The Baltimore Ravens have been making moves to get below the NFL’s salary cap threshold after the team put the non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson. The team needs to be cap compliant by the time free agency rolls around, and Jackson’s $32 million cap hit means they need to free up money elsewhere.
In an effort to get below the NFL’s salary cap threshold ahead of free agency, the Ravens restructured the contract of defensive lineman Michael Pierce, saving close to $3 million. Pierce was lost for the year early in the 2022 season with an arm injury after playing well for the Baltimore defense.
The move comes just a day after playmaking safety Chuck Clark was traded to the New York Jets, and is a clear indication that Baltimore is squarely focused on getting their finances in order. They’ll need to free up a significant amount of cap space to hopefully sign other contributors outside of Jackson during free agency.
Pierce’s contract adjustment also entails three void years that were added to the back end of his deal to enable the team to free up space. How this might affect the Ravens’ finances moving forward is unknown, as the full details of the restructuring have not been released. Still, this move is yet another indication that Baltimore is dead-serious in their pursuit of building a roster that can contend for a Super Bowl championship in the near future.
Story originally appeared on Ravens Wire