There’s been swirling speculation early in the offseason that the Baltimore Ravens will be in the market for a free agent running back. They’ve been heavily linked to Derrick Henry in rumors and are the odds-on favorite to acquire the former Tennessee Titans’ star.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the Ravens are also believed to be one of the few “serious suitors” for Saquon Barkley alongside the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys also have reported interest but aren’t expected to reach the price tag needed to sign him.
The depreciating value of running backs on the open market has been a reoccurring talking point over the past year or so. This year’s free agent crop, though, is the most talented in recent memory and features former Pro Bowl talents like Henry, Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Austin Ekeler, among others.
It will be interesting to see what price tag Barkley and others command given the position they play and sheer number of running backs available in free agency. Barkley’s reported price tag may be somewhere in the $8-12 million range annually, which is similar to what Henry’s suggested salary has been floated as also.
Barkley was one of the highest-drafted running backs in recent memory. The Giants selected him No. 2 overall in 2018 out of Penn State and he exceeded expectations out of the gate. Barkley was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and earned a Pro Bowl selection after rushing for 1,307 yards with 11 touchdowns. He also caught 91 passes for 721 yards through the air and another four scores as a pass-catcher.
The former Nittany Lion has had an up-and-down career trajectory since then as he’s dealt with numerous injuries over the past several years. Barkley missed a few games in 2019, suffered a season-ending injury in 2020 after two games, and was absent from multiple other contests in 2021 and 2023.
Barkley had a resurgent campaign in 2022, matching a lot of his rookie-year production with a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games. He wasn’t quite as effective last season but missed three games and was victim to the Giants’ offensive struggles as a whole.
The Ravens have limited cap space to work with in free agency as it currently stands. However, they gave themselves more flexibility for themselves in extending Justin Madubuike earlier this past week, and could create more financial breathing room through contract restructures or possibly releasing some veteran players.
It hasn’t been in the Ravens’ nature to shell out for a big-name free agent running back in the past, but there’s evidently been a lot of smoke suggesting they may do so this year. The idea of paring Barkley, or another player such as Henry, in the backfield with Lamar Jackson is undoubtedly tantalizing.