Tampa Bay Buccaneers' center receiving serious attention from AFC North
Tampa Bay Buccaneer center Ryan Jensen is being pursued by the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers. A three-way battle between the division rivals is underway for the highly regarded tackle.
(photo credit: Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports)
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, a handful of teams are after the talented center:
Graziano: “One player I expect to generate a lot of interest on the free-agent market is center Ryan Jensen, who has the attention of the Jets, Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens, among others. So many teams are looking for offensive line help, and Jensen is viewed as a nasty tone-setter who could help a line with his attitude and ability. If multiple teams are as interested as it sounds they could be, Jensen could be a hot commodity and rake in a nice payday."
Fowler: "I’m told the Bucs will try hard to get something done with Jensen. They feel he’s among the best centers in the league, maybe the best, when in their system. If that costs $15 million per year — which it very well might — then that might be worth it. The same goes for Jason Kelce with Philly, as far as the system fit. He could do another one-year deal this offseason.”
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Jensen joined the Tamps Bay Buccaneers in 2018 after 4 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Since Jensen's addition to the Bucs, he has started every game at the center position. Showing a great amount of durability, Jensen's stock has dramatically increased. During 2018 and 2019 Jenson played 100% of snaps, in 2020 he played 99%, and in 2021 Jensen played 97% of the team's snaps. During his four years with Tampa, Jensen has only been penalized for holding nine times and only four false starts.
The three teams in the AFC North are all in need of a center and the Bengals are in the best position to win as they look to replicate an offensive line reconstruction like the Kansas City Chiefs did last offseason. The Steelers have begun their search for a new quarterback for 2022 and want to include a new center to help kickstart their rebuild. The Ravens are looking to continue being a playoff team behind Lamar Jackson as they search for an upgrade at the center position.
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