OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh had a Hollywood moment on Saturday, when he informed undrafted rookie center Nick Easton that he had been traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a draft pick.
It was about 20 minutes into practice when general manager Ozzie Newsome walked onto the field to tell Harbaugh about the move. Harbaugh then had to pull Easton out of a drill to give him the news.
"That's like when you're growing up and watching movies like 'Any Given Sunday,' it's like, OK, that actually happened. I told a guy during practice that he was traded," Harbaugh said.
When told of the trade, Easton immediately asked where he was going.
"You can imagine the mix of this being shocked and also being excited," Harbaugh said.
Easton wasn't going to make the Ravens' 53-man roster because Baltimore had three centers above him on the depth chart: Jeremy Zuttah, John Urschel and Ryan Jensen. He did have a strong preseason and ended up as the Ravens' highest-graded player and the highest-graded center this preseason by Pro Football Focus.
"He's excited about it, and it's a great statement for him," Harbaugh said. "Coming from Harvard as an undrafted rookie free agent and to earn your way onto an NFL football team is a pretty amazing accomplishment. He should be congratulated for that."
It's also quite an accomplishment for the Ravens, who turned an undrafted rookie into a future draft pick. This comes five months after the Ravens dealt center Gino Gradkowski, who wasn't making the team, and a 2016 fifth-round pick to the Denver Broncos for a 2016 fourth-round pick.
The Ravens got something in two instances where they should have received nothing, which is another instance of how successful franchises are always thinking of the big picture.
