Ravens near high-stakes contract call with rising star (and he may be irreplaceable)
The Baltimore Ravens' 2025 season did not start with many positives on defense. They currently rank 26th in yards allowed per game and 23rd in points per game. However, a year after finding their footing midway through the season, they seem to have turned their defensive woes around once again.
Despite the sluggish start, the stars and building blocks have started to shine bright at the perfect moment in Baltimore. This past offseason, they extended their best defensive player in Kyle Hamilton. The defense has young players capable of bridging the gap from their current roster to the next iteration of a great Ravens defense.
Enter Travis Jones.
Ravens face important contract decision with Travis Jones
Travis Jones' Contract Projection
Jones, a former third-round pick, is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of this year. He doesn't have the gaudy counting stats that have driven high pay days for other interior defensive linemen in recent memory. But Jones is a space-eater with some ability to condense the pocket, so he doesn't have to come off the field in late-down situations.
His 23 pressures are tied for the 23rd most among interior defensive linemen this year. And his 15 defensive stops are tied for 28th. He isn't elite in either area, but being top 30 in both shows he is a solid all-around player. And in a free agency market that looks to be down overall, that poises him to be one of the premier free agents in the 2026 class.
Jones will be benchmarked against other nose tackles who have signed recent deals. Jones doesn't have the pass-rush productivity of complete nose tackles like DeForest Buckner, Vita Vea, and Dexter Lawrence.
Looking for his best production comps, there are three names that stick out. Stylistically, these players may not match well with Jones as a big man with some push, but teams pay more for production than style.
*Note these production numbers assumes an even extrapolation of his 2025 statistics and uses Pro Football Focus' statistical accounting.
Over a three-year time horizon, DaVon Hamilton's 2023 deal sticks out.
|
Player |
Age |
Draft Round |
Games |
Total Snaps |
Batted Passes |
Forced Fumbles |
QB Hits |
Sacks |
Defensive Stops |
Tackles |
TFL's |
Pressures |
Pressure Rate |
Pass Rush Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Travis Jones (2023-2025) |
26.9 |
3 |
48 |
1711 |
3 |
0 |
9 |
6 |
67 |
76 |
10 |
91 |
8.33% |
1094 |
|
DaVon Hamilton (2020-2022) |
26.6 |
3 |
44 |
1461 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
6 |
62 |
86 |
5 |
48 |
7.00% |
686 |
Jones has the edge on Hamilton in playtime and as a pass rusher, so he should clear Hamilton's 5.12% APY as a percent of cap in the year of signing. With a 2026 salary cap of $300 million, that would put Jones' next deal at over $15 million.
Looking at a more recent timeline comp, we can compare Jones' 2025 pace with Grover Stewart's 2019 performance leading into his $10.25 million APY deal in 2020.
|
Player |
Age |
Draft Round |
Games |
Total Snaps |
Batted Passes |
Forced Fumbles |
QB Hits |
Sacks |
Defensive Stops |
Tackles |
TFL's |
Pressures |
Pressure Rate |
Pass Rush Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Travis Jones (2025) |
26.9 |
3 |
15 |
660 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
26 |
24 |
5 |
39 |
9.39% |
417 |
|
Grover Stewart (2019) |
26.9 |
4 |
16 |
627 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
17 |
18 |
2 |
22 |
6.43% |
342 |
Jones outperforms Stewart across the board here. This should embolden his representation to look for a cap-adjusted deal that will outpace Stewart's contract. This supports his APY exceeding $15 million once again.
Given his current trajectory, ability to hold up as a run stopper on early downs and a plus contributor on passing downs, I have Jones' current contract projection at three years and $48 million. Only 16 players outpaced that APY in last year's free agent market. And this year's crop does not look to be any better. Which means Jones is on the precipice of being one of the most coveted free agents in the NFL, with leverage to get the most out of the Ravens if he wants to stay in Baltimore.
Can Baltimore Afford To Lose Jones?
Jones is one of several free agents the team will have to make decisions on, including several on the defensive side of the ball. Dre'Mont Jones, Alohi Gilman, and Kyle Van Noy, in addition to a few others, have all played key snaps for the team this season. But given age, importance of position and ability to set others up through his role and his play, Jones should be towards the top of that list.
