Eric DeCosta is staring at a trade deadline that looks a lot different now than it did just a week or two ago.
Back then, the Ravens seemed like a team that could still add. They had obvious needs in the trenches and the secondary, and after an aggressive start that included the Cam Jurgens trade, it made sense to think Baltimore might keep shopping. Then Week 8 happened, Lamar Jackson went on IR with a thumb injury, and the whole picture changed fast.
At 4-4, the Ravens suddenly look like a team trying to keep the lights on rather than one gearing up for a push. Jackson will be out for at least four weeks, the defense has been inconsistent, and the offensive line has been giving opposing pass rushers too much room to work. With Baltimore last in the AFC North, it’s hard to look at the next stretch and see a team ready to make a real run.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a full teardown. But it does raise a real question: are the Ravens buyers, sellers, or stuck somewhere in the middle?
One area where Baltimore could still look around is quarterback. The Ravens went 1-2 in their first stretch without Jackson, and Tyler Huntley’s toe injury could keep him out of Thursday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If that happens, undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano would be in line to start.
Fagnano has shown some potential, but the idea that he can carry a team right now is a stretch. He may grow into a solid backup, but asking him to win games at this stage is a different deal entirely.
Huntley, meanwhile, hasn’t looked good outside of Week 5. That combination could force Baltimore to explore the market.
A few names have already surfaced. Tyson Bagent has been mentioned, Anthony Richardson could benefit from a new setting and a real chance to play, and Gardner Minshew is coming off a comeback win for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8. Any of those quarterbacks would fit the bill as a short-term option.
Beyond that, though, the Ravens should be looking to bring in picks, not spend them. They don’t need to blow the whole thing up, but moving veterans and rentals starts to make sense if the season keeps sliding.
That’s where Calais Campbell and Chidobe Awuzie come in.
Campbell is 40, and if Baltimore can send him somewhere with a better shot at a ring, it might be the right move. He still brings value as a rotational piece on the defensive line, and contenders are always hunting for help up front. He can give a team pass rush, run defense and leadership, which is exactly the kind of package clubs want in November.
Awuzie is in a different spot, but he’s another logical name to watch. He signed a one-year, $5 million deal in the offseason and hasn’t been a steady part of Jesse Minter’s rotation.
He did play well in Week 8, but it’s fair to question whether he’s part of Baltimore’s future plans. If the Ravens can get something back for him, that would also open more snaps for T.J.
Tampa.
The return on either player probably wouldn’t be much, likely no more than a late Day 3 pick. But at this point, even that has value.
Baltimore isn’t headed for a rebuild, and this roster could still be competitive in 2027. But with the 2026 season tilting the wrong way and the November 10 trade deadline approaching, DeCosta has to consider every angle. Right now, the direction of the team suggests selling may be the smarter path.
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