Coming in at No. 74, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley proves the NFL’s Top 100 Players list is severely broken
Every year we get another “Top 100 Players” list from the NFL Network. Supposedly voted on by the players themselves, the list is seen as the gold standard of how well respected and valuable a player is in the NFL by their peers. Yet, every year there are a ton of head-scratching decisions that seem to buck conventional wisdom and draw the ire of players and fans alike. This year, it’s Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley ranking No. 74 that has people facepalming.
While there’s certainly an argument to be made for Stanley being helped by having quarterback Lamar Jackson behind him, this isn’t the first season where Stanley has been among the league’s top tackles, including when he was blocking for the comparatively Stonehenge-like Joe Flacco. Even if Stanley isn’t considered the top offensive tackle in the NFL on this list, it seems practically criminal to have him ranked so low considering the importance of the position and Stanley’s dominance at it.
Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire posted the perfect response on Twitter to Stanley’s placement:
We all have to remind ourselves it’s just a list and it ultimately doesn’t really indicate what happens between the whistles. But it’s hard to not wonder if this list is just like the Pro Bowl and more of a popularity contest rather than an actual ranking of ability on the field, despite its claim otherwise. Then again, money is really the universal sign of respect and Stanley is in line for a record-breaking contract after his rookie deal is up after this season.
Either way you slice it, Stanley not even breaking the top 50 means you should probably take the rest of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players of 2020” list with a whole handful of salt.
With an expected loss of revenue due to COVID-19, the NFL has proposed a salary cap of $175M in 2021, making life tough for the Ravens
Though the NFL is marching forward as though there will be a 2020 season, there’s no denying it’s not going to be standard operating procedure as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic.
The Baltimore Ravens and several other teams have already announced significantly reduced attendance — if fans will be allowed in the stands at all. While a good chunk of the money the NFL makes comes from television contracts, the loss of stadium revenue is destined to hurt projections and subsequently the salary cap.
The NFL and NFLPA have been negotiating ahead of the start of training camp, with the financials being one of the final sticking points. The NFL recently proposed a minimum 2021 salary cap of just $175 million, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Considering the current salary cap is $198.2 million and was expected to explode under the new CBA, that would be a pretty massive reduction for teams and players to figure out.
According to Over The Cap, the Ravens are currently on the hook for $151.5 million next season with their current contracts. That would leave them roughly $23.5 million available under the newly proposed salary cap, which would be the eighth-most in the NFL. When factoring in any potential carryover from the 2020 salary cap, Baltimore would have nearly $31 million, according to OTC. Currently, eight teams are set to actually have negative cap space, helping put Baltimore’s situation into a more positive context.
While Baltimore being one of the few teams with some cap space next season is a positive, the Ravens have some big contracts to sign, turning that optimism into outright fear in the blink of an eye.
Baltimore used the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon this offseason, ultimately pushing further negotiations until next year after missing the contract extension deadline in July. The Ravens also have left tackle Ronnie Stanley set to hit free agency next offseason. As arguably the best tackle in the game right now, Stanley has a pretty clear case for a record-breaking contract extension. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey will also be on his fifth-year option, costing Baltimore a projected $10.24 million, according to OTC. The Ravens also have guys like wide receiver Willie Snead and outside linebacker Tyus Bowser hitting free agency next offseason as well. Just one or two of these big names needing new deals could easily tap Baltimore’s limited cap space, much less all of them combined.
Baltimore would have some options available to them if the salary cap does indeed plummet to $175 million in 2021. The Ravens could cut some players in order to free up cap space next offseason if they wish. Players like safety Earl Thomas, running back Mark Ingram, and defensive tackle Brandon Williams could be easy cap casualties, freeing up a combined $20.5 million if cut. That would potentially ease the financial burden, but cutting starters means Baltimore would have to have replacements for those players, something that’s far easier said than done.
Though the Ravens aren’t in the worst shape in 2021 under the proposed salary cap, the loss of revenue from the pandemic could put a serious damper on what was expected to be an outstanding offseason for Baltimore.
One prominent analyst believes the Baltimore Ravens have the best offensive tackle in the NFL on their roster.
Over the last few weeks, Touchdown Wire writers Mark Schofield and Doug Farrar have been running a series looking at the best players at their respective position groups heading into the 2020 season. The latest offering looked at the offensive tackle group, and a name familiar to Ravens fans was sat atop the perch at No. 1.
In Schofield’s words, Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley was “almost perfect” in 2019. Stanley gained massive amounts of praise for last season, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade that put him alongside Hall of Fame linemen. Stanley allowed just six quarterback pressures all season, with none resulting in sacks until the AFC Divisional Round game against the Tennessee Titans. While those numbers are impressive, what’s even more impressive was the competition Stanley lined opposite of throughout the season — top pass rushers like Chandler Jones and Nick Bosa.
