The Ravens left Saturday with more questions than answers up front, and that’s not exactly what you want to see when the offensive line is already under the microscope.
Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores did what he’s known for: he turned up the heat. Baltimore’s pass protection spent most of the day on its heels, and the pressure came from everywhere. It didn’t seem to matter who was trying to sort it out - the Ravens were fighting through trouble almost nonstop.
That’s what made the outing so unsettling. The only true starter in the mix against Minnesota was Vega Ioane, with Jovaughn Gwyn maybe fitting that label too. Even with that caveat, the performance in the game - plus the problems that showed up during joint practices against the Vikings - leaves a pretty ugly impression.
And this isn’t coming out of nowhere. The Ravens entered the offseason needing real improvement on the offensive front, and they’ve at least made some changes that should help. Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten are back at tackle, Ethan Pocic or Jovaughn Gwyn would be an upgrade path from Tyler Linderbaum in one way or another, and the biggest shift is at guard.
That’s where Baltimore is moving from Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees to Vega Ioane and John Simpson. That’s a major swing, and it should cut down on the repeated breakdowns the Ravens kept getting inside. But better doesn’t mean fixed.
Ioane is still a rookie, and Saturday showed why that matters. He’s got upside, but he’s also going to take his lumps. No one should expect perfection from him, and there’s a real chance the growing pains are obvious early.
Simpson brings experience, but the ceiling there doesn’t look especially high. At his best, he’s fine.
At his worst, he can be a liability. Having a veteran presence helps, sure, but it doesn’t automatically solve the issue.
The bigger concern may be the spot left open by Linderbaum. Baltimore brought in Pocic to steady that job, banking on his 97 career starts to help hold things together.
But he’s working back from an Achilles injury, so there’s no guarantee he’s ready for the regular season. Even if he is, how much can the Ravens count on him after something that serious?
Gwyn is also in the mix, and he’s reportedly been one of the better performers over the last couple of weeks. The problem is the résumé: just 11 career offensive snaps. That’s not a lot of evidence to lean on if he’s the guy leading the charge in Week 1.
So yes, there’s still a path for this group to settle in and become serviceable. A line that’s mostly backups is going to get tested hard by a Brian Flores defense, and that’s exactly what happened here. The real judgment comes when the starters are all on the field.
For now, though, the concern is hard to ignore.
In Other News...
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The celebration told its own story, too, with offensive lineman Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan among the first to greet him, a familiar scene for two former Buffaloes trying to carve out NFL roles in Baltimore. Christian-Lichtenhan is still working toward a roster spot in his second season, while Westers performance only adds another wrinkle to the Ravens return conversation as the team evaluates who can help once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Suddenly Have A Real QB3 Decision To Make
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What makes this interesting for Baltimore is how quickly the quarterback picture has gone from routine to worth watching. The Ravens have clearly invested real snaps in Fagnano, and he has responded by making a strong case for either a roster spot or at least a place on the practice squad. With the top two jobs spoken for, the only question now is whether his preseason play has been enough to separate him from the rest of the competition. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Snap Counts Just Revealed Which Rookies Are Gaining Ground
The Ravens used their rookies a little more selectively in their second preseason game than they did in the opener, but the snap counts still offered a useful look at who is starting to separate from the pack. A few young players kept getting opportunities, including an undrafted offensive lineman out of Oregon State, a rookie running back and several defensive rookies, all of whom continue to show up in the kind of work that can matter most this time of year.
For a roster built around established veterans, those reps are less about the box score than about sorting out depth and practice squad possibilities. Baltimore is clearly using the preseason to test which rookies can hold up in real game action and fit into the long-range plan, and the latest snap breakdown suggests a handful are gaining ground as the calendar moves toward final roster decisions. [Read more 🡒]