OWINGS MILLS — Ravens Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum missed practice Friday and Saturday, but coach John Harbaugh doesn’t expect him to be out long term.
[It is] a minor soft tissue kind of thing,” Harbaugh said. “He should be back sometime next week. We’ll be very patient with Tyler [Linderbaum]. He’s having a great camp. Some of those young guys [on the offensive line] need a little more work anyway, so it kind of works out for us.”
Linderbaum is entering his third year and has become an anchor on the offensive line. Last season, Linderbaum played 15 regular-season games, helping the Ravens rank No. 4 in scoring (28.4 points per game) and No. 6 in total yards (370.4), averaging an NFL-high 156.5 rushing yards per game.
Linderbaum and left tackle Ronnie Stanley are the only two returning starters from last year. Linderbaum is confident the coaches will find the right mix of players on the offensive line.
“I love the group. It’s a group that wants to get better, wants to work hard.,” Linderbaum said. “[We’re] four, five days in, [and] we’re improving each and every day with each other. That’s the uniqueness about the position – is the chemistry that you need to have, you need to build, and it doesn’t take one or two days; it takes time. So, [we’re] just continuing to build that in the room and feel each other out, and I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
Harbaugh likes to use the expression “iron sharpens iron,” which means the players should constantly challenge one another. Linderbaum has made life difficult for the team’s defensive linemen in practice.
“Going against Linderbaum – you know he went to the Pro Bowl last year, so he’s one of the best centers in the league – and going against him every day [is] going to get me better,” nose tackle Travis Jones said.