Stanley certainly picked a great time to enter the upper echelons of his position group, as he is set to play out the 2020 season on his fifth-year option, the terms of which make him one of Baltimore’s biggest salary cap bargains of the season. This comes after a 2019 season that saw him earn his first Pro Bowl nod as well as an All-Pro berth. Another season where Stanley excels to that degree and he could easily get a record-breaking contract for offensive tackles, beating the already sky-high deal Laremy Tunsil signed this offseason with the Houston Texans. Not to mention keeping Lamar Jackson upright as the MVP of the league looks to build on last year’s successes.
You need to protect the quarterback in today’s NFL, and if you’re going to be a great tackle start there. Here are the est in the game.
A few years ago, long before a career change that brought me to this moment, I was doing what probably everyone reading this piece was doing: Watching the NFL Draft. It was the 2013 NFL Draft to be exact, and the Miami Dolphins had just made their first-round selection: Dion Jordan, a pass rusher out of the University of Oregon.
It was a bit of a shocking move, in that Jordan was considered a first-round prospect but maybe not someone worthy of a Top Five selection. He also tore his labrum that February and would be sidelined for three to four months as he recovered from the surgery to repair the injury.
When the pick was made Mike Mayock, covering the draft for the NFL Network, said something that has stuck with me since. He talked about how the Jordan pick was more evidence that the most important spot on a football field is the seven yards behind the center. I’m paraphrasing now, but he said that teams need guys who can “throw from that spot, protect that spot, and attack that spot.”
When you are going to pay the guy throwing from that spot somewhere in the vicinity of $500 million dollars, the guys protecting that spot better be darn good at what they do.
Here are some of the best the league has to offer at protecting the spot from the tackle position.
Two names are going to be glaringly absent from this list, so we need to address them right out of the gate. First up is Trent Williams, who found a new home this offseason with the San Francisco 49ers. Williams is usually a lock for lists like this, but as he missed all of 2019, he failed to meet the snap threshold for this piece. Then there is Jason Peters, another mainstay at the offensive tackle position. Part of the criteria for these lists is a bit of forward-thinking, and since Peters is actually kicking inside to guard this year for the Philadelphia Eagles, it is hard to consider him a tackle for this exercise.
Other names that just missed out include Bryan Bulaga, who is sliding into a tackle spot for the Los Angeles Chargers this season, and Jake Matthews, who continues a long lineage of NFL success. Then there is Trent Brown, a massive human who locked down Tom Brady’s blindside two seasons ago, and now handles the right tackle spot for the Las Vegas Raiders. A few more years of success from Brown probably slides him onto future such lists. Finally Braden Smith is worthy of consideration after just two years in the league, and perhaps he’ll crack the Top 11 in next year’s edition.
Best Tackle Pair
(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
As we will discuss in a few minutes, you need bookends at the tackle position in today’s NFL. Gone are the days when the best pass rusher was going to be attacking your left tackle on down after down. Now defenses are attacking from every possible angle, and some of the best pass rushers in the game (such as Von Miller and Khalil Mack) are working against your right tackle in large part. So the teams that have a pair of bookend tackles are in good shape.
Those teams include the Baltimore Ravens, who get to roll out Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr. on Sundays. Then there are the Dallas Cowboys, and we will see both La’el Collins and Tyron Smith on this list. Indianapolis has a solid pair as well, with Anthony Castonzo and the previously-mentioned Braden Smith. Some good pairs were broken up this offseason, such as Bavid Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga, as well as Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin. Lane Johnson and Jason Peters are still teammates, but no longer the pair of bookends they once were.
That brings us to the top duo, the combination of Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead in New Orleans. Both players make this list and they are both elite talents at the position. Sean Payton and company have assembled a talented offensive line group and these bookend tackles are a huge part.
Lane Johnson No. 6 in ESPN.com ranking of top offensive tackles in NFL
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Lane Johnson gets motivated by the slightest hint of disrespect and the recent ranking of offensive tackles by ESPN.com should have the Eagles star roaring and ready for the 2020 NFL season to start.
In a changing of the guard in some sense, Johnson finished outside the top-5, landing at No. 6 on the list behind Terron Armstead of the New Orleans Saints who was No. 5 on the list.
6. Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 30 | Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 12
Johnson has been doing serious work at right tackle for a while now, and 2019 featured some of his best. Johnson produced the highest run-blocking grade on Pro Football Focus and won on 90.2% of his pass blocks while committing a respectable four penalties.
But his career wasn’t always trending that way in the eyes of some.
“Along lines of Tunsil — didn’t think much of him early, turned into a quality starting tackle,” a long-time defensive assistant said. “I thought he was a bust, but to his credit, he changed the conversation.”
