The Baltimore Ravens have signed offensive tackle Morgan Moses, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, adding a reliable veteran who started 16 games for the New York Jets in 2021.
Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network confirmed the signing, the Ravens’ second move of free agency after making a splash by adding Marcus Williams earlier on March 15.
Moses will shore up the offensive line unit in front of star quarterback Lamar Jackson, a group that gave up 57 sacks last season, the second-most in the NFL.
The deal is worth a total of $15 million over three years, per Zrebiec, a reasonable amount for an eight-year veteran at a premium position, especially one of severe need in Baltimore.
The Ravens don’t have a clear starting right tackle for the 2022 season yet, though they do have options. Ja’Wuan James is still just 29 years old with multiple solid seasons at right tackle in his career, but he’s coming off an Achilles tear and hasn’t played meaningful snaps since 2018. Patrick Mekari earned an extension for his gritty play at right tackle in 2021, but he might be needed at center if the Ravens don’t re-sign Bradley Bozeman.
While Moses doesn’t bring the ceiling of some of the other tackles on the market, like the Dallas Cowboys’ La’el Collins, he does bring consistency and availability, two traits that are sorely needed on Baltimore’s offensive line. Moses has started at offensive tackle for the all of last seven seasons, with six years in Washington preceding his one-year stint with the Jets.
Almost all of those starts have come at right tackle, which is where Moses will most likely play in Baltimore. He did play 151 snaps at left tackle in 2020, per PFF, so he could be an emergency option there as well. That versatility likely contributed to the Ravens’ interest in Moses, as there’s still uncertainty surrounding the return of All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley from a brutal 2020 ankle injury.
Moses Brings Reliability, Value to Baltimore
After a 2021 season with a rotating cast of offensive tackles, Moses’ consistent availability throughout his career is a breath of fresh air in Baltimore. With that availability comes a solid floor of pass protection and run blocking upside that fits well in the Ravens offense.
In 1,022 snaps last year, Moses allowed just four sacks and committed only three penalties, per Pro Football Focus, finishing with a 71.0 overall grade, plus a 74.9 run blocking grade that beat all Ravens linemen in 2021.
That’s not spectacular, but the 31-year-old is still only one year removed from a 79.9-graded season, which included an 84.7 run blocking grade that ranked eighth among all NFL tackles. His a solid first step in the Ravens’ offseason effort to improve their offensive line.
Ravens Still Seeking Center
But the Ravens will also need to add a center this offseason, with 2021 starter Bradley Bozeman hitting free agency. Heavy’s James Dudko reported that they were rumored to be pursuing a reunion with Ryan Jensen before Tom Brady’s retirement reversal kept the Pro Bowl center in Tampa Bay, per Heavy’s Matthew Davis.
Re-signing Bozeman is an option, as is pursuing veteran and NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, who was released by the Cleveland Browns. Both players would fit in Baltimore’s gap-heavy rushing scheme, but each comes with specific advantages. Tretter has more experience at center in the NFL and a stronger pedigree, but Bozeman is four years younger and already familiar with the Ravens’ offensive system.
If the Ravens don’t go with either player, they’ll only have two centers on their roster: Patrick Mekari and Trystan Colon, who both went undrafted out of college. Ravens fans may still have nightmares from Mekari’s errant snaps against the Buffalo Bills in the 2020 playoffs, and Colon doesn’t profile as a starting NFL center.
That could require an addition in the 2022 NFL Draft, with Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum frequently mocked to the Ravens with the 14th overall pick.
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Ravens Sign Ex-Jets Offensive Tackle to 3-Year Deal: Report