The Baltimore Ravens were one of several first round surprises Thursday night, choosing to take Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley sixth-overall in the 2016 NFL Draft instead of Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil. Of course, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome had plenty of reason not to take Tunsil, a player who was viewed by many in the media as a better prospect than the lighter-in-the-seat Stanley.
But either way, the Ravens finally have a potential long-term answer at tackle in place after several seasons of gluing together quarterback Joe Flacco's protection from late-round pick-ups and free agent mercenaries.
For Eugene Monroe, one of those tackles-for-hire, Stanley's arrival could very well mean his departure via a trade.
"I think it will pan out the way it pans out," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "As coaches, we love competition. I say we throw them all in there, let them compete and may the best man win. We'll see who that is."
Harbaugh may covet competition and may be willing to throw the 29-year-old Monroe, Stanley, James Hurts and Blaine Clausell into the mix and see who comes out on top, but it's unlikely that Newsome feels that way.
Monroe is entering the third year of a five-year deal that will pay him $8.7 million in 2016, with $8.95 million in each of the final two years. And while Monroe proved an effective outside starter during his time with the Jaguars, he's been mostly a missing man with the Ravens.
Over his first two years in Baltimore, Monroe has appeared in just 17 regular season games. He missed all but three games in 2015 and didn't suit up for either of the Ravens' playoff games in 2014.
In short, he's an expensive, injury-prone piece that seems to be not just expendable, but almost detrimental to the Ravens' salary cap.
However, there are several angles here for the Ravens to consider, the first being whether Stanley will be able to start at left tackle right away.
"We just invested a lot in Joe for the next six years," Newsome said. "We feel like that Ronnie comes in with an opportunity to compete and at some point, he'll be a starter and a starter for a long time for the Baltimore Ravens."
It may make the most sense for the Ravens to hold onto Monroe for at least one more season - or past June 1, when they should have a better idea of Stanley's chances of starting in 2016 - until it's clear that the former Notre Dame standout is capable of shouldering the load.
But with Flacco eating $20-plus million of the cap every season until 2021, getting that extra $6.5 million off the books - what the Ravens would create in cap space were they to designate Monroe a post-June 1 cute - may mean a lot to Newsome, though the Ravens, with about $12 million in space, are in good shape at the moment.
In the end, it will come down to play and Monroe and Stanley's ability to contribute. If Monroe's hampered again, don't expect his Ravens tenure to continue. But if Stanley can't take the reins from day one, Monroe may stick around for a little while longer.
