ESPN recently offered the Ravens cutting offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley in addition to suggesting “bold moves” for every team this offseason. Stanley used to be one of the top left tackles in the league and a first-team All-Pro. That was, however, five years ago. After Stanley’s poor performance in the previous season, the Ravens benched him in favour of Patrick Mekari. After the All-Pro season in 2019, Stanley hasn’t participated in a full season of football. In 2023, he was 38th among tackles in pass block win percentage (87.2%).” ESPN gave a financial justification for removing Stanley as well. “Slaying Stanley before June 1st would result in a salary limit savings of $8.3 million, but it would also result in $17.8 million in unpaid expenses for 2024. 15% of the total would be saved with a post-June 1 cut.
However, there’s a problem with cutting Stanley—one for which ESPN is unable to offer a solution: finding a successor. “This roster lacks a definite Stanley replacement. Mekari is viewed more as a swing tackle; while he is an excellent backup, he is not a starter who can cover Lamar Jackson’s blind side for 17 games. However, the Ravens should take advantage of some cap relief while searching for a more reliable left tackle, as they will likely need to find a replacement for Stanley this offseason.”
Each team must cope with personnel decisions and roster moves over the offseason that could have a beneficial or negative impact on the organisation. The Baltimore Ravens are no different, and there may be more decisions to be made this summer than in previous ones.
