Oklahoma's Adrian Ealy signs free agent contract with Baltimore Ravens

Former Sooners offensive tackle went undrafted this weekend, but now he gets an opportunity to fill the shoes of one of the players he eventually replaced in Norman

One man’s trade is another’s free agent opportunity.

Former Oklahoma offensive tackle Adrian Ealy on Saturday signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens, where he’ll have a chance to replace Ravens Pro Bowler Orlando Brown.

Ealy, a fourth-year junior at OU last year, left school for the NFL Draft with the option of returning, but went undrafted.

Brown started for the Sooners from 2015-17, and Ealy was a two-year starter in Norman from 2019-20.

Brown was a third-round pick of the Ravens in 2018 and became an immediate starter. He also made the Pro Bowl roster in 2019 and 2020. He was traded to the Chiefs last week for Kansas City’s first-round pick in 2021, plus third- and fourth-rounders this year and a fifth-round pick in 2022.

As an undrafted free agent, Ealy will be challenged to make an immediate impact in Baltimore, although there’s clearly a roster spot open.

Ealy, a second-team All-Big 12 pick in 2020, would seem to have a bright future in the NFL. At OU, he allowed just three sacks on 390 pass plays in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus. As a third-year sophomore in 2019, Ealy was named second-team All-Big 12 as well.

In Baltimore, he’ll be reunited with three former Sooners and could even line up between starting guard Ben Powers and tight end Mark Andrews, as well as wide receiver Marquise Brown.