Veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Ravens March 15 that is pending a physical, spoke with retired Ravens right guard Marshal Yanda when he was sorting through possibilities for his next team — and Yanda told him Baltimore would be just the right fit.
Zeitler, 31, was released by the New York Giants March 10 in cap-saving move, so he was able to agree to terms before the free-agency window officially opened March 17. Zeitler agreed to a three-year, $22.5 million deal with $16 million guaranteed, according to various reports.
The former first-round draft pick out of Wisconsin has played for the Cincinnati Bengals (2012-2016), Cleveland Browns (2017-2018) and Giants (2019-2020). He has started all 16 games in six of his nine years in the league and has played well in recent years.
Zeitler said teams were battling for his services on the evening of March 14, but ultimately he thought the Ravens were the best fit — and his conversation with Yanda was no small reason why.
“[I] asked him a bunch of questions about the O-line and whatnot,” Zeitler said on Glenn Clark Radio March 15. “After hearing from him, he thought it’d be a great fit. It was great talking to him and getting his opinion on everything.”
“We’ve known each other just from watching film with each other, playing each other a bunch, talking a little bit after the games,” he added. “We were able to talk on the phone during this process and get more info.”
Yanda played for the Ravens from 2007-2019, earning the reputation as one of the best guards in the league during that time. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times and was a first-team All-Pro pick twice and a second-team All-Pro pick four times. Upon retiring last March, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh called Yanda “a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
In Yanda’s absence, the Ravens struggled to find stability at right guard in 2020. Tyre Phillips won the job in training camp and started six of the Ravens’ first seven games, but he missed time with a high-ankle sprain and primarily played right tackle once he returned. Patrick Mekari and Ben Powers also played right guard for the Ravens.
Now the job is Zeitler’s, assuming he passes his physical. The right guard said he has “no apprehension” about filling Yanda’s shoes in Baltimore.
“It’s good to be in this spot,” Zeitler said. “That spot in Baltimore Ravens history is a very good spot, so I’m ready to continue on the tradition.”
Zeitler also got a chance to chat with Harbaugh, who is entering his 14th season at the helm of the Ravens.
“I think his gruff-and-tough style definitely fits just who I am as a person,” Zeitler said. “I was excited. He got me excited about everything. I think it’s going to be a great year.”
There was more to Zeitler’s decision than talking with Yanda and Harbaugh, though. He’s already played seven years in the AFC North, so he’s familiar with the style of play in the division and competing at M&T Bank Stadium. And playing in a run-first system is attractive to him as well. The Ravens ran the ball 555 times for 3,071 yards in 2020, and both marks were first in the NFL.
Joining a team with Super Bowl aspirations doesn’t hurt, either. Baltimore is 31-8 in regular-season games since Lamar Jackson took over as the team’s starting quarterback in 2018, and now the Ravens are looking to take the next step in the postseason. Zeitler said signing with a Super Bowl contender was important to him considering he’s entering the 10th year of his career.
“You’ve got to start thinking, ‘OK, winning’s important. Where’s the team at? Are they contenders?’ It all played a factor in the decision,” Zeitler said. “… The teams I considered at the end, that really was a big factor in the decision process.”
For more from Zeitler, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Giants.com