Shanna McCarriston of CBS Sports thinks that Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews could be pried from the team for the right price.
“While Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said last month that he fully expects tight end Mark Andrews to be a member of the team in 2025 — “he’s just too good a player” — general manager Eric DeCosta was less committal about the veteran,” she writes.
“When asked if there is a possibility of trading Andrews during the draft, DeCosta wouldn’t say either way.
“Oh man. I never know what’s gonna happen … I would never want to say this or that,” he said. “But I can tell you this: Mark Andrews is a warrior. And he’s played his butt off for us and his competitiveness, his talent, his attitude, his leadership is so valued here. And he’s a great player … We’re in the business of keeping as many great players as we can. There’s always a lot of unpredictability with the draft. You just never know.”
Andrews is a proven commodity
McCarriston continues:
“The three-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his contract and is set to make $7 million as a base salary with $16.9 million against the cap. Trading or releasing the 29-year-old could save the Ravens $11 million against the cap,” she writes.
Andrews played in 17 games last season, with a modest 673 yards. However, he had a whopping 11 touchdowns and there aren’t many teams that wouldn’t take that in a heartbeat. In 2021, he caught 107 balls for 1,361 and nine TDs. Simply put, Andrews has been one of the best tight ends in the entire NFL since shortly after entering the league in 2018.
“DeCosta did not address a potential contract extension for running back Derrick Henry, either. Regarding both Henry and Andrews, he said he prefers to keep those conversations behind closed doors,” McCarriston says.
“So we have a lot of different balls in the air right now,” DeCosta said. “That’s probably what I would say on that. I’m not going to talk about what we’re doing, what we’re not doing behind the scenes business-wise with these guys. I don’t think it’s good for me to do that.”
Acquiring a proven tight end is crucial for the Colts
The bottom line is that either Goedert or Andrews could come free for the Colts and they would be acquiring a proven entity. Penn State’s Tyler Warren probably won’t fall to No. 14 in the draft where the Colts pick. After that, there is talented to be had in the draft, but you never know what you’re getting.
Considering the Colts could very well be entering the season with former high pick Anthony Richardson at quarterback, getting a reliable tight end is even more important for the Colts. Tight ends can be a young quarterback’s best friend, and Andrews would fill that role perfectly.
