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The Offensive Line Thread

Sledge Hammer

Pro Bowler
Thoughts on the 2017 offensive line. Players we may add through sign and trades like Mangold. Players that could be playing a new position along the line to get our best meanest players playing. Open competition for starting jobs like center LG and RT. Thoughts on who will compete for competitions for the jobs? Thoughts on who you like to win the jobs??

Stanley at left tackle. Eluemunor at LG. Yanda at RG and Lewis at RT. Center is a competition with Urschel Siragusa and Jensen. If Siragusa can prove he can protect Joe as well as he can run block. Then he is our center. He definitely has the smarts and athleticism to protect the QB better. If he needs more practice before starting then Jensen and Urschel have a crack. As for Jensen which Jensen shows up? The 325 lb gritty yet athletic version that practically dominated at LG weeks 13-17 during 2015 season? And rivaled Yanda on pff score. The smaller inconsistent version that showed up last year and was driven backward on several occasions?

My guess is if late 2015 Jensen shows up then he is the center. If the smaller inconsistent version shows up I think Siragusa starts. And Jensen/Lewis is key to our line being better really good. I really like Stanley Eluemunor Yanda and Lewis. Harbaugh said 3 weeks ago in interview Lewis is bigger stronger and technique is leaps and bounds better than as a rookie. If true and he locks down Right Tackle that is really huge that Wagner is not missed at all. And if late 2015 Jensen shows up then Center is a plus. Or if Siragusa shows well protecting Joe. Center is a plus. He is very physical for center position.

There are questions about the OLine. But there is potential for greatness. Stanley and Yanda are ideal anchors. And as good as it gets. Eluemunor was the talk of NFL network on several segments. Several hosts were legitimately impressed with his size and freakish movement skills to be a round3 steal. He actually was drafted in round5. Lewis has a good feel for angles to excel at RT. Whoever emerges from the center competition winner should be a hot hand and battle tested. Tough call who actually wins. If 2015 Jensen shows up It is the best case scenario. He was really good.
 
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RaineV1

Ravens Ring of Honor
Siragusa would be the obvious starter at LG. I think he only way he doesn't start at LG is if he gets to try out being the center and handles it extremely well.

Right now I see the line being: Stanley - Sarigusa - ? - Yanda - Lewis

Urschel and Jensen probably have the best shots at being center, but I don't see either one of them shutting down their competition. Scura (UDFA C from last year that was on the practice squad), and the UDFA centers that Ravens picked up this offseason have good chances of winning it. Right now, I think Derrick Nelson will surprise people and get the job.

Also, I wouldn't be too shocked if someone takes Lewis' spot of RT from him. Though he's the favorite at the moment.
 

Willbacker

Ravens Ring of Honor
Well we know 2 of the starters will be Stanley at LT and Yanda at one of the G positions. Lewis more than likely will be a starter at either LG or RT which leaves C open and amother position. If Lewis starts at RT I believe Siragusa will have a sport on the interior probally at LG. Now if Lewis stays at LG then we gotta whole host of candidates in Hurst,Nembot,Wesley and Elumenor. I'd love to know what the brass thinks of Nembot and Wesley and for gawd sakes why they like Hurst. Eluminor will probally need a year and be PS'd. At center maybe Siragusa but I know I don't want a C who has no experience and is a rookie to boot. Other than that we got Jensen and Urshel who both I don't trust right now and about 3 UDFA's. We will also sign another veteran but I'd wait until late summer to give our guys chances and see what shakes out.

So to cut a long story short I agree with RaineV1 on how the line is shaping up now but the oline is gonna be an important storyline in the offseason where we do have options.
 

Sledge Hammer

Pro Bowler
Eluemunor is a little raw but not a chance he is on the practice squad. If the preferred version of Jensen shows up then he is the center. Then Siragusa Urschel and Eluemunor compete for LG job.

Eluemunor is a little raw but his power and athleticism will make him early competition. He was one of my favorite players in this draft 5 minutes into his tape. DJ and his crew were seriously talking him up on NFL network. Comparing him to Andre Smith and Carl Nicks and showing his game/combine highlights. It prompted me to look for an AM game. And I liked him 5 mins in! Crazy thing is he was labeled a third round steal on the segment.

