With the Carolina Panthers dropping to 3-5 after their loss to the Atlanta Falcons, they could look to move some pieces to give Marty Hurney and Matt Rhule further draft capital as they build through the draft. Perhaps tops amongst those who could be on the move is Curtis Samuel.
Samuel has become something of an afterthought in a Panther offense that features D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and Mike Davis, and is likely more valuable to the Panthers as a trade chip than an occasional gadget piece at this point. He’s certainly no X receiver, but Samuel’s “gadgety-ness” (it’s a word now) could add a spark and some creative play-calling possibilities to a Ravens offense that has taken a step back so far in 2020. While J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both put to bed any questions about what an Ingram-less backfield would look like, the fact Samuel could contribute some in the running game is an added bonus. The former Ohio State star is signed through 2021 and comes with a ~$1.7-million cap hit for 2020 according to OverTheCap.
Marshall Yanda’s absence has been felt along the interior offensive line this year, but so has Matt Skura’s inability to reproduce his strong 2019 season. While metrics have Skura graded higher than starting right guard Tyre Phillips, he was something of a revolving door in the game against the Steelers on Sunday and picked up a holding penalty that brought back a touchdown run from Lamar Jackson late in the game. The Ravens ultimately scored on the drive, but that’s not really the point.
If the collective cost of acquiring someone like Zack Martin feels too tall (understandably), Patriots center David Andrews is the more reasonably-priced alternative. He’ll be a free agent after the season and comes with a cap hit of ~$3.4-million according to OverThe Cap, which is doable for Baltimore. PFF gives him a strong 74.4 grade, and he would immediately upgrade an offensive line that has looked like a shadow of the dominant unit from a season ago. Andrews has never taken an NFL snap at a spot other than center, so he lacks the versatility the Ravens like in offensive linemen, but for as glaring as the need is, it shouldn’t stop them from making a call. It shouldn’t cost more than a fourth-round pick to get something done, and could likely be done for less.