The Ravens offensive line remains in a holding pattern four weeks before the 2021 season kickoff against Las Vegas.
We knew standout left tackle Ronnie Stanley wouldn’t be ready for the start of training camp — he did begin doing limited practice work this past week — but the concern is that Baltimore has moved in the wrong direction otherwise. Prize free-agent acquisition and right guard Kevin Zeitler sprained his foot in the first padded workout on Aug. 3 and hasn’t practiced since. Considered by many as the favorite to win the left guard job, third-round rookie Ben Cleveland sustained an undisclosed injury last week that kept him out of the 17-14 win over New Orleans. New right tackle Alejandro Villanueva missed a couple practices this past week before logging seven snaps against the Saints. And head coach John Harbaugh said the ankle sprain sustained by Bradley Bozeman in the fourth offensive series on Saturday was “pretty minor,” but the new starting center missing practice time would be the latest obstacle for a revamped group needing time to gel.
How quickly will Stanley regain his pre-injury form? Is Bozeman ready to thrive at the position he played in college after three years at left guard? Will Villanueva’s transition to the right side be successful? Is Cleveland — or one of the other young linemen on the roster — prepared to start at left guard? Can Zeitler still play at a level high enough to make Ravens fans stop pining for the days of Yanda at right guard?
The clock is ticking for these guys to log some game snaps together with the preseason now reduced to three contests with the Ravens playing at Carolina this Saturday and at Washington on Aug. 28.
“You just kind of have to do what you have to do,” Harbaugh said. “If we don’t get them together because of circumstances, it’s not like we’re not going to play. I can’t say we’re not going to play, so it’ll be what it is. Hopefully, we can get them out there for the last [preseason] game. There’s a lot of time and a lot of circumstances between now and then.”
How much the Ravens need those projected starters on the field was evident in the preseason opener when the offense gained just two yards on 12 plays in the opening quarter and just 121 yards in the entire first half. Four of the five offensive line starters on Saturday — Bozeman, Tyre Phillips, Ben Powers, and Patrick Mekari — started last January’s playoff loss to Buffalo, albeit all playing different positions this time around. That postseason experience didn’t translate to particularly functional play as the group was pushed around as run blockers and in pass protection as backup quarterbacks Trace McSorley and Tyler Huntley were often under duress. Those struggles illustrated a big part of the reason why Harbaugh didn’t play quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had a late start to camp due to a bout with COVID-19 and only began practicing on Aug. 7.
The current offensive line is offering a glimpse of why Lamar Jackson isn't playing tonight. #Ravens
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The Ravens used multiple options at the tackle positions against the Saints, but there were no signs of a viable swing option to back up Stanley and Villanueva. That concern reminds of last year when Stanley was lost for the season, ex-Raven Orlando Brown Jr. moved to the left side, and the combination of Phillips and former Raven D.J. Fluker floundered at right tackle for the remainder of the season. With Stanley returning from a serious ankle injury and Villanueva adjusting to a new position a month shy of his 33rd birthday, the Ravens could really use a dependable understudy capable of filling in for a game here and there, but that player may not be on the current roster. Phillips, Powers, and Mekari didn’t look the part against the Saints.
No, Saturday wasn’t a ringing endorsement for Baltimore’s offensive line depth. The Ravens felt good about what they did with their offensive line this offseason, especially knowing how quarterback Lamar Jackson’s transcendent running ability makes the job of every member of the offense that much easier. But even established veterans need time to build cohesion, and you can’t expect every starter to play all 17 games in the season.
On Saturday, the Ravens caught a glimpse of what their offensive line looks like with a couple men down. And while there’s no need to panic with the season still four weeks away, they couldn’t have liked what they saw.
