Tag: Ronnie Stanley

John Harbaugh: T Ronnie Stanley’s injury isn’t serious

Baltimore Ravens fans, you can breathe a little sigh of relief now.

Baltimore Ravens fans, you can breathe a little sigh of relief now. Not only did the Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns in dominant fashion for their first win of the 2020 season, but they also escaped it pretty healthy. That was a major concern after left tackle Ronnie Stanley exited the contest with an ankle injury and didn’t return to the lineup.

However, coach John Harbaugh said Stanley’s injury isn’t serious and he doesn’t expect it to become any more serious by tomorrow.

“Ronnie, it’s not a serious injury, just a little tightening up there,” Harbaugh said after the game. “He got rolled on, I think maybe. It’s not a serious injury to my knowledge right now and I don’t expect it to become one tomorrow.”

That’s a serious relief. While winning the game is obviously paramount, losing a Pro Bowl talent like Stanley would have been a serious blow to the team. The Ravens enter a tough stretch of games where they face off against playoff teams in the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs over the next two weeks.

As we saw when D.J. Fluker came in for Stanley, Baltimore’s depth at tackle is more than a little concerning. Though Fluker did as well as could be expected coming into this game suddenly, he’s clearly a pretty massive step down in play from Stanley.

We’ll see this week just how serious Stanley’s injury really is and if he misses any practice time leading into Week 2 against the Texans.

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Ravens injuries: T Ronnie Stanley suffered apparent leg injury

Baltimore Rvaens left tackle Ronnie Stanley is on the sideline getting looked at by trainers after suffering an apparent left leg injury.

The Baltimore Ravens are pretty thoroughly handling the Cleveland Browns in this game but they’re getting a few more bumps and bruises than they probably like. After seeing cornerback Marlon Humphrey miss a little time with a shoulder injury, left tackle Ronnie Stanley is now being looked at by trainers.

According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the training staff is looking at Stanley’s left foot and ankle. WNST’s Luke Jones has seen veteran lineman D.J. Fluker get warmed up on the sideline in the meantime. The Ravens have officially listed Stanley as questionable to return with an ankle injury.

Stanley is coming off a Pro Bowl season after Baltimore picked up his fifth-year option. A healthy and effective season could see Stanley become the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.

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Who is Notre Dame’s best offensive player of the last 20 years?

ACC Network named the best offensive players of the last 20 years. Which Notre Dame players did they debate between and who do you pick/?

Anyone up for a pointless debate today?

Ok, good.

Me too.

While scrolling Twitter on Friday morning I stumbled into a list that they put together on the ACC Network’s “Packer and Durham” show that take a look back at the last 20 years of ACC football.

The two compiled their lists of the best offensive players the ACC has seen since 2000 as they named one player for each of the current member programs.

Now before you get angry, yes, I too realize that Notre Dame hasn’t been an official member of the ACC until this year.

That applies to other teams such as Boston College, Louisville, Miami, Pitt and Syracuse who all weren’t playing in the ACC at the start of this century, either.

Here is who Mark Packer and Wes Durham both chose as their best offensive players from each ACC football program since 2000.

Fun names on this list, no doubt, but the vast majority of these are no-brainers which takes away some of the fun of debating.

Luckily for us Notre Dame’s is one of the schools where there wasn’t an obvious choice, at least between these two who were deciding.

As you can see, Packer choose Brady Quinn while Durham went with Quenton Nelson, both of which are worthy of the praise.

Statistically speaking, nobody puts up better numbers than Brady Quinn.  He’s thrown for more yards, more touchdowns and led Notre Dame to consecutive BCS appearances at a time when it look like the Fighting Irish football program was headed to irrelevance.

There are a ton of players that you can mention that didn’t get named by either, as well.  

Golden Tate won a Belitnikoff and despite the win-loss record during his time not being where anyone would have liked, was a legend and a thrill to watch each Saturday, specifically in 2008 and 2009.

