Quote:OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is already looking around the league for potential trades.

Baltimore has pulled off several significant acquisitions over the past two years, especially on defense with the addition of Marus Peters, Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue.

DeCosta is ready to make some moves in the coming weeks to fill several gaps on the roster, namely at wide receiver and the offensive line.

There is already speculation surrounding the future of offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr., who wants to play left tackle but is blocked by Ronnie Stanley in Baltimore. The Ravens have reportedly given Brown permission to seek a trade.

"Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, but they’re fun," DeCosta said about trades. "I think it’s one of the great aspects of this job, is having the chance to wheel and deal and make some trades, especially if you can minimize the risks involved and get a guy that can help you win some football games. So, we’ll look at all of that. We don’t have quite as many [draft] picks this year as I’d like to have, partly because we made a trade."

 The main stumbling to completing a trade early in the offseason is the uncertainty with this year's salary cap. The NFL has yet to set the amount, but it's expected to range between $175 million to $182 million. 

Nonetheless, teams are already on the phone discussing potential deals. The Ravens will be one of those teams mulling over proposals. 

"We kind of keep our ears down to the ground to listen to different things; what players teams are going to shop [and] try to find value for the team," DeCosta said. "Everything we do is based on the premise of value. Can we gain value from that transaction? If we think we can, we’ll make a move.” 

Hearing multiple teams interested in Ravens Pro Bowl OT Orlando Brown, who has permission to seek a trade. Based on level of interest, good chance a trade that makes sense for all parties comes together. Brown has strong relationship w/Ravens, who would want value for him.

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 9, 2021

(02-10-2021, 04:38 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Orlanda Brown wants out of Baltimore because he wants to play left tackle and the Ravens are looking for trade partners!

Hearing multiple teams interested in Ravens Pro Bowl OT Orlando Brown, who has permission to seek a trade. Based on level of interest, good chance a trade that makes sense for all parties comes together. Brown has strong relationship w/Ravens, who would want value for him.

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 9, 2021

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The Ravens need help at receiver, so maybe they'd take a package deal for AJ and a third or fourth round pick?  I've wanted to keep AJ, but other people seem ready to let him go, so why not get something valuable in return?

It might all be fluff, but it seems like there's a lot of interest in him and I doubt that we'd be at the top if his list of desirable destinations, but I doubt the Ravens will care much about his preferred landing spot, and, with all the uncertainty of the salary cap and overall offseason, it might be possible.  

It would open up our draft a lot and also help to stabilize our line for years to come since he's only 24!

Who knows if they'd deal him to a rival in the division, but it's worth looking into!

(02-10-2021, 04:42 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: He might want to play with a young QB like Burrow and a block for a back like Mixon!

(02-10-2021, 04:38 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: The Ravens need help at receiver, so maybe they'd take a package deal for AJ and a third or fourth round pick?  I've wanted to keep AJ, but other people seem ready to let him go, so why not get something valuable in return?

(02-10-2021, 05:01 PM)J24 Wrote: We could tag and Trade Lawson for Brown

(02-10-2021, 05:13 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: if your trading you trade a draft pick this year and a conditional draft pick next year.     Of what round and value idk....  

As a young pro bowl OLer will be worth more than we will likely find in those picks anyways

(02-10-2021, 05:15 PM)Au165 Wrote: I think the conversation probably starts somewhere around a late 1, but probably not to a division rival. The other side of the argument is he wants to be a LT because he wants to be paid like a LT. There will be some degradation of value because of the contract in negotiations, but I think they'll be asking for a late 1 to start.

(02-10-2021, 05:18 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: So an early 2 and a ??? 2-4 next year might fill the value. when is he due to be paid?

(02-10-2021, 05:06 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: AJ has literally zero trade value.

(02-10-2021, 05:39 PM)The Gooney Rule Wrote: I might have missed some other's thought on this one crucial point of the whole conversation:

He wants to be traded to a place where he can play LT.

So if the Bengals somehow manage to provide enough value for Baltimore to pull the trigger, does that mean it's a given that Williams gets moved to RT? Is he fine with that?

Granted Williams has been injured his first two years, and Brown has played well, but wouldn't Williams be reluctant to switch to the right side for the same logical reasons Brown wants to move to the left - fair or not, LT's usually get paid more?

I would just be wary of giving a division rival a hefty sum to bring in and appease a guy who has already demanded a trade for financial reasons (and a guy who supposedly had some questions about his motivation coming out of college, if I remember correctly), only to then have a delicate conversation with your own high-draft pick currently at Left Tackle, and hope that investment stays happy and productive forcing him to switch positions.

I haven't checked, but won't those two tackle contracts (Brown and Williams) come due at the same time? (Or maybe Williams get a 5th yr option before having to re-up, actually.) But it's likely both of those contracts won't get renewed, so I'm wondering if it's not better to invest heavily in a 1 or 2 yr quality FA lineman now, and draft a quality tackle prospect this year to stagger the due dates on these contracts while getting the maximum value out of each year's salary cap and level of talent across the whole position?

(Side muse - I suppose anything to dump Hart's contract would be a positive impact for the team, even if it means shuffling Williams to RT, should he be agreeable to that.)

(02-10-2021, 05:11 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: 2x Pro Bowl OT making $920k
DE who hasn't reached 6 sacks since 2017 making $15m

These aren't even slightly equal trading pieces.

(02-10-2021, 06:22 PM)J24 Wrote: Lawson was top 5 in pressures this season, top 10 in sacks created per ESPN, and both had the same PFF rating at 76.4.

(02-10-2021, 07:45 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: How can you be Top-10 in sacks created on a team that finished dead last with 17 sacks? That makes me intensely suspicious on that stat being complete BS.

There was 10 players with 10 ACTUAL sacks on their own.

Either way, good luck on trading a $15m 5 sack DE for a $1m Pro Bowl OT.

(02-10-2021, 07:45 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: How can you be Top-10 in sacks created on a team that finished dead last with 17 sacks? That makes me intensely suspicious on that stat being complete BS.

There was 10 players with 10 ACTUAL sacks on their own.

Either way, good luck on trading a $15m 5 sack DE for a $1m Pro Bowl OT.

(02-10-2021, 09:07 PM)Synric Wrote: Sacks created is a new metric for pass rushers it showes Lawson's initial pressure forced the QB into a sack by another player.

Also if you're trading a high round pick or high caliber player for Orlando Brown it will be with an extension. Think 5 year 17m to 20m a year.