Did the Ravens get the best of the Orlando Brown Jr. trade?
When the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens agreed to a blockbuster trade involving LT Orlando Brown Jr., it forever entwined the two teams for the foreseeable future.
As a result of the trade, Kansas City received Brown and the 58th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Baltimore received the 31st overall pick, 94th overall pick and future fourth and fifth rounders in 2022.
At pick No. 31 overall, Baltimore selected Penn State DE Odafe Oweh and at pick No. 94 they took Georgia OG Ben Cleveland. At pick No. 58, the Chiefs took Missouri LB Nick Bolton. We likely won’t know the true winners of this trade until much later on as the Ravens still have two picks to make. Still, after the results of Sunday’s game, it’s hard to come away thinking that the Ravens aren’t the early winners in this trade.
Oweh, selected with what would have been the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick, has been a playmaker through his first two games of the 2021 NFL season. Against Kansas City, he was involved in both of the turnovers that ultimately cost the Chiefs the game.
Our friends over at Touchdown Wire noticed his part in Patrick Mahomes’ interception. Oweh masterfully fakes like he’s matching up in coverage with Travis Kelce before looping around and rushing Creed Humphrey on a delayed blitz. Oweh wraps up Mahomes, who attempts to throw the ball away, but couldn’t get enough arm on it. The results were Mahomes’ first September interception of his career.
With the game on the line, Oweh also forced and recovered the fumble against Clyde Edwards-Helaire, slamming the door shut on any hopes of a Chiefs victory.
Questioning whether Baltimore won this trade isn’t to say that Orlando Brown Jr. has been bad for Kansas City. In fact, he’s been pretty solid. After allowing five pressures in Week 1, Brown was credited with no pressures against his former team in Week 2. It’s also not to say that Nick Bolton has been bad either, he’s actually been one of the Chiefs’ best defenders against the run.
But was there another way for the Chiefs?
I think there’s no doubt that they could have kept Eric Fisher, who made his first start for the Colts in Week 2, returning from his Achilles injury. Sure, they would have needed to find a replacement at left tackle for Week 1 in this situation, but building offensive line depth was already a goal for 2021. Don’t go saying the Chiefs didn’t know he’d be ready to play either because that’s factually inaccurate. Rick Burkholder estimated in March that Fisher was looking at a mid-August return.
I guess it all comes down to whether you would rather have Orlando Brown Jr. and Nick Bolton or Odafe Oweh, Eric Fisher and two more draft picks in 2022? After the loss in Week 2, it’s certainly worth asking the question and considering the possible alternatives.
What do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? Did the Ravens get the best of the Orlando Brown Jr trade? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.
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