Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ravens fans and fans across the country.
The Baltimore Ravens had a surplus of talent on their roster heading into cut-downs last weekend, forcing them to make a number of tough decisions.
In order to keep undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano, for example, the Ravens had to go with nine offensive linemen, leading them to trade OT Diego Pounds (Chiefs) and waive C/G Corey Bullock
(claimed by Panthers). On defense, rostering six defensive tackles ensured there was not room for NT C.J. Okoye (traded to the Giants) or CB Robert Longerbeam (waived, signed to Eagles’ PS).
In this week’s Ravens Reacts survey, we want to know which one of those players the Ravens should have kept on their 53-man roster! Answer the survey below or in The Feed, and be sure to share your additional thoughts in the comments section!
Nikhil’s take: After watching Pounds stonewall rusher after rusher in the preseason, I’m wondering if the Ravens made a mistake flipping him to the Chiefs for a future Day 3 pick. Don’t get me wrong – getting value out of a player that was going to be waived is smart – but amid the hubbub about the starting center battle, we’ve forgotten that left tackle could become a serious issue for this team as soon as 2027. Ronnie Stanley is 32 years old, and in the last three seasons, he’s allowed 110 pressures and committed 32 penalties, per Pro Football Focus. Those numbers are much closer to the bottom of the league than the top. His 2027 cap hit is just over $24 million with $16 million due for the season – still a decent price for a starting left tackle in the NFL, provided Stanley can at least maintain his current level of play. There’s every reason to believe that improved guard play and coaching from Dwayne Ledford could revitalize Stanley to an extent, but there’s still a limited runway given his age and injury history.
The Ravens are clearly hoping that Carson Vinson could take over on the blind side, but it might have been worth keeping Pounds as another iron in that fire. He was lights-out in the preseason, allowing zero pressures, committing one penalty, and earning the second-highest pass-blocking grade of any offensive tackle (via PFF). At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, he brings the requisite size to the tackle position with adequate arm length (33.75 inches, 1/4 of an inch longer than Roger Rosengarten’s) and good athleticism (8.73 Relative Athletic Score, via RAS.football). Even if Vinson is the right successor for Stanley, Baltimore could still use a cheap swing tackle to ensure an injury at one of the game’s most important positions doesn’t derail their season(s) for a second time in a decade. And to play things out a bit further, even when Pounds would cost more on an RFA tag in his fourth season, his positional value may well be worth the kind of price the Ravens were unwilling to pay Keaton Mitchell this offseason.
Now, it’s your turn! Which of these players should the Ravens have kept on their 53-man roster? Answer our survey and tell us why in the comments!
