Ravens won’t reveal starting offensive line ahead of regular season opener; are open to rotating players

After months of outside speculation and internal deliberation, the Baltimore Ravens starting offensive line to open the 2024 regular season has been determined. However, the answer to who won the competitions to replace the three veterans who they parted ways with in the offseason won’t be unveiled to the world until the team takes the field on Sept. 5 to face the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

“We have (decided),” head coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “I’m not going to make any announcements about any starting positions going into the Chiefs game. What would be the point? We’re just going to go play the game.”

Based on who took the bulk of snaps at the open positions during training camp and the preseason, it can be assumed the starting unit from left to right will be veteran Ronnie Stanley, second-year pro Andrew Vorhees, 2023 Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum, third-year pro Daniel Faalele and rookie Roger Rosengarten. However, on the Ravens initial depth chart that public relations staff constructed the only difference is versatile veteran Patrick Mekari is slotted in as the starting right tackle with Rosengarten as his primary backup.

Vorhees would mark the Ravens’ fourth different starting left guard to open the season since 2021 and would be taking over for fifth-year veteran John Simpson who signed with the New York Jets. Faalele was a career right tackle until this summer and is now slated to take over for 2023 Pro Bowl right guard Kevin Zeitler at right guard who signed with the Detroit Lions. Rosengarten was selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington and is in line to replace veteran Morgan Moses who got traded to the Jets.

The one potential wildcard who could be trotted out with the starters next Thursday and it wouldn’t be a surprise is fourth-year pro Ben Cleveland. The 2021 third-rounder spent most of training camp and the preseason cross-training at center but is a career guard and has played well when called upon.

While Harbaugh didn’t divulge exactly who will be lining up where in Week 1, he did not rule out the possibility of the Ravens deploying the same two-player rotation strategy they used late last season at both offensive tackle spots for one or more of the positions that were up for grabs this summer.

“Sure, (rotating) definitely could be a possibility,” Harbaugh said. “It’s something that we did last year effectively. That’s kind of a new strategy. Not many people have done that before. One of Joe D’s (D’Alessandris) innovations.”

Mekari rotated with Stanley on the blindside in 2023 and has taken first-team right tackle reps in training camp this year. Cleveland has played well when called upon in the regular season and looked good playing guard during the reps he got at guard during the preseason.

The Ravens could roll with the assumed lineup, a slightly different one or ultimately decide to rotate until the spots are firmly secured. Ultimately, having the best starting five blockers protecting reigning league MVP and franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson as well as opening lanes for four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry will be integral to the success of the overall offense in the second year under offensive coordinator Todd Monken following such a promising and encouraging first season last year.

Whoever gets the starting nods in the opener will have quite the challenge on their hands going up against a fierce Chiefs front seven that features defensive ends Michael Danna and George Karlaftis III and five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones who combined for 27.5 sacks last season. Kansas City also boasts a trio of ultra-physical off-ball linebackers in Drue Tranquill, Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal who are all capable of making disruptive plays at and behind the line of scrimmage on any given play.

One thing Harbaugh did share about the team’s plans for this season from the first game to the last is that it will be dedicated to recently passed offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris and franchise legend Jacboy Jones who suddenly passed earlier this summer.

“Want to honor Coach Joe D’Alessandris and Jacoby Jones with this season.” Coach Harbaugh pic.twitter.com/g0mE5uCSG4

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 26, 2024

“We want to honor [D’Alessandris] for sure with this season and we want to honor Jacoby Jones,” Harbaugh said. “Those are two people we’re going to dedicate our season to this year. Do everything we can to make them proud of us when they’re watching, from where they’re watching. We appreciate those two great men very much.”