The Baltimore Ravens didn’t make many moves in 2021 free agency. However, they waited out the free agent market and made bargain signings at positions of need, and were able to snag multiple veterans that contributed on the field during the year.
One of those signings was offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who was brought in after the trade of Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, when naming each NFL team’s worst contract heading into the 2022 offseason, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report chose Villanueva for the Ravens. When explaining his choice, Ballentine talked about how poor he was in pass protection over the course of 2021.
“The Ravens signed Villanueva after trading Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs. They brought him in to be a stopgap at right tackle, but they might have been better off going with a younger option that at least had some upside…Villanueva has been a turnstile in pass protection. The nine sacks that he allowed this season was tied for the second-highest figure in the league.”
Ballentine also talked about the money remaining on Villanueva’s contract.
“Fortunately for the Ravens, the deal only has one more year left. However, they’re still set to shell out $9.3 million to a 33-year-old who should have competition for the starting right tackle spot next season.”
Villanueva signed a two-year, $14 million deal with Baltimore. His performance in the first year of the contract was consistently inconsistent, but there might not even be a second year of the deal if the Ravens decide to move on. The team can save $6 million in cap space if they cut Villanueva, as he’s set to make $9.25 million but would only carry a $3.25 million dead cap hit if let go.
It remains to be seen what Baltimore decides to do with Villanueva. It’s entirely possible that they move on from him with plenty of other options at tackle already on the roster and potentially being added to the team in the coming months. However, if they value his ability as a swing tackle and want to keep him around, they could do just that.