Dallas Goedert signed his 4 yr/57m backloaded contract while Ertz was still with the Eagles. So the Ravens absolutely can pull something off like that. Andrews restructures into something like 3 yr/30m with the last year ('27) being a void and minimal cap hit. Likely signs ~5 yr/70m with the cap hits escalating in the 3rd-5th years. Andrews is paid like the #1 TE for 2 more years and then its Likely. You can also extend Kolar cheap after '25. End result the best TE room in the league is locked in for 5 yrs and you're paying like 12-15m/yr for it.
Something like that, you get the picture.
Yeah so there's a couple problems with this:
1. Goedert's contract came before the Eagles signed either of their two expensive WRs.
2. While EDC is much more aggressive with the cap than Ozzie was, I don't see EDC doing max void years like Philly does.
3. 5 for 70, in my opinion, would be a massive, massive overpay. I don't think Likely would get anything in the stratosphere of that on the open market, and he would need to take a HUGE step forward in terms of output, efficiency, and target share to warrant that level of contract. I think, today, its something closer to the 3/30 range of like a Hunter Henry type.
4. Right around the time you'll decide to pay Likely is about the same time you'll decide to pay Flowers, and Flowers is obviously significantly more valuable and significantly more expensive.
5. I'm not certain Andrews would take a $4M AAV paycut based on a bad performance in one playoff game. Either he won't get extended at all and leave, or I think he'll be extended at something closer to like 2/25 or closer to 2/30. Just lighter on the guaranteed $.
I like Likely, but I don't think finding a player like him in day 2 or day 3 of the draft is super difficult.