TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed former Baltimore Ravens center Ryan Jensen to a four-year deal, sources confirmed to ESPN. It's worth $42 million, with $22 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid center in the league, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano.
Though other teams had been looking at Jensen as a guard, two sources involved in the negotiations said that he will play center for the Bucs, allowing Ali Marpet to move back to guard, which is where he spent his rookie season in 2015.
A 2013 sixth-round draft pick, Jensen started his first full season in 2017, and prior to that, had started nine games.
Jensen flew into Tampa at the onset of free agency Wednesday and stayed until Thursday afternoon. The Indianapolis Colts then flew a private plane to Tampa to pick up Jensen, with the visit continuing through Friday, according to a source.
In July 2017, center Brandon Linder signed a five-year extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars worth $51.7 million, with his average per-year salary at $10.34 million, just below Jensen's.
In terms of guaranteed money, Atlanta Falcons center Alex Mack led the league with $20 million prior to Jensen.