The saga continues…

In what has been one of the most dramatic and unpredictable offseasons for the Ravens left guard group in recent memory, it is only fitting that Baltimore would make a surprise move on the eve of the final preseason game. Baltimore traded former 2017 fifth-round pick, Jermaine Eluemunor, to the New England Patriots. Baltimore’s compensation is an undisclosed draft pick, and this article will be updated once the draft pick is announced.

Baltimore drafted Eluemunor in 2017 with high hopes for him. He was selected alongside fellow offensive guard, Nico Siragusa, to develop into a solid backup or potential starter. Despite Baltimore’s initial beliefs, neither Eluemunor or Siragusa ever succeeded in Baltimore. Siragusa left Baltimore after being cut in 2018, and Eluemunor now follows his departure a year later.

Eluemunor was in contention for the starting left guard position, a battle that has taken on a “Game of Thrones” vibe. Two competitors have now been eliminated from the team since the start of training camp. The Ravens traded the injury-prone Alex Lewis to the New York Jets for a conditional seventh-round pick three weeks ago, and now ship Eluemunor to New England for what is presumably a similar compensation.

Eluemunor had a legitimate chance to start but fell out of the coaches’ favor. With Eluemunor gone, the Ravens have now widdled the battle down to just two claimants for the throne, James Hurst and Ben Powers. Hurst has started at multiple positions along the Ravens offensive line, including left guard. He has experience and a strong financial commitment from the Ravens behind him. Powers, on the other hand, was drafted by the Ravens this year. He may have no NFL experience, but the fourth-round draft-pick has the confidence of the coaching staff and front office. The Ravens must now choose between the two claimants fighting for the throne, but at this point, it would be a surprise if the loser was eliminated from the roster. Baltimore will likely keep one as a backup.

UPDATE: 7/29/19 12:00 PM

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens sent Jermaine Eluemunor and a 2020 sixth-round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick. This is much better compensation than most believed the Ravens could get, and Eric DeCosta came out on top of the trade a winner.

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