Tag: Patrick Mekari

Todd Monken hints at Patrick Mekari starting at RT For Ravens in Week 1 vs. Chiefs

Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken hinted at Patrick Mekari being the starting right tackle for the Ravens vs. the Chiefs in Week 1

The Ravens have known for about a week who’ll be the starting offensive line for the gigantic Week 1 matchup against the Chiefs, but the names were withheld for competitive reasons.

Some of those names are starting to trickle out, and there’s an upset at the right tackle spot.  Roger Rosengarten was drafted in the second round, but OC Todd Monken hinted at veteran Patrick Mekari getting the call in a hostile environment.

https://Twitter.com/jeffzrebiec/status/1830698513363018118

Mekari has logged snaps in five NFL seasons at all five offensive line positions. He’s essentially become a five-tool utility man of immense value, especially on this roster.

Mekari made seven starts between the right and left side, filling in for Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses, who dealt with knee and shoulder injuries.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta is prepared for growing pains with young, retooled offensive line

Baltimore Ravens GM Eric DeCosta is prepared for growing pains with young, retooled offensive line

The Ravens saw the decline last summer, decided to let two looming free-agent offensive linemen walk, and traded Morgan Moses to the New York Jets.

During his Thursday press conference, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged that an offensive line imploding could take place, and it would ultimately set the franchise back.

Baltimore wanted a younger offensive line, and DeCosta acknowledged that there could be growing pains.

Starting left guard John Simpson exited, and the Ravens replaced him with Andrew Vorhees, a seventh-round pick out of USC who missed his entire rookie season while rehabbing a knee injury.

Talented right guard Kevin Zeitler (34) departed, and the younger and bigger Daniel Faalele was inserted.

After Morgan Moses was traded, former Washington Huskies stud Roger Rosengarten was drafted in the second round in April, and he looks like a future All-Pro.   Next Thursday night will see the offensive line feature three first-year starters, with Vorhees, Rosengarten, and Daniel Faalele inserted in critical positions and likely to see a lot of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Baltimore is also adjusting to a new offensive line coach. George Warhop is joining John Harbaugh’s staff, replacing longtime offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris, who passed away from an “acute illness.”

Head coach John Harbaugh says he knows who the starters will be but has declined to announce them for strategic purposes.

John Harbaugh says Ravens have made a decision on starting offensive line for Week 1

John Harbaugh says Ravens have made a decision on starting offensive line for Week 1

The Ravens are about 24 hours away from trimming their roster down to a 53-man juggernaut. With the season opener at Kansas City closing in, head coach John Harbaugh has an idea about his starting offensive line in this crucial season.

Following Monday’s efficient practice, Harbaugh told the media a decision has been made, although he didn’t reveal.

Andrew Vorhees, the 2023 seventh-round pick out of Southern Cal who spent his entire rookie season on the non-football injury list as he recovered from a torn ACL, will start at left guard.  Daniel Faalele, a 2022 fourth-round pick trying to become this franchise’s Jordan Mailata, will start at right guard.

Veteran Patrick Mekari has split first-team reps with second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten throughout camp. Still, he’s probably better served being the sixth man and a guy who can play four or five positions.

Tyler Linderbaum will start at center, while Ravens rookie seventh-round pick Nick Samac should make the roster as his backup.

Josh Jones, Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, and Tashawn Manning should make the roster and give Baltimore a solid ten-man unit.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

3 big questions for the Ravens coming out of preseason finale

We’re looking at 3 biggest questions or concerns for the Baltimore Ravens coming out of the preseason finale

The Ravens completed their preseason with a 30-7 loss to the Packers on Saturday afternoon. While the coaching staff works to trim the roster down to 53 players, we’re looking at the three biggest questions for a club searching for a Super Bowl berth.

Baltimore had the NFL’s best record in 2023 but could not defeat the Chiefs at home, suffering a 17-10 loss to Kansas City in the AFC Championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens added Derrick Henry to the running back position and have Isaiah likely ascending as one of the top young tight ends in the league.  Even with a stacked roster, there are still questions, and we’re looking at the three most significant concerns coming out of the preseason finale.

1. Ravens’ offensive line depth

Baltimore will will likely roll with a group that includes Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees, Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten, Patrick Mekari, Ben Cleveland, Josh Jones, Sala Aumavae-Laulu. The Ravens led the NFL in rushing last season and then added Derrick Henry during the free-agency frenzy. The team saw Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson depart via free agency, while Morgan Moses was traded to the Jets. Baltimore has the offensive talent to be explosive and dominant, but can the offensive line be physical at the point of attack while giving Lamar Jackson time to be efficient in the passing game?

2. Can Trenton Simpson develop into an All-Pro?

Simpson will replace Patrick Queen at one linebacker spot, and Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr prepared the former Clemson star linebacker.

Simpson played into the third quarter of the preseason finale to get more game reps for the second-year linebacker, and he even came away with a big interception. Simpson doesn’t have to be dominant from Day 1, but he has the athleticism and physicality of a future All-Pro.

3. Can Lamar Jackson achieve postseason success

Lamar Jackson will enter year 7 in the NFL, having never passed for over 4,000 yards in a regular season. Thanks to Derrick Henry’s arrival and Isaiah Likely’s emergence, Jackson will shatter his career-high 3,678 passing yards from 2023. That won’t matter if the Ravens flame out in the postseason. Jackson’s career playoff record is 2-4, and he has a passer rating of 75.7, 1,324 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions in six playoff games. Baltimore hired Todd Monken last off-season to take his talents to the next level while adding more weapons like Derrick Henry to mesh with Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, Keaton Mitchell, Nelson Agholor, and more.