Johnson is an ideal fit for today’s NFL that prioritizes athleticism in space, with one executive calling him “on a different level” than most from an athletical standpoint.
“Nowadays there aren’t any power-type guys where you say, ‘Oh man, he’s so powerful,'” an AFC exec said. “Aren’t a lot of guys who create movement. It’s about matching up athletically and giving your offense time. And Lane can do that.”
Johnson was a stud in 2019, but the four missed games at crucial points in the season seemed to hinder his ranking entering the 2020 NFL season.
In the ranking, Johnson maintained his status as the top right tackle in the NFL as well. Dallas Cowboys star left tackle Tyron Smith was No. 1 on the list.
Philadelphia Eagles Lane Johnson lands in the top-2 of the highest-graded offensive tackles
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Lane Johnson was not feeling a recent CBS Sports ranking of the top offensive tackles in the NFL and this recent evaluation from Pro Football Focus proves it was “fake news” as the Eagles right tackle referred to it.
Pro Football Focus recently revealed the highest-graded offensive tackles in the NFL during the 2019 season and the Eagles star landed at No. 2 behind the Saints Ryan Ramcyzk.
Every NFL team has at least one player whose play deserves more praise than it gets. Here’s every team’s most underrated player.
In the NFL, players are underrated for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, they’re second banana to a superstar whose deeds take up all the oxygen. Other times, it may be that the player has to climb up the depth chart as a little-regarded contributor, and the media hasn’t caught up yet. It’s also possible that the player has an incandescent talent that’s hidden by an unfavorable scheme. And it could also be that the player has had one great season, and everyone’s waiting to see if it’s a fluke.
No matter the reasons, every player on this list has set an exceptional standard deserving of more recognition. Here are the most underrated players for every NFL team going into the 2020 season.
Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Chandler Jones
(Getty Images)
Do you know which NFL player has the most sacks since 2012? We’re kind of giving it away here, but yes, it is Chandler Jones with 96 since his rookie season. That puts him above Von Miller, J.J. Watt, Cameron Jordan, Justin Houston, Aaron Donald, and anyone else you’d care to mention. Jones also has 85 quarterback hits and 307 quarterback hurries in that time, but he’s rarely discussed when it’s time to talk about the league’s edge-rushers. This despite the fact that he led the league in sacks in 2017 with 17 and finished second to Shaquil Barrett with 19 last season. Perhaps it’s because he’s been doing his work of late with a Cardinals team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, but no pass-rusher deserves more praise in line with his accomplishments than Jones.
Atlanta Falcons: DL Grady Jarrett
(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Lost in the specter of the Falcons’ 28-3 meltdown in Super Bowl LI was the fact that Jarrett, the Falcons’ fifth-round pick in 2015, was a borderline MVP candidate with three sacks and four quarterback hits before everything fell apart. Downgraded out of Clemson because he was allegedly too short, Jarrett has been a remarkable interior disruptor throughout his NFL career. Whether aligned at nose tackle or three-technique, Jarrett has totaled at least 43 quarterback hurries every season since 2016. The Falcons rewarded him with a four-year, $68 million contract in July, 2019, but Jarrett still doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.
Baltimore Ravens: OT Ronnie Stanley
(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Who’s the best left tackle in the NFL today? Were you to poll 100 experts, you’d get several different answers. But it’s hard to argue against Stanley, who allowed just one sack and 10 total pressures in 543 pass-blocking snaps last season, and helped the Ravens put together the NFL’s most dynamic rushing attack in his 489 run-blocking snaps. The 2019 season marked Stanley’s first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods, and there should be more of that to come. Lamar Jackson is the talk of Baltimore’s offense, but it wouldn’t go the way it does without Stanley’s presence.
Buffalo Bills: WR John Brown
(JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE -Imagn Content Services, LLC)
The big news for the Bills this offseason was the trade that brought Stefon Diggs to the team, but Buffalo’s receiver corps was already pretty strong, and Brown was the primary reason in 2019. Despite the fact that he plied his trade in a new offense and took passes from erratic quarterback Josh Allen, the former Cardinal and Raven set a career high with 72 receptions and posted the second 1,000-yard season of his career. The addition of Diggs should give Brown more one-on-one opportunities to succeed — especially if Allen is able to get his GPS aligned.
Carolina Panthers: S Tre Boston
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Few deep safeties have been as adept in pass coverage than Boston over the last five season, so it has been a mystery why the Panthers cut him in 2017, and why he was unable to find more than a series of one-year deals with different teams until Carolina re-assessed its approach and signed him to a three-year, $18 million deal in March. It’s still chump change for a guy who plays as well as Boston does — he’s totaled 16 interceptions to just eight touchdowns allowed in his career — but it’s a nice bounceback for a player whose desire to protest may have cost him a more lucrative deal.
