The Baltimore Ravens have too many salary cap issues that they are facing the likelihood of losing starting right tackle Ricky Wagner to free agency.
Ricky Wagner is one of the more underrated free agents that will actually hit the open market. He’s a steady offensive tackle who has experience playing on both the left and right side. However, his ideal position is at right tackle.
Over the past few years we have seen right tackles being paid more and more. Just last year, Mitchell Schwartz received a big contract and even Bobby Massie got some real money.
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ESPN’s Jamison Hensley discusses in this article that he feels Wagner is in line for a similar sized contract.
This year’s free agent class will be one of the weaker groups in recent memory. The Franchise Tag and recent extensions will keep a lot of teams from making significant free agent additions. However, Wagner could go against that trend and provide a young and talented piece.
There are plenty of teams with tons of cap space that need help at offensive tackle. The Cleveland Browns are one team that would love to pry away a talented player from a division rival. Another fit would be the Jacksonville Jaguars who have a need along the offensive line.
I fully expect Wagner to be one of the more sought after free agents and could be off the market rather quickly.
Either way, Wagner is in prime position to land himself a big payday. His loss will be felt in Baltimore, but they could potentially fill that spot with someone like Alex Lewis. They could also use one of their draft picks to bring another young player into the mix.