The Ravens placed a right-of-first-refusal tender on safety Ar’Darius Washington on Wednesday, the first day of the new NFL year.

At $3.3 million, it is worth less than the second-round tender of $5.3 million.

It also means that any team has until April 18 to sign the 25-year-old to an offer sheet, and if Baltimore declines to match it, it won’t get any draft pick compensation in return.

Had Baltimore used the more expensive second-round tender, the Ravens would have received a second-round draft pick if Washington got an offer sheet from another team and the Ravens chose not to match it.

Washington, who is entering his fifth year in the league after signing with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of TCU in 2021, is coming off what was far and away his best season with 64 tackles and two interceptions.

He also helped steady a shaky secondary after being inserted into the starting lineup a little more than midway through the season for struggling Marcus Williams and alongside two-time Pro Bowl safety and 2023 All-Pro Kyle Hamilton.

Through the first 10 games of last season, the Ravens had one of the worst defenses in the league, allowing the most passing yards per game in while ranking 27th in total yards and 26th in scoring. Over their final eight games of the regular season, however, the Ravens rose to first in the league in each category.

“Ar’Darius earned that opportunity,” coach John Harbaugh said in mid-November and after Washington’s insertion into the lineup. “He earned that chance by the way he practiced and also by the way he played when he was in there over the course of the season.”

Washington also produced one of the more memorable moments from the Ravens’ 12-5 regular season.

In a Christmas Day showdown with the Houston Texans, he made a key fourth-down stop near Baltimore’s goal line.

That prompted a wild celebration on the sideline in which he collided with and knocked down first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr.

But now the Ravens could potentially be at risk of losing Washington. It’s a risk they’re willing to take.

At 5 feet 8 and 180 pounds, Washington is undersized for the position. He has also struggled to stay healthy.

After appearing in three games as a rookie, Washington suffered a season-ending foot injury.

A year later, he was cut before the season, signed back to the practice squad and elevated for three games but wasn’t signed to the active roster until the postseason.

In 2023, Washington began the season in the slot and through the first two games had 11 tackles, two pass breakups and a sack.

But he suffered a chest injury that landed him on injured reserve and did not return until the playoffs, where he played on special teams.

Over four seasons, Washington has appeared in 25 games (10 starts), making 78 tackles while recording two interceptions and a forced fumble.

In other moves, Baltimore elected not to tender exclusive rights free agent running back Owen Wright nor restricted free agent cornerback Christian Matthew. Cornerback Arthur Maulet’s release also became official.

Ravens rework CB Humphrey’s contract: The first wave of the free agency frenzy has slowed, with moves now coming at a more measured pace. But Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and vice president of football administration Nick Matteo, among others in the front office, have been busy.

In addition to re-signing left tackle Ronnie Stanley, adding wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and other moves, they’ve been clearing out much-needed salary cap space.

A $13.39 million chunk of it was opened up with the restructuring of All-Pro slot cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s contract.

Per Russell Street Report and Over The Cap, Baltimore utilized a maximum contract restructure, reducing what was an $18 million salary for 2025 to the NFL minimum of $1.255 million and converting the rest to a $16.74 million bonus. Two void years were also added.

That’s way down from what was scheduled to be a $25.38 million cap hit for 2025, which was second on the team to only quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson’s. Humphrey, whose contract runs through 2027, also now has three total void years on his deal through 2029.

Restructuring the contract of Humphrey — rather than extending it beyond the 2026 season — was one of the many priorities this offseason with the cornerback turning 29 in July.

WR Wallace staying in Baltimore: Ravens wide receiver and special teams stalwart Tylan Wallace is re-signing with the Ravens on a one-year deal, a source with direct knowledge of the contract confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.

The 25-year-old lost his punt return job last season after a game-winning return in 2023, but he also remained a staple on special teams and filled in nicely on offense while also making some clutch grabs.

A fourth-round draft pick in 2021, Wallace played a career-high 275 snaps on offense in 2024, which was more than his first three seasons combined.

He ended the year with 11 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown.

He also logged 268 snaps on special teams.

His return adds depth to a wide receiver corps that now includes Hopkins, Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

While it’s likely that Wallace will get another crack at returning punts, the bigger question is whether he’ll be able to get on the field on offense. When he has, he has generally contributed.

S Williams released: The least surprising move of the Ravens’ offseason is the release of safety Marcus Williams, who was benched and agreed to a reworked contract in January to expedite the veteran’s departure as a post-June 1 release.

The deal allows Baltimore $9.9 million of immediate salary cap space with an additional $2.1 million coming after June 1. It also lets Williams find a fresh start elsewhere sooner than later.

For the Ravens, it will go down as perhaps DeCosta’s biggest whiff since taking over as general manager in 2019.

Baltimore signed the former New Orleans Saints standout to a five-year, $70 million deal in 2022, and in his first game with his new team Williams had a team-high dozen tackles, an interception in a forced fumble.

He had two more interceptions the next week and finished the year with four.

But injuries soon plagued the previously durable Williams, who missed seven games in 2022 and six more in 2023, with a lingering pectoral injury in the latter hampering him for the remainder of the season.

Ravens get much-needed special teams help: After linebackers Chris Board and Malik Harrison departed Baltimore in free agency, the Ravens got some help to bolster their special teams unit a day later.

Former Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jake Hummel has agreed to a one-year deal with Baltimore, according to his agent.

Hummel, 26, is entering his fourth season and has played almost exclusively on special teams during that time.

Last season, he logged 338 snaps (77%) on special teams for the Rams, along with 74 on defense, and also memorably blocked a punt against the Buffalo Bills that was returned for a touchdown in Los Angeles’ wild 44-42 victory in December.

Hummel has appeared in 17 games each of the past two seasons and in his three years with the Rams has 31 tackles. His addition should help a special teams unit that was one of the worst in the league in terms of efficiency last season, according to FTN Fantasy.

The move also reunites him with former Iowa State teammate Charlie Kolar.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.