Ravens need to create salary-cap space. Here are several ways they could do it

Ravens Need to Create Salary-Cap Space: Here Are Several Ways They Could Do It

The Baltimore Ravens are currently facing a challenging situation as they look to build a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl while managing their salary cap. Salary cap management has always been a critical component for NFL teams, especially for a team like the Ravens, who have historically made strategic decisions to remain competitive without breaking the bank. With the NFL’s salary cap continuing to evolve and fluctuating each season, finding ways to create space and ensure the flexibility to sign free agents, extend current players, and prepare for future seasons is essential.

In this article, we’ll look at several potential strategies the Ravens could use to create salary-cap space. From restructuring contracts to releasing players or even trading key assets, these are all avenues the Ravens could pursue as they try to navigate a cap-strapped situation and position themselves to contend in the upcoming seasons.

Understanding the Salary-Cap Situation

Before diving into the specific ways the Ravens can create salary-cap space, it’s important to understand their current salary-cap situation. The NFL has a salary cap, which is the limit on the total amount of money a team can spend on player salaries during a given season. This cap is determined annually, and teams must operate within these constraints. Failure to do so results in penalties, which could include loss of draft picks or fines.

For the 2025 season, the NFL salary cap is projected to rise to around $230 million. Like all teams, the Ravens must ensure their payroll doesn’t exceed this amount while also balancing long-term financial flexibility for the future. Managing the cap often requires difficult decisions, including making sacrifices with certain players or altering contracts.

Current Cap Space and Roster Priorities

To create salary-cap space, the Ravens must first assess their current roster, cap commitments, and areas where they can make improvements. As of early 2025, the Ravens have several players with significant salaries who may not provide adequate value compared to their cost. Additionally, they have key free agents and potential extension candidates who will need to be addressed, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, whose contract negotiations will play a critical role in the cap situation moving forward.

Currently, the Ravens’ cap space is constrained by large contracts for high-profile players like Jackson and defensive stars such as linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Marlon Humphrey. While these players are essential to the team’s success, the Ravens will need to find creative ways to keep their roster competitive while managing their overall cap commitments.

Ways to Create Salary-Cap Space

Here are several strategies the Ravens could use to create salary-cap space, each with its own set of advantages and challenges.

1. Restructuring Contracts

One of the most common ways NFL teams create salary-cap space is by restructuring contracts. This process allows teams to convert a portion of a player’s base salary into a signing bonus. The signing bonus is then prorated over the life of the contract, which can help reduce the immediate cap hit. While this doesn’t technically reduce a player’s salary, it spreads out the cap charge across multiple years, freeing up space in the short term.

For example, players like Lamar Jackson and Roquan Smith are likely candidates for contract restructures, as they carry hefty cap hits in 2025. A restructure of Jackson’s deal would allow the Ravens to free up significant space for other roster moves. Similarly, restructuring contracts with other veteran players like Humphrey or edge rusher Odafe Oweh could also create more room to work with, especially if they have substantial base salaries.

However, there are trade-offs with restructures. By extending the cap hits over multiple years, the team is pushing their financial obligations into the future. This can limit future flexibility and complicate future negotiations, particularly with players who may demand bigger contracts as they become more established stars. Restructures are a short-term solution, and the team must weigh the benefits against the long-term impact on their cap.

2. Releasing or Trading Players

Another way the Ravens could create salary-cap space is by releasing or trading underperforming or expendable players. This could be especially effective if there are veterans on the roster who are either no longer productive or are in danger of regressing as their careers advance.

For example, the Ravens could look at cutting players who have large cap numbers but may not offer enough value on the field relative to their cost. This could include older players with declining performance, role players with high salaries, or even players whose contracts no longer fit into the team’s long-term plans. Here are a few potential candidates for release or trade:

• Calais Campbell (DT): At 39 years old, Campbell may no longer be the dominant force he once was. If the Ravens feel they can replace his production with younger, cheaper players, cutting Campbell could create a sizable amount of cap space.
• Patrick Queen (ILB): If the Ravens are unable to sign Queen to a long-term extension or if they are looking to allocate resources elsewhere, trading or releasing the former first-round pick could free up significant cap room.
• Kevin Zeitler (OG): If Zeitler’s performance has diminished or if the Ravens find more cost-effective options in the draft or free agency, they could release or trade the veteran guard to free up space for younger players.

Releasing players who have a large cap hit and minimal dead money can give the Ravens the flexibility they need to sign other key players or acquire new talent. Trading players for future draft picks or younger assets is another viable option, as it allows the team to offload salary while still maintaining long-term competitiveness.

However, cutting or trading players comes with the downside of losing experienced leadership, key contributors, and potential depth. Releasing veteran players also leaves the team with dead money (a cap charge for players no longer on the roster), which could negatively affect their cap situation.

3. Extending Key Players Early

Another strategy for creating salary-cap space is to extend contracts for key players who are coming up on free agency or have expiring contracts. By offering extensions before a player reaches free agency, the Ravens can lock in their services at a more manageable cap hit.

For example, extending players like Marlon Humphrey, Roquan Smith, and Lamar Jackson earlier than expected could help reduce their cap hits in the short term. Instead of letting these contracts run out and triggering massive salary demands, the Ravens could negotiate extensions that keep their cap hits relatively low in the first few years. By extending these players, the team may also be able to lower their immediate cap costs through restructures or signing bonuses, allowing more cap space to be allocated to other areas of need.

This approach can also help the Ravens maintain control over key pieces of their team for the long haul. By locking in important players, they avoid the risk of losing them to free agency, and it gives them a better sense of stability in their roster construction. However, the downside is that large contract extensions for key players will increase future cap commitments and may limit flexibility in signing other free agents or making additional moves in future seasons.

4. Using the Post-June 1st Designation

When releasing players, teams have the option to designate them as a post-June 1st cut, which spreads out the dead money over two seasons instead of one. This is particularly helpful for creating cap space in the short term while mitigating the financial hit in the following year.

For example, if the Ravens decide to part ways with players like Calais Campbell or Kevin Zeitler, they could designate them as post-June 1st cuts. This would allow the Ravens to spread their dead money across two years, thus lowering the immediate cap impact and freeing up space for the 2025 season.

However, the downside to this strategy is that it still affects the cap in future years, and it doesn’t create instant relief. The Ravens would need to weigh whether it’s worth taking on dead money in future seasons to free up space in the current year.

5. Reworking Roster Bonuses and Incentives

In addition to restructuring contracts, another option is to rework players’ roster bonuses or performance incentives. Roster bonuses are often tied to certain events or achievements (e.g., making the roster, passing a physical) and could be adjusted to ensure they count against the cap in a more favorable way.

By converting roster bonuses into signing bonuses or renegotiating performance incentives, the Ravens could ease their cap burden for 2025. For example, players who are due for large roster bonuses could negotiate a smaller bonus in favor of a larger signing bonus that can be prorated over the remaining years of their contracts. This would allow the team to reduce the immediate cap hit while still compensating the player in a fair manner.