Ravens Pressed to Sign Cardinals Veteran

The Baltimore Ravens could be linked to a former Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals guard Will Hernandez (76) is helped off of the field by medical personnel after suffering an injury during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens were focused on signing Ronnie Stanley's extension that they were forced to watch fellow offensive lineman Patrick Mekari leave for the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.

This leaves a hole at the right guard spot for now, but the Ravens could look to fill that vacancy with the right spot in free agency if they wish to sign a veteran.

ESPN writer Bill Barnwell listed the Ravens as a potential landing spot for veteran offensive lineman Will Hernandez.

"At 332 pounds, Hernandez has the size and mean streak that teams that lean heavily into gap schemes on the ground want from their interior offensive linemen. The appetite for those players around the league has grown to be insatiable. Look at Jonah Jackson, who signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Rams in 2024. Even after Jackson was benched and barely played in Los Angeles, the Bears were eager to trade for him and pick up the $17.5 million in guaranteed money he was owed for 2025," Barnwell writes.

"Hernandez won't get that sort of deal, and if he's healthy after the injury, his acquisition could be a bargain given what even average guards are making on the open market. As a free agent who would qualify for a compensatory pick, teams might be waiting to sign him after June 1, when his medical status should be clearer and he won't count against his new team's compensatory formula."

Hernandez, 29, was limited to just five games this past season with the Cardinals due to a knee injury that placed him on injured reserve early in the year. He hopes to make a full recovery and play with a new team next season, but there is risk involved.

It's now up to the Ravens to decide if it's the right move to take a flier on a veteran or to find a replacement in the draft with one of their 11 picks.

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