The Ravens lost both of their incumbent tight ends on the first day of free agency, as Isaiah Likely signed with the New York Giants and Charlie Kolar joined the Los Angeles Chargers. General Manager Eric DeCosta moved quickly to start backfilling the depth chart, agreeing to terms with veteran Durham Smythe on Wednesday.
Smythe is a prototypical blocking tight end with eight years of experience under his belt. The 30-year-old is a former 2018 fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame and played seven consecutive years with the Miami Dolphins before joining the Chicago Bears in 2025. Smythe will now reunite with the Ravens’ new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who likely advocated for signing the 30-year-old.
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Smythe’s career-high in receiving came three years ago with 35 receptions and 366 yards. He started 74 total games during his seven-year stint with the Dolphins but never saw more than 43 targets in a season. For the Bears last season, Smythe was targeted only six times and caught four passes, as he was exclusively in a blocking role behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet.
For the Ravens, Smythe is likely to play in a similar role. He’s slot into Kolar’s role as an in-line blocker and will also be vital as a backfield blocker with fullback Pat Ricard gone as well, who also signed with the Giants. Expect the Ravens to fill out their depth chart with another tight end or two, likely via the draft, who has more pass-catching upside. Mark Andrews is the only other tight end on the depth chart currently.
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