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At his agency’s pre-free press conference this week, DeCosta said there were “a lot of different scenarios” at play for Brown, who said he had not yet decided what he would if the Ravens couldn’t find a business partner.
“We will do what is best for Orlando and we will do what is best for the Ravens,” said DeCosta.
For Brown, deciphering whether it was better for him to play left tackle or play for the Ravens was a difficult process.
For one thing, he started his NFL career with the organization he grew up watching, the one that signed his father as an undrafted free agent in 1993 when it was still known as the name of Cleveland Browns and kept Brown Sr. through the move. in Baltimore, where he ended up spending six of the 10 NFL seasons he played. Brown Sr. died suddenly in 2011 from a diabetic complication.
On the other hand, Ronnie Stanley had locked the left side before Brown arrived in Baltimore. But in week 4 of the 2020 season, Stanley was declared inactive due to a shoulder injury, opening the door for Brown to return to the left tackle for the first time since the Rose Bowl in January 2018. .
“I played in a lot of big games in Baltimore, but this game was so special to me,” Brown said. “I remember being a 13-year-old kid who set a goal and a dream growing up here in Baltimore to be the Ravens’ starting left tackle and one day be able to do what Jonathan Ogden did.
“For me to have this opportunity against the Washington football team in the left tackle was one of the most special moments of my NFL career for me personally.”
Stanley resumed his position the following week, slipping Brown to the right side. No.6 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Stanley had arguably become the best in the league in his role. Stanley’s hold on the spot became even stronger when he signed a five-year, $ 98.75 million contract in October. Coincidentally, Stanley suffered a broken ankle that ended the season days later.
Brown said it was a bit of an adjustment to get back to the left side in the middle of a season. The footwork is different, the movements are different, and his brain had to remind his body to do things in the opposite direction on that side of the line. Additionally, the Ravens’ running program often calls for runs to the right side, which means the responsibilities tend to be different for the left tackle in the back of the room.
That said, Brown quickly found a level of comfort. And while some evaluators wondered if he could play the left tackle in the NFL after his precarious workouts (which included a 5.85-second 40-yard scorecard), Brown felt right at home. He noted that he would be even more comfortable if he had the chance to train on the left side throughout training camp this year.
Replacing the injured Stanley confirmed Brown’s and his father’s belief that the left side is his place.
“It was, ‘Left tackle, left tackle, that’s all you’ve ever played.’ And that’s all we’ve ever worked on, ”Brown said of his father’s guidance and guardianship. “I’m better on the left tackle; this is what I have dreamed of being all my life. We all have dreams, and we are all placed in positions where we have the opportunity to improve. That’s all for me.
“It’s a lot more emotional or spiritual for me, I guess you could say, playing the left tackle.”
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