Despite losing some productive players and not directly replacing them in the offseason, former NFL executive and current NFL Network front office analyst Scott Pioli is a big believer in the 2024 Ravens.
Baltimore lost 15 players from last season’s roster to free agency, including Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick Queen, Geno Stone and Kevin Zeitler. But Pioli, who worked as a pro personnel coordinator for the Ravens during the inaugural 1996 season in Baltimore, trusts GM Eric DeCosta’s player development program and believes in his ability to identify young talent.
“This is why I admire this organization so much,” Pioli said on Glenn Clark Radio July 23. “There’s been this cohesiveness. They believe in player development. They bring in talent, and even if that talent was found in the seventh round, or maybe it’s Tayvion Robinson in the fourth round, they have been in this system, they’re going to continue to grow.”
The Ravens were willing to part with some of their proven veterans to clear the way for younger talent to shine. Pioli, a three-time Super Bowl-winning executive with the Patriots, believes that’s how an organization creates a sustainable winner.
“Generally, when you’re a good program, you have attrition and you have a plan in place. Part of the Ravens’ culture is that they’ve always had a plan in place. … They’re never surprised by someone leaving,” Pioli added.
With the Ravens losing three starters on the offensive line, Tyler Linderbaum and Ronnie Stanley will be the only holdovers in 2024. The Ravens will look to multiple homegrown options to fill those voids.
Second-year guard Andrew Vorhees is an option to slot in at left guard. The 25-year-old out of USC suffered a torn ACL at the 2023 Scouting Combine and saw no action in his rookie season. Pioli has his eyes on Vorhees as one potential starter.
Right guard Ben Cleveland, who started just seven games in the first three years of his career, could also step into his first full-time role in 2024. In addition, second-round rookie tackle Roger Rosengarten could play major snaps at tackle. Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari, both of whom filled in as starters a year ago, return as well.
No matter what direction the Ravens go, all five offensive linemen will most likely have been signed and developed by the organization.
“Sometimes your best talent is homegrown talent,” Pioli said. “They’re going to be all right because they have a system in place that both coaching and personnel believe in and they’re cohesive.”
Another player Pioli could see taking a big leap this season is linebacker Trenton Simpson. The 2023 third-round pick from Clemson didn’t start a game as a rookie but showed some flashes at the end of last season with a sack and a forced fumble. He has a chance to fill the void left by the free-agent departure of Queen.
“Everyone wants to focus on this year’s draft, this year’s free agency,” Pioli said. “The rookie class from 2023 is going to be very, very critical this year. We need to pay attention to the guys that have developed within the system for a year. Don’t count too much on the rookies, think about the second- and third-year guys.”
One thing Pioli will be looking out for during training camp is how the chemistry develops. With so much roster turnover, he knows how much that can make or break a contending team’s season.
“There’s so much that’s done in terms of analytics now, some people forgot the chemistry part,” Pioli said. “I’m going to be looking to see what the group looks like from a communication standpoint … and how [they are] coming together from a chemistry standpoint.”
For more from Pioli, listen to the full interview here:
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