Could the Ravens consider trading tight end Mark Andrews?

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- In a span of a month, tight end Mark Andrews went from being assured of having a future with the Baltimore Ravens to becoming one of Baltimore's biggest question marks this offseason.

At the NFL combine on Tuesday, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta gave a noncommittal response when asked about Andrews' future and whether he would consider trade offers for the franchise's all-time touchdown leader.

"Mark is going to go down as one of our great players -- he'll be in the [Ravens] Ring of Honor someday," DeCosta said. "I love having Mark on the team -- he's an amazing player. I know he's going to have an amazing season. We'll figure out all of the roster machinations over the coming weeks, but I can tell you, there's no bigger fan of Mark Andrews than me."

The Ravens have a decision to make with Andrews on March 17, when he is due a $4 million roster bonus. With Baltimore tight against the salary cap, it will be challenging for the Ravens to carry Andrews' $16.9 million cap figure, which is the fourth-highest on the team.

Andrews, 29, is entering the final year of his four-year, $56 million contract and is coming off one of the most frustrating seasons of his career. He averaged 39.6 receiving yards per game last season, which was the worst since his 2018 rookie season. The low point came in the 27-25 AFC divisional round playoff loss against the Buffalo Bills, where he dropped a 2-point conversion that would have tied the game with 1:33 remaining.

Even with the dip in numbers and the divisional round drop, it looked like Andrews was set to return this season. Three days after the postseason loss, Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave Andrews a major vote of confidence.

"Mark is a huge part of our future," Harbaugh said on Jan. 22. "We love him, and we're there for him."

Baltimore could approach Andrews about taking a pay cut, which is what happened with offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley last offseason, or part ways with him. It would be surprising to see the Ravens cut Andrews, a popular player in the locker room who scored 11 touchdowns last season.

But it could be enticing for Baltimore to trade Andrews, which would allow the Ravens to gain much-needed cap space and some additional draft capital. There could be a market for Andrews considering his production in the red zone and his reasonable $7 million salary, which ranks 12th among all tight ends.

One reason the Ravens could handle the loss of Andrews is Isaiah Likely, a younger tight end at age 24 who set career highs last season in receptions (42), receiving yards (477) and touchdown catches (six). Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Likely has repeatedly stepped up when Andrews has been injured and could be a prime candidate to receive a contract extension.

The Ravens may need Likely to take on an even bigger role because of their limited options to free up cap space. The move that would create the most cap room for Baltimore is moving on from Andrews, which would result in $11 million in cap savings. Currently $12.7 million under the cap, the Ravens presumably will need more space in order to sign free agents and retain their own like Stanley.

"We don't have a lot of cap room," DeCosta said. "We have [vice president of football administration] Nick Matteo working tirelessly to find some space for us. We call it 'couch cushion coins.' We're trying to find 50 grand here, 75 grand there and a couch cushion."

Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowl player, has been quarterback Lamar Jackson's favorite target since they joined Baltimore in the 2018 draft class. Jackson often joked that their relationship is like "peanut butter and jelly."