The trade market for a franchise tackle is always a big one and the Baltimore Ravens have a slew of potential suitors for Orlando Brown Jr.
Orlando Brown Jr. proved that he is as good a right tackle in football over his first two-and-a-half seasons in the league including earning a Pro Bowl in 2019 at the position. In 2020, Brown successfully moved to the left side of the line in relief for an injured Ronnie Stanley and was good enough to once again earn Pro Bowl honors. Brown Jr. is set to become a free agent after the 2021 season concludes and will look to get a big, fat contract with someone, but he might be on a new team before Free Agency.
Brown Jr. made it clear on Twitter how he views himself and likely how he wants to get paid yesterday:
I’m a LEFT Tackle.
— Orlando Brown Jr. (@ZEUS__57) January 29, 2021
With this in mind, this could spell the end of Brown Jr.’s days in Baltimore with Stanley presumably returning for 2021 healthy. This opens up some avenues for the Ravens to explore in trading Brown Jr. this offseason. Plenty of teams should have interest in a young and stout offensive tackle who proved he can anchor either side of the line. His value is sky-high.
Here we are going to look at five teams who should be interested in acquiring Orlando Brown Jr.’s services, including possible trade scenarios for the 24-year old Pro Bowler.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
The Jaguars will have the first overall pick to select its franchise cornerstone quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, with and then two more picks in the top 33 to surround him with some help. Why not send one of those two picks to the Baltimore Ravens for a proven tackle in Orlando Brown Jr.?
Brown Jr. would get exactly what he wants and would be the team’s starting left tackle from day one. The Jaguars also have tons of cap space to be able to resign Brown Jr. long-term. With how good Brown Jr. is, it’s difficult to see a scenario where they don’t do this.
Trade scenario:
The 33rd overall pick is essentially a first-round choice with it being the very first pick in the second round. Baltimore would have plenty of directions it could go, including taking a tackle to replace Orlando Brown Jr. with. Guys like Dillon Radunz or Liam Eichenberg would be great replacements for Brown Jr. at the top of the second round. The Ravens could also decide to go BPA, too, something they’ve done as well as anyone else in the league.
This trade scenario is arguably the best for both teams, as Jacksonville gets its left tackle of the future and Baltimore lands a pick pretty dang close to the first round. Win-win for both teams.
Los Angeles Chargers:
Justin Herbert just took the NFL by storm with one of the most prolific rookie seasons in league history. Behind an average-at-best offensive line, Herbert tossed over 4,300-yards and scored 36 touchdowns in 15 games. Herbert has the weapons available to him, but imagine if he had a better offensive line to protect him.
That’s where Orlando Brown Jr. comes into play. Brown Jr. can slide right into the team’s left tackle spot and allows the team to go a different direction in the top half of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Acquiring Brown jr. won’t be cheap, however. He’s definitely worth it, though.
Trade scenario:
The Chargers first-round pick, 13th overall, is a little too rich to sell for Orlando Brown Jr., but the 47th overall pick isn’t quite enough on its own. LA doesn’t have a problem moving a mid-second rounder for a two-time Pro Bowler, but they’ll need to make it interesting. To appease the Ravens, they toss in a fourth-round pick, as well, giving Baltimore two more picks in the first ~120 picks.
The Ravens aren’t totally selfish, however, and give the Chargers a future sixth-rounder in return. Baltimore is able to land itself some nice capital for moving Brown Jr. here and LA gets itself an offensive line cornerstone to keep its franchise quarterback upright for years to come.
New York Giants:
The Giants have been hurting for even solid play from their offensive line for years now and their investments haven’t paid off. Andrew Thomas looked like one of the worst tackles in football a season ago after being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. No matter who is throwing the ball for NYG next season they need better protection upfront.
The best way to do this is to stop gambling at the position and take a guy who is proven. We all know that Orlando Brown Jr. is that kind of guy and the Giants would love to add him. Doing this would allow the team to move on from the expensive Nate Solder and then slide Thomas over to the right side. It’s a move that would fit a lot of missing puzzle pieces.
