Former Ravens guard Ben Powers is headed to the Denver Broncos on a four-year, $52 million free agent deal that includes $28.5 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports. It would make Powers one of the league’s highest paid players at the position.
Powers, a 2019 fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma, started all 17 games at left guard last season after he was considered a bubble candidate to make the Ravens’ roster in the summer. Not only did he win the job outright, he graded as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Powers, 26, played so well in the final year of his rookie contract that Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta as much as said the team could not afford to bring him back. “Ben has probably improved as much as anybody on our team,” DeCosta said in January. “And Ben is a guy who we’d love to keep. My feeling is Ben is probably going to be sought after in free agency, based on the way he played this year.”
Though Powers’ deal will not become official until Wednesday afternoon, it was one of the first transactions reported Monday after the NFL’s window for free-agent negotiating opened at noon. The loss of Powers sets the Ravens up to receive a compensatory fourth-round draft pick in 2024 based on a formula that accounts for average salary per year, playing time and awards. Compensatory picks won’t become official until next March.
With Powers headed to Denver, the Ravens could go into training camp with their starting left guard job again up for open competition. This could be the last chance for 2021 third-round pick Ben Cleveland, who has struggled with injuries and conditioning problems, to seize the role he was drafted to fill. Restricted free agent Trystan Colon is known more as a center but played well when he filled in at guard last year. Super-utility lineman Patrick Mekari has played more at tackle and center but can step into any role. Starting right guard Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, who played 11 games for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, are the others listed at the position on the Ravens’ current roster.
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