The Ravens made their first signing off an external free agent early on Monday, agreeing to terms with offensive guard John Simpson on a three-year, $30 million contract. Simpson played in Baltimore in 2023 before joining the New York Jets, but he’ll now be reuniting with the Ravens. Here is the Baltimore Beatdown staff’s reaction to this move.
Many expected a veteran IOL signing, and I did think there could be a reunion, but I did not expect this to happen so soon. This is an admission of guilt and intent
regarding how destructive last season’s guard pairing was. Simpson exceeded expectations and got a payday upon leaving Baltimore, but now he’ll return with plenty of eyes on him to make sure he’s worth the money. Happy to see the IOL prioritized. I’ll give this a C+. I am happy with the emphasis, but not sold on the player. — Mark Myers
I’m a little surprised by this reunion, but it’s a step in the right direction of improving the offensive line. Simpson would not have been my first choice and is not a slam dunk fix at left guard, but he should be better than what the Ravens had last season. Improving the interior offensive line play to just an average level will be a step up from last season, and Simpson should provide that at one of the guard spots now. One thing that Simpson will surely bring that was lacking from Baltimore’s offensive line in recent seasons is aggression and a willingness to punish defenders. Getting back to a bully mentality on both sides of the trenches seems to be a major priority this offseason. This cannot be the only move Eric DeCosta makes towards rebuilding the offensive line in free agency though, whether that means re-signing Tyler Linderbaum or adding another serviceable veteran to replace him at center. This is a solid move for the price of $10 million per season but in a vacuum I have to give it a C+ grade. — Dustin Cox
I’m a little underwhelmed by this move. Simpson was a solid guard in Baltimore but is overall a very average player. In 2025, PFF had him graded 54/81 at the guard spot. Obviously, playing for the Jets makes everyone look bad but I was hopeful the Ravens would get a Teller or Zeitler caliber guard. Simpson is a capable run blocker but has been known to struggle in pass protection. If he’s the starting guard, I’m skeptical. If he is purely in for competition, it’s an overpay. My grade is a C. — Stephen Bopst
I like John Simpson. You know exactly what you are going to get out of him. Mostly average guard play, with a couple losses in pass protection but a nastiness in the run game that the Ravens have missed for a while. He has the same penalty issues he had during his first stint with the Ravens. My hope is that paired with an athletic center and the new coaching staff led by offensive line coach Dan Ledford, the Ravens will get the most out of Simpson. Simpson seems like an odd scheme fit but I doubt the Ravens would sign him that quickly if they didn’t have something in mind. $10 million a year is probably an overpay, but for a team looking for any upgrade from last season, I won’t be mad at it. If the Ravens can pair him with an athletic center, it should be a fine move. C grade for me. — Zach Canter
John Simpson is not a world-beater by any means, but the Ravens desperately need more stability at both offensive guard spots. Last season, the performances at both spots was far too volatile. Simpson should provide more of a consistent veteran presence. If he can slide in as a reliable starter and perform at even an average level, that would be an upgrade over what the Ravens got out of both guard positions for much of last year. He did that for the team in 2023 as a 17-game starter and had nice stretches for the Jets over the past two seasons, too, where he was also a full-time starter and never missed a game. Simpson probably is not worth $10 million annually, but in a competitive free agent market for interior offensive lineman, it’s helpful that the Ravens locked up somebody early. This signing is worthy of a C+ to B- grade. — Frank Platko
