The NFL's regular season is over, which for most teams, means it's time to start figuring out plans for the offseason.
NFL free agency is a huge part of the process, and along with the NFL Draft, it has everyone preparing for what should be a very active couple of months.
We've officially come up with our own contract projections for the NFL's top free agents that include context behind each player's 2023 season, the likelihood of a franchise tag, the projection itself, and the first-year cap hit for a team that's “all-in” and is needing to reduce that first-year hit in order to maximize their cap dollars.
So, without further ado, let's check out the projection for Baltimore Ravens guard, Kevin Zeitler.
Kevin Zeitler 2024 Contract Projection
Zeitler finishes a three year contract with the Baltimore Ravens as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league. He hasn’t allowed more than three sacks in a season since 2019, and consistently puts up pass-blocking efficiency ratings above 98%, never finishing lower than 6th amongst guards in the PBE metric in his time with the Ravens.
He’ll start the 2024 season 34 years young. While his pass blocking is elite, his run blocking has been on a downward trend with age, evidenced by his declining PFF run block grades over the past two years. It’s not enough of a liability to keep a pass-first team from improving most offensive lines, especially on pass-heavy teams. He’s not going to find many multi-year suitors, and teams haven’t opened their coffers for interior lineman in their mid-30’s (unless you’re Jason Kelce and helped reinvent the quarterback sneak), but Zeitler should command a respectable one-year deal as he transitions to mercenary work to finish his career.
- Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
- 1 Year, $6M, $6.0M APY, $6M GTD
- Year One Cap Hit: $3M
Be sure to check back in and around the site for more projections, as we will add more in the coming days and weeks.
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