Marshal Yanda, Ravens Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

Marshal Yanda is moving closer to playing his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens, as the team announced he agreed to a contract extension Friday.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport initially reported the agreement between the Ravens and Yanda. According to Rapoport, the four-year deal is worth nearly $32 million, with a $9 million signing bonus and $17.8 million in guarantees.

The 31-year-old was in the final season of a five-year, $32 million contract he signed prior to the 2011 season. 

“My family and I are very excited to stay with such an incredible organization,” Yanda said, per Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. “We feel fortunate to have reached an extension, and I look forward to carrying on the Baltimore Ravens’ great tradition. Hopefully, I will finish my career as a Raven.”

The Ravens drafted Yanda out of Iowa in the third round in 2007. He's been a stellar guard throughout his career, seeming to get better with age. He started every game in four of the past five seasons and was named a first-team All-Pro member last season. 

Yanda also measures highly in advanced stats, as Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus had the Baltimore star ranked as the NFL's fifth-best player last year, regardless of position: "A solid pass blocker, Yanda had the seventh-best pass-blocking grade of all guards in the regular season, allowing one sack, five hits and 10 hurries in 2014. Coming on 543 pass blocking snaps, that gave him a Pass Blocking Efficiency Rating of 97.7, 11th at the position."

This has been a rough season for the Ravens, who are off to a 1-4 start, but their front office is among the best in the league when it comes to making smart tactical business decisions. General manager Ozzie Newsome has had to make difficult moves in recent years, like trading Haloti Ngata, due to salary-cap constraints. 

However, an investment in Yanda, even at the age of 31, speaks volumes about how highly the Ravens view him as a player. Finding high-end talent on the offensive line is essential for any team to succeed. Yanda has been part of a Super Bowl team and will be tasked with helping turn things around into the future.