DJ must have thought he has top shelf raw skills to call him a third round steal. We actually got him in round5.( Same round Carl Nicks went in BTW) Carl Nicks ran same 40time and very similar test numbers. Carl Nicks was slightly longer while Eluemunor is slightly stronger. Nicks went so late because he was raw to and on ground a lot. Eluemunor doesn't have that problem. Nicks was an all pro by second year. He will be in the competition but may not be quite ready til year2.


Well we know 2 of the starters will be Stanley at LT and Yanda at one of the G positions. Lewis more than likely will be a starter at either LG or RT which leaves C open and amother position. If Lewis starts at RT I believe Siragusa will have a sport on the interior probally at LG. Now if Lewis stays at LG then we gotta whole host of candidates in Hurst,Nembot,Wesley and Elumenor. I'd love to know what the brass thinks of Nembot and Wesley and for gawd sakes why they like Hurst. Eluminor will probally need a year and be PS'd. At center maybe Siragusa but I know I don't want a C who has no experience and is a rookie to boot. Other than that we got Jensen and Urshel who both I don't trust right now and about 3 UDFA's. We will also sign another veteran but I'd wait until late summer to give our guys chances and see what shakes out.

So to cut a long story short I agree with RaineV1 on how the line is shaping up now but the oline is gonna be an important storyline in the offseason where we do have options.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
Siragusa would be the obvious starter at LG. I think he only way he doesn't start at LG is if he gets to try out being the center and handles it extremely well.

Right now I see the line being: Stanley - Sarigusa - ? - Yanda - Lewis

Urschel and Jensen probably have the best shots at being center, but I don't see either one of them shutting down their competition. Scura (UDFA C from last year that was on the practice squad), and the UDFA centers that Ravens picked up this offseason have good chances of winning it. Right now, I think Derrick Nelson will surprise people and get the job.

Also, I wouldn't be too shocked if someone takes Lewis' spot of RT from him. Though he's the favorite at the moment.
I agree that Siragusa was drafted to be the immediate LG, with a possibility at C. I'd like to see Jensen at C due to him being a better fit in a power scheme than Urschel. He's just much more physical. I'd be interested to see how Skura looks at C as well. Interesting thought on Derrick Nelson.
 

The Greek

Veteran
Thoughts on the 2017 offensive line. Players we may add through sign and trades like Mangold. Players that could be playing a new position along the line to get our best meanest players playing. Open competition for starting jobs like center LG and RT. Thoughts on who will compete for competitions for the jobs? Thoughts on who you like to win the jobs??

Stanley at left tackle. Eluemunor at LG. Yanda at RG and Lewis at RT. Center is a competition with Urschel Siragusa and Jensen. If Siragusa can prove he can protect Joe as well as he can run block. Then he is our center. He definitely has the smarts and athleticism to protect the QB better. If he needs more practice before starting then Jensen and Urschel have a crack. As for Jensen which Jensen shows up? The 325 lb gritty yet athletic version that practically dominated at LG weeks 13-17 during 2015 season? And rivaled Yanda on pff score. The smaller inconsistent version that showed up last year and was driven backward on several occasions?

My guess is if late 2015 Jensen shows up then he is the center. If the smaller inconsistent version shows up I think Siragusa starts. And Jensen/Lewis is key to our line being better really good. I really like Stanley Eluemunor Yanda and Lewis. Harbaugh said 3 weeks ago in interview Lewis is bigger stronger and technique is leaps and bounds better than as a rookie. If true and he locks down Right Tackle that is really huge that Wagner is not missed at all. And if late 2015 Jensen shows up then Center is a plus. Or if Siragusa shows well protecting Joe. Center is a plus. He is very physical for center position.

There are questions about the OLine. But there is potential for greatness. Stanley and Yanda are ideal anchors. And as good as it gets. Eluemunor was the talk of NFL network on several segments. Several hosts were legitimately impressed with his size and freakish movement skills to be a round3 steal. He actually was drafted in round5. Lewis has a good feel for angles to excel at RT. Whoever emerges from the center competition winner should be a hot hand and battle tested. Tough call who actually wins. If 2015 Jensen shows up It is the best case scenario. He was really good.
i think the guys you mentioned above can take care of business but the one area of concern remains at center. jensen and siragusa have the size to not get pushed around imo but center goes well beyond that. making the right calls at the line is extremely important and jensen and siragusa lack that experience. i do not want mangold and jensen and siragusa deserve the chance to earn that spot but i would hope there is a trade to be made with a team that wants to unload their veteran center because they have a younger player they prefer
 
I’ve heard it said the there is a difference between how the public views the O line situation and how the organization views it.

