To no surprise, the Baltimore Ravens will probably lose free agent cornerback Brandon Stephens this offseason. According to reports, he was heavily viewed as a top impending free agent before the 2024 season. However, the 2024 campaign did not go the way he wanted as the cornerback was one of the reasons why the Ravens struggled in the secondary unit. Originally selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the former UCLA and SMU product had a breakout year in 2023 when veteran Marlon Humphrey was battling injuries.
However, it was a different story this past year. Stephens has been falling down on the depth chart so the Ravens could be better off finding a cheap replacement. Luckily, the Ravens have plenty of cornerbacks like second-year Nate Wiggins who is emerging with a promising stock. He isn’t ready for full-time duties so the Ravens should consider a veteran but only on a one-year basis.
Baltimore doesn’t have the financial liberty to afford the top-notch free-agent cornerback in this year’s free agency. With that, the Ravens were considering re-signing Stephens before the 2024 campaign but the team proved it was the right choice. Stephens probably won’t earn a starting spot with a new team but these three teams could make him fight for it.
REPORT: Ravens Expected to Lose Free Agent Bust Brandon Stephens – Panthers, Chargers and Chiefs Are Logical Fits
Salvaging Carolina’s Secondary
As of this posting, the Carolina Panthers have one of the worst secondaries in the league. They spent the entire 2024 offseason building an offense for quarterback Bryce Young but head coach Dave Canales must understand games are won on the defensive side as well. The Panthers are reportedly working on extending Jaycee Horn to a new contract but they need more help beyond. Mike Jackson is providing some promise alongside Horn but since they will likely lose safety Xavier Woods, they should sign some type of free-agent cornerback in the coming weeks.
In 2024, they brought in Stephon Gilmore in hopes of salvaging the secondary but plans fell through. The Panthers didn’t do much last year’s draft either to help Horn who was the sole contributor of the Carolina secondary. Stephens’s stock might be falling but he’s a significant upgrade either way for the Panthers looking for a reliable cornerback to fill in the depth chart. He won’t make the most spectacular plays but it’s a chance to revive his career as the main highlight of this Carolina secondary.
Other Fits
As for the Chargers, the team will likely sign a top-notch free agent since they have money to burn. They’ve done well extending Elijah Molden but they need more help as Kristian Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. are free agents. Fulton had a better outcome last year than Samuel so the team is better off re-signing him. Either way, the Chargers should sign Stephens to have him ready as backup for a one-year while the team will likely sign a high-level cornerback as their starter.
The same can’t be said about the Kansas City Chiefs as they don’t have the cap space for a reliable cornerback. However, Trent McDuffie did a good job filling in shoes for L’Jarius Sneed’s departure. Since they got Steven Nelson last year, the Chiefs could look for more depth in the secondary department and they could use someone like Stephens in rotation.
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