Baltimore Ravens will pay Jeremy Zuttah $18 million over five years
Jeremy Zuttah (76) blocks against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Ravens made a massive upgrade at the center position when they decided to flip a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft for Tampa Bay Buccaneers interior offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah, who is a quality starter in this league but became expendable after the Bucs decided to sign former Green Bay Packers center Evan Dietrich-Smtih in another stroke of aggressiveness from new GM Jason Licht. Spending a fifth-rounder in 2015 on Zuttah was definitely a steal for the Ravens, and it was yet another excellent move made by savvy GM Ozzie Newsome this offseason.
Zuttah was re-signed by the Buccaneers in the 2012 offseason to a significant deal after being a priority for them, and he’s a versatile 27-year-old Rutgers product who can play at either guard or center. He’s locked in as the Ravens center next season, and they desperately needed to stop starting Gino Gradkowski at the position. While Gradkowski is probably the worst starting center in the league, there’s little doubt in my mind that Zuttah will be a solid starter in Baltimore over the next several seasons.
Per a league source close to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Zuttah will make $18 million over the next five seasons for the Ravens, and he will also make $6.5 million in guaranteed money. Wilson adds that the deal could reach $20 million in value, and you can view the rest of the details of his pretty team-friendly, long-term deal at the link above.