Ravens Re-Sign Patrick Ricard
The Ravens are keeping one of their most unique and important players on offense. The team announced the re-signing of Patrick Ricard to a three-year deal. 
Ricard, 27, has worn a number of hats during his time in Baltimore. He joined the team as a UDFA in 2017, where he established himself as an increasingly rare two-way player. The six-foot-three, 310-pounder spent time as a rotational defensive linemen, in addition to his now-familiar fullback role.
That trend of playing part-time on both sides of the ball began to change in 2019, when Ricard’s effectiveness as a fullback became more apparent. That was the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances for him at the position, as his role in the team’s offense has progressively increased. In 2021, the Maine product played more than 50% of the Ravens’ offense snaps for the first time, playing exclusively with that unit for the second straight season.
Ricard has also been aligned as a tight end with more regularity in recent years. In addition to his blocking prowess, he has registered 25 catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns over the past three campaigns. Together with traditional TE Nick Boyle, Ricard has played a key role in Baltimore’s rushing success. Given the former’s injury concerns, keeping Ricard in the fold was one of the Ravens’ top offseason priorities.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports (on Twitter) that the contract is expected to average roughly $4MM per season. That figure would rank Ricard second in the league amongst fullbacks, behind only Kyle Juszczyk. Regardless of the exact compensation level, ‘Project Pat’ is set to remain in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.
Ravens’ Derek Wolfe Considering Retirement
There is a strong possibility the Ravens’ front seven could look much different in 2022 than it did last season. On paper, one source of continuity would be defensive linemen Derek Wolfe. However, there is a chance he has already played his final game in the NFL. 
[RELATED: Ravens To Sign DT Michael Pierce]
According to Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun, Wolfe “said he’s considering retirement but plans to return to the field”. The reason his football future is in doubt stems from multiple injuries. The 32-year-old missed the entire 2021 campaign due to back issues. There was optimism he would be able to return to the field midway through the season, but the team placed him on IR for the second time in November.
The most pressing issue injury-wise for Wolfe is now the recovery from hip surgery he underwent in January. “We’ll see what happens with if I retire or not or if I keep playing”, he recently said. “I’m not sure yet. We’ve got to see how this hip goes”, although Shaffer’s report indicates that the aforementioned back ailment could also remain an issue into the future.
As mentioned, Wolfe does still intend to play in 2022, something he confirmed in a tweet. If so, he would provide a welcomed boost to the teams’ defensive line, which could lose fellow starters Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams in free agency. In 2021, Wolfe’s first season in Baltimore, he totalled 51 tackles, tying his career high. That performance earned him a three-year, $12MM extension last offseason.
A Super Bowl winner during his eight seasons in Denver, Wolfe apparently faces a difficult path to return to the field for a tenth season. If that doesn’t happen, the Ravens would have another hole to fill along their defensive front.
Ravens Sign DT Michael Pierce
Michael Pierce is returning to Baltimore. The veteran defensive tackle is signing with the Ravens, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Pierce will sign a three-year, $16.5MM deal with Baltimore, per Rapoport.
Pierce earned his walking papers from Minnesota earlier this week. The Vikings tried to convince Pierce to take a “moderate pay cut,” and when that didn’t happen, they tried to trade him. They couldn’t find any takers, so they ended up moving on from the defensive lineman. Pierce signed a three-year, $27MM deal with the Vikings in 2020, and he was set to have a $10.5MM cap hit in 2022. His release left behind $4MM in dead cap.
After opting out of the 2020 campaign, Pierce made his Vikings debut in 2021. He ultimately collected 20 tackles and three sacks in eight starts. He suffered an elbow injury that forced him to miss the middle chunk of the season.
Following his release from Minnesota, there were whispers that Pierce could look towards a reunion with Baltimore (via Josina Anderson on Twitter), but it was uncertain if the return of Za’Darius Smith would price the Ravens out of the sweepstakes. Ultimately, the two sides agreed to terms, and Pierce will now return to the team that took a chance on him as an undrafted free agent in 2016. The Stanford product ended up spending the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens, starting 30 of his 60 games.
Za’Darius Smith Not Signing With Ravens
It seemed as though the Ravens had added another major piece to their defense by reuniting with Za’Darius Smith. However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that he is in fact not signing with Baltimore (Twitter link). 
It had been announced yesterday that the former Packer was coming back to Baltimore on a four-year, $35MM deal. The news came after Smith, 29, was released by Green Bay in a cost-cutting move. They had been open to keeping him at a reduced cost, but the split seemed to be mutual.
That opened the door to a reunion with Baltimore, where he had spent the first four years of his career and established himself as a productive pass rusher. Between the familiarity with the organization, and the lack of proven veterans at the position for the Ravens, the reported deal made perfect sense. Now, however the former fourth rounder will remain on the open market.
