The Ravens have already made their trade-deadline swing, and that move has left them with very little room to do much else unless they get creative.
Baltimore paid up for an offensive lineman dealing with a deep injury and still in concussion protocol, then took on $17 million per year in salary. That move drew plenty of criticism around the league, especially for a team already carrying a franchise-record payroll and sitting with the least cap space in the NFL. For now, that leaves Eric DeCosta with limited paths forward.
Still, the idea of Baltimore making another move is not dead. If the Ravens can clear salary in a deal, they could free themselves to add something more useful elsewhere.
That would not be simple, and the most likely fallback might be something modest, like chasing a veteran kicker on the cheap. But after the Cam Jurgens trade shocked people, it would not be wise to assume DeCosta and team president Sashi Brown are finished.
One name that stands out is cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
DeCosta has been one of Humphrey’s biggest supporters, praising him before the season and defending the $19.3 million in total compensation he is making in the final year of his deal. He pointed to Humphrey’s expected bounce-back year. Instead, the Ravens’ corner group has still struggled to make plays on the ball, and Baltimore’s corners and safeties have yet to record an interception this season even though they have been challenged plenty.
Humphrey is mainly a man-coverage corner, and he himself said in the preseason that he was “garbage” at times. The Ravens keep talking up TJ Tampa, who is working back from Injured Reserve, and there is at least a thought that Humphrey could shift into the slot.
That area has been a mess, and Ja’Marr Chase could have a big day there Sunday if nothing changes. If the fit still does not improve, the Ravens could look at Humphrey’s contract as a way to create real flexibility.
That possibility gets more interesting because Baltimore is less than $3 million under the cap and does not have many easy restructure options left. The Ravens also still need room for additions that can pop up because of injuries and other needs. In that kind of situation, moving Humphrey would make financial sense.
He has been a Pro Bowl player before, and a walk year does not always bring out the best in a player, especially one who has spent his whole career in one place. There is always a market for a proven corner, and there are teams willing to take on risk. Baltimore already knows that better than most after the Jaire Alexander gamble not that long ago.
By the deadline, Humphrey would be owed about $7.7 million for the rest of the season, and dealing him would clear that amount from the cap. Baltimore already paid him $4 million in the offseason as a bonus, so the financial logic is not as straightforward as a simple salary dump. But if the Ravens believe in rookie head coach Jesse Minter’s scheme and trust the youth in their secondary, they could even eat a few million of Humphrey’s deal and still save around $5 million while giving themselves more room to operate.
If Baltimore is serious about chasing a Super Bowl, it may need to keep thinking that way. There are plenty of Ravens who are not living up to their contracts, but most of them would be hard to move. Humphrey, though, could be the one exception that gives the Ravens more flexibility and maybe helps them in more than one way.
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Indianapolis, meanwhile, has at least a reason to listen after firing general manager Chris Ballard, which has only added more uncertainty around Nelsons future. The complicating part for the Ravens is obvious: he is approaching the end of his contract, and any move would ask Baltimore to balance its limited cap room against the cost of making a deal. For a team that needs help now, the fit is appealing, but the price could make the conversation a lot harder than the idea. [Read more 🡒]