$15 million per year may seem like a lot of money for a nose tackle who is good but not great at getting after the quarterback, but the alternative options on the market aren't any better. And with Nnamdi Madubuike's future up in the air, it would make sense for the Ravens to invest in a young and improving piece of their defensive front.
Broncos DC Reveals Nik Bonitto's True 'Best Trait'
After finding the kryptonite necklace to hang around the neck of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is getting his flowers.
Some would argue that the national media should have caught up to Joseph and the Broncos much faster than it has, but the veteran defensive coach is expected to garner significant head-coaching buzz once the hiring cycle begins in January.
While it might take a Super Bowl win to push Joseph into the defensive mastermind territory with the likes of Vic Fangio, the Broncos' coordinator is operating in rarified air, not only because of his scheme and play-calling, but also because he gets his guys to buy into his philosophy unselfishly. And Joseph now has a resume as a developer of talent.
Broncos rush linebacker Nik Bonitto is a prime example, according to Joseph, who praised the Pro Bowler with the tone of a proud father in his conversation with ESPN
"It's no doubt. His get-off, [and] his instincts are off the charts. He can drop into coverage. He can cover guys. I mean, he is rare [in] that he can do every job that's required for outside linebacker at a high level,"
Cage Rusher
Pass-rushing dual-threat quarterbacks like Mahomes or Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts, who can devastate a defense with their legs as easily with their arms, must be done with strategy and tact. The Broncos defeated both Mahomes and Hurts, so Joseph's cage-rush model is something NFL teams will likely be looking to duplicate.
"How we rush the passer versus certain people is the cage rush... So if you're rushing four guys, it's always going to be two gaps open. So when you're cage-rushing, the edge guys have to rush with power and to crush the edge. As a speed rusher, he can win his one-on-one every single down he lines up," Joseph said of Bonitto. "So to buy into cage rush so we can contain Jalen [Hurts]. Or Patrick [Mahomes]. It's rare for a rusher because they don't want to do that."
Team-First Mentality
Sacks are the cold, hard currency that premier pass rushers deal in, and when cage-rushing, it's not as easy to stack up the numbers. So, the only conclusion you can draw is that Bonitto is chasing the ultimate piece of hardware instead of stats or individual accolades.
"So if he was allowed to just go every play, he would have already double the sacks he has. But man, he doesn't b**** at all about it. He's all team-first," Joseph said of Bonitto. "You know, we're playing one game where he's already got two sacks."
Under the tutelage of Joseph, Bonitto has gone from promising second-round pick to one of the game's most explosive sack artists, and he's gotten paid handsomely along the way. That lays a nice blueprint for what can be achieved if a player and organization can get in lockstep with a more incremental developmental trajectory.
Rise of the Rookie
Another case study is Joseph's shrewd and steadfast plan to coach up first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron, which is slowly making him a more complete player and weapon. The Broncos' approach to developing Barron has allowed him to be worked in throughout the season, helping to alleviate the pressure.
However, introducing Barron as the boundary cornerback opposite Riley Moss in the Broncos' base defense was forced upon Joseph due to the Patrick Surtain II injury, but throwing the rookie in at the deep end has delivered positive results thus far.
"Again, it goes back to the vision for him. He's obviously a corner for us. But we have Pat [Surtain], we have [Riley]. So his vision was to be a nickel dime player in the first year, obviously, and moving forward, play some outside corner," Joseph said of Barron. "But with Pat being injured for the past three weeks, he was forced to play corner. And I'm telling you it helped him, because he went from playing nickel and dime, where it was more of a thinking man's game, to playing corner, where your physical traits had to kind of activate. And we saw it in practice, it was like, 'Man, that's the first round pick.'"
The Takeaway
By making the bold decision to reunite with the Broncos, Joseph has proven he can identify and develop talent aligned with a longer-term vision. Barron will eventually have the extensive toolbox to play inside and outside at will, and that puts the Broncos in an advantageous position for years to come.
Furthermore, just like Bonitto, you don't hear any complaints from Barron that he's been given an overloaded plate for a reason.
Joseph deserves a lot of credit for the development of these young players, for how the Broncos' defense has taken its play to the next level, and for where the team finds itself at the bye. When he gets his inevitable chance to be a head coach once again, he'll leave behind a framework in Denver that's built to last.
