The Baltimore Ravens haven’t quite been the same since Marshal Yanda retired. The offensive line is a huge area of need and it’s mostly on the right side of the offensive line. One way to fix the offensive line is to find a true replacement for Yanda. Brandon Scherff could be the best option.
While Scherff and Bradley Bozeman are both quality guards who play on the left, moving one of them to the right guard spot isn’t an unthinkable move. Scherff has a Pro Football Focus grade of 84.1. That’s rock solid. Scherf is one of the best guards in football, the Ravens can make that work.
There is nobody who is ever going to be Yanda level good. Yanda is a future inductee of the Pro
Football Hall of Fame, that’s a given. Scherff is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl season. While he does have an injury history, he’s a great player. This is as close to a Yanda that the Ravens are ever going to find.
The Ravens have three main needs this offseason. The offensive line is the first one. Pass rushers are needed as is help at wide receiver. Scherff would give some certainty to an offensive line that would still need a starting center and a right tackle if Orlando Brown Jr, was to be traded.
Joe Thuney from the Patriots is another option in free agency. The offensive line has to be a priority and great guards are easier to pay than great tackles.
If the Ravens are going to build their team on physicality and the run game, they have to consider signing Scherff or Thuney. Either one would be acceptable, though Scherff is who I would target. He’s just incredibly good at his job.
The Ravens will probably look to the NFL Draft to fix their problems at offensive tackle and center. They’ve proven they can do that. Signing Scherff would mean the Ravens would pay for two premium talent on the offensive line and continue to draft for the other three positions. Bozeman is going into the last year of his rookie contract, so for at least 2021, the Ravens would have three strong starters locked up.
The offensive line has to be rebuilt. Starting with Ronnie Stanley, Brandon Scherff and Bradley Bozeman would be a great starting point. If the Ravens couldn’t afford to get a player like Allen Robinson or Chris Godwin at the wide receiver position, this could be the best way to help the offense.
With two good guards and the return of Nick Boyle, it puts less pressure on the Ravens to find a great option at right tackle. They could trade Orlando Brown Jr. and find a strong enough replacement in the first or second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. As long as the right tackle play is solid, the help around him will make it work.
The bottom line:
There has been a lot of talk about the Ravens potentially signing J.J. Watt. Signing a defensive end wouldn’t fix the Ravens’ biggest problems. If Baltimore wants to win upfront at the line of scrimmage investing in the offensive line is wiser.
The Ravens have to consider free agents on the offensive line. Scherff is the best one available. This would boost the offensive line and make it closer to what they had when Yanda was playing for them.