If the Baltimore Ravens are determined to add a big and physical downhill running back this offseason, they can resume their pursuit of Derrick Henry, who they nearly acquired in October. If they’re looking for an all-purpose back, potential targets could include Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Austin Ekeler. If they are prioritizing speed, Tony Pollard is there for the taking.
If they’re more comfortable shopping in the midlevel running back market, Zack Moss, Devin Singletary, D’Onta Foreman and D’Andre Swift stand out. If they value familiarity, re-signing some combination of Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins and Dalvin Cook could be the play.
“It’s a little bit of a saturated market,” New York Giants senior vice president and general manager Joe Schoen said at last week’s NFL combine when asked about the free-agent running back class. “There are some guys at different ages that have had success. There’s some older guys that have had some success. It’s a diverse group.”
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The question isn’t whether the Ravens will add a running back this offseason. With only Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright under contract, and it’s uncertain when Mitchell will return after sustaining a major knee injury in December, the NFL leaders in rushing yards last season have no choice.
“We need more than two running backs, so certainly I think you’ll see us make a couple of acquisitions along the way,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said last week.
"We need more than two running backs."
GM Eric DeCosta on the plan at RB: pic.twitter.com/CsGdQmTXgH
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 27, 2024
The pertinent question is just what level of asset will the Ravens be willing to invest in the position. When it comes to April’s draft, this year’s running back class is short on star power and may not be heard from until later on Day 2. It’s plausible the Ravens could get one of the better backs available with a third-round pick. Day 3 figures to include some intriguing possibilities, too.
Free agency, though, will offer the Ravens myriad opportunities. They haven’t traditionally spent big money in the open market on the position, but lining up a game-breaker such as Henry, Jacobs or Barkley behind a dual-threat quarterback in Lamar Jackson is an enticing proposition for a team that has mostly adhered to a running back-by-committee approach in recent years. The Ravens were in advanced talks with the Tennessee Titans about Henry before the 2023 trade deadline. Yet, the Titans reversed course and decided they weren’t going to trade the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year.
Baltimore could opt to go the safer and cheaper route by signing a player such as Moss or Swift, both of whom are coming off strong seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively. Pairing one of them with Hill, Mitchell (when healthy) and a mid-round rookie would represent a strong combination, as well.
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Both DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh also cautioned last week to not rule out a return for pending free agents Edwards or Dobbins. The Ravens have remained in talks with Edwards. Dobbins, meanwhile, is back running after sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season.
“It’s up in the air,” Harbaugh said last week. “We don’t have a lot of guys under contract right now. … We would love to get Gus back. J.K. is floating around out there. Those guys have been with us. We’ll just have to see how it goes.”
Keaton Mitchell rushed for 396 yards and two touchdowns in eight games when healthy for the Ravens last season. (Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
Since Jackson became Baltimore’s starting quarterback in the second half of the 2018 season, two things have been constants. One, the Ravens have possessed the most productive running game in the sport. And two, Ravens running backs have had an awfully hard time staying healthy and on the field.
Both factors will presumably impact DeCosta’s decision-making this offseason. The Ravens clearly need to add quality depth at the position to combat the trend of multiple running backs going down every season with significant injuries. In doing so, they will have to weigh just how worthwhile it is to put substantial assets into the position when as long as Jackson is behind center, they’ve essentially been able to run the ball successfully regardless of who’s in the backfield.
The Ravens have had just one 1,000-yard running back (Mark Ingram in 2019) in Jackson’s five full seasons as a starter. Yet, they’ve led the league in rushing yards per game in three of those seasons and finished second and third in the other two. There were questions about how effective the Ravens would be running the ball with the departure of Greg Roman following the 2022 season, and all Baltimore did last year was lead the league in rushing in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s first season, averaging 156.5 yards per game.
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Investing in the running back position for a team that relies so heavily on its ground game obviously wouldn’t be a difficult decision if the Ravens, coming off a 13-4 regular season and a berth in the AFC championship, were awash in cap space and running back was one of their precious few needs.
That, however, is not Baltimore’s reality. It has more than 20 unrestricted free agents — many were key players in 2023 — and has roughly $12 million of salary-cap space to use in retaining players and making outside additions. DeCosta and company have several ways to create cap space, including roster cuts, but the savings and then some will be needed if they have to use the $22 million franchise tag on defensive tackle Justin Madubuike by Tuesday’s deadline. A Madubuike extension would eat into that space as well.
GO DEEPERRanking Ravens' top unrestricted free agents: Will Jadeveon Clowney, OBJ return?The stated priority of the Ravens’ decision-makers is to solidify the offensive line, and that won’t be cheap. They also need to add at wide receiver, edge rusher and cornerback. Depth at interior defensive line, inside linebacker and safety feels like a necessity, too. Paying $10-to-$12 million a year, if not more, for a running back simply may not fit in Baltimore’s budget.
However, given the depressed nature of the running back market in what’s become a passing league, the Ravens and other running back-needy teams may not have to break the bank to get a significant upgrade. It’s one of the few positions where annually the supply often exceeds the demand and the salaries haven’t skyrocketed.
“Obviously there’s a lot of good backs on the market, and I don’t know that a few years ago I would have thought that the position didn’t rise as much as other positions in the market, I’ll say,” Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said at the NFL combine. “That’s always a complex conversation. Just because they’re a lower-value position right now doesn’t mean they don’t provide a great impact to a team. All it does is take one team, one deal to reset a market and change things. I’m not going to say that it’s not going to be this year, but there’s a lot of exciting options on the market. We’ll take a look at them like we take a look at every position.”
GO DEEPERRebuilding O-line a must for Ravens' decision-makers: 'You win in the trenches first'The Vikings could be in the veteran running back market. So, too, could teams like the Titans, Eagles, Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers.
The question is will those teams be willing to meet the asking price for dynamic backs like Henry, Jacobs and Barkley, or will they be more likely to sign a midlevel option and then address the position through the draft? In recent offseasons, the answer has more often been the latter.
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Last offseason, only two unrestricted free agent running backs — Carolina’s Miles Sanders and Detroit’s David Montgomery — got more than $10 million guaranteed on multiyear deals. Barkley, Pollard and Jacobs were all given the franchise tag over a long-term deal.
“I think that at every position, you have to weigh the opportunity, the surplus versus the value of the position,” said Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, a former Ravens executive. “Running backs are important for an offense, and I truly believe that. I’ve been in Baltimore for 26 years and running backs were extremely important. Certainly, in Jim (Harbaugh’s) offense and Greg (Roman’s) offense, it will be. The value placed on it, the monetary value, those are the things that we talk through and work through, but there is value in the running back position, for sure.”
Those are the same conversations Ravens officials must have in the coming days before the unofficial start of free agency on March 11. It will surely be tempting, particularly if the asking prices are reasonable, to add a Henry to the backfield and force defenses to have to deal with the threats of Jackson and Henry running along with an improved passing game.
However, would it be smart, given all of the team’s needs and the limited cap space to fill them? DeCosta wasn’t about to play his hand when asked last week.
“We will definitely have a plan for that position,” he said.
(Top photo of Derrick Henry: Vincent Mignott / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
