Cap room for him? Not really, but moves could be made.
Draft capital for him? Maybe, but we're awfully low in the draft.
Tunsil trade (For record-keeping purposes, the trade saw the Dolphins acquire first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 and a second-round pick in 2021 along with offensive tackle Julién Davenport and defensive back Johnson Bademosi in exchange for Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 sixth-round selection.)
It only took the Ravens a little over a year to learn their selection of Orlando Brown was a wise one, but they've met a new challenge with the tackle that could be their last.
Brown has expressed his desire to be traded, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday. After spending the majority of 2020 on the left side in place of the injured Ronnie Stanley, Brown has found his comfort zone and does not want to return to the right side. He'll only play for a team that will line him up at his preferred left tackle position, per Rapoport.
Rapoport added the Ravens value Brown significantly and would need major compensation in order to do a deal.
Brown's background is on the left side, but he ended up in Baltimore as a right tackle after a poor pre-draft showing saw him slide from a first-round projection to an eventual third-round pick of the Ravens. He blossomed in 2019 and especially in 2020 after switching to the left side to replace Stanley, earning his second straight trip to the Pro Bowl -- and first as an initial selection. Thanks to Brown's quick adjustment to the left side of the line, Baltimore didn't lose much in offensive production following Stanley's injury, finishing as the league's No. 1 rushing offense for a second straight season.
Brown's success on the left side and desire to remain there might very well also be tied to the financial ramifications of the tackle position. As it currently stands, there is a $5 million per year difference between the league's highest-paid right tackle (Philadelphia's Lane Johnson) and left tackle (Green Bay's David Bakhtiari). Of the top 10 highest-paid tackles in the NFL (in terms of average salary per year), only two -- Johnson and Las Vegas' Trent Brown -- are right tackles.
Orlando Brown missed out on significant money typically afforded to first-round picks right around the moment when he racked the bar after just 14 bench-press reps during a nightmarish 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. He's made a little over $1.8 million in base salary total in his first three seasons, and though he will see a significant boost in 2021 (base salary of $3.38 million) due to the structure of his rookie deal, that's still an incredibly far cry from where tackles of his level land in compensation ranking.
After demonstrating his ability to effectively handle the transition from right to left tackle -- a return to his roots, essentially -- Brown is in a prime position to capitalize financially and beyond. He'll maximize his earning potential by remaining a left tackle, and he'll probably enjoy playing the game a bit more in a stance and vantage point that's more familiar to him, anyway.
If that doesn't fit in Baltimore, the Ravens will have to move him. And though this isn't exactly the best way to ensure maximum leverage in a deal, they'll probably still get a haul for him. [Reply]
No, but it is exactly what I’m looking for when evaluating prospects. I don’t want to see Jenkins against WV. I want to see him against guys like Ossai and Perkins. It’s exactly why Senior Bowl week is so valuable.
I want to see a T versus speed. Then I was to see him versus power.
Can you show me some examples of Jenkins struggling with speed that would concern you?
There's a couple of places in this (it's 25 minutes long, so be warned. I fully understand if you don't want to watch it):
This is a kid that is used to using his physical power to compensate when he gets beat wide. That's great from a recovery standpoint but it's one thing to do it against West Virginia than against the Denver Broncos.
Look, I don't want you to think I'm saying the kid sucks. I'm just not that high on him. Chances are he can play tackle okay in the NFL but when I watch him, I see a guard moreso than a tackle. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
I think they had a revelation last year. They saw Osemele come in and kick ass and it made a world of difference from just one guy at LG. Now they want more guys like him instead of finesse pass protectors.
Like I said before, I think they changed their mindset last year overall. They drafted a RB and LB with our first 2 picks then drafted a DE with T-Rex arms.
I have to wonder if they want to focus on a more well rounded OL to help protect Patrick by running the ball more in times against heavy pressure
If that's the case (and I already conceded that it could very well be), a guy like Jenkins makes a ton more sense. [Reply]
Lance Zierlein is one of my favorites, and his specialty is OL.
His comparison for Teven Jenkins is......
Joe Thuney.
I can kind of see what he’s going for there. He’s a bigger, longer, and nastier Thuney. How does that not sound great on the left side of our OL? [Reply]
Originally Posted by staylor26:
They signed Osemele last year, they went after Williams, they wanted Hudson, they replaced Reiter with Blythe (much better run blocker, not as good of a pass blocker).....
They clearly want to get bigger and tougher on the OL. How can you not see that?
Also htismaqe, calling Jenkins “nasty” and seeing what he brings there isn’t just some silly fan cliche like you’re making it out to be. That guys is legitimately fucking mean on the field. It’s the first thing everybody says about him for a reason, and it’s also the reason many people see a potentially dangerous fit next to Nelson in Indy. Suggesting we could use it isn’t either. Did you watch our OL the last 2 Super Bowls? Granted, injuries and all, but this OL has always been a bit too finesse and tends to get pushed around by overly physical fronts.
You basically just repeated what I said.
No, it isn't just a fan cliche. But it's CLEARLY a place where what us fans want and what Andy values are different, at least up until this point.
Yes, I saw the last 2 Super Bowls. That was exactly the point I was trying to make.
And finally, I already conceded that they might have finally realized that the way they're going about it isn't getting it done. If that's the case, then by all means, Jenkins makes more sense than it does if they're going to continue what they've always been doing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
You basically just repeated what I said.
No, it isn't just a fan cliche. But it's CLEARLY a place where what us fans want and what Andy values are different, at least up until this point.
Yes, I saw the last 2 Super Bowls. That was exactly the point I was trying to make.
And finally, I already conceded that they might have finally realized that the way they're going about it isn't getting it done. If that's the case, then by all means, Jenkins makes more sense than it does if they're going to continue what they've always been doing.
How did I repeat what you said? In the post I was responding to you said it like Andy wouldn’t do it which is why I gave those examples showing why I think they’ve changed their philosophy a bit. [Reply]
Originally Posted by staylor26:
In the post I was responding to you said it like Andy wouldn’t do it which is why I gave those examples showing why I think they’ve changed their philosophy a bit.
Yeah, we're talking past each other.
For sure, if they've changed their way of thinking, my whole argument is moot. I'm arguing right now from the mindset that it is status quo.
It may very well not be, I am fully capable of admitting that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by staylor26:
Thuney can adequately play LT. If he had Teven’s size, he would probably be a LT. That’s the point I was trying to make.
And my point is that I'm trading picks for a guy, he should be a little more than just "adequate". That's all. [Reply]