Chicago Bears: WR Allen Robinson
(Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
If any current receiver would be justified in filing a grievance against the NFL for lack of quarterback support, it would be Robinson, who has moved from Blake Bortles as his primary QB in Jacksonville to Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago. Hardly ideal. Still, Robinson led the NFL in touchdown receptions with 14 in 2015, and last season, with Trubisky falling apart most of the time, he still caught 98 passes for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. 2020 marks the last year of Robinson’s current contract with the Bears, and he’ll undoubtedly make the best of Chicago’s Trubisky/Nick Foles quaterback situation, and perhaps wind up on a team with a functional quarterback after that.
Cincinnati Bengals: RB Joe Mixon
(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
The hope in Cincinnati is that the offense will come around with Joe Burrow at quarterback, but the Bengals are already set at the running back position, where Mixon gained 1,137 yards and five touchdowns on 278 carries last season, adding 35 receptions for 287 yards and three more touchdowns for good measure. Only five backs broke more rushing tackles than Mixon’s 52, and he totaled 14 runs of 15 or more yards last season, tied for fourth in the league.
Cleveland Browns: RB Nick Chubb
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Tennessee’s Derrick Henry was the NFL’s rushing leader in 2019, but it could easily be argued that Chubb was the league’s most efficient rusher. Not only did he gain 5.0 yards per carry (1,494 yards and eight touchdowns on 298 carries), but he also led the league in rushed of 15 or more yards (20), only the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs broke more rushing tackles than Chubb’s 66, and only Henry averaged more yards after contact per carry than Chubb’s 3.77. He was a one-man wrecking crew in a broken offense in 2019 — perhaps new head coach Kevin Stefanski can change that, but there’s no doubting Chubb’s status as one of the league’s rising stars.
Eagles offensive tackles snubbed in a ranking of the best OT duos in the NFL
The Eagles are entering a new day at the left tackle position and the loss of Jason Peters has been resounding so far this offseason.
Offensive tackle is almost second to quarterback in terms of importance, and the 2020 NFL Draft provided proof with five offensive tackles coming off the board over the first 18 picks of the first round.
Pro Football Focus recently listed the top-5 offensive tackle duos in the NFL and unlike past years, the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t represented on the list.
With Peters moving on in free agency, Andre Dillard has been tasked with replacing the legend. The fact that the Eagles have spent the entire offseason flirting with Peters indicates that someone in the NovaCare Complex isn’t necessarily sold on Dillard as the left tackle of the future.
The Saints duo of left tackle Terron Armstead and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk landed in the No. 1 spots, followed by the Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith and right tackle La’el Collins.
PFF ranked the 50 best players entering the 2020 NFL season. Four Notre Dame players made the list and one star QB shockingly didn’t.
Who are the 50 best players in the National Football League? If you ask 100 people then likely nobody of that 100 shares the same 50 names. However, there are some obvious ones that’d be on all lists if they’re done honestly.
Pro Football Focus released their list of the top 50 NFL players entering the 2020 season and some obvious names made it and at least one name that most would probably have in their lists was nowhere to be found.
More on that last part later but for now let’s look at Notre Dame’s representation as four former Fighting Irish players found themselves listed while one player made a run at the top overall spot.
The Houston Texans’ Laremy Tunsil may not hold the title of “highest paid offensive lineman” if Baltimore Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley has his way.
The Houston Texans have the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL with left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who signed a three-year, $66 million contract extension with the AFC South champions.
However, that title may not stay long with Tunsil, though the Texans will be saddled with the cost for the next three years.
“That part of it is important,” said Stanley. “But, at the end of the day, I don’t think money is the most important thing to me.”
Objectively, Stanley was the better offensive lineman than Tunsil in 2019. It was the first time either member of the 2016 draft class made the Pro Bowl. However, Stanley earned first-team All-Pro honors as the Ravens earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 14-2 record.
When the negotiations start with Stanley and the Ravens, the floor has to be Tunsil’s $22 million a year, if the former Notre Dame product wants to be paid his worth.
Ultimately, losing the title of “highest paid offensive lineman” may not bother Tunsil, as he wanted to crash the barbed wire and demonstrate to other linemen on their first contracts that resetting the market is possible.
“I just wanted to reset the market, become the highest paid offensive lineman just to show all the young players under me that anything is possible, you’ve just got to put your head towards it,” Tunsil told reporters on April 27.
More importantly than a market title, Tunsil has three seasons with Houston and a chance to play for a third contract. The Texans get a quality left tackle, one of the best in the AFC, to protect quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blindside as Houston seeks to reach the next level in 2020.
