After a quiet opening day of free agency, the Ravens roster underwent two seismic changes on March 12. The Ravens reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, and they lost Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen to the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers.
The deals were reported by numerous media outlets, although no announcements were made by the Ravens. No deals with unrestricted free agents from another organization can become official until the new league year begins March 13, but teams could begin negotiating with pending free agents two days earlier.
On the first day of the so-called “legal tampering window,” teams made a run on running backs while the Ravens watched from the sideline, though they reportedly engaged with Henry throughout the process. Then the next day, the two sides agreed to a two-year deal reported to be worth $16 million, with the potential for much as $20 million.
Henry becomes the centerpiece of a Ravens running attack that entered free agency with just one healthy back in Justice Hill. Keaton Mitchell is coming off a torn ACL that derailed his promising rookie season. J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Melvin Gordon and Dalvin Cook, all of whom saw time in the Ravens backfield in 2023, were set to hit free agency. Edwards has since reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers.
With so many running backs off the board in the opening hours of free agency, Henry appeared to be the Ravens’ last, best chance to upgrade the position with a proven back, as opposed to bolstering the group with a stopgap veteran or via the draft.
Henry, 30, has topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark five times in the past six seasons, including 2020, when he ran for a league-best 2,027 yards — the fifth-most in a season in NFL history. He was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year that season.
The 6-foot-3, 247-pounder with a singular blend of size and speed has also been a durable workhorse. The former Heisman Trophy winner has led the league in carries in four of the past five years — the only outlier came when he missed the last half of the 2021 season with a foot injury. He has topped 300 carries three times.
This past season, Henry ran a league-high 280 times for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 214 yards.
In the Ravens’ offense, Henry adds a most potent, three-down weapon to a ground game featuring quarterback Lamar Jackson and the shifty, dynamic Mitchell, though his status for the early part of the 2024 season is uncertain.
Jackson has led the Ravens in rushing in all five seasons he has been the full-time starter.
For all the speculation that the Ravens would shift to a high-octane passing attack under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken in 2023, the Ravens led the league in carries (541) and rushing yards per game (156.5).
Henry would appear to be ideally suited for the physical, ground-and-pound approach of head coach John Harbaugh, who loves to watch his team get the lead and then hold the lead with a punishing, clock-eating drive late in the game.
Queen goes to Pittsburgh
Stopping Henry now becomes a twice-a-year problem for Queen, who departs Baltimore after four exemplary seasons for its fiercest AFC North rival.
According to NFL Network, Queen will sign a three-year deal worth $41 million with the Steelers, cashing in after the best season of his career in a contract year. Queen earned his first Pro Bowl nod this year after totaling a career-high 133 tackles. He also had 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hits and recorded his fourth career interception.
The Ravens’ top draft pick, at No. 28 overall, in the 2020 draft has also proved to be extremely durable; Queen, 24, has never missed a game as a pro.
But after the Ravens signed fellow inside linebacker Roquan Smith to a five-year, $100 million deal last year, Queen’s eventual departure as a free agent seemed inevitable. The team last year did not pick up Queen’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent this week.
At his season-ending news conference in January, DeCosta suggested that the decision to decline Queen’s fifth-year option — which would have cost about $12.7 million — allowed the team to sign other players. But, he added, “Patrick had an amazing season. I love Patrick. He’s one of my favorite guys on the team. He’s put himself in a great position, potentially, to hit the market and see what his value is. … I’m very happy for him. Very, very happy for his family. He’s a special player and a special person.”
Queen joins Edwards and safety Geno Stone as the Ravens’ highest-profile departures, though eight Ravens have reportedly been signed by other teams in the opening salvo of free agency.
Top Ravens free agents still on the market include guard Kevin Zeitler, outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, and running back J.K. Dobbins.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t technically a free agent, but if the two sides don’t work out a contract extension by March 14, he is expected to be released with a post-June 1 cut designation. Under his current deal, if Beckham is still on the roster March 14, a 2025 salary of $50 million becomes fully guaranteed.
Here is a quick tracker on the Ravens roster turnover through the first two days of the league’s unofficial free agency period:
RE-SIGNED:
LB Malik Harrison
DL Justin Madubuike (re-signed last week after first receiving franchise tag)
SIGNED FROM OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION:
RB Derrick Henry
SIGNED AWAY FROM THE ORGANIZATION:
CB Ronald Darby (Jaguars)
WR-RS Devin Duvernay (Jaguars)
RB Gus Edwards (Chargers)
LS Tyler Ott (Commanders)
LB Del’Shawn Phillips (Texans)
LB Patrick Queen (Steelers)
S Geno Stone (Bengals)
G John Simpson (Jets)
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox