Ravens Lock Up Ronnie Stanley

On Friday morning, the Ravens announced a new contract extension for LT Ronnie Stanley. RSR staff react to the news here…

Tony Lombardi

Ronnie Stanley is a Top 5 tackle in the NFL and given his resume, this deal feels just about right. An important metric in the deal is the annual weight of it on the Ravens cap. Compared to Laremy Tunsil‘s deal, it’s about $2M per annum lighter, albeit a year longer. So the deal looks like a win-win for the Ravens and Ronnie. The deal also frees up the Ravens to use the franchise tag on another player in 2021. Ngakoue? It probably also gives Eric DeCosta a little more on his credit card to make another trade.

That said, I’m not a huge fan of Stanley. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an accomplished player but when Lamar is your QB, do you really need the best LT? Might it not be better to spread the investment in the offensive line across the offensive front? Plug holes in the interior line? Time will tell but I also think this deal likely seals the fate of Orlando Brown, Jr. Next season is probably his last in a Ravens uniform. 

But EDC has probably already considered all of the concerns above and has a plan. In that I take solace, but this deal doesn’t excite me all that much.

Key here also is that by getting Stanley done, the franchise tag is now available for Ngakoue (if he performs well and they want to keep him) or Judon. Keep in mind though that both would be on 2nd Tag, so would be 120% of this yr's tag. https://t.co/xBVIrcfkfc

— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) October 30, 2020

Todd Karpovich

— The Ravens make another huge statement with their commitment to keep their homegrown talent.

— It’s a massive contract worth $112.9 million, but the Ravens can spread the money out over the term of the deal.

— Many pundits thought Stanley was a key candidate for a franchise tag, but he was committed to staying in Baltimore.

— The Ravens have a solid mix of veteran and young players on the offensive line, which should bode well for the future.

Chad Racine

This was the deal that needed to be done more than any other. Stanley is a franchise left tackle and needed to be paid like one without going over the top. I imagine this will lower his cap number this year and be reasonable next year with the expected lower cap. Now the impending free agents which are cornerstone franchise players are locked up for the next few years. Judon might not be feeling the love right now so let’s hope he doesn’t become disgruntled this season. 

Stanley has been the best left tackle not named Jonathan Ogden in Ravens history. Eric DeCosta is running the organization like someone with the experience of Ozzie Newsome but with some modern touches. This is exactly why he was offered so many GM jobs before. Ravens fans: we are lucky he runs the team we love.

Aidan Griesser

– Another stellar move by the Ravens to prioritize locking up their own guys. Stanley is a cornerstone player and may end up being Baltimore’s best LT aside from J.O.

– DeCosta did a great job extending the team’s two biggest free agents well before the offseason, when a bidding war would surely jack the price tag up. Terrific job by the front office here.

– Most importantly, Lamar Jackson has his blindside protected for the foreseeable future.