Teams have already begun releasing players to clear salary cap room before free agency opens in less than a month. The Ravens haven’t made any moves yet, but are expected to do so.
Or maybe not.
Three starters that media has talked about as potential salary cap casualties are wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, they would bring about cap savings of $5 million, cornerback Brandon Carr and right tackle Austin Howard. Respectively,
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However, there are good reasons for all three to stay aboard as well,
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Zrebiec began his news,
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“How much is a solid No. 2/3 cornerback worth?” he wrote. “If you’re the Ravens and you went through a couple of years of having to rely on Shareece Wright, Asa Jackson and Kyle Arrington after the inevitable injuries hit at the position,
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Jimmy Smith’s Achilles tear left Baltimore’s defense weakened down the key playoff push and, again,
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” Zrebiec wrote.,“It’s why moving on from Carr would be a mistake
“Yes, it would open up $4 million in salary cap space, which the cash-strapped Ravens could repurpose to help the offense. However, it would also further thin a secondary that will have several question marks heading into the season.”
Smith will be coming off Achilles surgery. Tavon Young will be coming off a torn ACL, as will Jaylen Hill. Maurice Canady has played in 12 games in two seasons. If there’s no Carr, it leaves Marlon Humphrey as the only starter without a question mark.
The Ravens could draft another cornerback, but have bigger needs on offense than spending another high pick at the position. The free-agent market at cornerback is thin and, as always, expensive.
Zrebiec feels Carr has gotten too much fan blame during Baltimore’s late-season defensive struggles. “By and large, he had a solid first season in Baltimore,” Zrebiec wrote.
Regarding Howard,
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“As with Carr, and I don’t think the Ravens do as of now,
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And what about Maclin? Wide receiver is another position where the Ravens’ depth is lacking with Mike Wallace and Michael Campanaro set to become free agents.
The free-agent market at wideout is thin, which could drive up the price on those available. There’s only one widely-regarded first-round wideout,
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Thus, pundits feel Baltimore may be best off keeping Maclin despite a $7.5 million cap hit, per Spotrac, and hope he can stay healthier and bounce back after two years of diminished production.
“At wideout, the Ravens are essentially down to Jeremy Maclin, who might need to take a pay cut to stick around,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote. “Maclin might profile best as a slot receiver at this point of his career.”
Barnwell estimated that Baltimore could free up close to $9 million in additional salary cap space by restructuring the contracts of safety Tony Jefferson and defensive tackle Brandon Williams.,Remember
“The Ravens have only $11.7 million in cap space to work with,” Barnwell wrote. “They can decline the options for Brandon Carr and Austin Howard, but with Jimmy Smith injured at cornerback and two regulars from the 2017 offensive line hitting free agency, the Ravens need all the help they can get at those two spots.”
