The Baltimore Ravens have announced that they have traded their 5th round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft for Tampa Bay Buccaneers center/guard Jeremy Zuttah. Jeremy Zuttah is 27 years old and is entering his seventh season in the NFL. He went to college at Rutgers University (yes he did play with Ray Rice) and was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Jeremy Zuttah will be an upgrade at center, as Pro Football Focus graded him as the 22nd best center out of the 35 eligible centers. Guess who was number 35? Gino Gradkowski. Also, according to Pro Football Focus, Zuttah gave up no sacks last season. Zuttah is a versatile lineman who can play guard or center. This allows them to be more flexible with Kelechi Osemele, as now if needed, they could have Osemele be the right tackle. Is he a very good center? No. But contrary to popular belief, Matt Birk wasn’t that good either. Birk was graded as the 20th best center by Pro Football Focus during his last season. The Ravens simply needed a better center than Gino, and Zuttah is definitely better than Gino.
I think Jeremy Zuttah is a terrific fit for Gary Kubiak‘s zone-blocking scheme. He’s very athletic and very strong. Zone-blocking schemes require quick offensive linemen, and Zuttah definitely fits that mold.
His cap hit was going to be $4,500,000, but apparently the Ravens have re-structured his deal and are looking to sign him to a long-term deal, which would lower that number. He is currently signed through 2015, but again, the Ravens are looking to sign him to a long-term deal.
