With mere weeks remaining until Ronnie Stanley hits the open market, the Baltimore Ravens need to have some contingency plans in place.
Of course, the ideal scenario would be to re-sign Stanley, their franchise left tackle for nearly a decade who returned to form in 2024. However, they likely won’t have the cap space to pay Stanley like a top offensive tackle, whereas several other teams will gladly pay him as such if they have the chance.
Stanley may not be a perfect player, but he will be very difficult to replace if he has indeed played his final game in Baltimore. Still, the Ravens must find solid protection for Lamar Jackson’s blindside, and another free agent could be just what they’re looking for.
According to USA Today’s Jacob Camenker, Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson would be the ideal free agent signing for Baltimore.
“The left side of Baltimore’s offensive line – tackle Ronnie Stanley and guard Patrick Mekari – are both set to be free agents. The Ravens may want to insure at least one of the positions if neither returns,” Camenker wrote. “Jackson has been a solid left tackle for the Rams for the last couple of seasons and would represent a younger, healthier alternative to Stanley. He may also be cheaper than Stanley, which will be important to the cap-strapped Ravens, who have just under $6 million in available space.”
A former undrafted free agent from Iowa, Jackson has developed into quite the solid blocker for Los Angeles. This season, he earned a 78.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, plus a 79.5 pass-blocking grade and 75.9 run-blocking grade.
There might be an adjustment period for Jackson if he comes to Baltimore, but considering the likely circumstances, he’d be a very good addition for the Ravens.
