For the last few seasons, whether the Ravens can be one of the best teams in the NFL and make the playoffs has never been a question — as long as Lamar Jackson is healthy — but rather can they succeed come January. However, with the Ravens losing a league-high 15 players in the offseason, along with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, more questions loom over Baltimore than ever before with Jackson under center.
“To me, there are enough questions that I go into the season thinking, ‘Yes, they’re the Ravens, they deserve the benefit of the doubt.’ But are they one of the playoff teams from last year that you look at and say they’re a candidate to maybe take a step back? Sure,'” ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano said on Glenn Clark Radio July 24, “because they have some questions to answer on the offensive line and on the defensive side of the ball.”
The offensive line lost three of its five starters from last season. Right tackle Morgan Moses was shipped off to the Jets. Veteran guard John Simpson signed with the Jets. Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler signed with the Lions.
The Ravens selected offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten out of the University of Washington in the second round to eventually replace Moses, but who will start alongside center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Ronnie Stanley this season remains unclear. Returning linemen Ben Cleveland, Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari are a few options.
“I don’t know the answers on the offensive line. Could that be a weakness?” Graziano said. “That’s three starters from last year gone. So, if they don’t effectively replace them, then I would imagine that could be a weakness. Is Derrick Henry the type of running back that can overcome that? Sure … but do you want him to be that at age 30?”
Graziano said there are questions on the defensive side of the ball with Zach Orr stepping in as the new coordinator and Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen and safety Geno Stone departing in free agency. But the biggest question remains at edge rusher. The Ravens lost former Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney, who finished second on the team in sacks (9.5) and tied for third in tackles for loss (9) last season.
The Ravens are professionals at finding cheap, undervalued and productive edge rushers late in free agency, whether that be Clowney and Kyle Van Noy last year or Justin Houston in 2022. However, they may need to rely on their younger, in-house players this season.
Along with Van Noy, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo top the depth chart. Oweh, the Ravens’ first-round pick in 2021, posted five sacks last year, while Ojabo, the Ravens’ second-round pick in 2022, has only played five games in two seasons.
“Ojabo is a guy that they get who comes into the league hurt and hasn’t really been consistently healthy, so he’s still a projection,” Graziano said. “… I do think they’re going to need their young guys internally to produce on that front, and we don’t know yet until we see it.”
The Ravens still added a big-name free agent in Henry, though, hoping he’ll alleviate pressure on Jackson in the playoffs while the defense remains elite despite the changes.
But in the end, whether the Ravens lose an extra game or two in the regular season seems a bit insignificant for the franchise at this point. They’ve lost in recent years as the No. 1 seed and as the No. 6 seed. All that matters is whether this team is better suited for the playoffs than in years past.
“So, the question is, are they going to be as good as last year? And I think there are enough questions to at least make you wonder,” Graziano said. “Especially in this division, where everybody had a winning record last year and the Bengals are going to get a fourth-place schedule and maybe [Joe] Burrow healthy.”
For more from Graziano, listen to the full interview here:
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