Baltimore Ravens GM Eric DeCosta was noncommittal about TE Mark Andrews and his future with the team in recent comments. During a pre-draft press conference, he praised Andrews, but essentially said everything is on the table right now. While he is coming off an inconsistent season, he also produced a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2024.
But tight end is a position at which the Ravens have depth, and Mark Andrews isn’t cheap. Entering the final year of his contract, he is still due $11 million. Notably, that includes $4 million in the form of a roster bonus, which is already paid. Yet DeCosta struck a much different tone from HC John Harbaugh when discussing the veteran tight end.
“I never know what’s going to happen”, he began when asked about Andrews’ future with the Ravens, via Jamison Hensley. “I would never want to say this or that”, he added, essentially clarifying he doesn’t want to make verbal commitments. “There’s always a lot of unpredictability with the draft. You just never know”.
While Mark Andrews has been the Ravens’ top tight end since they drafted him, they also have Isaiah Likely. Last season, Likely caught 42 passes on 58 targets for 477 yards and six touchdowns. If they believe he can produce more with more opportunities, Baltimore may move forward with him.
Likely is due a contract extension this year, and the Ravens are a team willing to negotiate extension at any time, including well into the season, so that could potentially affect Andrews. Even during the year, as least as far as the trade deadline is concerned.
The Ravens drafted Mark Andrews in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Since then, he has caught 436 passes for 5,530 yards and 51 touchdowns in 104 games. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and made the first-team All-Pro team in 2021.
Andrews has long been a favorite of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, but Likely has become one as well. Despite his late surge in production, he struggled to find the end zone early last season. Jackson blamed himself and then began peppering Likely with red-zone opportunities.
Unfortunately for Andrews and the Ravens, he dropped his most important target of the 2024 season. With an opportunity to tie the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs, he put the ball on the ground on a two-point conversion pass attempt.
The Ravens are not swimming in cap space, so Mark Andrews’ $7 million base salary could make a difference. If they were to draft a tight end, it could push them to move on from him. The right trade offer could also grease the wheel on the 29-year-old’s fate. They also have Charlie Kolar at tight end and employ Patrick Ricard at fullback. In an offense increasingly dependent upon wide receivers, might Andrews become expendable?
