Needing to improve an offensive tackle picture that was highly problematic last season, the Ravens have added one of the NFL’s more reliable right tackles to their 2022 mix.
According to The Athletic, Baltimore has agreed to a three-year, $15 million contract with former Washington and New York Jets right tackle Morgan Moses, who’s started 113 games over his eight-year career and hasn’t missed a contest since his rookie season in 2014. Though Moses has spent nearly his entire career at right tackle and becomes the clear favorite to start over in-house options Ja’Wuan James and Patrick Mekari, the 31-year-old did make two spot starts at left tackle in 2020, which is notable given the uncertain status of Ronnie Stanley in his return from multiple ankle surgeries.
After being released by Washington last spring, the 6-foot-6, 318-pound Moses caught on with the Jets and started 16 of 17 games with Pro Football Focus grading him 40th among all qualified offensive tackles in 2021. He also committed just two false starts and no holding penalties in 1,020 offensive snaps last season, according to Pro Football Reference. Though the durable Moses is considered to be better as a run blocker than in pass protection, he’s been steady in both areas throughout his career, making his modest cost a boon for general manager Eric DeCosta.
While the 2014 third-round pick out of Virginia provides an upgrade at right tackle and has offered some creditable — albeit limited — fill-in work at left tackle, concerns over the long-term health of Stanley will persist with the 2019 Pro Bowl selection having played in only one game since injuring his left ankle on Nov. 1, 2020. For that reason, the Ravens should remain a strong candidate to take an offensive tackle with blindside traits relatively early in next month’s draft, but Moses does ease the urgency to reach for that prospect with the 14th overall pick.
Scheduled to make $3 million this coming season after missing all of 2021 with a torn Achilles tendon, the 29-year-old James now projects to be the top swing tackle candidate behind Stanley and Moses. That could change if the Ravens draft an offensive tackle next month and want to create additional salary cap space. Having played in just three games since the end of the 2018 season, James will also need to prove he’s healthy enough to be a meaningful contributor this coming season.
Mekari’s place on the roster isn’t in doubt after the versatile fourth-year lineman signed a three-year, $15.45 million extension last December. However, the arrival of Moses and the current uncertainty at center — 2021 starter and unrestricted free agent Bradley Bozeman remained unsigned as of late Tuesday — may prompt Baltimore to move Mekari back inside where he made a combined 13 starts at center and guard over his first two NFL seasons.
Tomlinson exits
No one would have predicted Eric Tomlinson becoming the first Baltimore free agent to land elsewhere, but the blocking tight end agreed to a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos on Tuesday evening, according to 9News Denver.
The 29-year-old veteran appeared in 23 games for the Ravens over the past two seasons, grading favorably as a blocker despite making only one catch. Depending on the health of top blocking tight end Nick Boyle and the free-agent status of three-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, the Ravens could look to add another blocking tight end to the roster mix at some point.
