

March 8

Ravens agree to four-year, $98 million extension with DT Justin Madubuike

Just three days after using the franchise tag on Madubuike, the Ravens agreed on a new contract with the 26-year-old defensive tackle, a move that checks off one of DeCosta’s stated priorities and also creates some much-needed salary-cap space. The franchise tag counted $22.1 million against the salary cap and put the Ravens over by about $10 million. However, Madubuike’s new contract was structured with a much lower 2024 cap number, leaving DeCosta with a little less work to do to be cap-compliant by Wednesday’s start of the new league year.

In terms of average per year, Madubuike becomes the second-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in football, behind only the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald ($31.67 million average per year). Madubuike’s breakout season — he led all interior defensive linemen with 13 sacks after having only 8 1/2 over his first three NFL seasons — came at the perfect time.

Feb. 18

Ravens sign WR Nelson Agholor to one-year, $3.75 million deal

Agholor had modest numbers in his first season as a Raven with 35 catches for 381 yards and four touchdowns, and he added another touchdown catch in the postseason. But the Ravens loved the leadership he brought to the locker room and a young wide receiver corps, and they appreciated how he took advantage of the few opportunities he did get.

There are questions about the future of Odell Beckham Jr., and Devin Duvernay is a pending free agent. DeCosta made it clear earlier this offseason that he didn’t expect to engineer another overhaul of the wide receiver room. Bringing back the 30-year-old Agholor offers the continuity he wants.

(Photo of Arthur Maulet: Jessica Rapfogel / USA Today)