The Baltimore Ravens finally rid themselves of polarizing guard Daniel Faalele after they fired head coach John Harbaugh, but the gigantic Minnesota alum has now convinced two more teams to take a chance on him.
Harbaugh signed Faalele to his New York Giants roster to provide offensive line depth, but it took him all of one preseason game to realize what a mistake that was. With the Jacksonville Jaguars reeling from an injury to former Ravens offensive line Swiss Army knife Patrick Mekari, James Gladstone saw fit to give Faalele a whirl.
The Jaguars acquired Faalele from the Giants in exchange for a late-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. This may be no more than a depth move, as it gives rookie Wyatt Milum a chance to start at right guard, but if Faalele needs to be on the field for an extended period of time, Jacksonville is going to learn a very harsh lesson.
Baltimore Ravens fans have to be stunned Jaguars traded for Daniel Faalele
Faalele is a late-comer to football who was still learning the game in college. However, due to tipping the scales at 6-8 and around 370 pounds, Harbaugh and the Ravens took him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft as a developmental gamble. It wasn't a bad idea, and Faalele is an NFL player, but the lowlights were numerous.
While he has everything an offensive line coach could want from a physical point of view, Faalele never learned the technique and anticipation to become a high-end starter in the NFL. His 56.7 PFF grade last season may have felt like 5.67 in the eyes of Ravens fans who became frustrated with his penchant for penalties and poor pass protection.
Former Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele has struggled on the field
It should say something that Harbaugh, who is perhaps Faalele's biggest supporter and the man who installed him as a starting guard for two seasons of Lamar Jackson's prime, was willing to kick him to the curb after just one preseason game despite the Giants themselves lacking depth on the interior. Perhaps he finally got around to watching that 2025 Ravens film in which Faalele was getting beaten like a drum.
Faalele will turn 27 in November and is entering his fifth NFL season. The "developmental" tag has not applied for some time now. Ravens fans are well aware of this, Giants fans just found it out, and Jaguars fans will discover this soon enough if he is forced into game action.
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