Eugene Monroe rumors: Trade to Giants falls through, Ravens release OT

The New York Giants reportedly made an effort to acquire offensive tackle Eugene Monroe via trade over the past couple of days. Per a published report, that effort failed and the Baltimore Ravens have released Monroe. There is still, however, a possibility Monroe could land with the Giants.

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The Baltimore Ravens are so determined to move on from veteran offensive tackle Eugene Monroe that they are keeping him off the practice field during this week's mandatory minicamp while they attempt to trade him. So, New York Giants fans, the question has to be asked With all of the concern about the right tackle position, should the Giants be among the teams trying to acquire him?

Yes, Monroe is the medical marijuana guy.

Monroe is the first NFL player to openly advocate for the league to allow the use of medical marijuana to treat chronic pain and head injuries. You can read more about Monroe’s stance on medical marijuana in a post he wrote for The Players’Tribune.

Monroe’s campaign is apparently one of the reasons the Ravens are trying to move on from the 29-year-old seven-year veteran. Money, an injury-plagued couple of seasons and the fact that Baltimore drafted Ronnie Stanley No. 6 overall to replace him are the others.

I can’t directly discuss how or if Monroe’s medical marijuana stance would impact any interest by the Giants. I suspect that the Giants, a historically conservative organization, might not want to deal with the issue. I have no evidence one way or the other, however.

Could Monroe help the Giants?

Perhaps. That depends on whether or not the Plainfield, N.J. native is still the player he was before injuries took their toll over the past two seasons. Monroe played only six games last season due to a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. He played only 11 games in 2014. He has a long and scary list of injuries since the beginning of the 2014 season. From ESPN:

He has missed time due to four injuries since the start of the 2014 season: knee (four games), ankle (three), concussion (three) and shoulder (two).

Before all of that, Monroe was a 2009 first-round pick (eighth overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He started for them at left tackle until being traded to the Ravens in the middle of the 2013 season. Injuries, not poor play, is what have kept him out of the Baltimore lineup in 15 of the last 32 regular-season games.

Monroe also makes big money, as he is in the third year of a five-year, $37.5 million contract and carries a base salary of $6.5 million.

The other issue, of course, from the Giants’ perspective is that Monroe is a carer-long left tackle. If they acquired him, the Giants would almost certainly ask him to play the right side.

What does Baltimore Beatdown say?

I reached out to our friends at Baltimore Beatdown, SB Nation’s Ravens blog. Here is what Beatdown’s Kyle Barber had to say about Monroe:

Eugene is an average to above average left tackle. He played well in pass protection, and was adequate in run blocking. He's faced back-to-back season ending injuries. First year, he was rolled up on, injuring his knee. The second injury was to his left shoulder, and put him in the IR for the second straight year. Only saw him for one game, and that was one quarter against the Broncos. Seemed to hold his own against Demarcus Ware during that one quarter. His sample size is small, but I remember him as a top 16 LT.

I don't know if his focus is still football. I don't see why it wouldn't be. He is proactive in medicinal marijuana, but he has a platform from being a pro football player. Great guy, very knowledgeable. He takes care of himself quite well from my studying when we traded for him. Calorie counter, and strict dieting to keep himself in great shape. But his dieting can't protect him from injuries apparently.

Your thoughts, Giants fans? Would Monroe be an upgrade for the Giants? Is he a player you would give up a draft pick for if the decision was yours to make?