With guard Marshal Yanda set to retire this offseason, the Baltimore Ravens find themselves desperately needing an answer to his replacement. While the team could turn to their own roster to remedy the problem, free agency is about to begin and the Ravens could instead look for a more experienced option on the open market.
Sadly, finding an exact replacement for Yanda is likely going to prove impossible. Yanda was one of the best offensive linemen last season and has been consistently among the best throughout his entire career. After creating a Hall of Fame level resume over the years, matching that level of production and locker room presence is something very few teams have ever managed to pull off before.
But for Baltimore, there are a handful of options that make sense for them to look at. A few former first-round picks are set to hit free agency as well as a former member of their own team. While the best option might still be from within, the Ravens are likely to explore free agency for some competition at the position at least.
Here are five free-agent options Baltimore would be wise to consider this offseason.
Brandon Scherff
If the Ravens want an immediate plug-and-play replacement for Yanda, Scherff is likely the guy they’d look to. The problem here is that the Washington Redskins really don’t want to lose their top offensive lineman and could turn to the franchise tag.
On the off chance Washington lets Scherff hit the free-agent market, he’s going to have plenty of suitors as the top guard available. That means he’s going to cost a fortune with $15 million a year a possibility on a long-term contract.
But there isn’t a better free-agent guard on the market this offseason and there’s little doubt Scherff would come in as a direct replacement to Yanda. According to Pro Football Focus, Scherff earned a 75 overall grade last season. Though it’s a good deal lower than Yanda’s 2019 grade, Scherff’s continued success proves he’d be a viable option, albeit an expensive one.
Michael Schofield
While not a top free agent, Schofield has starting experience and played reasonably well last season. The Ravens got an up-close look at Schofield in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs where the Chargers’ offensive line helped limit Baltimore’s pass rush.
PFF wasn’t nearly as high on Schofield last season, giving him a 63.6 overall grade but he committed just one penalty and gave up just one sack on 1,057 offensive snaps, pointing to pretty solid play overall.
While the Ravens could likely find someone similar on their own roster, Schofield comes with quite a bit of starting experience at both guard and tackle. That versatility and experience could be worth taking a dip in the free-agent market.
Alex Lewis
Oh, this would be a little mean in a way. A year after trading Lewis to the New York Jets for a seventh-round pick, he’s set to hit free agency and could come back to Baltimore.
Though the Ravens ultimately traded Lewis because he wasn’t able to stay healthy or make a firm claim on the starting job in spite of opportunities, the change of scenery seemingly helped him. Lewis stepped into the starting role for New York after fellow former Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele got hurt and played fairly well.
In this scenario, Lewis wouldn’t be coming in as an immediate starter but as part of a competition for the starting job and as experienced depth. Baltimore knows what they’re getting with Lewis and he’s likely going to be pretty cheap to sign this offseason. Those are keywords that often lead to a team showing interest.
Quinton Spain
The Buffalo Bills showed an improved offensive line last season and Spain was a big portion of that. Originally signed to a one-year contract late in free agency, Spain helped solidify Buffalo’s offensive line, especially in pass protection. According to PFF, Spain didn’t allow a single sack over his 1,063 offensive snaps last season.
Spain certainly wouldn’t be able to fill Yanda’s shoes entirely, he’s shown some flashes and has plenty of starting experience. When paired up with Baltimore’s more aggressive power scheme and playing next to tackle Orlando Brown, he could see some more consistency and improvement on a pretty affordable short-term deal.
Ereck Flowers
We turn our attention back to Washington for their other guard, Flowers. Definitely the lesser of the two when compared to Scherff, Flowers is no slouch, however. Taken ninth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, Flowers clearly has the talent level to be an exciting replacement for Yanda, even if he hasn’t lived up to his draft position entirely.
He’s played reasonably well, posting no lower than a 64.2 overall grade from PFF outside of his rookie season. While Flowers is still a work in progress after switching to guard last season, he uses his size and strength well to bully defenders in order to get the job done. Under Baltimore’s tutelage (they’ve done a great job coaching up their current offensive line), Flowers could improve his technique and really step his game up to another level.
For the Ravens, Flowers could be the easier of the Redskins guards to acquire. While Washington will likely focus their money and attention on retaining Scherff, Flowers might be a relative bargain in comparison.
