Ravens offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. raised eyebrows last month when he tweeted, “I’m a LEFT tackle,” and as he continues to insist that’s the position he wants to play, it may mean asking the Ravens to trade him.
Brown said that to him, it’s personal: His father, the late Orlando “Zeus” Brown, who played in the NFL from 1993 to 2005, always wanted Orlando Jr. to be a left tackle. Brown thanked Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta for bringing him to Baltimore but made clear that he doesn’t want to stay in a place where he’s playing right tackle.
“It’s never been about the money,” Brown wrote on Twitter. “I’m so appreciative for this organization and all my teammates. I couldn’t thank DeCosta enough, he’s a incredible football mind and one the best men I know. I want to live out the dream my dad had for me.”
Realistically, it’s unlikely that the Ravens will move Brown to left tackle for the 2021 season because left tackle is where Ronnie Stanley plays, and the Ravens signed Stanley to a five-year, $98.75 million contract extension in October. Brown moved to the left side when Stanley was injured last season, but when both are healthy, the Ravens prefer Stanley on the left and Brown on the right.
Brown is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and DeCosta says he’s interested in signing him to a contract extension. But with Brown saying it’s not about the money but about playing left tackle, the Ravens may need to either persuade Brown to keep playing on the right side, or trade him to a team that will play him where he wants to play.