Getty Matt Skura throws a block against the Lions.
The Baltimore Ravens are working to try and bring back several of their own free agents, and one of the players on the radar figures to be center Matt Skura.
Skura, a free agent, is coming off injury, but has been tendered on the low end by the Ravens according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.
#Ravens are giving C Matt Skura the low tender as a restricted free agent. On his way back from a significant knee injury but he was their starter. No compensation for Baltimore if someone signs him and they don’t match.
Skura’s agent reacted dramatically to that news, offering a call to general managers around the league that might want to sign his free agent player. As he said, the time is now to call him about Skura for 2020.
If teams are looking for an underrated option along the offensive line, Skura is a player to remember. He’s coming off injury, but has been rock solid in his career and could be an option for anyone looking for an interior player for their line.
Matt Skura’s Injury Progress
Skura was injured late last season and lost after an ugly leg injury which played out in Week 12, and according to him, he’s now progressing well enough this offseason where he thinks he will be ready for work on the field in 2020. Skura shared that thought while joining Alex Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Good news on @Ravens center @Matt_Skura62 in his recovery from a torn ACL, MCL, PCL & dislocated kneecap suffered last November: He told @Gil_Brandt & me on @SiriusXMNFL he’s set to begin running again in the next few weeks & is optimistic about practicing at training camp
Obviously, getting Skura back to health is huge for the Ravens. The 27 year old is the anchor of the line and has started in 39 games for the team. He has been durable and tough, and will be called upon to remain the anchor for this group in the coming years.
Ravens Could Sign Kelechi Osemele
Baltimore’s line suddenly could need some boosting. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, a name could already be surfacing to do just that, and it’s a familiar face for Ravens fans in Kelechi Osemele.
From NFL Now on @nflnetwork: With Marshal Yanda now retired, keep an eye on a possible return to the #Ravens for former #Jets G Kelechi Osemele, who is working his way back to health following shoulder surgery.
“I will raise the possibility of one replacement for him and that will be a familiar face in Baltimore, Kelechi Osemele, who left the Ravens to sign a huge contract with the Raiders, then wound up as a Jet,” Garafolo said. “You know how ugly that got with last year with the shoulder surgery and him saying that he needed it, the Jets saying he didn’t need it. He is working his way back to full health. Wouldn’t be surprised if winds up back there because I know he does want to continue to play and believes he is going to be healthy well in advance of Week 1.”
Also, Garafolo said that the Ravens weren’t exactly blindsided by the news that Yanda was walking away. As he said, they knew this was a possibility.
“It’s something we knew at the end of the season that Yanda was going to contemplate. But the word was that this is the way he was leaning,” he said. “Don’t look at it and think the Ravens are scrambling. They understood that even though Yanda was playing extremely well at this point of his career, that retirement was a likely outcome.”
Osemele is a 2 time Pro Bowl player who captured Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens. At 30 years old, he could be a solid veteran option for the team, and someone to remember if they move on from Skura.
Marshal Yanda Retired Tuesday
According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, Yanda decided to hang up the cleats following the 2019 season on Tuesday. Initially, he had been debating whether or not to return, but it sounds as if Yanda wants to walk away following last season.
Source: Ravens guard Marshal Yanda decides to retire – via @ESPN App t.co/VLz17jFk67
It’s obvious the guard will be missed in a big way up front for the team, and now, the Ravens’ biggest goal will be figuring out what to do with the gaping hole up front. It’s tough to quantify how much Yanda has meant to the team given his 13 year career has never taken him anywhere but Baltimore.
Yanda, 35, was a third round pick out of Iowa in 2007 and was an 8 time Pro-Bowl player as well as a 2 time first team All-Pro and a 5 time second team All-Pro. He started in 166 NFL games and played in 177 total as well as a winner of Super Bowl XLVIII. Obviously, his resume could lead to enshrinement in the Hall of Fame one day given what he was able to do.
Now, Yanda will shift to life outside of football. It will be interesting to see if Skura follows him out of town now.
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