The Baltimore Ravens have restructured the contracts of OG Kevin Zeitler and RB Gus Edwards, a move that frees up over $7 million in cap space.
ESPN’s Field Yates tweeted the news early Tuesday morning.
Both players are in the final year of their contracts, meaning the Ravens couldn’t have done a traditional restructure. According to Ravens’ beat reporter Jamison Hensley, Edwards took a pay cut, and since he was in the final year of his contract, the team added four voidable/dummy years to lower his cap charge. The team likely added the same void language to Zeitler’s deal.
Zeitler, 33, is one of the league’s longest-tenured offensive linemen. Drafted in the first round in 2012 by the Cincinnati Bengals, he’s spent most of his career in the AFC North, spending time with the Bengals, Ravens, and Cleveland Browns. The only exception were two years with the New York Giants. Signed by the Ravens in 2021, he’s started 166 career games. He’ll look to anchor a Ravens o-line that lost guard Ben Powers to the Denver Broncos yesterday.
Edwards serves as a power back who has flashed but battled injuries in recent years. A torn ACL caused him to miss the entire 2021 season and the start of 2022, limiting him to just nine games last season. He finished the year with 87 carries for 433 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Part of the Ravens’ backfield rotation with J.K. Dobbins, Edwards will look to bounce back in 2023. Taking a pay cut potentially avoided him being released by the team.
Baltimore has had a quiet start to free agency. They haven’t agreed to terms with any outside free agents while losing Powers and TE Josh Oliver to the Minnesota Vikings. The team also released veteran DL Calais Campbell.
The Ravens are being squeezed after placing the non-exclusive tag on QB Lamar Jackson, a move that comes with more than a $32 million price tag. The team has been unable to reach a long-term deal with Jackson. If a team would like to submit an offer sheet and try to sign him away, they can do so starting Wednesday at 4 PM/EST.
