After being quiet on the first day of free agency, the Baltimore Ravens were busy making moves on Tuesday including parting ways with veteran defensive back Arthur Maulet, according to a report by NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
This was an expected potential move in the eyes of many pundits as the Ravens were looking to free up salary cap room to make other moves to retain key returners and acquire outside talent. They did both on the same day by re-signing five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard and the reported signing of five-time First Team All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins.
By releasing Maulet, the Ravens will create $2.25 million in cap space that will go towards the new deals they’ve agreed to this week. The first was the re-signing of two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
The eight-year veteran is coming off an injury-riddled 2024 season in which he was limited to just three games and recorded five tackles including four solos in 72 defensive snaps. He is just one year removed from being among the key contributors on the Ravens’ top-ranked defense in 2023 where he took over the starting slot role after Ar’Darius Washington went down with an injury in the first month of the season.
Maulet went on to have arguably the best season of his career, especially as a pass rusher where he was an absolute menace for opposing quarterbacks on well-timed and executed nickel blitzes off the edge. He recorded 37 total tackles including a career-high five for a loss, three quarterback hits, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, five pass deflections and an interception. The Ravens rewarded him with a two-year deal worth $4 million last offseason and were expecting him to play a prominent role in the defense again in 2024 before he was struck with and couldn’t shake the injury bug.
In his absence, the Ravens turned to four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey to split time playing in the slot and on the outside and wound up having arguably the best season of his career. It was an incredible bounce-back campaign for the former first-rounder who struggled with injuries himself in 2023. He led the AFC with a career-high six interceptions and earned the second First Team All Pro honors of his career as he reestablished himself as one of the best corners in the league.
Even before releasing Maulet, reinforcing the cornerback position ranked high on the Ravens’ list of needs to address this offseason, especially with the slated departure of two-year starter Brandon Stephens to the New York Jets.
There’s a chance the team could take a corner in the first round for the second year in a row after selecting former Clemson standout Nate Wiggins at No. 30 overall last year. A couple of prospects who could be available for them to take at No. 27 overall this year who possess inside and outside flexibility are Texas’ Jahdae Barron and Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston. Both players were among the brightest standouts and top testers at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
