OTL: Five Realistic Under-the-Radar Free Agent Targets for Ravens

The Ravens finally did it.

After weeks of speculation, the Baltimore Ravens reached an agreement Friday night to acquire five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the 14th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a first-round selection in 2027.

The trade marks the first time in franchise history that Baltimore has dealt a first-round pick for a player. After the team’s disastrous 2025 season and the firing of head coach John Harbaugh that followed, General Manager Eric DeCosta appears determined to bring championship football back to Baltimore.

HOT TAKES: Maxx Crosby a Raven

As the superstar edge rusher joins his new squad, one led by two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, the message is clear: the Ravens are pushing their chips to the center of the table. They’re going all in.

Even after a trade of that magnitude, however, DeCosta and company still have work to do.

Acquiring Crosby will impact Baltimore’s financial flexibility in the offseason, a small price a team pays for having multiple Hall of Fame-level talents on its roster. The move will also force difficult roster decisions, most notably regarding young Baltimore stars Tyler Linderbaum and Isaiah Likely, who are set to hit the open market on Wednesday.

Beyond the deal that will undoubtedly headline Baltimore’s offseason, the team still has holes to fill. With significant resources now tied to Crosby, the front office will need to pivot from splashy signings to affordable, under-the-radar contributors.

As the legal tampering period rapidly approaches in Baltimore, here are five realistic under-the-radar free agents that the Ravens should target to strengthen their depth in key areas.

Greg Dulcich, TE, Dolphins

Baltimore’s tight end room is about to shift dramatically.

Tough decisions loom regarding two of Baltimore’s 2022 draft selections, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, who will both reach the open market for the first time in their careers this week. The common denominator as Baltimore retools is veteran Mark Andrews, who received a three-year extension during the 2025 season.

Should one of the many offseason rumors that have swirled around Likely prove true, the former fourth-round pick has played his last snap in Baltimore. As for Kolar, the Ravens will find it easier and cheaper to bring the Iowa State alum back.

Regardless, tight end is seemingly becoming a position the team will need to address in free agency, which they could execute by signing Miami Dolphins impending free agent Greg Dulcich.

Dulcich, 25, played the best season of his injury-riddled career for Miami in 2025. The former Denver Broncos third-round draft pick finished the year with 335 receiving yards on 26 receptions. His 83.9 reception percentage ranked 7th among tight ends with at least 20 targets. He also ranked 6th among tight ends in yards per catch (12.9).

Dulcich’s receiving ability is undeniable, which would put him in position to fill a Likely-adjacent role in the Ravens’ new-look offense.

His familiarity with the offensive staff in Baltimore also adds to the likelihood of the potential move. Declan Doyle, the youngest coordinator in the NFL, was the tight ends coach in Denver for Dulcich’s second and third seasons, before the former UCLA Bruin was eventually released by the team. Dulcich also overlapped with Ravens senior offensive assistant Joe Lombardi, who was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator for the past three seasons.

The most concerning aspect of Dulcich’s skill set is his availability. There is no sugarcoating the 25-year-old’s injury history as last season marked just the second season of his four year career where the tight end appeared in more than nine games.

Should Dulcich stay healthy, he would alleviate the anticipated loss of Likely and provide a familiar receiving threat for Baltimore’s overhauled offensive staff.

Austin Schlottmann, iOL, Giants

Regardless of whether the team loses its Pro Bowl center or not, DeCosta and the front office desperately, in any capacity, need to add to the interior offensive line.

In the likely event that Baltimore sees three new starters on the inside of their offensive line, the team will need to add all the depth it can get.

One potential option is New York Giants center Austin Schlottmann.

At 30, Schlottmann has yet to start consistently for a team, but he’s provided key depth across three teams in his six-year career.

Schlottmann, a former TCU Horned Frog, signed with the Denver Broncos in 2018 after going undrafted. The 30-year-old center recorded a career-high 363 blocking snaps in 2025 while also having the best statistical season of his career in New York. Schlottman ranked as the 13th-highest graded run blocker and 4th-highest graded pass blocker among centers with at least 300 blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

The former undrafted free agent also allowed zero sacks in his time on the field with the Giants, a very encouraging sign should he join Baltimore’s thin offensive line. The Ravens saw their starting interior offensive line allow nine sacks and 84 pressures last season, per PFF.

Baltimore’s interior offensive line needs help badly, and Schlottmann offers a versatile, experienced presence with the ability to shift around the line as needed.

Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE, Lions

Far too often last season, Ravens fans tensely watched their televisions as the opposing quarterback stood in the pocket for what seemed like an eternity, the product of a poorly-built pass rush.

The front office responded to the flock by sending two first-round picks to get Crosby from the Raiders. It does not end there, however. You can never have enough pass rushers.

Baltimore should be looking at a guy like Al-Quadin Muhammad, a 30-year-old edge rusher who had a bit of a career resurgence last season with the Detroit Lions.

Drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, Muhammad has played games for four different teams in his nine-year career. Before last season, his best year was with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, where he recorded 6.0 sacks and 37 pressures.

In 2025, the former Miami Hurricane outdid himself, notching career highs with 11.0 sacks and 53 pressures for the Lions. Muhammad’s 74.3 defensive grade, according to PFF, marked him the 36th best edge rusher in the NFL last season, ahead of Baltimore’s Dre’Mont Jones (acquired mid-season from Titans), Odafe Oweh (traded mid-season to Chargers), Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, and Mike Green.

Adding Muhammad to a pass rush that just netted itself a superstar in Crosby and has developing youngsters in Robinson and Green would make for a truly elite edge rotation. Opposing quarterbacks would think twice about trying to stand in the pocket against Baltimore, something they’ve not done in years.

Benjamin St-Juste, CB, Chargers

Pass rush was not the only aspect of Baltimore’s underwhelming 2025 defense that was borderline unwatchable.

The secondary also struggled severely.

Possibly as a result of inefficient pressure, it struggled severely nonetheless. The secondary woes were headlined by the severe slump from former Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey.

With Baltimore set to lose veteran Chidobe Awuzie in free agency, the team could look to add a player with a year of experience in new head coach Jesse Minter’s defensive system: Benjamin St-Juste.

Drafted in the third-round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders, St-Juste started in three of his four years with the team, but was never able to put things together. Before last year, St-Juste allowed a passer rating upwards of 100 in three separate years with the Commanders. St-Juste departed from the team in free agency last offseason, eventually landing with the Los Angeles Chargers.

With Minter now as his defensive coordinator, the puzzle pieces finally clicked and St-Juste had the breakout season he was so desperately searching for.

The 28-year-old cornerback allowed a 64.0 passer rating in 2025, ranking 7th among cornerbacks with at least 300 defensive snaps. St-Juste also ranked top 12 in completion percentage allowed (50.0), yards after catch allowed (47), and touchdowns allowed (1), while appearing in all 17 games for Los Angeles. St-Juste was additionally 7th-best tackling cornerback of last season, per PFF.

Now a free agent for the second time, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher could look to reunite with the defensive system that transformed the landscape of his career while boosting a secondary in dire need of reinforcements.

Tony Jefferson, S, Chargers

The last under-the-radar free agency target on the list should ring some bells for Baltimore fans.

Two years ago, Tony Jefferson announced his retirement from the NFL, a decision that ultimately led him to a scouting intern position with the Ravens during the 2023 season, his second stint with the team in some capacity. Later deciding his football days were unfinished, Jefferson reversed his retirement and joined the Los Angeles Chargers.

His un-retirement decision ultimately paid off, allowing him to become one of the league’s best depth safeties.

The 34-year-old veteran’s impact on Los Angeles’ defense over the past two seasons cannot be understated. Across his time as a Charger, Jefferson has been featured in 21 regular season games.

The former undrafted free agent tallied four interceptions and three pass breakups last season, helping him rank third in passer rating allowed (34.5) among safeties with at least 300 defensive snaps.

Jefferson spent four seasons between 2017 and 2021 with the Ravens and now could look to return to M&T Bank Stadium for the third time in his career. It also helps that the veteran’s career resurgence was orchestrated by Minter in Los Angeles, adding another layer of familiarity that Baltimore’s defense could utilize in 2026.

The acquisition of Crosby makes Baltimore’s intentions of competing for a Super Bowl title clear, but it also limits the team’s financial flexibility in the offseason. With an overhauled coaching staff and a series of notable contributors set to depart from Baltimore, DeCosta needs to make every offseason addition count.

While free agency in Charm City won’t be splashy, fans can watch confidently as the Ravens add rotational contributors to strengthen the team’s depth and add to its elite talent across the board. The offseason isn’t just about a superstar, it’s about building a complete, championship-contending roster.

With the 2026 free agency period rapidly approaching, the blueprint is coming into focus.

The post OTL: Five Realistic Under-the-Radar Free Agent Targets for Ravens appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/03/09/out-to-lunch/free-agent-targets/