The Ravens will have a new starting center next season after Bradley Bozeman departed to the Carolina Panthers via free agency.
There has been speculation the Ravens might turn to the draft to fill the void, perhaps selecting Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum with the 14th overall pick.
However, coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens could move in a different direction, shifting Patrick Mekari to that spot on the offensive line.
Trystan Colon is also a viable option on the current roster.
“The draft, obviously, is an option,” Harbaugh said at the owners meetings this week. “We have great options right in our locker room right now. Pat Mekari, Trystan Colon, those guys have done a great job for us. Love the way those guys play. Love the way they develop. And of course Pat, he’s played lots of football. And he can do it. He’ll step right in, probably, as the starter, and then Trystan will compete. And we’ll see where we’re at from there.”
Mekari signed a three-year extension in December, which keeps him under contract through the 2024 season. The deal was worth $15.4 million with an opportunity to earn $750,000 in additional money in 2023 and 2024, according to the NFL Network.
Originally signed by the Ravens as a rookie free agent in 2019, Mekari, 24, has played in 36 career games (23 starts) with Baltimore.
Mekari is a versatile offensive lineman and has played multiple positions during his three-year NFL career. Last season, he saw action in 13 games, including 12 starts, at right tackle, blocking for the NFL’s sixth-ranked offense (378.8 ypg) and third-best rushing attack (145.8 ypg).
"We do have a saying around here, ‘The more you can do.’ What it basically means is, the more you can do, the better off you’re going to be – you have more value," Harbaugh said. "His value is the fact that he does all those things so well, and that’s unusual. That’s a talent. That’s not something that you see every day. It’s not always celebrated, but that kind of versatility is a big plus in a football team, especially on the offensive line. So, no – I think we see him exactly the same way as we did before, and we see that he has excellent value.”
Colon played in 12 games, including one start at center, last season. The prior year, he started at center in two games during his rookie campaign, filling in Mekari.
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