• The Ravens will end up signing Stanley to a long-term deal, and will then lock up his bookend tackle Orlando Brown, Jr., with a big deal next season.
Yay. It would represent a significant percentage of the salary cap for two tackles, but I’m of the opinion that the team is loading up on young interior linemen and relatively inexpensive veterans like Andre Smith and DJ Fluker for a reason. They will man the middle of the line and add depth behind the focal points of the line. Stanley is a premier talent, and Brown is ascending with a strong legacy to the organization and city.
Obviously, sentimentality shouldn’t play a role in the decision-making process, but if you have a hard decision to make, take everything into account. I think both will stay for a long time, particularly with the team having a young gem at quarterback.
• If the Ravens have a top-three defense in the league this year, the MVP on that side of the ball will be Calais Campbell.
Yay. There are other options, like Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Earl Thomas, Matt Judon, etc. Wow, they really do have a ton of talent on this team, don’t they? Campbell, to me, is the guy who can completely ruin more opponent plays than anyone else on the roster. He can destroy a run play, wreak havoc on a pass drop back and cave in half the line to let a linebacker behind him run free. If he plays like a star this season, and the other players do what they’ve done, this really could be a devastating defense.
Say it with me: “Barring injury.”
There isn’t a lot going on in the NFL at this point of the offseason. Here at Ebony Bird, there is a lot of content for your football fix. We’ve got takes on the 2020 season. We’ve got fun looks at Ravens history and some really good Q&A’s between Chris Schisler and our readers. There’s a lot to keep your football mind occupied.