The Baltimore Ravens placed offensive guard, Parker Ehinger on the injured reserve, and signed former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle, Andre Smith, the team’s official Twitter account announced on Wednesday morning. Ehinger was placed on the IR because of a shoulder injury. The exact medical condition and severity of it is unknown. Ehinger joined the Baltimore Ravens as a member of the practice squad in mid-September and was elevated to the 53-man roster in late November. Instead of replacing a guard for a guard, the Ravens curiously chose an offensive tackle, the former first-round pick and eleven-year veteran, Andre Smith.

Smith enjoyed a long and successful career with the Cincinnati Bengals after being selected sixth overall in the 2009 draft. Smith was a dominant offensive tackle at the University of Alabama. The Nick Saban product was the second offensive tackle taken in the 2009 draft, second only to Baylor offensive tackle, Jason Smith, selected by the then Saint Louis Rams.

Although Smith was picked in the top-10 of the 2009 draft, the 11-year veteran has never been selected to a Pro Bowl. After battling injuries in his rookie season, the young Smith claimed the starting job as the team’s right guard in 2010. Smith signed a 3-year, $18 million extension with the Bengals. He left the Bengals in 2016, and spent time with the Vikings, the Bengals again, the Cardinals, and the Bengals for a third time since.

The Baltimore Ravens already have two more than capable starters in All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley, and Pro Bowl alternate right tackle Orlando Brown Jr, but the Ravens signed Andre Smith to provide some veteran depth for a potential Super Bowl run. The Ravens want to be ready for any situation, and with Parker Ehinger hurt, the Ravens needed to replace him with someone capable of playing if the situation should arise. Smith, with his long history of 98 starts in the NFL.

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