Yahoo Sports·United States·Monday, September 28, 2026 at 11:45 PM

Ravens’ Center Crisis Has an Elite Solution in Miami — But It Won’t Come Cheap

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Gary Adornato

Ravens' Center Crisis Has an Elite Solution in Miami — But It Won't Come Cheap — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Baltimore has lost three potential replacements for Tyler Linderbaum, and as a Super Bowl contender the Ravens may need to sacrifice valuable draft capital to land one of the NFL's best centers.

The Baltimore Ravens have a Super Bowl-caliber roster, an MVP quarterback and, suddenly, a massive problem in the middle of their offensive line.

It may be time for general manager Eric DeCosta to make an uncomfortable phone call.

Call the Miami Dolphins. Ask about Aaron Brewer. And be prepared to overpay.

The Ravens' situation at center went from concerning to borderline desperate Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. Baltimore lost starter Jovaughn Gwyn to an ankle injury and veteran Ethan Pocic to a knee injury during its dramatic 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

On Monday, Ravens coach Jesse Minter said both injuries appear as if they'll be "a little bit long-term".

That would be problematic enough by itself.

Except Gwyn and Pocic were already replacements for a replacement.

Baltimore lost three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. The Ravens then entered training camp with Danny Pinter emerging as the favorite to replace him, only for Pinter to suffer a season-ending torn patellar tendon in August.

Then came Rio.

Gwyn went down. Pocic replaced him. Pocic went down.

By the fourth quarter, Baltimore had moved first-round rookie Vega Ioane from right guard to center, a position he had never played in a regular-season NFL game.

The rookie handled the emergency impressively. That doesn't mean Baltimore should ask him to spend the rest of the season there.

Not with this much at stake.

The Ravens Should Call Miami About Aaron Brewer

There is no report that the Dolphins are shopping Brewer or that the Ravens have called about him.

In fact, Miami has publicly indicated just the opposite.

But circumstances have changed enough that DeCosta should find out whether Miami is willing to reconsider.

Brewer, 29, isn't merely an experienced center who could stabilize Baltimore's offensive line. He is one of the best centers in football.

Pro Football Focus ranked Brewer as the NFL's No. 2 center entering the 2026 season, behind only Kansas City Chiefs star Creed Humphrey and ahead of Linderbaum.

Brewer earned an 87.4 overall PFF grade last season and led every NFL center with a 91.5 run-blocking grade. He allowed 12 pressures, earned second-team All-Pro honors and was one of five finalists for the NFL's inaugural Protector of the Year award.

His 91.5 run-blocking grade was the highest by an NFL center since 2021.

Imagine putting that player directly in front of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.

More importantly, imagine putting Ioane back at right guard.

That's part of the problem with Baltimore's current solution. Moving Ioane doesn't fix one position without affecting another. Andrew Vorhees replaced Ioane at right guard Sunday after the rookie moved to center.

Baltimore would essentially be weakening one position to patch another.

Brewer could change that immediately.

Eric DeCosta Was Already Considering a Center Trade

The idea that Baltimore could trade for a center isn't new.

DeCosta said after April's NFL Draft that the position was in a "state of flux" after Baltimore failed to land one of the centers it targeted.

"There will be options for us, potentially terminated vets, potentially trade options," DeCosta said at the time. "Obviously, we'll look at all those things."

He added: "I rule nothing out."

That was before Pinter suffered a season-ending injury.

It was before Gwyn injured his ankle.

It was before Pocic injured his knee.

And it was before Baltimore found itself asking the No. 14 overall pick in the draft to move from guard to center three games into his NFL career.

The Ravens were even willing to consider sacrificing meaningful draft capital to address the position in April.

Baltimore coveted Iowa's Logan Jones and Florida's Jake Slaughter in the second round. When both began getting within range, the Ravens "really assessed" trading up, according to DeCosta.

The price would have been a third-, fourth- and fifth-round pick.

DeCosta decided that was too expensive.

Five months later, the calculation has changed dramatically.

Trading Draft Picks Isn't the Ravens' Way

Few NFL organizations value draft capital more consistently than Baltimore.

That's part of what has made the Ravens the Ravens.

They accumulate selections. They trust their scouting department. They develop players. They collect compensatory picks. They generally don't mortgage tomorrow because something went wrong today.

It's difficult to imagine DeCosta casually surrendering a first-round pick for any center.

