The Ravens' free agency mantra has always been "right player, right price," and some of their best deals have been on the market's second wave.
Baltimore's roster was raided at the start of free agency this year, leaving a number of gaps to fill.
The Ravens largely did that, starting with upgrading the pass rush with a big four-year contract for Trey Hendrickson. Baltimore also inked deals with left guard John Simpson, safety Jaylinn Hawkins, tight end Durham Smythe, and reportedly guard/center Jovaughn Gwyn. The Ravens also retained backup quarterback Tyler Huntley.
DeCosta said the Ravens still "have a lot of work to do." The question is how much of that work is done via free agency versus the draft.
Per OvertheCap.com, the Ravens have nearly $22.5 million of effective salary cap space, ranking 16th in the league. DeCosta said the Ravens will have some free agents visit and will look at some more players, but don't expect another big swing.
"Are we going to go out and break the bank? Probably not," DeCosta said. "I think we've broken the bank in some ways over the last week, but we have opportunities to get better as a team with the draft.
"I'm excited about where we stand. I think we've filled some holes in the depth chart, which I know [Head] Coach [Jesse] Minter likes. We don't have quite as many open boxes, and we've added a lot of talent at different important positions, which should make us more strategic and be more focused in the draft."
Here are the positions the Ravens still could address:
Offensive Line
Simpson is a major addition and will step into the starting left guard spot, but the loss of Tyler Linderbaum, a three-time Pro Bowler, looms large.
Gwyn has played 11 total snaps in his three years in the league, serving as a backup last year in Atlanta while working with new Ravens Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Dwayne Ledford.
The Ravens also have a young, intriguing internal option in Corey Bullock, a former undrafted player who impressed last summer and earned a spot as Linderbaum's backup.
"I have a lot of confidence in Coach Ledford and our offensive staff to develop guys. I'm confident. We've done it before," DeCosta said.
Linderbaum was a first-round pick who thrived, but he was the exception to the Ravens' typical strategy at center of developing late-round picks.
The Ravens had some record-setting offenses with Matt Skura, who was undrafted, as the starting center from 2018-2020. Bradley Bozeman (2018) and Pro Bowler Ryan Jensen (2013) were sixth-round picks, and John Urschel was a fifth-round pick (2014). Dating back to 2004, Jason Brown was a fourth-round selection who became the league's highest-paid center when he left Baltimore in free agency.
"I think we have a pretty good history of drafting centers," DeCosta said. "I could go back and probably give you four or five guys that we've drafted over the years that have ended up being some of the very best centers in the league. So, I'm confident we can do that."
For now, right guard is shaping up to be a competition between Emery Jones Jr., who flashed some in limited opportunities down the stretch last season, and Andrew Vorhees, who started all 17 games last year.
The Ravens could add more competition for that spot via free agency or the draft. Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane is still the most popular mock draft pick for Baltimore at No. 14 overall.
Wide Receiver
The Ravens have a two-time Pro Bowler in Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman as their returning leading duo. The question is who fills out the room and claims the key No. 3 spot with DeAndre Hopkins and Tylan Wallace still on the free agent market.
In an interview on 105.7 The Fan, DeCosta expressed his confidence that Rashod Bateman will have a resurgent season under first-year Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle and excitement about third-year speedster Devontez Walker, who DeCosta said he expects to see take "another jump" this year.
DeCosta said there are still some free agents available, and buzz about the potential of a trade for A.J. Brown will persist until he's dealt elsewhere or definitively states he's staying in Philadelphia. However, DeCosta has his eyes on the draft.
"I think it's a pretty strong year in the draft as well. There are some players that we would anticipate potentially being there for us in the first round at 14 or if we trade back in the first round," DeCosta said. "[There are] some really good football players scattered throughout all other rounds, actually, that would give us a chance to add someone else into the equation."
The fair consensus top three wide receivers in this year's draft are Cornell Tate (Ohio State), Makai Lemon (USC), and Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State). Denzel Boston (Washington) and K.C. Concepcion (Texas A&M) could also come off the board in the first round.
Tight End
Smythe is primarily known for his blocking and steps into the void left by the departure of Charlie Kolar and, to a degree, fullback Patrick Ricard.
DeCosta said the Ravens are shifting from having a traditional fullback to using a tight end as an occasional blocker out of the backfield. Smythe did some of that last year playing in Doyle's Bears offense.
That leaves the possibility for the Ravens to still add two more tight ends, DeCosta told 105.7 The Fan. Baltimore lost a dangerous and versatile receiving threat in Isaiah Likely.
DeCosta said the Ravens are looking for "multi-faceted" tight ends, and this year's draft is littered with intriguing receiving weapons.
In the first round, Baltimore could take a swing with the top tight end in Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, who blew away the Combine with the fastest 40-yard dash (4.39 seconds) for a tight end since 2003.
Converted quarterback Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) was also one of the Combine's biggest freaks with the highest vertical jump of any tight end in Combine history. Sam Roush (Stanford) also popped at the Combine, and Michael Trigg has drawn comparisons to Likely.
Defensive Front
The Ravens got Hendrickson, but they're not done adding to their defensive front. They were also going after Maxx Crosby before that deal fell through.
Baltimore lost Dre'Mont Jones in free agency to the Patriots, and David Ojabo will get a fresh start in Miami.
There's nothing definitive yet on the future of defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. Regardless of what happens with Madubuike, the Ravens are going to bring on more defensive linemen.
Projected first-round prospect Keldrick Faulk of Auburn would add a strong run defender with pass rush upside to the front. Miami's Akheem Mesidor, Clemson's T.J. Parker, and Missouri's Zion Young could also be considerations as pass rushers, while Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks showed elite athleticism at the Combine.
