On Tuesday morning, several outlets reported that the Ravens have signed offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
The #Ravens have signed veteran LT Alejandro Villanueva to a 2-year, $14M deal with $8M fully guaranteed, source said. The former #Steelers LT recently visited Baltimore.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 4, 2021
RSR staff react to the signing here.
Tony Lombardi
It was pretty obvious from the way the Ravens treated the right tackle position in the 2021 NFL Draft that they would rely upon free agency to fill the void left by the departure of Orlando Brown, Jr. What they get with the signing of Alejandro Villanueva is a professional dedicated to his craft, albeit one who will be asked to flip to right tackle late in his career.
Comparatively speaking, AV is a better pass blocker than OBJ but at the age of 32, he’s probably not as proficient as a run blocker. That said, beside Kevin Zeitler the combination of the two combined with Lamar Jackson at quarterback and the schematic adjustments by Greg Roman and O-Line coach Joe D’Alessandris, the falloff in the road game should be negligible. I don’t think the Ravens make the move if they expected a decline in their rushing attack.
AV should find the Ravens style to be a relief since the Steelers had such a focus on throwing the football and for the most part tossing out an offensive lineman’s best friend – play action.
Villanueva gets a 2-year, $14M paper deal but in reality it looks like a 1-year deal that will eat up about $5M in cap space in 2021.
The Ravens said they would improve their offensive line and with the additions of Zeitler, Villanueva and rookie Ben Cleveland, they’ve done exactly that!
Looks like a $8M 1-yr deal and then, we'll see. The $8M gtd would likely be a Signing Bonus and his 2021 base salary. So, could be something like a $6M Bonus w/ a $2M salary for a $5M 2021 Cap #. The remaining $6M would be his 2022 salary and perhaps some incentives. https://t.co/ETso8723gK
— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) May 4, 2021
Okay, I was 1 day off. This is a sizable deal but I'm sure there's more to this than meets the eye. #Ravens
AV offers:
-pass pro competency; paired w/ Zeitler this is a better pass pro duo than 2020
-swing LT
-veteran experienceI trust Roman to figure out the run blocking. https://t.co/efODPf0ky3
— Dev Panchwagh (@devpanchwagh) May 4, 2021
Rob Shields
I was a bit surprised to see him get as much money as he did. Usually guys signed after the draft and the later stages of the offseason see lesser salaries. That being said, in 2020, he had a similar PFF grade as Orlando Brown did and his grades in 2018 and 2019 were solid as well. He seems to be an adequate replacement and provides insurance at LT in case Ronnie Stanley isn’t ready to go in the beginning of the year.
What I find interesting is how the offensive line will play out in terms of how many will they carry and who doesn’t make the team. Someone(s) that the team doesn’t want to lose will not make the team. Overall, I think they will enter training camp with a better line than they had at the end of 2020.
This makes passing on OT's make a lot more sense.
Villaneuva brings a ton of experience to go beside Zeitler and adds an athletic option to the #Ravens run game.
– Arc releases on the veer
– zone concepts to the right sideOptions that can add some diveristy to the run game. https://t.co/4yExKKCWc7
— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) May 4, 2021
There it is, #RavensFlock.
The signing we've all been waiting on for weeks.
Villanueva should be the #Ravens' starting RT this season.
There is an *eternity* to go until Week 1, but I'm currently expecting a starting five of…
Stanley/Cleveland/Bozeman/Zeitler/Villanueva https://t.co/T7ANq2HMOS pic.twitter.com/En4IczZq9K
— Matt Wise (@TheMattWise) May 4, 2021
Chad Racine
This signing was expected and even more so after the Ravens didn’t take a tackle in the draft. The price tag might seem a little more expensive than expected but pro bowl left tackles aren’t found in the bargain bin department even at 32-years-old. Just like Orlando Brown, he can play right tackle with the option to play left if Stanley isn’t ready or gets hurt again. However, Villanueva knows what will be expected of him and won’t demand a trade to play the position he wants to play. I’m glad this is a two-year deal so it gives the Ravens more time to find a long-term solution. I’m imagining a starting line right now that looks like this from left to right: Stanley, Cleveland, Bozeman, Zeitler, and Villanueva.
There ya go. Your starting RT.
Stanley – A Ben – Boze* – KZ – Al
*TCC steals his job https://t.co/9JaBR9gu2w
— Adam Bonaccorsi (@AdamBMore) May 4, 2021