In a league where the salary cap reigns supreme, the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line stands out as a shining example of draft and develop success. General Manager Eric DeCosta has crafted a unit entirely composed of homegrown talent, with four out of five starters still on their rookie contracts.
The starting lineup boasts some impressive young prospects, including first-round pick Tyler Linderbaum at center, seventh-round steal Andrew Vorhees, fourth-round gem Daniel Faalele at guard, and the dynamic duo of Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten holding down the tackle positions. This group of five has yet to see action together in a real game, but DeCosta remains optimistic about their potential.
“I think it is a little bit of an unknown because we haven’t played as a unit in games. We’ve seen it in practice,” DeCosta remarked, acknowledging the challenges of integrating young players into the fold. But he understands that this is the reality of team building in the modern NFL.
“Across the board, we made the decision to start to build up the line with young players,” DeCosta explained. “Unfortunately, with a salary cap league, you just can’t build a team with veterans at every position. If you could, it’d be great. I grew up a Cowboys fan, and the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, one of the great teams of all time, if that team had been able to stay together forever they would’ve won Super Bowls every year. But there is a salary cap and there is free agency. And so you have to pay players, but you also have to understand you’ve got to draft and you’ve got to develop young players as well.”
As the Ravens prepare to unveil their newly minted offensive line against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation surrounding this youthful group. While there may be some growing pains along the way, DeCosta believes that the team is laying a solid foundation for future success.
“We may have some hiccups along the way, but we’ve started to build from the bottom up and I think a year from now we’ll be in a great place,” DeCosta predicted confidently. So, football fans, keep your eyes peeled for the debut of the Ravens’ young guns as they take the field in primetime. It’s sure to be a sight to see.
