Ravens Free Agency: Sign Future Hall of Fame Tackle?
The Tyron Smith era with the Dallas Cowboys is coming to a close. Ian Rappaport of NFL Network reported Saturday that the eight-time Pro Bowl tackle will not re-sign with the Cowboys this offseason after 13 years in Texas and two first-team All-Pro nods.
The latest announcement comes to the joy of several organizations in desperate need of offensive line help - including the Baltimore Ravens.
When it comes to the free agent market, Smith will easily be the top tackle available. He has graded among the best tackles of his era and is a candidate to be elected to the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame when that time comes. In that sense, the Ravens should be a team that will look to add the 33-year-old to their offensive line.
Baltimore is set to lose two guards, Kevin Zietler and John Simpson in free agency, and has all three tackles on the roster (Ronnie Stanley, Patrick Mekari, and Morgan Moses) coming off injury-plagued seasons in 2023. A pretty clear indication that the entire line could be addressed in both free agency and the draft.
If the Ravens are looking for a tackle to stay healthy for a full season, the USC product may not be the player they want. Smith hasn't played over 13 games in a single season since 2019, with concerns of his knee, back, and ankle.
Injury concerns are a central theme to almost every free-agent tackle available, though. Especially when you compare Smith's play to Green Bay Packers offensive lineman David Bahktiari.
Bahktiari is expected to be released by the Packers this offseason due to his large cap hit and injury concerns which means the Ravens could have their pick of two players past their prime but could solve their tackle concerns this offseason.
We still have a couple of weeks to go before the start of free agency, but Baltimore will have plenty of time to negotiate with some of the top players at major positions of need this offseason.
