Alejandro Villanueva Reveals Amazing Motivation for Signing With Ravens
By Larry Rupp

A free agent signing within the division doesn't happen too often, but it recently did this NFL offseason. Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva opted to sign with the Baltimore Ravens on a two-year, $14 million contract.
It has since been reported that Villanueva's motivation had a lot to do with staying in the AFC North Division.
Alejandro Villanueva said part of the motivation to come to the Ravens was playing AFC North football and playing the Steelers twice a year
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) May 5, 2021
A lot of players seem to hold a grudge when they are not re-signed or brought back by their team and Villanueva certainly fits that bill here. The AFC North has built a reputation for being one of the toughest divisions in the league full of rivalries and aggressive playing styles.
The 32-year-old veteran spent the first seven NFL seasons of his career with the Steelers and started for them in every single game of the last five seasons. He also made two Pro Bowls and has been a model of consistency and reliability when it comes to protecting the backfield.
The former Army Ranger accounted for just 4 penalties and gave up only 3 sacks across 1,098 snaps played in 2020. It was revealed that Villanueva had also drawn interest from a number of other teams including the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins before deciding to sign with Baltimore.
Villanueva is set to move over to the right side of the line to start while also being a great backup option for left tackle Ronnie Stanley. All things considered, it's safe to say that the Ravens' coaching staff is sure to be glad to have Villanueva on their side moving forward.
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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.