Michael Floyd was similiar to that as well. Maybe his style of play wasn’t as exciting as Tate’s but his production was truly elite.  Will Fuller also comes to mind as do others, as some might argue that Jeff Samardzija was just as good as either.

Josh Adams nearly became a Heisman Trophy finalist and seemed like he was putting up over a 50 yard run each week for some time.

And the countless lineman that have come through and been stars whether it be Ronnie Stanley, Zach or Nick Martin or Mike McGlinchey.

But I’m with Durham on this one.

When you look at Notre Dame football over the last 20 years, who was simply the best player?

It may not be the most exciting position but you can argue that very few dominated their position in the last 20 years like Nelson dominated at offensive guard, specifically in 2017.

Nelson was nearly flawless by the time he left the program after 2017, much of the reason he became the highest drafted offensive guard in the history of the NFL Draft.

It’s not what he’s done with the Indianapolis Colts that puts him on the top of the list for me, but his complete dominance of the position while at Notre Dame.

When you go back and look at Quenton Nelson you see what was easily the best player at the position not just in terms of the Irish, but as dominating as any guard has been in college football has been in quite some time.

Nelson gets my imaginary vote.  Who gets yours?

ESPN updates Position U’s, Find out where Notre Dame landed

The Irish place very well inside the updated rankings, but not quite where you would expect them to.

Now that NFL training camps have started back up, we are all getting a look at some teams roster constructions. With that, ESPN has updated their Position U rankings after gathering data from their Sports and Information group along with numbers from Pro Football Reference.

The Irish have placed in their rankings, although not in the top spot for any positions. Notre Dame placed 9th in Wide Receivers, 5th in Tight Ends and 7th in Offensive Line groups. It might seem like the analysts at ESPN got some of the rankings wrong, especially at tight end, but they do give some sound reasoning.

They did not mention much at ball regarding the production of former Irish wide receivers, but the group is very solid. Golden Tate, Will Fuller, Equanimeous St. Brown, Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool make up a fantastic collection of Notre Dame alumni receivers. Claypool has been shown very well so far and that ranking could be on the rise from 9th.

This next group, the tight ends, seems a bit low given the production from the group has been top-notch. The top spot went to Miami, the U, who boasts an quite a lot of quality players, as they have had 10 drafted in the last 20 years, with half of them going in the first round. They note that the Irish have “Cole Kmet was the first tight end taken in this years draft, and the Irish have had a tight end selected for three straight years.” Alize Mack and Durham Smythe were those two other players. As we know the position is stacked right now with tons of talent, but it’s hard to argue with Miami production the last 20 years. All time is a different conversation, however.

The offensive line helped the Irish get to 7th, but that ranking also could be on the move upwards as ESPN ranked them as who’s next. “There’s a strong case to be made that Notre Dame has produced the NFL best current tackle (Ronnie Stanley) and guard (Quenton Nelson) over the past five drafts. Add in Pro-Bowler Zach Martin, and NFL starters Nick Martin and Mike McGlinchey, and what the Irish might lack in quantity, they more than make up for in quality.”

The Irish didn’t make the defensive line group’s rankings but the did make their who’s missing. ESPN noted that “the Irish failed to produce a true impact player at the next level.” This is an area where an improvement is drastically needed.

As a whole collective group, the Irish did great inside the updated Positional U rankings. The upside is there for movement in the future and could very well be happening.

Ravens give first hint at starting offensive line at training camp

Baltimore Ravens center Patrick Mekari posted a photo that hints at what the Baltimore Ravens’ starting offensive line looks like at camp.

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.

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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Ronnie Stanley embracing leadership role in Marshal Yanda’s absence

The retirement of Marshal Yanda left a huge void, both in play and leadership. But Baltimore Ravens T Ronnie Stanley is ready to step up.

Following Marshal Yanda’s retirement, all the talk has been focused on how the Baltimore Ravens are going to replace his production on the offensive line. While Yanda’s heir at right guard is a key aspect to this offseason and especially training camp, Yanda’s role as a leader might actually be more important for Baltimore to replace.

