OWINGS MILLS — The Ravens have three new starters on the offensive line, so general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged there will be ‘hiccups.”
The reality of the NFL’s salary cap and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s enormous contract forced DeCosta to make some tough decisions with his roster. Furthermore, the continuity of the offensive line took another hit when Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum was sidelined for almost a month of training camp with a neck injury.
Linderbaum, who is one of two returning starters with left tackle Ronnie Stanley, should be available to play against the Kansa City Chiefs in the season opener on September 5th.
DeCosta is counting on the new offensive line to perform well.
“I think there’s still a little bit of an unknown because we haven’t played as a unit in games – we’ve [only] seen it in practice,” DeCosta said. “Tyler getting hurt early on in camp probably wasn’t ideal. We’re very excited to get him back, but not having a Pro Bowl center out there, that’s kind of the guy that drives the car, in a lot of ways, on the offensive line. He’s the guy that will typically adjust the offensive line and works hand-in-hand with the quarterback on things like protections and stuff. [It’s] a very important position, and we’re blessed to have one of the best guys in the league.
“Across the board, we made the decision to start to build up the offensive line with young players. Unfortunately, with a salary cap league, you just can’t build a team up with veterans at every position.”
The Ravens have 10 offensive linemen on the 53-man roster. That should give coach John Harbaugh the flexibility to rotate players and keep the two veterans — Stanley and the versatile Pat Mekari — fresh for later in the season.
In addition to Linerbaum at center and Stanley at left tackle, the Ravens’ likely starting lineup against the Chiefs will be second-year player Andrew Vorhees at left guard and Danielle Faalele at right guard. Faalele made the switch from tackle this offseason and is adjusting to the new position.
Rookie Roger Rosengarten and Mekari are vying for the starting job at right tackle. Mekari could start the opener against the Chiefs and then move into a utility role as a backup for all five positions on the offensive line, while Rosengarten gradually takes over.
Coach John Harbaugh declined to name the starters this week for competitive reasons.
DeCosta likes seeing the young players getting reps because that bodes well for the franchise’s future.
“You have to pay players, but you also understand you have to draft, and you have to develop young players as well, and we have started to do that on the offensive line,” DeCosta said. “[I’m] excited about Roger. I’m excited about Andrew Vorhees. I’m excited for the future. We may have a couple of hiccups along the way, but I think we’ve started to build from the bottom up, and I think a year from now, we’ll be in a great place.”
