The Baltimore Ravens have always made it a priority to keep their own. Guys like Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Ed Reed, and Jamal Lewis. Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson, Marshal Yanda, Justin Tucker, and many others—they always seem to find a way to get a deal done with core players.
Entering this offseason, the biggest free agent on Baltimore's side is left tackle Ronnie Stanley. He is set to hit free agency next week.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, general manager Eric DeCosta said they were meeting with Stanley’s agent and expressed confidence they could get a deal done. With the combine now in the rearview mirror, attention shifts to free agency, and we’ll have to wait and see if Baltimore can re-sign Stanley before the market opens. If they don’t, other teams will pursue him, including one from the AFC.
The New England Patriots are zeroing in on Ronnie Stanley
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, an NFL executive at the combine said the Patriots will be serious suitors for Stanley and plan to be very aggressive in signing him—if he reaches free agency. Reiss stated:
"Sorting through what is legitimate and what is smoke is an evolving process, but the idea that the Patriots would be connected to Stanley hits at arguably the top theme head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf drilled home in on-the-record interviews last week."
Signing Stanley makes sense for the Patriots. New England has a new head coach in Mike Vrabel, who built a winning team in Tennessee by emphasizing offensive line play and a strong running game. Not only that, but they now have a young quarterback to protect in Drake Maye. New England also enters free agency with the most cap space in the league, giving them plenty of money to spend. Bringing in the best left tackle on the market—and maybe the best in the NFL—would be a major step in the right direction.
Baltimore knows Stanley better than any team and understands his value, especially coming off a very strong season. Both DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh stated at the combine that re-signing Stanley is a top priority. They’ll have to move quickly before free agency begins because a team like New England is ready to make a move.