Ravens News 6/18: Roster Projection

Offseason observations from all 32 NFL teams: Chiefs’ rebuilt WR room, Kirk Cousins’ impact

Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic

Baltimore Ravens

If OTAs and minicamps are any indication, there will be starting competitions at three offensive line spots this summer. The trade of starting right tackle Morgan Moses and the free-agent departures of starting guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson leave the Ravens with questions alongside established starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum. Offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris did a ton of juggling throughout the offseason workouts. Three starting candidates — Daniel Faalele, Josh Jones and Ben Cleveland — saw action at guard and tackle. Rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten worked in at right tackle. Andrew Vorhees, who missed his rookie season while recovering from a knee injury, got front-line reps at guard. How the offensive line shakes out is the team’s biggest storyline of training camp.

Why Brian Baldinger Isn’t Worried About Ravens Figuring Out Offensive Line

Matt Germack, PressBox

“They replace offensive linemen the way Walmart stocks shelves,” Baldinger said on Glenn Clark Radio on June 11. “… Their best pick that they’ve had was Tyler Linderbaum. He’s a great player. And I think when your center is strong, it makes everybody else better. … They’re going to be in pretty good shape. They’ve got a good offensive line coach [in Joe D’Alessandris]. They know how to coach that position. They do things in the run game that nobody else does. They’re still going to be difficult to stop. I think they’re going to be pretty good.”

“That was the best deep ball passing offense in all of college football, and nobody was close to what Michael Penix did,” Baldinger said. “You needed offensive linemen that could pass block for a long time. … You’ve got a lot of really good plays, a lot of good games where you got a chance to see [Rosengarten] have to stand in there and pass protect a lot longer than most college programs did.”

“I don’t know if you’re going to plug-and-play him yet,” the analyst added. “We’ll see how he holds up through training camp and in preseason games. I think they’re going to give them a good long look to see if he can win that starting right tackle job.”

2024 NFL rookie updates: Notes on 32 first-round draft picks

Jamison Hensley, ESPN

30. Baltimore Ravens — Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

How he has fared so far: Wiggins can really, really run. He was the fastest defensive player at the NFL combine and he was the fastest Ravens defensive player in spring workouts, showing a burst in changing directions. “Nobody’s going to run past Nate Wiggins,” Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson said. “I know that for a fact.” Teammates have joked about how young Wiggins is. He won’t turn 21 until August. “He can’t even drink yet,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “If he gives up a bad play, you got to have that in the back of your mind — he can’t have a Mike’s Hard Lemonade.”

Ravens roster projection: With minicamp over, uncertainty lingers at key positions

Jonas Shaffer, The Baltimore Banner

Wide receiver (5): Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace

The battle for WR5 — and the push for a potential WR6 — should be one of the most compelling in training camp. Wallace has valuable special teams experience, but will the NFL’s new kickoff rules favor bigger players? Malik Cunningham flashed his potential in minicamp, but he’s new to the position and his special teams value is unclear. Sean Ryan is a dark-horse option after a year on the Ravens’ practice squad. Undrafted rookies Isaiah Washington and Dayton Wade look capable of playing their way into the mix, too.

Outside linebacker (6): Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, David Ojabo, Adisa Isaac, Malik Hamm

Injuries are the big worry here. Ojabo participated in individual drills in minicamp, but his rehabilitation from last year’s season-ending ACL injury could limit his involvement in team drills. A hamstring injury kept Isaac out of organized team activities and minicamp. Oweh has dealt with minor ailments throughout his career. Malik Harrison’s experience at outside linebacker gives the Ravens roster flexibility, but it could also cost Hamm, who missed his rookie season with an ankle injury, a roster spot.

10 Storylines That Will Define AFC North ‘Hard Knocks: In-Season’

Clifton Brown, BaltimoreRavens.com

How will the Steelers, Browns and Bengals deal with defending Derrick Henry twice a season?

The addition of Henry to an already smashmouth division gives Baltimore another way to impose its physicality. There will pads popping in AFC North games when Henry hits the point of attack with fullback Patrick Ricard as a lead blocker.

Will the Ravens fare better against the Steelers?

The Ravens had the NFL’s best regular season record in 2023 (13-4) but lost twice to the Steelers and have lost seven of their last eight against Pittsburgh.

Baltimore will host Pittsburgh in Week 16 in a late-season game that could give “Hard Knocks” plenty of material. The NFL’s two current longest tenured head coaches, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, will face off again in a pivotal game that will likely have division and playoff implications.

The presence of former Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen returning to Baltimore in a Pittsburgh uniform will only make the Ravens-Steelers rivalry hotter. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin recently confirmed Queen will wear the green dot helmet this season, relaying defensive calls from the bench to his teammates.

How will the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals handle three games in 10 days late in the season?

Playing games on short rest late in the season will test the depth and resiliency of Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati trying to make their late-season push. The Ravens’ bye in Week 14 could serve them well as a crucial opportunity to recharge for the home stretch.