Ravens players react to Eugene Monroe trade

For a lot of players, the move to make a trade for left tackle Eugene Monroe came as a surprise.

Yes, the offensive line has performed poorly thus far but you don't normally see this kind of move made from a team that came off a Super Bowl title and is still a respectable 2-2.

That's the Ravens, though, a team always looking to improve.

Below are some selected quotes from players during Wednesday's media availability about the trade:

RB Ray Rice: "You've got a chance to go out there, a young guy ... You're looking at him, and you look at a young guy that's still got a lot of football left. I don't think it sends a message to the offensive line. Whether he can contribute now or later, it's a safe move. Tackle is a hot commodity in the league. Anytime you find a young tackle that's as athletic as him, have a chance to get him, and take him out of a situation where he can get a fresh start - it usually works out in the guy's favor. I'm looking forward to getting him here and catching him up to speed."

QB Joe Flacco: "Just curious. John [Harbaugh] actually left me a message last night. I haven’t really talked too much to anybody about it, though. I think he’ll be here sometime this week, we’ll get to meet him, and it’ll be exciting. ... I don’t know if I was surprised. I didn’t really expect anything like that. So, like I said, we’ll see where it goes, and we’ll see how he can help us out and stuff like that."

RG Marshal Yanda: "It's obviously a surprise but it's part of the business. Teams in the NFL are always working to get better. As an organization, as a team. That's Ozzie's call. ... Obviously, the guys upstairs are making moves that are best for the Ravens and I'm behind that. If they're bringing him in, I'm behind it. I'm with any of the moves they make."

DE Chris Canty: "It's not a sign of desperation. It's a sign this team wants to win and we want to win now. ... He's a [University of] Virginia guy so he's a good guy."

RT Michael Oher: "He's strong, athletic, can move. He's a very hard worker. He works harder in the offseason. He's a good player."