The 2020 NFL free agency period begins in less than a month. But for Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, free agency is a never-ending process that can happen any day of the year.
Since taking over for Ozzie Newsome, DeCosta has gotten in the habit of re-signing players early. It’s partially to end the cycle of developing players for other teams by keeping key players from hitting the free-agent market and ultimately leaving. But a secondary effect is that Baltimore saves money by inking players to a deal at the current market value instead of in a year or two when the increasing salary cap will drive up salaries.
In the case of this offseason, DeCosta’s philosophy is already having a major impact. Though Baltimore started the offseason with 21 pending free agents, including key starters in Matthew Judon and Michael Pierce, things could have been a lot worse had DeCosta not gotten a head start.
The Ravens have signed a number of players early, including nine that would have been free agents this offseason:
| Player | Position |
| Patrick Ricard | FB/DL |
| Willie Snead | WR |
| Andre Smith | T |
| Jordan Richards | DB |
| Justin Tucker | K |
| Marcus Peters | CB |
| Tavon Young | CB |
| Marshal Yanda | G |
| L.J. Fort | ILB |
Just imagine the Ravens having to try to re-sign Pro Bowlers like Ricard, Peters, Tucker and Yanda, alongside Judon and Pierce. It’s very likely Baltimore would have struggled to retain even the number of guys they already had, at least not without breaking the bank and dipping further into their salary cap.
As we saw last offseason with C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith and even Terrell Suggs, plenty of other teams are more than capable of beating any offer the Ravens can throw out. In the case of those three free agents, all earned bigger contracts than expected. Even re-signing one at their current contracts would have bankrupted Baltimore’s salary cap for the near future, ultimately forcing DeCosta to watch them leave with no real plan to replace them. Hopefully, DeCosta’s current philosophy will change that practice and see fewer star players leave after their rookie contracts.
It’s a strategy that has its potential negatives, however. In the case of Young, who spent last season on injured reserve, the Ravens might have been able to get a better value on his contract had they waited until now. Still, signing players early eliminates some of the anxiety of having to work on multiple contracts at once. As long as DeCosta and Baltimore’s front office do their due diligence and have a good eye for talent, they should have far more hits than misses.
As it stands now, the Ravens head into free agency this offseason with a clearer picture of how the salary cap looks for the next few years. With just two major free agents set to hit the market, Baltimore is in far greater shape to make decisions about the future of the franchise and be aggressive in making moves as soon as free agency begins on March 18.
The Ravens will likely turn their attention to tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey next in an effort to keep their two biggest pending free agents in Baltimore for the long haul.
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