Eric DeCosta wasn't done. Minutes before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Ravens acquired center Ryan Neuzil from the Atlanta Falcons, sending guard Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth-round pick to Atlanta.
Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz first reported the deal, and the Ravens confirmed it shortly after the deadline passed. It was the final trade of the day across the league.
It is Baltimore's third notable addition in five weeks, following the October trade for Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens and last week's deal for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. For a 4-5 team sitting last in the AFC North and riding a four-game losing streak, the message is clear: the Ravens are still buying.
The deal also came on the same day the Falcons signed kicker Jake Moody off Baltimore's practice squad, making Atlanta a busy trading partner for the Ravens on deadline day.
Who Is Ryan Neuzil?
Neuzil, 29, has been Atlanta's starting center this season and started all 17 games there last year. He has appeared in 69 career games with 38 starts, all with the Falcons.
His path to that job was anything but direct. Neuzil went undrafted out of Appalachian State in 2021, spent time developing on the margins of Atlanta's roster and eventually worked his way into the starting lineup. He has played solidly this season, grading 15th among NFL centers who have played at least half their team's snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Neuzil is in the final year of a two-year extension worth a reported $9.5 million that he signed before the 2025 season. If he leaves in free agency next spring, Baltimore could recoup a 2028 compensatory pick that would offset the sixth-rounder it sent to Atlanta.
The Dwayne Ledford Connection
The most important relationship in this trade may be the one between Neuzil and Ravens offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford.
Ledford, Baltimore's run game coordinator and offensive line coach under Jesse Minter, recruited Neuzil to Appalachian State. The two reunited in Atlanta, where Ledford coached the Falcons' offensive line and oversaw Neuzil's development from undrafted rookie to full-time starter.
That history matters more than usual in the middle of a season. Neuzil arrives already fluent in Ledford's teaching, terminology and run-game principles, which should shorten the transition that typically slows a lineman joining a new team in November. Few players on Baltimore's roster understand what Ledford wants from his interior linemen as well as the newest one.
It also reflects how much stock the Ravens' new staff places on the run game. Baltimore ran for 202 yards in its season-opening win at Indianapolis, and Derrick Henry remains the offense's engine, especially with Lamar Jackson sidelined and Brissett making his Ravens debut against the Chargers on Monday night.
Why the Ravens Needed Another Interior Lineman
The interior of Baltimore's offensive line has been a problem since September.
Jovaughn Gwyn, who won the starting center job in training camp and started the first three games, suffered a long-term knee injury in Brazil. Gwyn was Neuzil's backup in Atlanta before signing with Baltimore in free agency, another thread tying this trade to Ledford. Ethan Pocic, Gwyn's backup on the Week 1 depth chart, also went down with a knee injury, which pushed the Ravens to trade a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder to Philadelphia for Jurgens on Oct. 7.
Jurgens has played well as the starter the past two games. Rookie first-round pick Vega Ioane and veteran John Simpson are the starting guards.
That leaves an open question about where Neuzil fits. He has played almost exclusively at center in Atlanta, and Jurgens has experience at guard, so the trade could allow the Ravens to move Jurgens over and put Neuzil in the middle. At minimum, Neuzil gives Baltimore a starting-caliber backup at a position where injuries have repeatedly wiped out its depth.
Vorhees Gets a Fresh Start in Atlanta
Vorhees leaves Baltimore after three seasons as one of the better development stories of the John Harbaugh era. A 2023 seventh-round pick out of USC who tore his ACL at the NFL Scouting Combine, he worked his way into the lineup and started all 17 games at left guard last season.
He slid into a backup role this year, appearing in five games with two starts, mostly filling in for injured starters. He has 37 career games and 22 starts.
What's Next
Neuzil will join the Ravens this week as they prepare for the Chargers. Minter said Monday that the team planned to add an extra practice day ahead of the primetime game, which should give Neuzil and Brissett, both new to the building, a little more time to settle in.
Kickoff Information
Matchup: Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens
When: Monday, Nov. 16, 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: ESPN