One of the biggest storylines for the Ravens this offseason has been the complete retooling of the offensive line. After losing both right guard Kevin Zeitler and left guard John Simpson in free agency and trading right tackle Morgan Moses to the New York Jets, Baltimore is set to have three new faces protecting MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson this season.
The only two returning starters from last season’s unit will be left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum. Stanley has struggled to both stay on the field and perform at a high level in recent seasons. Linderbaum, entering his third season, is the stalwart of the line now.
With so much uncertainty regarding the offensive line this season, it should be no surprise that many people are down on the unit, including PFF’s Zoltan Buday. Buday ranked the Ravens’ offensive line near the bottom of the league at No. 25 ahead of the upcoming season.
“For parts of the 2023 season, the Ravens’ offensive line looked like a top-tier unit,” Buday wrote. “However, the team lost three starters: Kevin Zeitler, John Simpson and Morgan Moses. And while Tyler Linderbaum is already one of the best centers in the NFL, Ronnie Stanley has not been the same since his injury in 2020. The rest of the offensive line will consist of either unproven young players or offensive linemen who flashed ability as backups but have yet to show they can repeat those outings as starters.”
Baltimore will rely on a combination of unproven players, Ben Cleveland, Andrew Vorhees, Daniel Faalele, and rookie Roger Rosengarten, this season to keep Jackson upright as they look to return to the playoffs and right the wrongs from last season’s disappointing end in the AFC Championship.