The Baltimore Ravens are approaching free agency with a need to re-sign offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t seek out other positions.
While Stanley will likely be their highest-cost move, they could make some another transactions in the meantime.
ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz believes that the Ravens should sign Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. this offseason.
“Free agent Brandon Stephens was the weakest of Baltimore’s top three cornerbacks this past season and is hitting free agency, so the Ravens are in a prime position to improve their pass coverage. Unfortunately, they are low in cap space and might not be able to snag top cornerbacks like D.J. Reed or Charvarius Ward,” Schatz writes.
“Murphy might come a bit cheaper because he wasn’t seen as a star cornerback until his breakout season in 2024. Murphy ranked fifth in coverage DVOA among qualified corners and had six interceptions with 14 passes defensed. Cornerback stats are notoriously inconsistent, so we can’t count on Murphy to have similar success in 2025, but he’s a quality veteran. He also would fit a Ravens defense that plays a mix of man and zone defenses; Minnesota played zone 69% this past season — the fourth-highest mark — although Murphy also excelled in man coverage.”
Murphy, 27, was the No. 33 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent the first four seasons of his career.
Then, he signed a two-year deal with the Vikings that is now set to expire, so he is potentially looking for a new home.
The Vikings should be interested in keeping Murphy, but after making a Pro Bowl, other teams should be intrigued as well. That could allow Murphy to change shades of purple this offseason.