But this isn't a normal situation.

The Ravens aren't a rebuilding team trying to sneak into the playoffs.

They have Jackson in his prime. They have Henry. They have Zay Flowers. They have significant talent on defense. They have a roster capable of playing deep into January and potentially February.

What they don't have is stability on the offensive line.

Baltimore has now lost three different potential starting centers since training camp began.

There comes a point when protecting draft capital becomes less important than protecting Lamar Jackson.

The purpose of all those draft picks, after all, is to eventually construct a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

Baltimore already has one.

Now it needs to make sure the offensive line doesn't ruin it.

Why Would the Dolphins Trade Aaron Brewer?

This is where a potential deal becomes difficult.

Miami clearly likes Brewer.

The Dolphins signed him to a three-year, $52.5 million extension in June that keeps him under contract through the 2029 season.

New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan subsequently identified Brewer, De'Von Achane and Jordyn Brooks as "the pillars we build around."

That doesn't sound like a player Miami wants to trade.

But Miami is now 0-3.

The Dolphins have already demonstrated that the new regime is willing to exchange established talent for premium future assets, most notably by sending star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to Denver in a deal headlined by a first-round pick.

Miami may not publicly call what it is doing a rebuild, but this is a franchise reshaping its roster and accumulating assets for the future.

Baltimore should at least find out whether enough draft capital could change Miami's mind about Brewer.

The answer might be no.

Make Sullivan say it.

Here's What It Could Cost the Ravens

Start here:

Ravens receive: C Aaron Brewer

Dolphins receive: 2027 second-round pick, 2028 third-round pick

That's a lot for a center.

It also might not be enough.

Miami has Brewer locked up through 2029, considers him a foundational player and would face an unpleasant salary-cap consequence from trading him so soon after extending him.

Over The Cap lists Brewer's extension at $52.5 million with $31.75 million in guarantees. He's scheduled to receive $14.135 million in 2027, $15.6 million in 2028 and $17.3 million in 2029.

Miami has no financial motivation to give him away.

That's why Baltimore would have to make an offer that hurts.

A second-round pick and future third would qualify.

If Miami still says no, things get considerably more interesting.

What if the Dolphins want Baltimore's first-round pick?

Would Aaron Brewer Be Worth a First-Round Pick?

Under normal circumstances?

Probably not.

For these Ravens?

It's at least a conversation DeCosta has to have.

Baltimore decided in April that a third-, fourth- and fifth-round pick was too much to move up for an unproven rookie center.

Brewer isn't an unproven rookie.

He's a second-team All-Pro who has already demonstrated he can be one of the NFL's best players at the position.

He's also under contract through 2029.

Baltimore wouldn't be surrendering premium draft capital for a three-month rental. The Ravens would be acquiring a long-term replacement for Linderbaum and potentially restoring center as a strength of the offense for the remainder of Jackson's championship window.

If Miami insists on a first, Baltimore should attempt to get something back.

Something like:

Ravens receive: C Aaron Brewer, 2027 fifth-round pick

Dolphins receive: 2027 first-round pick

That's unquestionably expensive.

It might even qualify as an overpay.

Sometimes a Super Bowl contender has to overpay.

The Ravens Can't Let Center Derail This Season

Baltimore can continue with Ioane at center.

Maybe he develops quickly. Maybe Vorhees holds up at right guard. Maybe Gwyn or Pocic returns sooner than expected. Maybe the offensive line survives.

That's a lot of maybes for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Or DeCosta can investigate a more ambitious solution.

The Ravens have spent decades treating draft picks like gold. It's one of the reasons Baltimore has remained competitive through different coaches, quarterbacks and eras.

But draft picks aren't trophies.

They're currency used to construct championship teams.

Baltimore has already constructed one.

Now injuries are threatening one of its most important position groups, and a first-round rookie who should be developing at guard is being asked to rescue another position.

Aaron Brewer would change that.

Miami is 0-3 and has already shown a willingness to exchange established talent for future assets. Baltimore has already acknowledged that trading for a center was an option even before three potential replacements went down.

There is no evidence the Dolphins want to trade Brewer.

There is every reason for the Ravens to find out what it would take.

Start with a second-round pick and a future third.

If Miami asks for more, keep talking.

Because the Ravens have a roster capable of winning the Super Bowl right now.

They shouldn't let a hole at center prevent them from finding out how far it can go.

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