Bill Barnwell suggested moves https://www.espn.com...rks-jamal-adams
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Ravens sign G
Dalton Risner
Let's finish with a guard who hasn't been able to find much love in back-to-back offseasons. Risner went into the 2023 offseason looking for a long-term deal after four seasons with the Broncos only to languish on the market into September, when he signed a one-year deal with the Vikings. He moved into the starting lineup the next month and stayed there at left guard for the remainder of the season, with NFL Next Gen Stats crediting him for zero sacks allowed across 11 starts.
Here we are in the 2024 offseason, and ... Risner is still a free agent. When a solid player doesn't get a contract extension in consecutive offseasons, your mind naturally wanders to medical concerns, but he has missed just four games because of injuries over his five-year career. After entering the starting lineup in Minnesota, he missed just four snaps over the remaining 11 games. It certainly seems as if he's physically capable of holding up to steady work as a starting guard.
What to know from the 2024 NFL draft
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• See all 257 picks | Pick analysis
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• Big takeaways | Yates' favorite picks
• Every trade | Read more on the draft
At this point, unfortunately, Risner is probably looking at another one-year deal with the hopes of proving himself for a more significant contract next offseason. His best landing spot would be in Baltimore, where the Ravens have a track record of both taking fliers on undervalued linemen and earning them new contracts elsewhere around the league. Morgan Moses would be an example of the former, and John Simpson is a clear case study for Risner after emerging as a useful player in Baltimore's offense a year ago.
Moses and Simpson are no longer on the roster, and the Ravens look perilously thin up front. They used a second-round pick on Roger Rosengarten, who projects to step in at right tackle, and utility lineman Patrick Mekari signed a three-year extension that will likely see him compete for one of the starting guard roles, but they could use another NFL-caliber starter on the interior.
The Ravens also love to play the compensatory pick formula game, and they can play both sides with Risner. By waiting until after June 1 to bring in the veteran guard, they won't cost themselves one of the four picks they're currently set to land after losing Simpson, Jadeveon Clowney and Patrick Queen in free agency. (The Vikings also wouldn't be eligible to receive a compensatory pick for losing Risner.) Then, if Risner finally does sign that long-term deal with another team next offseason, Baltimore would be in position to pick up a compensatory selection for its one-year dalliance with him."