Ravens vs. Packers: Top photos from preseason finale at Lambeau Field

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field

It’s only the preseason, but the Ravens will head towards the 53-man roster cutdown date with a sour taste after a 30-7 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field on Saturday afternoon. Josh Johnson was 5-7 for 71 yards and one passing touchdown, while Michael Pratt led Green Bay in passing, going 8-12 for 80 yards and one touchdown. The Packers were dominant on the ground, amassing 193 rushing yards, as Ellis Merriweather led all ball carriers with 16 yards for 74 yards. The Packers held the ball for nearly ten minutes longer than the Ravens and out-gained Baltimore by 326 yards to 177 for John Harbaugh’s bunch. With Baltimore now turning its attention toward the Chiefs, here’s an instant analysis of the loss. ***

John Harbaugh says Ravens are close to naming starting offensive line for Week 1

John Harbaugh says the Baltimore Ravens are close to naming starting offensive line for Week 1 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs

The Ravens are eight days away from trimming their roster down to a 53-man juggernaut, and with the season opener at Kansas City closing in, head coach John Harbaugh has an idea about his starting offensive line in this crucial season.

Following Monday’s efficient practice, Harbaugh told the media he’s closing in on his decision, but it’s likely already been decided.

Andrew Vorhees, the 2023 seventh-round pick out of Southern Cal who spent his entire rookie season on the non-football injury list as he recovered from a torn ACL, will start at left guard.  Daniel Faalele, a 2022 fourth-round pick trying to become this franchise’s Jordan Mailata, will start at right guard.

Veteran Patrick Mekari has split first-team reps with second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten throughout camp. Still, he’s probably better served being the sixth man and a guy who can play four or five positions.

Tyler Linderbaum will start at center, while Ravens rookie seventh-round pick Nick Samac should make the roster as his backup.

Josh Jones, Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, and Tashawn Manning should make the roster and give Baltimore a solid ten-man unit.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Has Roger Rosengarten done enough to win the Ravens starting right tackle job?

There were no shortage of stellar performers for the Baltimore Ravens today, and rookie Roger Rosengarten was certainly one of them.

There was no shortage of stellar performers for the Baltimore Ravens today, and rookie Roger Rosengarten was undoubtedly one of them. While the starting offensive line isn’t set in stone yet, we do have a pretty good idea now about who the first-choice five will be.

There will be three new starters, one of which is right tackle. Rosengarten has taken the new opportunity and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. In Saturday’s preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons, Rosengarten looked dominant, consistently winning his one-on-one battles during the snaps he was in.

This builds on a solid first preseason game. The video below gives you a chance to judge for yourself.

The Ravens took Rosengarten out of the University of Washington, where he anchored a line that led the way for college football’s most high-octane offense.

Rosengarten has drawn praise from all corners this summer. From reporters in the media to the coaching staff to observers on social media, the rookie right tackle has turned heads.

That starting spot is well-earned.

Ravens vs. Falcons: Top photos from Baltimore’s 13-12 win in preseason Week 2

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason Week 2 matchup

Backup quarterback Josh Johnson was perfect on the afternoon, and rookie Emory Jones added a 56-yard touchdown throw to Dayton Wade in the second half to lift the Baltimore Ravens to a 13-12 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.  The Ravens snapped a three-game preseason losing streak, while Atlanta had 343 yards of total offense but was 4-13 on third downs. Baltimore had another putrid day on the ground, rushing for 71 yards on 30 attempts.  With the team set to start preparation for the preseason finale, here are the top photos from the win over Atlanta. ***

Top photos from Ravens 16-13 loss to Eagles in preseason opener

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason opener at M&T Bank Stadium

The Ravens returned to the field for live game action for the first time since their heartbreaking, 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.

Baltimore hosted Philadelphia at M&T Bank Stadium, with both teams on similar arcs, and championship paths. Starting quarterback Lamar Jackson sat out along with key starters on both sides of the football.

Eagles kicker Jake Elliott made a 49-yard field goal with no time remaining to give the Philadelphia Eagles a 16-13 victory after Baltimore quarterback Emory Jones — who had just entered the game — was sacked and fumbled on the next play.

The recovery by Patrick Johnson gave Elliott his final opportunity of the night.

With Baltimore set to start preparation for the Falcons in the second week of the preseason, we’re looking at the top photos from Friday night.

***

John Harbaugh says the Ravens starting offensive line is still TBD

John Harbaugh admits the starting offensive line we’ll see Friday night is not the same as the first choice OL once the games count.

We knew entering training camp that the Baltimore Ravens were going to have to break in three new starters on the offensive line. Coach John Harbaugh previously indicated that he had hoped to have the starting offensive line settled by the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

However, he also implied that if that goal wasn’t reached, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Which is good because the head coach has now admitted that the starting offensive line we’ll see Friday night is not the same as the eventual first choice OL once the games start to count.

Harbaugh said we’ll continue to see a rotation of players throughout the preseason.

“We’ll see most of those guys out there,” Harbaugh clarified.

“I don’t know about this game if every one of those guys will be out there. I’m not sure about the offensive line completely, yet. But, they probably won’t be out there with Lamar.

“But as far as the rest of the guys—we’re pretty young. It’s not like we have a ton of guys not playing over the course of the preseason.

“So, we’ll see all the guys we need to and it will be quite a few guys.”

Reading in between the lines, it appears that the starting o-line will play together at some point this preseason, but we already know that it can’t possibly happen until the preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers.

That’s because one of the two returning starters, center Tyler Linderbaum, is out until then, due to injury.

And given the current timeline for his injury recovery and return, he could face a late fitness test in order to be cleared for that game.

The other returning starter in the group is left tackle Ronnie Stanley. Both guard positions and the right tackle slot are up for grabs.