Trade scenario:
A mid-second round pick might need a little more to sway Baltimore here, but tossing in a solid wide receiver in Sterling Shepard might be the deal maker here. Shepard is a stud when he’s healthy and is only making $10.5 million in 2021 with an opt-out following the season. Adding Shepard would be a low-risk, high-reward move.
Shepard can be one of Lamar Jackson‘s best friends in the passing game while giving the Ravens a good veteran presence in the locker room. The oldest receiver on Baltimore’s roster is just 24-years old, so adding somebody like Shepard would be ideal. In this scenario, the Giants get a reliable tackle and the Ravens get nice draft ammo and a new receiver. Perfection.
Minnesota Vikings:
Similarly to the Giants, the Vikings have longed for good tackle play for quite some time. Brian O’Neil is a stud at right tackle, but left tackle remains a need. For an offense that is as explosive as any other in the league, it would be nice to have that bookend guy opposite O’Neil.
Trading for Orlando Brown Jr. allows Minnesota to go BPA in round one rather than worry about taking an offensive tackle who doesn’t match the value of the pick. The downside is both Brown Jr. and O’Neil face Free Agency following the 2021 season, but the duo would be worth extending if it can find the cap space.
Trade scenario:
Without a second-round pick, the Vikings will need to get creative in a trade package for Orlando Brown Jr.’s services. A package of picks makes the most sense, with its third-round pick being the prize of the deal. A fourth and a future seventh could make this deal a little better.
Minnesota will be happy to get Brown Jr., obviously, but in this scenario, Baltimore is kind enough to return to the Vikings a pick as well. This ends up being an exchange of future day three picks and a third and fourth-round pick for a two-time Pro Bowler.
Chicago Bears:
Before the Bears can even start to think about the rest of their team they need to get their quarterback situation figured out. Is Mitch Trubisky the guy moving forward or will they pursue someone via trade or the draft? This team is capable of going back to the playoffs with good quarterback play, so they need to find their guy.
In the meantime, they can continue to make life as easy as possible for whoever that guy ends up being. Shoring up the offensive line is a must, so going after a guy like Orlando Brown Jr. makes a good amount of sense.
Trade scenario:
This is the one scenario where a team parts with a first-round draft choice for Orlando Brown Jr., and it’s a good pick. With the 20th overall selection, the Ravens would be in a great position to get a stud receiver or pass rusher and then go BPA with the 27th pick. This is definitely a very ideal scenario for Baltimore.
It would be tough to move a first for Brown Jr., but getting him and a fourth-round pick back will ease that pain a little bit. Knowing that they have a left tackle of the future for whoever is throwing the football is a soothing thought and may attract some potential suitors to come to the Windy City.
Seattle Seahawks:
When will the Seahawks commit to protecting Russell Wilson? We’ve talked about how Seattle needs to invest in its offensive line and when they do it’s with very minimal effort. The move for Duane Brown was years ago and he’s well past his prime. Since then, the Seahawks simply haven’t put enough consideration into protecting its franchise quarterback.
That needs to come to an end and Wilson’s nightmare can finally come to a close with the addition of Orlando Brown Jr. “Zeus” would come to Seattle and immediately be the best offensive lineman on the roster. Brown Jr. is exactly what Wilson has also wanted.
Trade scenario:
It’ll be a very tight move for Seattle to make, but it would be worth it if they could. Moving the 55th overall pick would mean the Seahawks aren’t picking until the fourth-round thanks to a mega-trade for Jamal Adams last offseason. The bright side is there was no offensive tackle who is better than Brown Jr. available at that pick. If the team can move a couple of other day three pick into the deal, Baltimore will bite.
At the end of the day, getting that precious left tackle should be enough to sell the Seahawks on this deal. Protect Russell Wilson at all costs. Doing this prolongs your Super Bowl window. Orlando Brown Jr. is the right guy to make this move for.