The Baltimore Ravens have gone through an overhaul of changes this offseason. The firing of John Harbaugh was completely unexpected, but it was a move that had to be made. In his place, the Ravens hired Jesse Minter.
As a result of these landscape-changing moves, the team is entering the 2026 season with an almost entirely new coaching staff working under Minter. Some of the 2025 staffers have stuck around in Charm City, but most of the others have followed Harbaugh to the New York Giants or former offensive coordinator Todd Monken to the Cleveland Browns. In their places, Minter has brought in a talented group.
That overhaul could continue onto the roster, too. Several pending free agents will likely depart, and some currently under contract could be cap casualties or trade candidates. According to Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, one of Baltimore’s top three trade assets could be offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.
“The Ravens' decision to let go of Harbaugh and hit the reset button could come with a passing of the guard on the field, too,” Ballentine wrote.
“It isn't often that we see franchise left tackles get traded, but Laremy Tunsil was dealt last season. Stanley will be 32 in March, but he would be able to bring back a nice package of picks if the Ravens made him available.”
Other trade assets Ballentine included were cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews, but Stanley is clearly the most notable of the trio. A potential trade of the stable blindside protector, Stanley, would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the Ravens’ locker room and the fanbase.
NFL writer’s Ronnie Stanley trade mention would shake Ravens’ locker room
Trading Stanley would certainly be a wild move. The Ravens had major troubles blocking up front for quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry in 2025, but Stanley was one of the more consistent protectors. He’s still an above-average tackle with two years left on his contract.
Of course, Ballentine isn’t saying the Ravens should trade Stanley, but rather mentioning what he brings as a potential asset. The return would certainly be lucrative, as Laremy Tunsil got a return of multiple day-two and day-three draft picks last offseason. And while general manager Eric DeCosta loves his picks, he can’t even be thinking about the distant possibility of trading Stanley.
At face value, a trade would also likely hurt Baltimore’s cap space. Whether they were to make a deal with pre-June 1 or post-June 1 designation, they’d face major cap penalties, including a net negative in cap savings and absorbing a ton of dead money. With a laundry list of free agents to address and numerous improvements needed, there’s very little flexibility to trade Stanley even if they wanted to.
Although it would make sense to tear down some areas of the roster and start anew under new leadership, Stanley should not and will not be a part of that. He’s too big a piece to the offensive line, and his relationship with Jackson could play a role in the grand scheme of the current roster’s construction, as well.
If there is a Stanley trade in the near future, it won’t be until next offseason, when the Ravens’ roster is better structured and they have more cap freedom.