Baltimore Ravens trading Orlando Brown Jr. makes sense for both parties

The absolute last thing Ravens Flock wants to see is the team trading two-time Pro Bowler Orlando Brown Jr. this offseason, but it makes a lot of sense…

“I’m a left tackle!” Those are the famous words of one Orlando Brown Jr. that have come out from the two-time Pro Bowl tackle, who has now requested and been given permission to request a trade from the Baltimore Ravens.

Brown Jr., known by many as “Zeus Jr.” and sometimes simply OBJ has every right to say what he said and ask permission to seek a trade. After all, Brown Jr. played on the left side of the line in college and held down the position this year after an unfortunate injury to All-Pro tackle Ronnie Stanley. Brown Jr. did a fine job on the left side after playing his first two seasons on the right and looked the part of a blind-side protector moving forward. If not for Stanley recently inking a deal as one of the league’s highest-paid tackles and his dominant play when healthy, there’s no way that Brown Jr. would ever be getting dealt. But that’s simply not the reality that we live in.

The reality here is that Orlando Brown Jr. looks like he could end up playing his way into the conversation of top-five status across the league. Because of this, he is likely on his way out of Baltimore, Maryland to achieve his goals.

It’s not as though the bridges have been burned between Brown Jr. and the Ravens; there is simply a conflict of interest between where Brown Jr. wants to start. Again, if Stanley wasn’t being paid and playing like the best offensive linemen in football, holding onto Brown Jr. for the long run would be in the team’s best interests.

The good news for both parties is that everyone can win.

For Baltimore, moving someone of Orlando Brown Jr.’s caliber is a play that will net them some very nice capital. Brown Jr. could very easily get the team as much as a first-round pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. The draft also just so happens to have a plethora of day one starting tackles, so replacing Brown Jr. would be something attainable for the team. Obviously, you can’t just replace a Pro Bowl-level tackle immediately, but this would be the Ravens’ best chance to start the process.

Brown Jr. is also slated to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2021 season and Baltimore would’ve likely struggled to retain him long-term. Considering Brown Jr. will likely get a fat deal somewhere else, the team would’ve only received a third-round compensatory pick for losing him. By trading him, the Ravens get much better value.

This situation also pans out well for Orlando Brown Jr. The 24-year old will absolutely have his pick of the litter when it comes to deciding where he’d like to play. Any team would be lucky to acquire Brown Jr.’s services and they’ll absolutely value resigning him to a mega-deal considering the capital the team would move to go and get him.

Nothing feels better than wanting and moving big assets for you and then getting paid the big bucks. We have to assume that this is precisely how Brown Jr. must feel.

Fans won’t want to see such a young and talented player get moved when his best days are clearly ahead of him, but the move is almost certain to happen very soon. All of Ravens Flock should be thankful that the situation is as good as it is for both parties involved. The Baltimore Ravens should get an excellent return value and Orlando Brown Jr. will get to play for a new team at the position he wants and for the pay he deserves. It’s the best win-win scenario here.