{"id":42195,"date":"2025-04-19T03:33:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T03:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42195"},"modified":"2025-04-19T03:33:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T03:33:07","slug":"ravens-get-major-update-about-key-free-agents-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42195","title":{"rendered":"Ravens Get Major Update About Key Free Agent\u2019s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2190114383-e1745017089719.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2190114383-e1745017089719.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2190114383-e1745017089719.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/GettyImages-2190114383-e1745017089719.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Ar'Darius Washington\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" data-dom-ready-time=\"904\" data-img-load-time=\"1395\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-post-image-caption-text\">The Baltimore Ravens got a major update about a key free agent.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u00a0have received a major boost to their chances of retaining a free agent who was one of last season\u2019s key players. His stay at M&amp;T Bank Stadium now looks more likely following positive developments on Friday, April 18.<\/p>\n<p>Versatile safety\u00a0Ar\u2019Darius Washington\u00a0\u201chad until end of business today to sign an offer sheet with another team,\u201d according to\u00a0Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The latter also noted things are \u201call quiet on that front after Ravens took a slight gamble with the $3.26 million right of first refusal tender that granted no compensation if Washington departed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Zrebiec\u00a0now believes\u00a0\u201cWashington will likely sign tender with Ravens soon, which would lock him in for 2025 season.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_1_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-1 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"26a37830efa6ec45dc6abba96dbcff65\" class=\"embed_container\">\n<div class=\"lazy-embed lazy-embed--ssr embed-twitter-com lazy-embed--loaded\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jeffzrebiec\/status\/1913346891166663098\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJamesDudko&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1913346891166663098&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fheavy.com%2Fsports%2Fnfl%2Fbaltimore-ravens%2Fupdate-ardarius-washington-free-agent-future%2F&amp;sessionId=94ec28163c4cfc5e2e32f958d8b7dc69ec54fc5c&amp;siteScreenName=heavyonsports&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1913346891166663098\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Getting Washington back would be huge for the Ravens after general manager Eric DeCosta\u00a0took quite the risk with the free agent\u2019s future. Retaining Washington would also expand the options for DeCosta in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.<\/p>\n<h2>Ravens Have Big Plans for Ar\u2019Darius Washington<\/h2>\n<p>Washington\u2019s promotion to the starting lineup sparked a defensive revival for the Ravens. His partnership in deep areas with All-Pro\u00a0Kyle Hamilton\u00a0added\u00a0multiplicity and disguise\u00a0to the coverage schemes of defensive coordinator Zach Orr and senior consultant Dean Pees.<\/p>\n<p>They regularly had Hamilton and Washington show two-high safety looks before the snap. Those looks often changed post-snap, allowing the Ravens to confuse quarterbacks and bracket receiving threats underneath while still taking away the deep ball over the top.<\/p>\n<p>Washington might be asked to take on an expanded workload this season. Head coach John Harbaugh has teased the possibility of using the 25-year-old in\u00a0various spots, including nickelback.<\/p>\n<p>A more roving brief will suit Washington\u2019s crossover skills. The former undrafted free agent is a hybrid defensive back who has the tenacity of a downhill safety and the athletic range of a true cornerback.<\/p>\n<p>That mix, combined with Hamilton\u2019s own multi-faceted game, will keep safety a position of strength for the Ravens. It means DeCosta doesn\u2019t have to chase the position early in this draft.<\/p>\n<h2>Ar\u2019Darius Washington Update Good News for Ravens\u2019 Draft Plans<\/h2>\n<p>The risk of handing Washington the rare right of first refusal tender kept safety prominent in any projections for what the Ravens might do in the draft. They could have opted not to match any offer sheet signed by Washington and instead waited to snag a\u00a0falling safety in Round 1.<\/p>\n<p>That theme has continued in recent mock drafts, with NFL.com\u00a0Draft Analyst Chad Reuter\u00a0predicting a trade with the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens would move back from pick 27 to 31 and still select Georgia\u2019s Malaki Starks.<\/p>\n<p>Washington staying in the fold will remove the need to take another safety in the opening round, the way the Ravens did when they chose Hamilton 14th overall in 2022. There are better options this year, like taking a marquee edge-rusher off the board, or even adding to a wide receiver corps set to be\u00a0buoyed by the return\u00a0from injury of\u00a0Zay Flowers.<\/p>\n<p>The Ravens have the luxury of not reaching for a player or chasing need in this year\u2019s draft because a solid core featuring talents like Washington remains intact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty The Baltimore Ravens got a major update about a key free agent. The\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u00a0have received a major boost to their chances of retaining a free agent&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ravens Get Major Update About Key Free Agent\u2019s Future - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42195\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ravens Get Major Update About Key Free Agent\u2019s Future - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Getty The Baltimore Ravens got a major update about a key free agent. 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