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The Baltimore Ravens have been named as a potential trade suitor for New York Jets offensive tackle Morgan Moses by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell following news of season-ending surgery for All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
The Ravens have reshuffled their offensive multiple times already this season, with Stanley, starting left guard Tyre Phillips, rookie guard Ben Cleveland and starting center Bradley Bozeman all struggling with injuries.
Baltimore has responded with a slew of additions along their offensive line, most recently center Adam Redmond and offensive tackle Brandon Knight, two former Dallas Cowboys. Redmond joined the practice squad yesterday, while Knight failed to report to his first practice with the team. Former first-round pick James Carpenter also joined the Ravens this week.
Still, starting-caliber tackle play is hard to come by in the NFL, which is why Barnell suggested Moses as a trade target for the Ravens in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round pick.
The Ravens are 5-1, but things haven’t gone as planned up front. At tackle, they were planning on welcoming back superstar Ronnie Stanley from an serious left ankle injury on the left side, then imported Alejandro Villanueva from the Steelers to play on the right side. That lasted one game. Stanley hasn’t played since Week 1, and the team announced Tuesday that he will undergo season-ending surgery. Villanueva wasn’t playing well on the right side, but he has looked much better since moving to Stanley’s former spot, where he played in Pittsburgh.
Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta probably needs to add a tackle in the weeks to come. If the Ravens want to move Villanueva back to the right side, they could pursue Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown. It would likely be easier to keep Villanueva on the left side, which would mean targeting a right tackle. Moses, signed to a one-year deal by the Jets, is a capable right tackle with a track record of staying healthy. The Ravens might value availability more than ability at this point.
Moses has been the definition of reliable in his career, starting all 16 games in Washington for six seasons in a row before joining the Jets in free agency this summer. He’s only allowed one sack in 176 pass-blocking snaps, while also earning a 70.1 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.
The veteran lineman is also relatively affordable, with a $4.3 million cap hit, per Spotrac, that the Ravens could almost certainly make work.
Deal Unlikely to Go Through
But the Ravens are unlikely to make a move for Moses, and even if they did, it’s far from a guarantee that the Jets would agree to a deal.
While Moses has played well this season, Baltimore’s own right tackle has done even better.
Patrick Mekari has allowed one more sack but six fewer pressures this season after sliding into the starting spot after Villanueva switched to left tackle. With so many changes on the offensive line already this season, Baltimore may not want to upset the balance of a humming offense.
The Ravens definitely have the draft picks to make the deal work–a whopping 10 selections in the 2022 draft, including five fourth-rounders–but they might not see enough value in a one-year rental of Moses.
The Jets are struggling with injuries of their own on the offensive line, with Mekhi Becton, Cameron Clark, Parker Ferguson and Conor McDermott all landing on the injured reserve list. Behind starters Moses and George Fant, New York only has Chuma Edoga listed at offensive tackle on the depth chart, suggesting that they’d need to find extra help on the offensive line before they would consider a trade to Baltimore.
Nick Boyle Designated for Return
The Ravens will get an impactful midseason blocking addition with the return of tight end Nick Boyle, who practiced with the team for the first time this season yesterday.
He was officially designated for return from injured reserve on Wednesday, giving the Ravens a 21-day window to add Boyle to the 53-man roster.
Boyle’s rather large knee brace at practice indicates that he’s unlikely to play on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, especially with Baltimore’s bye the following week. The Ravens are likely targeting their November 7 game against the Minnesota Vikings for the blocking tight end to make his 2021 debut.
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