Earlier this offseason, the Baltimore Ravens traded away veteran Pro Bowl center Jeremy Zuttah. Zuttah as coming off of one of his more rough seasons for the Ravens, but the move still surprised many. Zuttah was typically a solid player at center. However, the Ravens felt that they had enough talent on the roster to replace him, most notably with Ryan Jensen. When Zuttah was traded to the 49ers, the Ravens gave San Francisco a sixth round pick, number 198 overall. In return, Baltimore received pick 186, also in the sixth round. With that pick, the Ravens selected the safety, Chuck Clark, out of Virginia Tech. The 49ers used the pick from the Ravens to select D.J. Jones, a defensive tackle from Mississippi. The Ravens also freed up some salary cap space with the move.
Despite initial confidence, the Ravens have lost several key players on the offensive line to injury. Expected starter at guard Alex Lewis is now projected to miss the entire 2017 season. Last week, the Ravens announced that he tore his labrum. On top of that, rookie guard Nico Siragusa tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL, all in one knee. He is also expected to miss the entire 2017 campaign. With injuries mounting, and a lack of depth on the line’s interior, the Ravens need to make a move quickly.
According to Mike Preston, of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens and Jeremy Zuttah are close to a deal. Jeremy Zuttah was expected to meet with the Indianapolis Colts, but that meeting is now left in doubt. The Ravens need another interior offensive lineman, and there are two main candidates that Baltimore could explore as possibilities. The first, being Zuttah. Jeremy Zuttah was, of course, with the Ravens previously. Between 2014 and 2016, he played well for the Baltimore Ravens, as a heavy blocker on the line. The Ravens have a big advantage in trying to woo Zuttah, as he has spent time in Baltimore before, and knows the team and coaching staff well. The Ravens could also try to bring in the surprisingly still unsigned Nick Mangold. Mangold a former New York Jet, was once considered a top center in the NFL. However, he is now a free agent, as he was released earlier in the offseason. However, it is seemingly unlikely that Baltimore will get Mangold at this point. It seems like there has been speculation all offseason of it, yet nothing has happened. Jeremy Zuttah is Baltimore’s best hope for restoring the offensive line.