As the most senior member of the Ravens’ offensive line, left tackle Ronnie Stanley is stepping up into the void created by Yanda’s retirement.

“I’m all for helping my teammates and being there for them,” Stanley said during a press conference on Monday. “I want to be that person that they can rely on, play-in and play-out, that they know what they’re going to get from me. I think that’s a role of a true leader – is that you have to be consistent and people have to know what they’re getting from you.”

Stanley is not only a great leader because of his time spent in Baltimore but because he’s at the top of the game. Fresh off a historically great 2019 season, Stanley is among the very tippy top of the offensive tackles in the league, which will likely see him get a massive contract.

He excels in pass protection, allowing just six quarterback pressures and no sacks last regular season, putting him on par with Hall of Famers like Baltimore legend Jonathan Ogden. But Stanley is also a road grader for the Ravens’ power rushing attack. Last season, Baltimore gained the most yards when running behind or to the outside of Stanley than any other area of the line.

Leading isn’t just playing well, however. There’s also an aspect of leading by example, setting the tone for the younger players and newcomers on how the Ravens do everything. Everything from how hard he works in the offseason to how the team practices and prepares for games can be dictated via the respect other players have for him. While Yanda gave some firey pre-game speeches last season, it was that work ethic and desire to constantly get better that led the charge for the entire offensive line.

As Stanley approaches the end of his rookie deal, it’s a perfect time for him to take his game to another level. And that means becoming both the vocal leader and serving as the model of everything Baltimore likes to be.

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Ravens T Ronnie Stanley thought about opting out this season

With the ability to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Baltimore Ravens T Ronnie Stanley considered sitting out this season.

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As Baltimore Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley enters a critical contract year, he briefly considered not playing this season due to COVID-19.

“It definitely crossed my mind but I’m definitely a person that, I want to play, I want to be around my teammates,” Stanley said to reporters Monday. “I’m just a competitive person and it would take a really high risk to keep me out of the building. At the same time, I think the Ravens are really doing a great job of limiting the chances of contracting the virus.”

The NFL and NFLPA agreed to an opt-out provision for players this offseason in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Players with certain pre-existing medical conditions could opt out with a high-risk designation while others could use a voluntary designation to sit out the 2020 season.

Stanley isn’t the only Baltimore player to consider opting out this season. Calais Campbell, who the Ravens traded for this offseason, said he considered using the league’s opt-out provision due to his asthma and a new baby being in the house. Baltimore did have two players opt out, however. Offensive tackle Andre Smith and wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas both used the voluntary opt out this season, joining 64 other players around the league who opted out before the NFL’s deadline.

Stanley put up a historically great 2019 campaign that had him play even better than Baltimore legend Jonathan Ogden. Stanley gave up just six quarterback pressures and no sacks in the regular season, also helping pave the way for the Ravens to break a 41-year old record for the most team rushing yards in a single season.

With the Ravens looked at as serious contenders for Super Bowl LV, Stanley’s absence would have been devastating for their chances. If Stanley had joined Smith in opting out this season, that would have left Baltimore with no starting left tackle and no experienced backup option to lean on. When added to the retirement of right guard Marshal Yanda this offseason, the Ravens’ offensive line would have undergone a dramatic shakeup.

Luckily for the Ravens, Stanley decided to play this season, which could be a lucrative decision for him. Stanley said his agent and Baltimore are still engaged in contract talks, though he noted it isn’t “at the forefront of his mind.” Still, an impressive 2020 could make Stanley the highest-paid offensive tackle in the league, clocking in near what some of the top quarterbacks earn.

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Lane Johnson lands just outside the top-5 in a ranking of offensive tackles entering the 2020 NFL season

Lane Johnson is No. 6 in a ranking of tackles entering the 2020 season

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The 2020 season is fast approaching and the Eagles will again have one of the top offensive lines in the NFL thanks to star right tackle Lane Johnson.

