After another fruitful regular season, the Baltimore Ravens fell short in the playoffs once again. Turnovers, penalties, and poor play-calling all doomed the exciting Ravens squad in a 17-10 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
The franchise now enters another key offseason as it must figure out how to translate regular season success into postseason triumph. The Ravens must first decide which free agents they want to bring back. Notable starters like Justin Madubuike, Odell Beckham Jr., and Patrick Queen are just a few of the key players who will be on the open market this year.
Who do the Ravens re-sign in 2024 NFL free agency and who will end up elsewhere? Here are four players Baltimore must re-sign this year.
Justin Madubuike, Defensive Tackle
While Lamar Jackson and this Baltimore rushing attack receive all the attention, this Baltimore defense is the backbone of this team. Few defenders in all of the league were better in 2023 than DT Justin Madubike.
In his four years in the league, Madubuike has slowly grown from a backup to a solid starter, to becoming a Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler this season. The former third-round pick led all defensive tackles in 2023 with 13 sacks and 33 QB hits as part of a defensive unit that sacked the quarterback a league-high 60 times.
Madubuike is going to command a premium price on the open market, but the Ravens must do everything they can to re-sign their talented defensive tackle.
Gus Edwards, Running Back
The Baltimore backfield could face a major shakeup this offseason. Veterans J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are both free agents, while Keaton Mitchell will be recovering from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his rookie season. That leaves Justice Hill as potentially the only healthy returning back.
Dobbins and Edwards both carry risk with them. Dobbins has played nine games over the last three seasons due to injury, making his return unlikely. As for Edwards, he will be 29 by the time the 2024 season rolls around. While he did have a career-high 13 touchdowns, Edwards had the least efficient year of his career in 2023, averaging 4.1 yards per carry (was at 5.0 YPC or above in each of his previous four campaigns).
Still, Edwards is nowhere near the top of the free-agent running back list, and any risk in re-signing him should be mitigated by his cut-rate price. Don't expect a lengthy deal, but given the current RB situation, the Ravens should bring back Gus Edwards for another year or two.
Kevin Zeitler, Guard
While he has never been a Pro Bowler, Kevin Zeitler has consistently been an above-average offensive guard during his 12 years in the league. In three years with the Ravens, Zeitler has helped Baltimore establish one of the best rushing attacks in the league despite blocking for a revolving cast of running backs.
Zeitler skipped some team activities this past offseason and the franchise did not engage in contract talks with him, but that does not preclude a deal from happening this offseason.
Tyler Huntley, Quarterback
While he is no Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley has proven himself to be a respectable replacement for the Ravens' MVP candidate. The Utah product has made nine starts over the last three years and has rarely looked out of place. Given his fit in the Baltimore offense, re-signing Huntley is a no-brainer.
