OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- When a player makes his first Pro Bowl, he'll sometimes receive a raise or an indication of extra job security.
Jeremy Zuttah received a cross-country road trip. He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers on March 16 in a swap of sixth-round picks (Baltimore moved up 12 spots) and was then released by a two-win 49ers team on Aug. 9 after he lost the battle for the starting center job.
Now, Zuttah returns to the place where he was unwanted just five months ago.
Asked if he thought he would be back with Baltimore after the trade occurred, Zuttah simply said, "No."
Zuttah, 31, came back to the Ravens on a two-year, $4 million deal (it could reach $6 million if incentives are reached). Coach John Harbaugh views Zuttah more as a center than a guard, although he wasn't guaranteed a spot with the first-team offense despite starting the last three seasons in Baltimore.
The competition for the starting center job comes down to Zuttah and Ryan Jensen, who started both preseason games for the Ravens.
"They are both in play," Harbaugh said. "We will do whatever is best for the Ravens. The best players play, and the best players are the guys who play the best. That is how we do it – always have, always will. We will see how it plays out. I love competition, and I’m sure that all of those guys in there want to start. They have to earn it, so that is what they will try to do."
It's unknown whether Zuttah will be able to remain the Ravens' starting center. Despite going to his first Pro Bowl, he got pushed back by the better nose tackles in the NFL.
Zuttah also fits better in the stretch zone-blocking schemes that Baltimore used under Gary Kubiak. He'll need to show more physical play to be effective in the Ravens' drive-blocking system.
What Zuttah brings is experience. Since 2009, Zuttah has played 7,052 snaps, the 16th-most in the league over that span. According to Pro Football Focus, Zuttah had the most pass-block snaps of any center last season (713), and he allowed three sacks, one quarterback hit, and 25 quarterback hurries on those snaps.
In comparison, Jensen has never started a regular-season game at center.
"The role for right now is to come out, work hard and earn playing time," Zuttah said. "[The coaches] said to go out there, compete, and we’ll see where we’re at. That’s honestly where we are."
