Tendering Matt Skura
This was one of the most underrated tough decisions Baltimore had to make this offseason. Skura is coming off a devastating knee injury that saw him tear his ACL, PCL, and MCL as well as dislocate his knee cap. His availability for training camp is a legitimate question at this point and there’s no guarantee he’s going to really be 100% at all in 2020.
Slapping the low tender on Skura means the Ravens will only get the right of first refusal to match any offers he receives from other teams but get no compensation if he leaves. That could come back to bite Baltimore in the butt if another team is willing to gamble on Skura being healthy this season as a starter. It could also bite the Ravens if Skura doesn’t get healthy this season and they’re stuck paying him $2.13 million to never play a down.
At the least, Baltimore is paying Skura $2.13 million this season to view his recovery up close and a little more exclusive time to negotiate a deal if they like what they see. At best, they get their starting center back.
Even if Skura doesn’t return to full form this season but can still play, they get more depth on the interior of their offensive line. With that in mind, paying $2.13 million for a backup with starting experience seems like a bargain.
Grade: B-