What makes you all think we'd trade for Brown? Fluker was a desperation pick as all the other OT's were gone, and I'm still mad we didn't take Star!! I would rather TT do their homework and draft a LT or CB in round 1 instead of gambling on free agents that never work for us.
No idea where the Brown trade talk originated. I would stay away.
Reaching to solve a need usually results in passing on much better talent. Take the talent every time in the early rounds. If you must reach, do it in round 7.
There have been FA's signed that were acceptable in the services provided over their contract, but it does seem far and few, eh.....
By Jeff Zrebiec and Daniel Popper Feb 11, 2021 76
The Ravens would prefer not trading Orlando Brown Jr. They already have questions at two other starting offensive line spots and moving on from their top right tackle would create a third. The organization not only views Brown as one of the better right tackles in the NFL, it sees him as a strong contingency plan for left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who is coming off of a significant ankle injury.
Teams with Super Bowl aspirations don’t often trade 24-year-old bookend tackles who have made two Pro Bowl teams in three seasons and can play either the left or right side with no obvious dropoff. That’s especially true when they don’t have an obvious internal replacement. Brown is also due to make just over $3 million this season in the final year of his rookie deal, a bargain for a standout player at a premium position.
Yet, Brown has made it clear to Ravens’ decision-makers that he would prefer to play his fourth NFL season elsewhere. He views himself exclusively as a left tackle now and that position is currently occupied by Stanley, who was an All-Pro in 2019 and signed a five-year, $98.75 million contract extension with the Ravens a little over three months ago. Stanley isn’t going anywhere.
The Ravens don’t have to accommodate Brown’s wishes and he doesn’t have a whole lot of leverage if they don’t. If he declines to play in 2021, he’s facing fines and potentially losing his ability to hit the open market next offseason. However, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh constantly talk about the importance of team culture and they don’t want to have to cajole any one player to buy in.
They also know by now that Brown has no plans on re-signing with them if it means playing right tackle. If the Ravens don’t trade him over the next eight months, their likely return for him would be a 2023 third-round compensatory pick when Brown signs elsewhere. With that in mind, DeCosta gave Brown’s agent permission earlier this month to shop his client around the league and report back with the teams that not only have legitimate interest, but a willingness to trade a significant asset or two in return.
Ravens fans thinking that the team is going to get the type of package for Brown that the Miami Dolphins got from the Houston Texans for Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil, which included two first-round picks and a second-rounder, are probably going to be disappointed. That Bill O’Brien deal was panned from the start and it looks even worse now. The potential return might more closely resemble what the Texans got from the Seattle Seahawks for standout left tackle Duane Brown in 2017: a second and third-round pick.
Orlando Brown, though, is eight years younger than Duane Brown was when he was dealt, so it certainly seems reasonable for the Ravens to expect at least a first-round pick in return. Still, the current situation is complicated by the likelihood of a significantly decreased salary cap, which could make draft picks more coveted than ever and teams less interested in acquiring players who are nearing huge paydays. Brown says his insistence on playing left tackle isn’t about the money, but he knows that top left tackles get compensated better than most of the top right ones.
If a team is going to trade a prime draft asset for Brown, they would almost certainly do it with the expectation that he’d stick around for more than a year. It comes down to a team’s willingness not just to meet the Ravens’ asking price, but to write out a big check to Brown, too.
Which teams might be willing to do that?
The Los Angeles Chargers indisputably could use Brown. They have their franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert and a host of offensive weapons. Now, they need to make sure Herbert’s blindside is better protected. Whether they and the Ravens would be able to agree on compensation for Brown, though, is another question.
Jeff Zrebiec and Daniel Popper, The Athletic’s beat writers for the respective teams, mulled over three different hypothetical scenarios between the teams and whether they’d work for both sides.
Option 1: Brown to the Chargers for their 2021 first-round pick (13th overall)
Would it work for the Chargers/Ravens?
Popper: This deal should be very tantalizing for the Chargers and GM Tom Telesco. Sam Tevi, the Chargers’ starting left tackle in 2020, is a pending free agent, and they could use an upgrade at that position. Brown qualifies as that. He would immediately make the Chargers considerably better up front. But would they give up the 13th pick for a player who is on the final year of his rookie deal and will be seeking a huge extension either this offseason or next? I do not think so. Telesco has been the Chargers GM since 2013. Over that span, he has traded just one of his eight first-round picks, and that was to move up from 17 to 15 to take RB Melvin Gordon in 2015. He covets his draft picks, especially those in the premium rounds. And with the cap dropping this offseason, rookie deals will be even more important this year and beyond in creating more flexibility. The Chargers will likely end up using the 13th pick on an offensive lineman anyway, but that player would be on a team-friendly deal for at least the next four seasons. That, I think, would prevent Telesco from pulling the trigger on this deal. It just does not align with the organizational philosophy.
