Analyst Warns Teams About Ravens' Ronnie Stanley

It's not often that a soon-to-be 31-year-old with significant injury concerns becomes arguably the best free agent in a given class, but Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley has done just that.

Despite those concerns, Stanley proved this season that he's still a very capable lineman. The nine-year veteran managed to stay healthy for the first time in years, but played very well too. Pro Football Focus credited him with only two sacks allowed on 575 pass-blocking snaps, a very respectable number.

Even still, has Stanley totally erased those concerns ahead of free agency?

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley blocks against the Cincinnati Bengals — Jan 15, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) grips the jersey of Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson (55) after a play in the fourth quarter during an NFL wild-card playoff football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-Imagn Images | Sam Greene-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon warned teams against the "mistake" of signing "post-prime free agents," naming Stanley as a prime example due to his age and injury history.

"It doesn’t stop at [Aaron] Rodgers and [Deshaun] Watson," Gagnon wrote. "Teams will inevitably spend way too much money on players based on reputation and history rather than trajectory. We of course saw it with Kirk Cousins last year, Derek Carr the year before that, and Chandler Jones in 2022."

Gagnon also suggested some younger alternatives to the players he warned about, naming Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills as an alternative to Stanley. Ironically, Wills also has a lengthy injury history, playing just 13 games over the past two seasons.

Back to Stanley, though, it is very understandable why fans, pundits and teams would have these concerns. After all, many signings for players in their early-mid 30s have been complete flops, so committing $20 million+ a year to an offensive tackle in that age range is risky.

Does that mean Stanley is doomed to fail wherever he ends up next? No.

Remember, all of those concerns existed before this season, and were even more prevalent if anything. Yet he overcame those questions to have one of the best seasons of his career, and subsequently set himself up for a major payday this offseason.

Yes, it would be risky to sign Stanley, but it would also be very rewarding if it works out.

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