3 Ravens players who could be traded before Tuesday’s deadline
By Justin Fried
1. Ben Cleveland, OG, Ravens
No Ravens player has come up in trade rumors over the last few weeks more than offensive lineman Ben Cleveland. Much like Mike Davis, Cleveland is simply a surplus for Baltimore.
A third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Ravens had high hopes for Cleveland when they drafted him. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman went as far as to call him “the best run-blocker in the draft.”
The Ravens saw a scenario where Cleveland stepped into a starting role as a rookie and became a long-term starter at left guard. Unfortunately, that never ended up happening.
Cleveland started just four games as a rookie as a combination of injury and inconsistencies kept him off the field. In his place, the Ravens leaned on the likes of Ben Powers and Tyre Phillips.
Cleveland was given another opportunity to compete for a wide-open left guard job in 2022, but he once again found himself behind the eight ball after repeatedly failing the Ravens’ conditioning test.
Powers would end up winning the job while Phillips was released leaving Cleveland as the primary backup at the position. However, with Powers putting together a career year, there hasn’t been any opportunity for Cleveland.
The former Georgia standout hasn’t played an offensive snap this season and hasn’t been active for a game since Week 4. It’s clear that he’s the odd man out in that offensive line room.
Similar to Davis, the Ravens likely wouldn’t be able to get much for Cleveland, but it’s worth exploring what opportunities there are out there. We could see a similar Ben Bredeson type of trade involved a swap of Day 3 picks.
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Either way, Cleveland seems like the most likely Ravens player to be traded before the deadline.