At his media availability announcing the additions of safety Marcus Williams and offensive tackle Morgan Moses, general manager Eric DeCosta didn’t confirm the Smith deal. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports that the team “felt like they had a verbal agreement” in place with Smith (Twitter link). While he adds that a deal with Baltimore is technically still possible, he states that “it seems unlikely this [situation] is salvageable”.
Smith’s decision comes one day after the edge rusher market changed dramatically. Von Miller, Chandler Jones and Uchenna Nwosu all found new homes in free agency. That, coupled with the recent trades of Khalil Mack and Yannick Ngakoue, should place Smith at the top of the list with respect to the remaining names available.
The Ravens, meanwhile, will now search for a backup plan at the position. With plenty of question marks remaining in their front seven, and limited cap space to work with, they face a much different situation than they did 24 hours ago.
Ravens To Bring Back LB Za’Darius Smith
Mentioned as a possible Za’Darius Smith landing spot, the Ravens are indeed reacquiring their former pass rusher. The recently released Packer is committing to Baltimore.
The Ravens are adding Smith on a four-year, $35MM deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This deal is not as lucrative as the one Smith signed in Green Bay three years ago, but Schefter adds it can max out at $50MM. The 29-year-old spent the first four years of his carer with the Ravens, where he followed a familiar pattern of edge rushers gradually growing in their role on the team.
In his final season in Charm City, the former fourth round pick posted a career-high 8.5 sacks. That earned him a sizeable second contract with the Packers, where he paired with Preston Smith to form one of the league’s best pass-rushing tandems. He totalled 26 sacks in 2019 and 2020, earning him Pro Bowl nods in each of those campaigns.
However, he was limited to a single game in 2021 due to a back injury. That, coupled with the emergence of former first rounder Rashan Gary, as well as his aforementioned hefty contract, made Smith a viable release candidate. It wasn’t surprising, then, that the Packers quickly made it clear he would only be brought back at a more affordable price.
While Green Bay was willing to keep Smith at the cash value he was owed (as opposed to his much higher cap number), it seemed the parting of ways by the two sides was mutual. The team will now move forward with Gary and the recently re-signed Preston Smith at the forefront of their edge rush department. As for the Ravens, a significant hole in the front seven has been filled. Before this news, the team’s only two notable pass rushers under contract were Tyus Bowser (who tore his Achilles in the season finale) and first round rookie Odafe Oweh (who tailed off after an impressive start to the campaign).
Smith joins safety Marcus Williams as the Ravens’ second noteworthy signing on the defensive side of the ball. Not generally known for making splashes at the top of the free agent market, they have now added two major pieces to a roster which many saw as Super Bowl-caliber at the beginning of last season.
Ravens, T Morgan Moses Agree To Deal
The Ravens are adding a veteran right tackle to the mix. They agreed to terms with Morgan Moses on Tuesday night, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets.
Formerly with Washington and the Jets, Moses will join the Ravens on a three-year deal worth $15MM. This marks a bump for Moses, who found himself a cap casualty midway through the 2021 offseason. He previously played for $3.6MM with the Jets.
Previously a rock in Washington, Moses started every game for the franchise from 2015-20. The Jets enjoyed the set-it-and-forget-it pattern with Moses, starting him in 16 games last season. Following Mekhi Becton‘s Week 1 injury, the Jets used Moses and George Fant at tackle throughout the season. Moses has not missed a game since his rookie 2014 season.
Moses, 31, will come to a Ravens team that has seen some instability disrupt what was one of the NFL’s best tackle tandems. Baltimore traded Orlando Brown Jr. to Kansas City and saw Ronnie Stanley go down with another significant injury. While Stanley is expected to be back to man the Ravens’ left tackle spot, the team just saw Alejandro Villanueva retire.
Moses stands to be a pivotal piece for the next Ravens O-line, which will likely feature the eight-year veteran as its starting right tackle. Patrick Mekari played there primarily for Baltimore in 2021, and although he signed a Ravens extension, the team could move the versatile blocker back inside. The former center may be a candidate there, with Bradley Bozeman a free agent. The Ravens also have Ja’Wuan James, a veteran and injury-prone right tackle whom they stashed as a rehab project last year, as an option. But Moses should be considered the favorite to start opposite Stanley.
The Jets expressed interest in retaining Moses, whose new Ravens contract does not match the five-year, $40MM extension he signed with Washington back in 2017. Gang Green has some options, one being moving Fant to right tackle — his position to start the 2021 season — and trying Becton again on the left side. Becton’s stock has freefallen since his promising rookie season, however. The Jets, who hold the Nos. 4 and 10 picks in next month’s draft, are also a candidate to take a tackle in Round 1.
DL Eddie Goldman To Meet With Ravens
Eddie Goldman‘s first free agent visit will be in Baltimore. The veteran defensive lineman is expected to meet with the Ravens on Friday, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).
