Breaking : Ravens GM Eric DeCosta reviewed that he I will designate Justin Madubuike if a long-term deal is not reached by next week.

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta I will designate Justin Madubuike if a long-term deal is not reached by next week.

At the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, general manager Eric DeCosta of the Ravens stated that if a long-term agreement is not reached by the end of next week, the team will “probably” assign All-Pro defensive tackle Justin Madubuike the franchise tag.

To tag Madubuike, a potential free agent who led all interior lineman in 2023 with 13 sacks, the Ravens had until Tuesday at 4 p.m. A defensive lineman’s one-year franchise tag tender is fully guaranteed to be worth $22.1 million, which would take away from the Ravens’ offseason salary cap flexibility.

According to DeCosta, the Ravens and Madubuike are “trying to get a [long-term] deal done,” which would retain the developing defensive star in Baltimore and probably reduce his budget hit in 2024. The Ravens would probably have until mid-July to sign Madubuike to a multiyear contract deal if they were to tag him.

“We’ve spoken with Justin,” DeCosta stated. By the way he played this year, it’s clear that he put himself in a fortunate situation. We had an amazing season. He is an important member of the squad, and we aim to reach a long-term agreement with him.

Madubuike’s 64 quarterback pressures in 2023 matched for the second-highest total of any Ravens player since 2016, only surpassed by outside linebacker and pending free agency Jadeveon Clowney’s stats from the previous campaign, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Additionally, Madubuike made a significant impact on the Ravens’ run defense. The Ravens finished sixth in success rate, 11th in projected points added per play versus designed runs, and 12th in yards before contact per rush in 2023 with him on the field, per TruMedia. Their run defense was ranked 20, 20, and 24th, respectively, without Madubuike.