Baltimore Ravens: 5 offseason needs

2. Secure Ryan Jensen long term

Of the 11 impending unrestricted free agents for the Ravens this offseason, center Ryan Jensen should be the top priority. Since winning the starting job last season, Jensen has quickly become of the team’s most important players in the trenches. With injuries affecting almost every position on the offensive line in 2017, Jensen was one of the lone constants who held everything together. While they are limited with cap room, the Ravens need to find a way to keep Jensen around next season.

The center position is often overlooked and it’s extremely important to have continuity there. It’s not only the blocking up front but the relationship and trust with the quarterback as well. That proved to be a benefit for the Ravens last season and the front office would be smart to keep Flacco and Jensen together for the time being.

The Ravens don’t have a promising track record of re-signing offensive lineman. They’ve let Kelechi Osemele and Rick Wagner walk the past two offseasons. Luckily for the Ravens, the positional value of a center is much lower than guard or tackle. That provides a leverage for Ozzie Newsome at the negotiation table. Still, Spotrac’s market value projection of $8.9 million a year still seems steep for the Ravens and they won’t be the only team knocking on the door.

This will be the toughest decision the Ravens make all offseason. They’ll benefit greatly from keeping Jensen around in a time where he’s playing at his best.