Although Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta spoke glowingly about Mark Andrews on Tuesday, he wasn’t ready to commit to having the veteran tight end on the roster this season.
Andrews, 29, is entering the final season of his four-year, $56 million contract, however the Ravens could save $11 million against the cap by releasing or trading him.
“I never know what’s going to happen, and I would never want to say this or that, 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,” DeCosta said. “He’s a great player, and we’re in the business of keeping as many great players as we can, so there’s always a lot of unpredictability with the draft. You just never know.”
Andrews has spent his entire career with the Ravens, however his last game was a crushing one. He dropped a pass on a two-point conversion with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter that would have tied the AFC divisional round game against the Buffalo Bills.
Andrews, an All-Pro who has spent seven seasons with the Ravens, finished the game with five receptions on seven targets for 61 yards. He also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that the Bills recovered and turned into three points. That was just his second career lost fumble.
Andrews recorded 55 catches for 673 yards with a team-high 11 touchdowns in 17 games last season.
Fellow tight end Isaiah Likely, 24, set career highs last season in receptions (42), receiving yards (477) and touchdowns (six).