Zrebiec: This would have to be pretty close to a no brainer for the Ravens. Sure, they’d probably like to get an additional pick thrown in the deal, because one of their early selections would almost certainly then be earmarked for taking an offensive tackle to replace Brown. But that may not be feasible and it’s very hard to imagine that any of the teams drafting in the top-10 are going to trade their first-rounder unless the deal involves a quarterback. Getting the 13th pick would put the Ravens in position to grab either one of the top tackles or one of the draft’s better pass rushers. Maybe one of the more dynamic pass catchers, like Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, or Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle, happens to fall to 13. None of those pieces will be available, when the Ravens are on the clock with their 27th pick. It’s tough to trade one of the better tackles in the league, but the Ravens are likely going to lose him in a year anyway and having an extra first-round pick in the first half of the first round is a pretty good consolation.
Option 2: Brown to the Chargers for their 2021 second- and fourth-round picks
Would it work for the Chargers/Ravens?
Popper: Of the three deals we are proposing today, this one makes the most sense for the Chargers. The Ravens will be seeking a first-rounder, so this seems like a potential backup plan for DeCosta and the Ravens front office. Still, if no team offers a first-round pick, this — or something close to this, like a second and third — would be the next best option. The Chargers would get a starting left tackle without giving up the 13th pick. They could still use that selection on an offensive linemen — say, USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker, who Dane Brugler mocked to the Chargers on Thursday in his Mock Draft 3.0 — and, all of a sudden, the Chargers have injected some serious talent into their line. Bryan Bulaga is returning at right tackle. Brown plays left tackle. Vera-Tucker takes over at left guard. Brown only has a cap hit of $3.384 million for 2021, so if the Chargers put off an extension to 2022 — which they would likely do if they acquire Brown — then they would still have plenty of cap room to spend in free agency on another starting linemen. Perhaps they cut ties with right guard Trai Turner to save an additional $11.5 million in space and go after a guard like the Steelers’ Matt Feiler or Saints’ Larry Warford. Maybe they let Dan Feeney walk and make a push for Patriots center David Andrews. Acquiring Brown would give them options. I think the Chargers do this deal.
Zrebiec: The Ravens have a much better idea of Brown’s trade value than I do, but this wouldn’t be enough for me. If the Chargers had one of the first couple of picks in the second round, that would be a slightly different story. However, Los Angeles is picking squarely in the middle of the second round (pick 47). Changing the fourth-rounder to a third would make it a little more enticing, but it still wouldn’t be enough, unless it was far and away the best offer Brown generated and the situation with the player had become so untenable that the Ravens had to move on. I’d personally rather have one more year of Brown starting at right tackle and a likely third-round compensatory pick his departure would likely trigger than a second- and a fourth-rounder.
Mike Williams (Credit: Kirby Lee / USA Today)
Option 3: Brown to the Chargers for WR Mike Williams and a 2021 fifth-round pick
Would it work for the Chargers/Ravens?
Popper: On paper, this deal makes a lot of sense. From a production standpoint, Williams is not worth his $15.68 million cap hit for next season, which is his fifth-year option. It is the ninth-biggest 2021 cap hit among wide receivers, according to OverTheCap. Williams has been very efficient when targeted. Since 2018 — his second year in the league after an injury-abbreviated rookie season — Williams is fifth in the league in yards per target among players with a minimum of 100 catches. He has a propensity for making highlight catches in clutch moments. But the overall production just has not been there. His career-high in receiving yards is 1,001. He has been under 800 in two of the last three seasons. For $15.68 million, a team needs more. Still, I do not think the Chargers will be willing to part with Williams. He is very respected by the organization for his work ethic and toughness. His physical traits, of course, are off the charts, and he has yet to get through a season without suffering a significant injury. If healthy — which is always a big if with Williams — he could put up huge numbers. And the Chargers will not be keen on taking weapons away from Justin Herbert, even if they are getting a young, solid starting left tackle in return, and even if the trade would clear about $11 million in space. I think the Chargers pass on this deal.
Zrebiec: The Ravens liked Williams coming out of the 2017 draft and their wide receiver need is as significant as ever. Williams is exactly the type of big and physical target that they lack. Acquiring him would prevent them from having to spend big money in trying to woo one of the top receivers on the free-agent market. However, Williams presents his own set of contract issues. He’s playing out the fifth-year option on his rookie contract and carries a $15.68 million cap hit this year. That’s probably too prohibitive for the Ravens, given their myriad needs and limited cap space. Plus, with Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews and others getting closer to free agency, the Ravens aren’t looking for another guy who is going to immediately need his contract addressed. Williams’ talent is enticing, but there have been consistency issues, too, and he’s not yet proven to be the bona fide No. 1 receiver the Ravens need. In order to make this work, the Ravens would likely need to make alterations on Williams’ contract and they’d need much more than a fifth-round pick thrown in. The Ravens don’t need Day 3 draft lottery tickets and that’s essentially what a fifth-round pick is.
