The Baltimore Ravens are free. After making an agonizing 36 starts at guard for Baltimore over the last two seasons, Daniel Faalele has officially departed. He signed with the New York Giants on Wednesday.
It should come as no shock to see Faalele become the fifth former Raven to join John Harbaugh’s new team. That guy had an obsession with the 26-year-old, despite his horrendous play. And for some odd reason, it will continue in New0 York.
With Faalele officially gone, the Ravens can look forward to what’s to come on the offensive line in 2026. It’s a major win that one of the worst offensive guards in the NFL, who put Lamar Jackson in harm’s way constantly, is now out the door. The offense, and in turn, the rest of the team, is on an upward trend.
Baltimore Ravens tally another offseason win by watching Daniel Faalele head to New York
While Baltimore’s offensive line situation isn’t exactly a positive right now, it’ll be way better without Faalele starting. His troubles were nonstop and limited the offense. It wasn’t all his fault, but he likely could be labeled as the leading factor in the offense’s inconsistency last year.
Fans are also celebrating the fact that Harbaugh brought back Faalele. I mean, the guy had unwavering faith in a clearly obvious negative asset. While the media and fans tried endlessly to bring Faalele’s issues to his attention, Harbaugh’s ego got the best of him. Maybe he’ll finally learn in the Big Apple. And if he thought the constant Faalele questions were bad in Baltimore, the New York media may eat him alive.
In Faalele’s place, the Ravens signed John Simpson. The team signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason. Simpson has endured his own struggles with penalties, but even if he were just barely average, he’d be a massive upgrade over Faalele. He also played in Charm City back in 2023 when he was a fine starter, so the front office, as well as Jackson, clearly already has some trust in the 28-year-old.
On the opposite side, it looks like 2025 third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. could finally get an opportunity. Harbaugh refused to let him compete for Faalele’s snap share in 2025, reps he undeniably deserved. However, if recent mock drafts are any indication, there will probably be some competition brought in through the 2026 NFL Draft, too.
Regardless of whether it’s Jones or a rookie starting opposite Simpson, it’s nice to know that it won’t be Faalele. It’ll be a breath of fresh air to see a player that fans actually have hope and belief in blocking for Jackson and Derrick Henry, rather than one who constantly put a leash on how far the offense could go.