The Ravens on Wednesday signed offensive tackle Morgan Moses to a three-year, $15 million deal, stabilizing a position of need along their offensive line.
Moses’ deal, first reported by The Athletic, came together Tuesday night, hours after the Ravens and free-agent safety Marcus Williams agreed on a five-year, $70 million contract.
The Ravens entered the offseason needing to add at least one starting-level tackle. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley is rehabilitating a second straight season-ending ankle injury, and right tackle Patrick Mekari’s versatility could lead him to other positions. Ja’Wuan James, meanwhile, is coming off a torn Achilles tendon, and Tyre Phillips has been unproductive at tackle and injury-prone over his first two seasons in Baltimore.
In the 6-foot-6, 318-pound Moses, the Ravens have acquired an imposing veteran who almost landed on their free-agency radar last year. In late May, two weeks after the Ravens signed Alejandro Villanueva to a two-year deal that ended last week with Villanueva’s retirement, Moses was surprisingly released by the Washington Commanders.
He made the most of his one-year, $3.6 million deal with the New York Jets, appearing in all 17 games, including 16 starts at right tackle. Moses, 31, finished the season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 40 tackle and graded out more favorably as a run blocker than a pass blocker (four sacks allowed).
At his season-ending news conference in February, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta called offensive line a “point of emphasis” this year. He pledged to explore potential upgrades through the draft and “other ways as well.”
“We have a couple other guys that we brought in this past year that we’re excited about,” he said. “We haven’t really seen them play yet … but we’re excited about what these guys might have a chance to do. I think just in general, what we do know is for us to be the very best offense we can be, we have to have a strong, commanding offensive line that can control people at the point of attack.”
Moses has been one of the NFL’s most durable linemen since Washington drafted him out of Virginia in the third round in 2014. He’s appeared in 113 consecutive games over the past seven seasons, tying Charles Leno Jr. for the second-longest streak among active NFL tackles, and has started all but one. Moses also has recent experience at left tackle, having played 147 snaps there for the Commanders in 2020.
“Availability is key,” Moses told the Jets’ team website last year. “I’ve been able to play 90-something consecutive games, and that’s just the willpower of not wanting to leave my guys out there by themselves. I feel like if I can go out there and play a little better than the backup might be, then I’m going to go out there and try.
“When I got into the NFL, I had some good vets that took care of me, taught me how to go to yoga, eat right, stretch, take care of the body because at the end of the day, you are the CEO of your body. If you’re not available, you can’t showcase your talent on Sundays, and that’s the biggest thing.”
Note: The Ravens are scheduled to hold an introductory news conference Thursday for Moses and Williams, who also signed his deal Wednesday, in the team’s Owings Mills facility. They will be joined by DeCosta, Ravens pass game coordinator and secondary coach Chris Hewitt and offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris.