The Ravens' trade for Cam Jurgens got emphatic thumbs-ups from Head Coach Jesse Minter and the team's current stand-in center, Vega Ioane.
Baltimore sent a second-round pick in 2028 and fifth-round pick in 2027 to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Jurgens and a 2027 seventh-round pick, per the Eagles.
The trade was announced as players were heading out for practice, and afterwards, Head Coach Jesse Minter told the team they got better.
"Excited about adding him. He's obviously a very high-caliber player," Minter said. "\[He is\] excited to be here, excited to join our team, and so we look forward to that."
With three centers on injured reserve, Ioane was forced to slide over from right guard to center at the end of the comeback win over the Cowboys in Brazil and then as the starter last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Though it wasn't perfect, Ioane played very well, especially given the circumstances. Once Jurgens is on the field, Ioane gets to move back to his natural position.
"\[Jurgens\] is a great player. I watched his game a lot, too," Ioane said. "It's a good thing for us. Unfortunately for me, I was just starting to like center. But hey, anything is better than me. I love that for us and I love that for him. … It's going to feel good going back to guard."
Jurgens was drafted by the Eagles to be a replacement for seven-time Pro Bowler Jason Kelce and did so starting with the 2024 season. Jurgens was named a Pro Bowler in his first season stepping in and again last year.
"He's an athletic guy," Ioane said. "You can get him out in space. Even in tight zone situations, things like that, he comes off the ball. He's a mauler, too. He's a smart player. That's why we picked him up."
Jurgens' mobility makes him a good scheme fit with what Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Dwayne Ledford wants to accomplish. Minter also says he's a good fit because he's been "really well-trained."
Jurgens has run just about every scheme with the Eagles, who have had five different offensive coordinators the past five years. He's been mentored by Kelce and groomed by retired offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who Minter called a "highly, highly regarded offensive line coach."
"I think he has just been really well-developed and well-trained. He is a good athlete. Mentally, he is at a really high level, I would say," Minter said.
"We will have to catch him up. Obviously, the terminology will be different for him. But with a guy like that — with the experience of having gone through a few different offenses — that will probably end up benefiting him now, rather than a guy coming from maybe one system."