The Baltimore Ravens have one of the league's top offensive lines, but that may change with the new season coming around.
The Ravens offensive line from 2024 won't be the same in 2025, and Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox explains why.
"Even with an up-and-down defense, the Ravens were tough to beat in 2024 because Jackson and Henry both provided elite-level play. Protecting Jackson and opening holes for both runners should be a priority in 2025," Knox writes.
"The issue is that left tackle Ronnie Stanley and left guard Patrick Mekari are both set to become free agents. Mekari was a mostly reliable starter in 2024 while Stanley returned to being an offensive anchor after battling injuries the previous four seasons."
While the Ravens would probably want to keep Stanley and Mekari, they may not have the ability to afford what other teams could pay them on the open market.
"Keeping both players will be extremely difficult because of Baltimore's cap situation. Even keeping Stanley alone will be a challenge, as he has a projected market value of $20.7 million. It could be hard to justify paying that over a multi-year deal, given his age (31 in March) and injury history," Knox writes.
"Unfortunately, the Ravens aren't going to find a bargain replacement at left tackle in free agency. Finding a new guard might be simpler—23 seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees started three games in 2024 and handled himself well.
"There's simply no way to keep the offensive line intact without first generating significant cap space. If Baltimore can't retain Stanley and/or Mekari, it will likely target offensive linemen early in the draft."
While the Ravens can gut part of their roster to keep the offensive line in tact, it will likely help the team in the long run to find newer players to protect Lamar Jackson.
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