The Baltimore Ravens are preparing for what could be their last playoff run before Ronnie Stanley leaves the team as a free agent. Selected with the sixth-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Stanley has been a reliable starter for most of his time in Baltimore, making one Pro Bowl and earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2019. After taking a pay cut to stick around in 2024, the Notre Dame product responded with his best season since that dominant 2019 campaign. According to Pro Football Focus, Stanley’s 72.5 overall grade ranks 24th in the league and is his best full-season mark of the 2020s.
According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler, his high play could make him too expensive for the Ravens. In a recent article, the duo said that Stanely “still brings value at a premium position” and that his resurgent play is “making him tougher to keep in the fold.” Only time will tell if the Ravens can keep Ronnie Stanley from leaving as a free agent, but if he does leave, teams like the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans could pay up for his services.
ESPN: Ravens Could Lose Impending Free Agent Ronnie Stanley
As of this posting, the Ravens are projected to have just over $17 million in 2025 cap space, the eighth-lowest mark in the league. While the team can always create more cap space with contract restructures, Baltimore must be wise about how they invest their limited financial resources. The most important part of building any sustained winner is knowing who to keep and who to let go, so let’s take a look at Baltimore’s impending free agents.
Last year, the Ravens had no choice but to watch key pieces of the 2023 team like Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick Queen, Kevin Zeitler, and John Simpson depart for greener pastures. That won’t be as much of a concern this year, as Baltimore’s list of impending free agents isn’t nearly as talented as last year’s. Fellow offensive lineman Patrick Mekari will hit the open market, and Baltimore could prioritize the younger player. However, outside of him, most of the free agents are depth players who shouldn’t cost too much.
The Ravens should have the financial capacity to keep Ronnie Stanley from leaving as a free agent, but the open market is always good for one or two surprises. If the Ravens can’t justify investing in both tackles, then perhaps Stanley joins a team like the New Orleans Saints or Tennessee Titans.
Possible Destinations
The New Orleans Saints have the worst salary cap situation in the league and, on paper, don’t have the resources to land Ronnie Stanley as a free agent. However, General Manager Mickey Loomis excels at creating cap space out of thin air, and he already indicated the team will do the same thing they’ve always done in the upcoming offseason. The Saints will need another reliable tackle, assuming Ryan Ramczyk does not return from his career-threatening injury. First-round pick Taliese Fuaga played right tackle in college, so the Saints could move him back to his native position and install Stanley as the blindside protector.
Whether it’s Will Levis or a rookie quarterback, the Titans must do something to improve their offensive line. First-round pick JC Latham has some promise, but the right tackle position is an active liability. Nicholas Petit-Frere has been one of the league’s worst blockers since entering the NFL, while swing tackle Leroy Watson currently has the lowest PFF grade of all eligible tackles. No young quarterback could survive in this environment, and signing Ronnie Stanley could go a long way in making the 2025 Titans watchable.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan – USA Today Sports