With Brandon Brooks out, Johnson is the high profile name on the line and he’ll be leaned on by Jason Peters who’s returning to play right guard.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top-25 offensive tackles in the NFL entering the 2020 season and Johnson landed in the top-10 at No. 6, while second-year left tackle Andre Dillard was left off the list.

6. LANE JOHNSON, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
It’s a shame that Johnson’s 2019 season ended the way it did, as he was having a career year. He produced an 88.8 PFF grade, ranking second in the NFL. His run-block grade sat at 92.6, which was the best we have seen at the position since Joe Staley in 2012. He’s created holes for the run game ever since he came into the NFL in 2013, ranking outside the top-10 in run-block grade just once. That’s the definition of reliable right there. To take that a step further, Johnson played 2018 with a couple of nagging injuries and still managed to produce like a top-10 tackle.

Johnson will no doubt use the top-6 ranking as motivation, and as one of the highest-paid at his position, he’s definitely worthy of feeling like he should be the highest-rated tackle in football.

The Eagles simply aren’t the same as a unit without Johnson on the field.

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Notre Dame well-represented on NFL Top 100 list

Through just over half the rankings four Notre Dame players have appeared on the NFL’s Top 100 list. How many more will show up?

If you’re craving football returning chances are you’ve flipped on NFL Network in the last few days.  If you’ve done that you’ve almost certainly seen them promote their “NFL Top 100” list that has returned again this season.

NFL Network is revealing the list this week and has already counted down from 100 to 41.  In that window four former Notre Dame players have already been unvieled.

Checking in at No. 88 was Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith who is actually down 27 spots from a year ago when he checked in at 61.

Ronnie Stanley made his debut on the list as he came in ranked at 74.  I thought even though he wasn’t on the list previously that this felt a bit low considering how elite he was in pass protection a year ago and because of how much he helped an incredibly strong Ravens run game.

Harrison Smith has been a mainstay on the list as he’s appeared on it now five consecutive seasons.  Smith had the highest Madden rating of any safety in football recently and checked in at No. 64 on this years list, up 19 spots from No. 83 a year ago.

Finally Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys rounds out the Notre Dame players that have been mentioned so far. Martin is as reliable as any offensive guard in the game and came in ranked No. 55, his highest rating ever of the four times he’s now appeared on the list.

The show resumes Tuesday night as spots 40-11 will be unveieled, then Wednesday night spots 10-1 will be counted down.

The list has featured the main Notre Dame characters you’d expect to see with the exception of Quenton Nelson.  Nelson is as dominant of offensive lineman as there is in the game but I’m curious how high they’ll actually rank a guard.

My best guess is he’ll come in somewhere around 25 or so largely because of the position that he plays.

Ravens T Andre Smith opts out of 2020 NFL season

Following WR De’Anthony Thomas, Baltimore Ravens backup offensive tackle Andre Smith is using the opt-out provision to sit out the season.

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Andre Smith is using the league’s voluntary opt-out provision, deciding to sit out the 2020 NFL season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Smith is the second Ravens player to opt out, joining wide receiver and return specialist De’Anthony Thomas.

Smith was initially signed by Baltimore late last season, just prior to their playoff appearance, not appearing in any games. The Ravens re-signed him to a one-year deal this offseason. Smith has been in the league for 11 years after being selected sixth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2009 NFL Draft. Though Smith is no longer a starting option, his experience looked to be invaluable to Baltimore considering how thin they are at the position and their Super Bowl aspirations.

The decision to opt out of the season leaves Baltimore pretty shallow at offensive tackle, after cutting James Hurst this offseason. Outside of the starting pair of Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown Jr., Smith and D.J. Fluker were the only players on the roster with starting experience at tackle. Smith has now opted out and Fluker is expected to compete for the now vacant right guard job following the retirement of Marshal Yanda this offseason, leaving the primary backup job likely to rookie Tyre Phillips.

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