Returning are Pro Bowl heart Tyler Linderbaum and left sort out Ronnie Stanley, who the Ravens are hoping can keep wholesome and get again to his beforehand dominant type.
As of now, the guard spots appear like a battle between Ben Cleveland, Sala Aumavae-Laulu, and Andrew Vorhees, and proper sort out shall be Daniel Faalele or Patrick Mekari, who has been the unit’s sixth man.
The Ravens will doubtless use a number of draft picks (they’ve 9) on offensive linemen with these picked on Days 1 or 2 doubtless competing for a beginning spot from the soar.
“It is an efficient draft for offensive linemen. The timing is nice there,” Harbaugh stated. “So we’ll have an opportunity, I’m fairly positive, so as to add some guys in the draft.”
Here’s how the Ravens rebuilt their offensive line the three earlier instances, and takeaways from every course of:
2008 – 2012
This rebuild was a multi-season effort, in the end culminating with an offensive line that was an enormous a part of maintaining Joe Flacco clear for the 2012 Super Bowl run.
Filling Ogden’s sneakers at left sort out proved trickiest. The Ravens did not have the luxurious of drafting one early in 2008 as a result of they needed to get a quarterback (Flacco) first. Baltimore took pictures on a pair of mid-round linemen, Oniel Cousins and David Hale, in the third and fourth rounds however neither grew to become full-time starters.
The excellent news was they’d a trio of offensive linemen from the 2007 draft who have been able to step into bigger roles – first-rounder Ben Grubbs, third rounder Marshal Yanda, and fifth-rounder (supplemental draft) Jared Gaither.
Gaither had the particularly tall process of stepping in for Ogden as a rookie and lasted a year-and-a-half in the position. Grubbs was an anchor at left guard for the subsequent 4 seasons, and Yanda performed guard and sort out (wherever wanted), establishing himself as a perennial Pro Bowler.
Baltimore acquired its confirmed heart in 2009, signing free-agent veteran Matt Birk following the retirement of Matt Flynn and free-agent departure of Jason Brown. Birk solidified the unit for years to return.
Then the Ravens took their first-round sort out in 2009 with Michael Oher. While the film based mostly on his life was known as “The Blind Side,” Oher spent most of his profession at proper sort out.
The Ravens in the end went the free-agent route at left sort out, signing veteran Bryant McKinnie earlier than the 2011 season. He additionally took over for Oher at left sort out in the 2012 playoffs, which shuffled and unlocked the complete unit. The second-round draft choice sort out/guard Kelechi Osemele in 2012 was additionally essential for the Super Bowl-winning offensive line.
- Finding a alternative left sort out is hard, even in the late first spherical
- Drafting and growing guards is usually a very good resolution
- You want an anchor at heart
2013 – 2016
Trying to seek out their long-term left sort out resolution, the Ravens traded for veteran Eugene Monroe halfway via the 2013 season. He completed that 12 months sturdy, incomes a five-year, $37.5 million deal the following offseason. However, accidents restricted him to only 17 video games whole after inking that deal, and Ravens launched him in 2016. Baltimore was compelled to lean on undrafted sort out James Hurst.
The Ravens let Oher stroll in free company following the 2013 season and put their religion in proper sort out Ricky Wagner, a fifth-round choose the 12 months earlier than. Wagner excelled, beginning practically each recreation for the subsequent three years earlier than inking a giant take care of the Lions.
The Ravens’ different youth gamble did not work out as effectively, as 2012 fourth-round choose Gino Gradkowski struggled to step into Birk’s sneakers after the veteran retired. Baltimore traded for Jeremy Zuttah a 12 months later and he began most of the video games over the subsequent three seasons. Fifth-round choose John Urschel additionally appeared able to step into the position however retired early.
- Middle-round younger gamers moving into beginning roles may be hit-or-miss
- Free agent left tackles are costly and it is painful after they do not work out
- High-quality facilities make a giant distinction
2016 – 2019
The Ravens discovered their left sort out, grabbing Stanley with the sixth-overall choose. He began from Day 1 and shortly emerged as one in every of the league’s greatest at his place.
Baltimore additionally drafted Alex Lewis in the fourth spherical and he gained the beginning left guard job as a rookie. Injuries in the end restricted Lewis to only 20 video games in his three years with the Ravens, however he seemed to be an immediate hit.
Ryan Jensen, a sixth-round choose in 2014, took over as the beginning heart in 2017 and flourished, incomes a big-time take care of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the place he went on to win a Super Bowl and go to a Pro Bowl. With Jensen gone, the Ravens turned to undrafted Matt Skura after which Mekari.
The Ravens patched proper sort out with veteran Austin Howard in 2017, changing Wagner, earlier than drafting the alternative, Orlando Brown Jr., in the third spherical in 2018.
Baltimore picked Bradley Bozeman in the sixth spherical in 2018 and handed him the left guard keys in 2019, the place he excelled for 2 years earlier than sliding again to his pure heart place.
The Ravens had the greatest offensive line in the league and three Pro Bowlers in 2019, with Stanley and Brown as the bookend tackles and Yanda ending his Hall-of-Fame worthy profession sturdy. They paved the approach for Lamar Jackson’s MVP season.
- Stockpile Day 3 offensive linemen who can grow to be dependable starters
- A top-notch offensive sort out duo can unlock an offense
2020 – 2023
The Ravens struggled to interchange Yanda at proper guard in 2020. Then Stanley suffered a significant ankle harm days after inking his mega five-year extension, which flipped Brown to left sort out, the place he felt he belonged all alongside and set into movement his commerce request the following offseason.
The Ravens solved the guard drawback in 2021 by signing veteran Kevin Zeitler, who was one in every of their higher worth signings of the previous decade. But Stanley solely made it via one recreation earlier than having to return on the shelf, which compelled free-agent addition Alejandro Villanueva again to left sort out after he was signed to play proper.
They Ravens addressed the sort out problem in 2022 by inking one other veteran in Morgan Moses, who was additionally a powerful addition for the previous two years.
At left guard, the Ravens continued with their draft-and-develop technique, with Bozeman, 2019 fourth-round choose Ben Powers, and 2020 third-round choose Tyre Phillips getting begins. Phillips was finally traded, however Powers was successful who began all 17 video games in 2022 earlier than leaving for a profitable deal in Denver. His alternative, Simpson, was one other veteran signing that labored out.
- Draft and develop guards
- Don’t need to be skinny at offensive sort out
- Right participant, proper value veterans are hit and miss
