The Ravens' agreement on a new deal with Ronnie Stanley, reportedly for three years, is a huge deal.
Here are five reasons why:
Stanley is one of the NFL's best left tackles.
First and foremost, Stanley is a Pro Bowl player and it's good business to keep good players. He was the top offensive tackle set to hit the market.
Of full-time starters who played at least 80% of their team snaps, Stanley had Pro Football Focus' (PFF) 11th-highest pass blocking grade last season among offensive tackles. In 535 pass blocking opportunities, Stanley was credited with just two sacks allowed by PFF.
Stanley was also a major part of the Ravens' league-best rushing attack. Derrick Henry had a lot of success running outside behind a block from Stanley.
Lamar Jackson keeps his blindside protector.
Jackson and Stanley have been together since the beginning of Jackson's career. There is a trust factor built between quarterback and his blindside protector.
Jackson was sacked just 23 times last season. The only 17-game starting quarterback who was sacked fewer times was Buffalo's Josh Allen (14). It's one of the reasons why Jackson had the best year of his career.
When Stanley missed much of the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Jackson was sacked 29 and a career-high 38 times, respectively. Keeping Stanley helps give Jackson the confidence in his backside protection to build off last year's success.
The offensive line doesn't get a second straight major makeover.
The Ravens turned over three starting spots last season with both guard positions and right tackle. That meant some early-season growing pains as new starters found their footing and the line gelled. In part because of Stanley's leadership, Baltimore's offensive line came together to become one of the best in the league.
This offseason, however, the Ravens' offensive line was facing the possibility of a second straight offseason of turnover with Stanley and fellow veteran Patrick Mekari as pending free agents.
It remains to be seen whether the Ravens can also retain Mekari, but by keeping Stanley, the Ravens at least don't have two new starters on the left side of their offensive line. Including Andrew Vorhees, who started the first three games at left guard last season before an ankle injury, the Ravens will have five starters returning.
Roger Rosengarten can keep developing at right tackle.
One of the bright spots of the Ravens' offensive line last season was the development of Rosengarten, a second-round rookie who took over as a starter in Week 4.
Rosengarten improved throughout the season and flourished down the stretch, entrenching himself as an exciting young player the Ravens can rely on and build around for years to come.
The Ravens expressed their confidence that Rosengarten could play left tackle considering it was a position that he had experience with in college. But switching sides would have added new challenges to Rosengarten's offseason. By keeping Stanley, Rosengarten can stay on the right side and pick up where he left off last season.
The Ravens enter the draft in true best-available-player mode.
If Stanley departed and Rosengarten moved sides, offensive tackle would have been their clear top need. They likely would have needed to draft one early.
With the biggest item on their free agency to-do list crossed off, the Ravens are in true best-player-available mode with pick No. 27 in the draft. They could still address improving the line at guard, and still do so early, but they aren't boxed in.
The Ravens' top needs now stand, in no particular order, as safety, cornerback, outside linebacker, defensive line, and wide receiver. With 11 projected draft picks, they have plenty of ammunition to improve at those spots.
