Ravens shopping LT Bryant McKinnie after Monroe trade

Just hours after trading for Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Eugene Monroe, the Baltimore Ravens have decided to trade incumbent starter Bryant McKinnie, according to NFL.com.

After starting at left tackle during last year’s Super Bowl run, the Ravens signed the 34-year-old McKinnie to  a 2-year deal worth $6.3 million this offseason. Even after doing a great job protecting quarterback Joe Flacco’s blind side during the Super Bowl, some fans still worried that McKinnie would return his old, lazy ways.

McKinnie has historically showed up to training camp severely overweight, dating back to the left tackle’s days with the Minnesota Vikings. Last year, head coach John Harbaugh benched McKinnie during most of the season, only returning to the starting lineup because of injury.

Regardless of if the cause has been age or bad work habits, McKinnie has been a disappointment so far this year, allowing just one sack, but 10 quarterback hurries and two hits.  He has also contributed to the Raven’s 28th ranked run game even with running back Ray Rice carrying the rock, to the chagrin of Fantasy Football owners.

Shopping McKinnie makes a lot of sense for the Ravens. He is old, under-performing, and is owed quite a bit of money. Also, the recently acquired Monroe should prove to be a younger and more consistent option. While McKinnie’s questionable work habits may turn him away from many teams, the prospect of attaining a Super Bowl winning left tackle should at least interest teams like the Miami Dolphins, who are still trying to fill a void at left tackle, and the New York Giants, who reportedly tried out 10 offensive linemen today.