Tag: Ronnie Stanely

Ravens DL Michael Pierce shares excitement about reuniting with teammates, coaches in Baltimore

Ravens defensive lineman Michael Pierce talked about being back with the team

The Baltimore Ravens signed defensive lineman Michael Pierce in 2022 free agency to a three-year $16.5 million dollar contract. He returns to the team for his second stint after a short stay with the Minnesota Vikings, who he inked a three-year contract with during the 2020 offseason, but was cut before the duration of the contract finished.

Pierce spoke to the media after a training camp practice and answered a plethora of different questions. He went into detail about what it feels like to be back in Baltimore and reunite with members of the organization, sayin git feels like a homecoming for him.

“It’s just, like I said, when I first came back in a bunch of interviews, it’s the people around the building. You obviously know your teammates, ‘TJ’ [Tony Jefferson II], Marlon [Humphrey], Ronnie [Stanley], Lamar [Jackson] etcetera, etcetera, Gus [Edwards] and all of those guys. But just the rapport I had with our coaching staff, obviously we know who Coach ‘Harbs’ [head coach John Harbaugh] is. [Defensive coordinator] Mike Macdonald was the linebackers coach at the time, but having familiarity with him, I played with [inside linebackers coach] Zach Orr, [Anthony] Levine, we can just go on and on about those guys. But like I said, seeing Manny and Shorty in the cafeteria again, [team clinician] Dr. Tricia [Bent-Goodley], ‘Ms. Val’ [Valerie Wideman], [team chaplain] Johnny [Shelton]. I have a really, really special relationship with all of those people. So, it’s like a homecoming for me. So, that was a no-brainer.”

Pierce is expected to replace a lot of what former Baltimore defensive tackle Brandon Williams did for the team, but over the past few years he he hasn’t played a ton of football. He only suited up for six games during the 2021 season as a member of the Vikings after opting out of 2020. Pierce is looking for a comeback season to prove to the rest of the NFL that he still has plenty left in the tank, and should have a sizable role on the Ravens’ defensive unit.

John Harbaugh gives his thoughts on Ravens’ revamped offensive line so far

The Baltimore Ravens have revamped their offensive line in a big way for the 2021 season. John Harbaugh gave his thoughts on the unit so far

The Baltimore Ravens went through a bit of an overhaul to their offensive line in the 2021 offseason. They signed guards Kevin Zeitler and Michael Schofield as well as tackles Alejandro Villanueva and Ja’Wuan James while also bringing in guard Ben Cleveland in the draft.

When asked about how he feels about his new offensive line unit so far, head coach John Harbaugh said that he was ‘very pleased’ with them.

“Right, same thing. Getting those guys that are new, so getting them merged into the offense is a big part of it, and then also watching them play has been a pleasure. They’re all ball, all the time – both of those guys. Whether it’s meeting room, weight room, conditioning [or] on the field work – they’re all ball, all the time. I love that about them. I think they’re going to be a formidable tandem on the right side. I’m really pleased with them so far.”

Many predict that Baltimore’s offensive line from left to right will be Ronnie Stanley, Ben Cleveland, Bradley Bozeman, Kevin Zeitler, and Alejandro Villanueva. If that is indeed the group that starts in Week 1, it would mean a different player would be playing at each position compared to how the line looked in the final game of 2020, with Bradley Bozeman being the only constant, although he was playing left guard, not center.

The Ravens struggled with injuries and some poor play on their line last season. With the talent and depth that they’ve added in 2021, it seems that Baltimore isn’t planning on being thin at the position this year, and Harbaugh is happy with what he’s seen out of his offensive line so far.