Of course, the Chargers aren’t the only team that figures to have interest in Brown. A host of teams are looking to upgrade at left tackle this offseason. Among them:
Carolina Panthers: With Russell Okung headed to free agency and doubtful to return, the Panthers likely will be looking for a left tackle, which has been a black hole for them since Jordan Gross retired after the 2013 season. Acquiring a proven tackle such as Brown would allow Matt Rhule and new GM Scott Fitterer to address other positions, provided they don’t have to spend too much draft capital. The Panthers could offer this year’s second-round pick (39th overall), as well as a later-round pick this year or next. The problem is they’re still in the market for a quarterback, so they can’t give up too many picks or it will affect their ability to make a run at Deshaun Watson or trade up for a QB in the draft. — Joseph Person
Chicago Bears: The Bears have to make an upgrade at tackle at either one or both spots. If they choose, they’d be more likely to keep Charles Leno Jr. at left tackle and cut Bobby Massie. They should be interested in Brown, but also have to focus trade resources at the moment on the quarterback position. If they could find a way to acquire Brown without parting with capital necessary to land a veteran QB, they could be in play. It doesn’t seem likely but Ryan Pace has never been afraid to make a big trade, and tackle is a position he hasn’t touched in the acquisition market since signing Massie in 2016. — Kevin Fishbain
Indianapolis Colts: For the Colts, the need at left tackle is immediate and urgent. Ten-year starter Anthony Castonzo recently retired, leaving the Colts without a clear solution on the left side. They have a couple of unproven in-house options and are also entertaining the idea of moving left guard Quenton Nelson. But a trade for a veteran would be ideal. Problem is the Colts have another urgent need staring them in the face: quarterback. Filling that hole might require draft-pick compensation depending on what happens in the Carson Wentz talks or any other potential trade scenario (Sam Darnold?). That would impact what the Colts are able or willing to offer for Brown, to say nothing of the investment that would be required to extend him beyond 2021 (the Colts are already heavily invested in their offensive line with extensions for Nelson and right tackle Braden Smith still to come). — Stephen Holder
Jacksonville Jaguars: On the surface, the Jaguars probably make the most sense. They’re about to draft Trevor Lawrence to be their franchise quarterback and they could use an experienced and quality tackle to protect his blindside. Their starting left tackle, Cam Robinson, is a pending free agent. They are loaded with cap space and currently have 11 picks in April’s draft, including multiple selections in each of the first, second and fourth rounds. If they are willing to trade their second first-round pick (25th overall) or even their first second-rounder, which is the much-coveted first pick of the second round, you’d have to think there’s a deal there to be made. Urban Meyer’s staff has enough ex-Ravens coaches on it, where they surely could provide a scouting report on Brown. — Jeff Zrebiec
Minnesota Vikings: A lot would have to happen for this to work for the Vikings, but it is possible. For starters, they’re deciding right now what to do with their current left tackle, Riley Reiff. They could save more than $11 million against the cap by cutting the 32-year-old or they could try to restructure his deal, though it’s unclear how willing Reiff would be after taking a pay cut in August. If Reiff returns, the Vikings are out on the Brown sweepstakes. The Vikings are a cap-strapped team, but Brown is intriguing enough that they’d have to try to see if they could fit under the cap the massive contract Brown is surely expecting. They’d have to get creative and move on from players like Reiff and Kyle Rudolph, plus avoid significant free-agent signings. But the Vikings and Ravens already made one trade last season, sending Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore, and perhaps could team for another if it would upgrade the Vikings’ offensive line. That kind of move would give the Vikings their offensive tackles of the future with Brown on the left side and Brian O’Neill on the right. — Chad Graff
Washington Football Team: Washington eventually traded away Pro Bowler Trent Williams last year after a protracted holdout, but has yet to find an obvious replacement. Geron Christian labored at LT before landing on IR. Cornelius Lucas surprisingly held up over the second half of the season, but he’s unlikely more than a stopgap option moving forward. Maybe 2020 fourth-rounder Saahdiq Charles receives a shot after his redshirt season that consisted entirely of two snaps at guard before suffering a kneecap injury. The reigning NFC East champs, though in the hunt for a QB, could easily use its first- or second-round pick on a tackle. Therefore, trading for an established version isn’t outlandish especially since the team holds roughly $35 million to $50 million in cap space depending on whether it releases QB Alex Smith. — Ben Standig
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