Should the Ravens cut OT Ronnie Stanley?

The Baltimore Ravens are not getting sufficient return on their $99 million investment in Left Tackle Ronnie Stanley. Since his All-Pro season in 2019, when he started 14 games and played 96% of that season’s offensive snaps, Stanley has only played in 31 games.

He has not been anywhere near the same level he was before the club gave him a 5-year, $98.75 million contract in October of 2020. It made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL at the time, but he isn’t at that level of quality anymore, as injuries have taken their toll on him.

Some believe it is time to cut ties, including ESPN Analyst Aaron Schatz, who suggested Baltimore release Stanley to free up the cap space.

Schatz wrote: “Stanley hasn’t played a full season since that 2019 All-Pro year, and he ranked 38th in pass block win rate (87.2%) among tackles in 2023.”

On Friday, we learned that the NFL will be increasing the salary cap by $16.5 million this year, and Stanley is the second most significant cap hit on the roster behind only Lamar Jackson. While Stanley has undoubtedly had his successes throughout his career, he is not meeting the expectations of being selected sixth overall out of Notre Dame in 2016.

He was drafted to be the cornerstone of the OL, but he only had one All-Pro season, and these days, he’s rotating with Patrick Mekari.

As the 2016 NFL Draft drew closer, NFL Network draftnik Mike Mayock was asked about the emerging narratives linking Stanley to Baltimore on a national media call. 

“He’s got basketball feet,” Mayock said, referring to Stanley’s distinguished high school basketball career in Las Vegas.

“He’s a prototype left tackle…great feet, long arms, pass protector first, which you want in this pass-first league. Ronnie Stanley is a day-one starter and would be a solid option for Baltimore at 6.”

It was a brilliant selection at the time, especially considering that Stanley initially passed up the chance to go pro after his junior season (2014), and instead stayed in South Bend another year to get better prepared for the pros.

He spoke to The Sports Bank about why he returned to Notre Dame for his senior season (2015).

“It was difficult, especially playing in college when you don’t get paid,” he said, “seeing how much you could make in a year or two.

“I just wanted to progress more as a person, and the relationships I have with these players, it’s something strong that we’ve built over the years.”

He’s getting paid right now and at a level far above what he’s producing. Jettisoning Ronnie Stanley gives the Ravens a vast cap relief, with the exact amount determined by the specific date on the NFL fiscal year in which they would potentially do it.

They could use that added financial windfall to find a more trustworthy, less injury-prone replacement. Protecting Jackson’s blind side has to be a top priority for the Ravens this free agency period.