Ravens trade Alex Lewis to Jets for conditional draft pick

Seemingly ready to join the competition for the starting left guard spot after passing his physical over the weekend, Alex Lewis is instead moving on from the Ravens.
Pending a physical, Lewis will be traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2020 draft. Lewis said in a Monday morning post on his verified Instagram account that he’d been waived, but general manager Eric DeCosta was able to extract a small bit of value for a former starter who’s battled injuries in his first three seasons. The 27-year-old began training camp on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, but head coach John Harbaugh indicated late last month that Lewis would be ready to begin practicing sometime in early August.
“Thank you to the Baltimore Ravens for drafting me back in 2016 and giving me an opportunity to play in the NFL,” Lewis posted. “It has been a memorable three years. Appreciate all my teammates and coaches I have met along the way. Loved the atmosphere of Baltimore and the amazing fans that supported us!”
The 2016 fourth-round pick’s career started fast with starts in eight of his first nine games as a rookie, but Lewis had missed 28 of Baltimore’s last 39 contests — including the entire 2017 season — with a number of injuries. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound lineman started 10 games at left guard last season, but a shoulder injury sidelined him for the final five weeks, including the wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Scheduled to make $2.025 million in the final year of his rookie contract, Lewis chose to rehab his surgically-repaired shoulder away from the team facility this offseason, a questionable decision for someone already on shaky roster footing.
Pro Football Focus graded Lewis as the NFL’s 67th-best guard last season.
His departure leaves Jermaine Eluemunor and rookie fourth-round pick Ben Powers to continue competing at left guard with versatile veteran James Hurst also remaining in the mix while cross-training at other positions. Eluemunor entered training camp as the slight favorite for the job after working as the first-team left guard in spring practices, but his failed conditioning test and minor health concerns led Powers to receive most of the first-team reps over the first week of full-team workouts. Eluemunor has lined up as the starting left guard in the Ravens’ last three practices.
Harbaugh said late last week the Ravens weren’t close to deciding on a starter at left guard or their best five along the offensive line as the coaching staff continues assessing different combinations.
“You’d like for it to happen naturally and to be clear. That’s what you’d like,” Harbaugh said. “You don’t want it to be clear because nobody is taking the reins. You want somebody to take the reins. Now, if more guys take the reins and make it tough on us, that would be even better. But we’re not there yet.”
Harbaugh declined to comment on the trade following Monday’s practice, but the Ravens later announced their pending agreement. Former Ravens scout Joe Douglas became Jets general manager in early June.