The Ravens announced that offensive lineman Marshal Yanda will retire after 13 NFL seasons. RSR staff react to the news here.
Forever a Raven.
After 13 incredible seasons, Marshal Yanda is calling it a career. pic.twitter.com/rMCIfJZoFm
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) March 10, 2020
Todd Karpovich
— Even though the Ravens would add $7 million toward their salary cap space when Yanda steps away from the game, his absence leaves a big hole in the offensive line.
— Baltimore will be just over $37 million under the cap with this move, but they’ll still avoid getting into a bidding war to sign one of the top free agents, including Joe Thuney, Anthony Castonzo and Brandon Scherff.
— Ben Powers, who was was selected in the fourth round (123rd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft from Oklahoma, will need to take the next step with his development.
— The Ravens will add depth to the offensive line via the 2020 Draft. so that might take some of the pressure off.
— Whoever takes Yanda’s place will obviously have some huge shoes to fill.
Nick Capecci
He had nothing left to prove this year.
He was one of a handful of walking Hall of Famers playing last year.
One of the greatest Ravens ever, and one of the best guards to ever play. Will surely be missed, but we need to appreciate what an honor it was to watch him play.
Add another Hall of Fame credential to Ozzie’s list as well.
Marshal Yanda
? Most valuable OL in football since 2006 according to PFF WAR
? 1 sack allowed in last 2,331 pass-blocking snaps
? 2nd highest graded guard 2010-2019pic.twitter.com/SBtoSM1vqI— PFF (@PFF) March 10, 2020
Dev Panchwagh
Tough news but you can’t really expect more from the guy. Played 13 seasons; won a SB; has every individual accomplishment. Top 5 Raven of all-time. Ravens will have some in-house candidates to consider & new cap flexibility per Brian McFarland to replace Yanda.
If reports of All-Pro G Mashal Yanda’s retirement are correct, the Ravens will gain $7M in Cap space. Tho, I’m sure the Ravens would much rather have Yanda returning, in lieu of the Cap space. Big loss.
Congrats to Marshal on a great career! ROH next, then HOF (hopefully)!
— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) March 10, 2020
Cole Jackson
I’d like to take this day to just mourn the loss of Yanda as a Raven. He was my favorite player and the true embodiment of what it meant to “Play Like a Raven.”
First off, any negative comments re: Yanda’s decision to retire will be met with the most ferocious gif’s possible. The man deserves nothing but respect.
Now, how do we replace the all-world super human, Marshal Yanda? Well if the season started today we’d be looking at a line of: Stanley-Bozeman-Mekari-Powers-Brown I mean, to start that’s not horrible. Is it a downgrade? We lost an All-Pro, of course it is, but it’s not bad.
I personally think Powers was brought in with the intention of being the future RG. He performed extremely well in almost all showings last year and he plays with similar, although obviously not elite, traits as Yanda (mean demeanor, average athleticism, smart angles, strength).
But you still need to bring in depth. A few guys that could really work at RG if Powers isn’t the answer are Robert Hunt and and Lloyd Cushenberry (a C, but could play RG IMO). At LG some options include: Shane Lemieux, Cesar Ruiz (C that can play LG) and Ben Bredeson.
If the Ravens choose to find a C and have Bozeman and Mekari compete at LG (IMO – Mekari would be a hell of a LG given his lateral mobility) then you’re best bets are Matt Hennesy, Ruiz, and Cush. OVERALL, it’s a top heavy, but not a deep IOL class.
SO, COLE WHAT IS YOUR BEST OPTION. Well, I’m glad you asked.
– Draft Ben Bredeson to be your LG or Matt Hennesy to be your C AT PICK 60
– Mekari and Bozeman (+Skura if healthy) compete for either the C or LG spots based on who you draft.
Jake Vogel
Marshal Yanda was certainly a Ravens great! He embodies “Play like a Raven” as much as, and if not more than any player in team history. Yanda, an All-Pro and pro bowl player, honed his craft every single season and managed to get better or stay at an extremely high-level of play throughout his 13 years in Baltimore. He will be severely missed as an offensive lineman, leader, teammate, and outstanding person in the Ravens locker room and the community.
Looking back on the poor offenses in Baltimore, Yanda was always a player that Ravens fans could be proud of. He was a guy that every team and (knowledgeable) fan base coveted. I will miss seeing Yanda in the huddle on game days, watching clips of him going about his work quietly, and pushing away the cameras. Marshal Yanda will always be a Ravens great, and will certainly be in the Hall of Fame one day.
Aidan Griesser
– This is a bittersweet day for the Ravens organization and its fans. Yanda is one of the greatest offensive guards of all-time and almost certainly the best in team history. He will be missed dearly next season and down the road.
– While I would have loved to see Yanda return for 2020 and try to chase his second Super Bowl ring, I think the writing was on the wall with this move. Even still, the actual announcement of it is somewhat surprising to me, just from a reality standpoint. Regardless, I have no doubt GM Eric DeCosta and company were well-prepared for this outcome. They’ve planned accordingly.
– To that last point, the next obvious question is how will Yanda be replaced? Will Ben Powers take over as the starting guard after a full year inactive? Will the Ravens find a stop-gap replacement in a free agent? Will the entire draft plan (at least in fans’ eyes) shift as the team pursues their next decade-long stud at the position? The answers aren’t too far off!
Chad Racine
I was hoping for one more year from Yanda but we all knew this was a strong possibility. He has been the Ravens best player for most of his career in Baltimore and should end up in the hall of fame. Watching him interact with Lamar last year was heart warming to see how much they both respected one another and how much fun they were having. Maybe the greatest moment of the season for me was when Lamar asked Yanda if he wanted to go for it on the 4th down in Seattle. The young budding superstar deferring to the old guard (pun very much intended) to make sure he agreed with him. Marshal Yanda was the heartbeat of the offensive line and the team on and off the field. I wish him the best in his retirement and let’s hope Ben Powers is ready to step up because he’s got some big shoes to fill.
We’ll have more knee-jerk reactions posted as they roll in…
