The Baltimore Ravens have been ramping up at training camp for the last few weeks. While reporters aren’t yet allowed at the facility, the team has given little glimpses of what’s going on at the Under Armour Performance Center. One such glimpse included the first hint of what the offensive line could look like in Week 1.
Center Patrick Mekari posted a photo of practice for his birthday, showing four of the five offensive linemen lined up to snap the ball. With Orlando Brown Jr. manning right tackle and Bradley Bozeman at left guard, this looks to be the very first starting lineup Baltimore is putting on the field.
Grateful to be working on my birthday #23 pic.twitter.com/qEYRQPNlEq
— Patrick Mekari (@PMekari) August 14, 2020
Though we shouldn’t take this image as definitive proof since the Ravens are holding competitions for both starting guard jobs and potentially at center as well, it’s pretty much what many expected the starting lineup to look like. With veterans finally getting on the field for the first time this week, Brown and Bozeman being in their respective spots in the photo point to it being the current starting lineup at Ravens training camp.
Left tackle | Left guard | Center | Right guard | Right tackle |
Ronnie Stanley | Bradley Bozeman | Patrick Mekari | D.J. Fluker | Orlando Brown Jr. |
As the most experienced of the guards on the roster, Fluker was expected to get the first crack at replacing Marshal Yanda at right guard. Though he’ll also be competing with Ben Powers, Tyre Phillips, and Ben Bredeson; it seems like it’s Fluker’s job to lose right now.
With Matt Skura still on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, Mekari would be the next obvious choice at center. Mekari played well in Skura’s stead after he suffered a gruesome knee injury last season. Though Skura would likely hold the starting job once he returns, Mekari getting the nod right now is a good sign for a guy who could be on the roster bubble.
We still have several weeks remaining before the regular season starts and there is nearly an infinite number of things that can happen between now and then. This very well might not be anywhere close to what the Ravens’ starting offensive line looks like in Week 1, but for now, it seems to be what Baltimore is rolling with.
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