NFL 2022: Predicting one cap casualty for every team this offseason

Baltimore Ravens

Potential Cap Casualty: Alejandroo Villanueva

Alejandro Villanueva was never seen as a long-term fit with the Ravens when he was signed last offseason. The team reached a stalemate with Orlando Brown, flipped him to the Chiefs, and when they couldn’t find a draft replacement for him, they added the former Steelers tackle to their roster.

The results were as expected. Villanueva was fine, somewhere in the average to slightly below average range as a tackle. He is a fine pass protector, but his run blocking was always a weaker aspect of his game. This made him a naturally bad fit with the Ravens on top of the move to a new side of the line. No one expected an elite season from him because of this.

While only saving 6 million dollars from a starter isn’t a huge gain, the writing very much seems on the wall for Villanueva. Unless the Ravens don’t expect to add a significant tackle in free agency or the draft, Villanueva is easily expendable. While a name like Marlon Humphrey would save more money, Villanueva is almost locked into this spot. Don’t be surprised to see his name get added to the free agency pile sooner than later.