he Baltimore Ravens gave Eugene Monroe a 5 year $35.7 million contract in 2014. Since becoming a Raven in 2013 he has had multiple injuries and is currently on IR. It poses the question, is Monroe the answer at left tackle?
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Before the Ravens can make a decision on Monroe they have to re-sign Kelechi Osemele. Osemele is argubally one of the best left guards in football. Osemele has taken Monroe’s spot at left tackle quite successfully. Without Osemele the Ravens have no plan B at left tackle. The Ravens wisely locked up Marshall Yanda earlier this season which gives them a realistic chance of retaining Osemele.
Once Osemele is re-signed the Ravens can decide the fate of Monroe. There are several NFL teams dehydrated in the pass protection department, so Monroe has some trade value. Partly do to injuries, Monroe has been inconsistent at a position where steady reliability is in the job description. In a perfect world the Ravens would find a better option than the former Jaguar tackle.
The left tackle position is a hard one to fill on your depth chart, there is no question about that. To replace Monroe through the draft may require a top 5 draft pick, which the Ravens won’t have. Even if they took the top tackle prospect it is a hit or miss position with on-the-job training.
The goal should be affordably replacing Monroe if possible. It certainly shouldn’t be moving Osemele to left tackle. I’d rather have a great guard than a merely decent tackle playing out of position. In NFL free agency the only enticing option is Russell Okung but that may be out of the Ravens price range; Osemele won’t be cheap and they have other needs. Ryan Harris would be a cheaper option but he may not be the upgrade the Ravens are looking for.
The Ravens are already financially tied to Monroe. They are also handcuffed by needing desperately to re-sign Osemele. In a perfect world the Ravens would find a better option than Monroe. That being said the situation the Ravens are in makes me think Monroe will be a Raven for at least one more season. It may not be perfect but it can work.