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]
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
You didn’t answer my question. If we had a chance at Sewell....would you question him not playing in over a year?
LOL! It's not the same thing for a variety of reasons, and you know it. You obviously have other motives for asking the question. But, to answer your question, "Yes", I'd have concerns, but I'd feel better about him than Naing. Can you guess WHY that might be???
But to be clear, I really would rather not start a rookie at LT right out of the gate. I'm in the - "sign a stop-gap, draft a LT, and bring the rookie along when he is ready" - camp. [Reply]
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
Nope. But if you’re going to question one player about sitting out an entire year than you’d better question every player that did.
I agree. However, there are more questions other than just sitting out, and I listed a couple when you first asked if I'd have concerns with Sewell. Like, for example, What position they played best in college? Also, what type of injury did a player have?" "Foot Speed?" Etc... Its NOT just the sitting out part. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TEX:
LOL! It's not the same thing for a variety of reasons, and you know it. You obviously have other motives for asking the question. But, to answer your question, "Yes", I'd have concerns, but I'd feel better about him than Naing. Can you guess WHY that might be???
But to be clear, I really would rather not start a rookie at LT right out of the gate. I'm in the - "sign a stop-gap, draft a LT, and bring the rookie along when he is ready" - camp.
Originally Posted by UChieffyBugger:
I've been talking about Leatherwood for weeks now but some nfl scouting reports suggested he could move to guard while others disagreed. Then I hear chiefs podcast guys saying "he didn't do well against top pass rushers" but the fact is Leatherwood has the physical attributes, plus the experience of playing LT for years for a championship team like Bama so he might be as good as it gets for us tbh. Although Little and Stone are intriguing too.
You converted me. I took way too much out of those scouting reports talking about him playing guard. I went back and watched him in the CFP and I think he looks solid. Maybe not the highest ceiling but he would start day 1 for the Chiefs. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Dunerdr:
And on the Orlando Brown subject, if that’s what they want I’ll support it obviously, but I’d prefer not give up a, or multiple high round picks and pay premiere money. I’d rather have a guy with less miles and less money but I understand it’s not that simple. He’s proven.
Less mileage?
He's 24 years old. He's actually younger than Mahomes even.
It's very rare you can get a 24-year old player that has started 42 games in his NFL career.
Brown would be a far better use of this year's 1st and next year's 1st than trading up into the top 15. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefAshhole1056:
He’s proven as a RT on a run-oriented offense though. Don’t see it being a seamless transition to LT, especially with how agile Reid typically would prefer his OTs.
Think the move is WR2 (Bateman/Toney) in Round 1, OT (Spencer Brown/ Forsyth) round 2, LB (Dylan Moses) round 3.
He played LT last year while Stanley was out and despite being a running attack, you have to take into account that they run a varied attack with an inside RB and an unconventional QB that runs to the edges. It's not like the Ravens run the ball like the Steelers, for example. They run a ton of RPO and spread stuff with Lamar.
Originally Posted by TEX:
IMO, The Chiefs should sign Villanueva as a reliable stop-gap, save the draft capital it would take to trade for a LT, and draft a LT in a Tackle -heavy draft.
That assumes they stay put and don't trade up. Trading up, especially if they want one of the top guys, would probably cost more picks than just getting Brown. [Reply]
Originally Posted by smithandrew051:
Yeah I don’t get the hate on that either.
I get really uncomfortable with trading multiple picks for a guy that we’ll need to give a big contract to immediately. One injury and all of those resources are wasted. I’d rather spread those resources amongst several players.
I'm much more uncomfortable with trading multiple picks for a guy that has never played NFL football before and may, or may not, ever do so at a reasonably high level.
The ideal situation would be to stay put and take someone according to how the draft falls, even in the 2nd or 3rd round.
But there just seems to be too much hand-wringing about needing a LT right now and that's concerning. [Reply]
Originally Posted by MAHOMO 4 LIFE!:
Niang is not a LT for fucks sake. He is a RT, he has never played LT. And for everyone saying well Fisher moved from Left to Right, that’s because it was easier. You will not put a RT who has never played a snap at LT in college at LT in the pros to protect the GOAT Mahomes blindside
That is categorically untrue.
Guys that played guard in college have moved to tackle in the pros. Heck, guys that played tight end have played tackle in the pros.
It's all about physical skills and scheme fit. NFL rosters aren't nearly as rigid as you think they are. [Reply]
He's 24 years old. He's actually younger than Mahomes even.
It's very rare you can get a 24-year old player that has started 42 games in his NFL career.
Brown would be a far better use of this year's 1st and next year's 1st than trading up into the top 15.
FTR I'm in the camp of "find a left tackle with 1 first or less." And i'm not saying he isnt a quality player im just iffy a little on his fit. And very iffy on multiple high picks and a contract. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Dunerdr:
FTR I'm in the camp of "find a left tackle with 1 first or less." And i'm not saying he isnt a quality player im just iffy a little on his fit. And very iffy on multiple high picks and a contract.
For sure, my first choice is to sign a stop gap and draft a LT of the future.
But that doesn't seem to be in the cards just yet, considering they haven't signed said stop gap. That could all change in the draft but until then, trading for Brown at least remains an option. An option that is, to me, much more palatable and a whole lot less risky than potentially trading even more picks to move up 20 spots in the draft to get an unproven rookie to protect Mahomes.
While Brown's skillset may not be ideal, we know from watching him play that it's more than adequate and that he could step in right now and keep Patrick upright. You can't say that about any rookie, even Sewell. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Guys that played guard in college have moved to tackle in the pros. Heck, guys that played tight end have played tackle in the pros.
Our own Branden Albert being one, but that was a little bit misleading because they had 2 studs at LT when he was at Virginia. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
For sure, my first choice is to sign a stop gap and draft a LT of the future.
But that doesn't seem to be in the cards just yet, considering they haven't signed said stop gap. That could all change in the draft but until then, trading for Brown at least remains an option. An option that is, to me, much more palatable and a whole lot less risky than potentially trading even more picks to move up 20 spots in the draft to get an unproven rookie to protect Mahomes.
While Brown's skillset may not be ideal, we know from watching him play that it's more than adequate and that he could step in right now and keep Patrick upright. You can't say that about any rookie, even Sewell.