Ravens’ Ronnie Stanley in no rush for contract negotiations
In an offseason in which Texans’ Tunsil signs a $66M extension, Ravens’ Stanley refuses to put timetable on contract negotiations
Ronnie Stanley knew the questions about his contract would come.
If the Ravens left tackle felt any discomfort with the topic, he did not show it Wednesday during a Zoom call with Baltimore media members. He parried the repeated probes as deftly as he might an oncoming pass rusher.
“We’ve been in talks for the last couple years now,” he said. “I’m comfortable with where we are in that regard. When the time comes, it will come.”
Stanley was already in line for a massive payday after he established himself as perhaps the best pass blocker in football last season. But his economic ceiling soared higher last month when Houston Texans left tackle Laremy
Tunsil signed a three-year, $66 million extension. As good as Tunsil was in 2019, Stanley was better, making first-team All-Pro and grading as the best left tackle in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I was just super happy that he got what he got,” Stanley said. “I was happy
because he deserved it. I felt in my heart of hearts that this position is one of the top two or three hardest positions on the field. So for him to get respected like that with how much he got paid made me very happy for him, because he deserves it.”
Stanley and Tunsil were the top two tackle prospects in the 2016 draft. The Ravens went with Stanley at No. 6 overall while Tunsil slipped to No. 13, in part because a photo emerged of him smoking marijuana through a gas mask. The pair will seemingly always be linked, but Stanley did not specifically say that he sees Tunsil’s deal as a starting point for his own extension talks.
“I definitely want to get paid my value and what I’m worth or what I feel I’m worth,” he said. “That part of it’s important, but at the end of the day, I don’t think money’s the most important thing to me.”
On a conference call with seasonticket holders earlier this month, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said he’s continuing to negotiate a potential extension with Stanley’s agent, Kim Miale. The Ravens would like to complete a deal, not only to lock down one of their most important players but to create more wiggle room under the 2020 salary cap.
Stanley isn’t sure how he’ll feel if negotiations carry into the season. Many players refuse to talk about their contract status once games begin.
“I would probably have a better answer when training camp starts, if it starts,” he said, alluding to schedule uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m kind of like in no rush when it comes to that right now.”
Stanley’s importance goes beyond his prowess at protecting the edge. With Marshal Yanda’s retirement in March, he became the veteran standard bearer for the team’s offensive line.
“I think guys, even when Marshal was there, looked to me in a different sense than they did with Marshal,” he said. “Guys have definitely been more open to asking me questions and letting me take in that leadership role for them.”
In the wake of Yanda’s retirement, the Ravens added several linemen who could contribute immediately, including thirdround pick Tyre Phillips out of Mississippi State, fourth-round pick Ben Bredeson out of Michigan and veteran free-agent acquisition D.J. Fluker.
Stanley will play a significant role helping those players get up to speed.
“It’s definitely going to be a crash course,” he said. “Especially for the new guys, the younger guys, with the type of offense we run — very detail-oriented. … Luckily, we have more than half our returners coming back. I’m happy to be one of those people who already know what’s going on. There are going to be guys who have a lot of questions coming in.”