The Baltimore Ravens made quite the shakeup on Monday when guard Alex Lewis posted on his Instagram account a farewell to the city and said the team was cutting him.
Even though Lewis posted the Ravens were going to release him, nothing is official until it makes the transaction report. That means Baltimore could still have Lewis on the trading block as they look to recoup a draft pick in return for him. While it’s likely to only be a late-round pick, it would be something instead of outright releasing him and getting nothing in return.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the team has been getting trade interest from several teams for Lewis.
Lewis has had an injury-filled career in Baltimore. Over three seasons, Lewis has missed 28 games due to injuries, including all of 2017. However, for all his injuries, Lewis has been a starter on the Ravens’ offensive line. His 18 starts are certainly nothing to sneeze at in a league where good offensive linemen aren’t easily come by.
Teams likely know Baltimore will outright release Lewis if necessary. But for those teams higher up the waiver wire, their best chance of securing the offensive lineman is with a trade. That gives the Ravens a little leverage in any trade talks, especially if multiple teams are showing interest. Considering Baltimore originally selected Lewis in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft, the Ravens could potentially recoup a similar pick in return for trading him this offseason.
