The Ravens make their first signing of the free agency cycle
On the first day of negotiations ahead of free agency, a slew of signings and trades took place across the NFL, where numerous players agreed to terms with new teams. The Baltimore Ravens unsurprisingly lost some of their own free agents who signed elsewhere in Gus Edwards, Geno Stone, Devin Duvernay, and Ronald Darby.
The Ravens, meanwhile, were quiet throughout the day, but joined in on the action with a transaction late in the evening. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team agreed to terms with linebacker Malik Harrison on a one-year contract.
Ravens are re-signing free-agent linebacker Malik Harrison to a one-year deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2024
Harrison reacted positively to the news with a post of his own:
https://t.co/b9PLjmE1w3 pic.twitter.com/63ZrvjheH7
— Malik Harrison ♂️ (@Leek_39) March 12, 2024
Harrison was one of the team’s incumbent free agents and was thought to be a probable re-signing given his lower profile and price tag on the open market. That evidently bore true, as the Ravens were able to retain him on the first day of the week. The exact terms of the deal remain to be seen but this is likely a low-cost contract and it’s only a year commitment.
The former Ohio State product was originally drafted to Baltimore in 2020 as a fourth-round selection. Harrison has appeared in 61 total games through four seasons with 27 starts, recording a total of 120 combined tackles.
He was drafted as an inside linebacker to work in tandem with Patrick Queen, who the Ravens drafted No. 28 overall in the same rookie class. However, the Ravens have moved Harrison around on defense and he’s played a good number of snaps as an outside linebacker, where they’ve valued his edge-setting ability against the run.
This type of versatility makes him a valuable piece to return, especially when considering his special teams prowess as well. Harrison has been a valuable contributor on special teams for John Harbaugh and company since his rookie season. He’s played more snaps in that facet of the game (1,220) than on defense (880).
Harrison’s return gives the Ravens some added insurance at both linebacker positions on defense ahead of the rest of free agency and the draft. He could end up playing a bigger role at inside linebacker next season if the Ravens lose Queen, his draftmate, who’s been expected to garner a significant market from other teams.