The Bears cut Goldman last week after they couldn’t work out a trade for the veteran defensive lineman. Two years remained on Goldman’s $10.5MM-per-year deal, and cutting the veteran saved the Bears more than $6MM in cap space.
Goldman, 28, returned to the Bears after opting out of the 2020 season. He started 10 games, upping his total to 73 as a pro. The Bears gave him an extension worth $42MM in 2018, but because his contract tolled after he passed on the 2020 season, Goldman was signed through 2023.
The Ravens have revamped their defense a bit over the past week. After releasing cornerback Tavon Young last week, the team inked safety Marcus Williams to a whopping five-year, $70MM deal. Goldman would be another notable addition to new DC Mike Macdonald‘s defense.
NFL Announces Compensatory Picks For 2022 Draft
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2022 draft. These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2021 offseason.
This year, the NFL awarded 39 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
This year’s formula also includes the changes made last year, when teams began receiving third-round comp picks due to the hiring of minority head coaches and general managers. Seven such picks were awarded this year. The 49ers landed two additional third-rounders this year, obtaining the extra selections for the Jets’ 2021 Robert Saleh hire and the Dolphins hiring Mike McDaniel this year. Miami’s McDaniel hire will give San Francisco another third-rounder in 2023.
The Chiefs obtained a third-rounder for the Bears’ Ryan Poles GM hire, while the Browns landed a third because of the Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah GM hire. The Ravens collected their second third-round for the Texans’ 2021 David Culley hire; Culley has since been fired. The Saints and Rams obtained one apiece after seeing the Falcons and Lions hire minority execs Terry Fontenot and Brad Holmes as GMs in 2021. New Orleans and Detroit also landed thirds because of players given high-value contacts last year (Trey Hendrickson and Kenny Golladay, respectively).
Here is the full list of 2022 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Lions (No. 97 overall), Saints (98), Browns (99)*, Ravens (100)*, Saints (101)*, 49ers (102)*, Chiefs (103)*, Rams (104)*, 49ers (105)*
Round 4: Steelers (No. 138), Ravens (139), Packers (140), Ravens (141), Rams (142), Titans (143)
Round 5: Cowboys (No. 176), Lions (177), Cowboys (178), Colts (179)
Round 6: Rams (No. 211), Rams (212), Falcons (213), Chargers (214), Cardinals (215), Colts (216), Lions (217), Rams (218), Titans (219), 49ers (220), 49ers (221)
Round 7: Chargers (No. 254), Chargers (255), Cardinals (256), Cardinals (257), Packers (258), Chiefs (259), Chargers (260), Buccaneers (261), 49ers (262)
By team:
San Francisco 49ers (5)
Los Angeles Rams (5)
Los Angeles Chargers (4)
Arizona Cardinals (3)
Baltimore Ravens (3)
Detroit Lions (3)
Dallas Cowboys (2)
Green Bay Packers (2)
Indianapolis Colts (2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2)
New Orleans Saints (2)
Tennessee Titans (2)
Atlanta Falcons (1)
Cleveland Browns (1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
* = special compensatory selection
Ravens To Sign Marcus Williams
The Ravens have agreed to terms with Marcus Williams. The standout safety will leave New Orleans and head to Baltimore on a whopping five-year, $70MM deal (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that the contract includes $37MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link). 
Williams, 26 in September, played on the tag last season after attempts to reach a long-term agreement came up short. The Saints still wanted to hammer out a long-term extension this time around, but their cap situation did not cooperate.
Last year, Williams posted a career-high 74 tackles to go along with two interceptions and eight pass breakups. He also made some serious strides in coverage, allowing a sub-50% completion rate for the first time in his career. Williams also added two interceptions, bringing his career tally to 15.
Baltimore was likely to be in the market for a new safety. They were frequently named as a potential suitor for Tyrann Mathieu, among other options who were available. With incumbent DeShon Elliott a pending free agent, it is not surprising the Ravens have made the investment in Williams. The former is a well-respected member of the defense, but injuries have been a constant throughout his four-year career. That, coupled with Williams’ skillset lending itself more naturally to a true free safety role, make this a logical move.
With Williams in place, the Ravens’ secondary still includes All Pro corners in Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. At an average of $14MM per season, on the other hand, this deal adds considerably to the finances Baltimore has invested on the back end of its defense. It will also eat up nearly all of the cap space the team had manufactured recently, leaving them just short of the cap ceiling. Still, the deal should help give a boost to the team’s disappointing pass defense from last season.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/10/22
The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Commandeers: QB Kyle Allen
- Cowboys: LB Francis Bernard, OL Mitch Hyatt
- Raiders: FB Alec Ingold
- Rams: LB Troy Reeder
- Ravens: CB Khalil Dorsey