We only see about 1% of what goes on, but what we've seen of Hurst, Jensen and Urschel doesn't indicate to us that these guys are starter quality. If we make no moves, at least one of them will likely need to start - and one potentially at the critical C position. They didn't start last year and didn't play well when injuries forced them in the lineup. Having them fill in now feels like a downgrade from last year - and last year this unit was far from stellar as it is.

Is a new approach in terms of coaching staff going to change that? Maybe, but I'm not sure I'm buying. Perhaps Nembot or Wesley are better than we think, but starter-worthy? Elumenor is far to raw to imagine being more than deep depth. Siragusa could be a wild-card here, but I am not excited at the prospect of him taking the C position as a rook. We've seen that movie recently and it had a bad ending (Gino). Mangold seems like the obvious answer, but - again, since we only see the 1% - we have no idea what the FO sees in him and he could be a true liability from a health standpoint.

No matter how you slice it - the unit - at least for me - is still a major concern.
 

Jacquouille

Ravens Ring of Honor
Supporter
I think Wesley and Nembot are factors to keep in mind, perhaps the reason the team liked Alex Lewis at LG is because they're happy with either at RT. My real concern is a C honestly, we have several options anywhere else but at C the best bet is probably Jensen or Urschel and it's not a good news.
 

Sledge Hammer

Pro Bowler
I think Wesley and Nembot are factors to keep in mind, perhaps the reason the team liked Alex Lewis at LG is because they're happy with either at RT. My real concern is a C honestly, we have several options anywhere else but at C the best bet is probably Jensen or Urschel and it's not a good news.

If 2015 Jensen shows up center is a plus. He was top graded guard weeks 13-17. Better than Yanda even. I don't think much of Wesley and nembot. Eluemunor is raw and may not be ready until next year. But he will be in the competition for LG as a rookie on sheer raw skill. But Siragusa probably gets it because he he has more college games. But don't discount Eluemunor.
 

Jacquouille

Ravens Ring of Honor
Supporter
If 2015 Jensen shows up center is a plus. He was top graded guard weeks 13-17. Better than Yanda even. I don't think much of Wesley and nembot. Eluemunor is raw and may not be ready until next year. But he will be in the competition for LG as a rookie on sheer raw skill. But Siragusa probably gets it because he he has more college games. But don't discount Eluemunor.
Agreed.
Jensen did show flashes but his showing in the 2016 preseason wasn't good, so yes if he comes back with the best of his game we're good, but I wouldn't bank on it.
Not forgetting Eli, really liked his tape, but with Siragusa and Lewis plus Wesley I see him as a guy we won't see next year, we're going to take our time with him and not force the process, and when he's cleaned up we may have KO the second.
 

cobrajet

Hall of Famer
I am worried about center and right tackle. I am not sold on Lewis at RT. Is Dunlap still available?
 

Sledge Hammer

Pro Bowler
Agreed.
Jensen did show flashes but his showing in the 2016 preseason wasn't good, so yes if he comes back with the best of his game we're good, but I wouldn't bank on it.
Not forgetting Eli, really liked his tape, but with Siragusa and Lewis plus Wesley I see him as a guy we won't see next year, we're going to take our time with him and not force the process, and when he's cleaned up we may have KO the second.

Jensens prob is he came in far smaller in 2016. He was as stocky as KO in late 2015. The next year he looked like an undersized center next to Stanley. Didn't look like the same player. I was surprised. I thought Jensen was going to play a prominent role. If 2015 320lb Jensen shows then Center is a plus position or better! Look up pics KO/Jensen then Stanley/Jensen. It's a different player. Very surprising.

BTW guys Stanley has got bigger and Stronger since notre Dame. Tunsil has slightly better movement skills than Stanley. He was stronger than Stanley as well in the upper body. But Stanley presented a slightly better natural anchor. But since he graduated he could focus on the NFL. Remember he was a real college student who earned a real degree leaving little time for the weight room. Not to mention his actual games and practices.

Well he can devote his time to football now. I compared pics late season with ravens and Notre Dame pics and he is clearly stronger looking now. I'll post the pics today. He is primed to really break out as one of the best tackles in the league. Not to mention he has added a really good punch to his arsenal. At Notre Dame his punch was considered a weakness. Now it is a strength. He should likely add drive blocking with his new punch weapon to his already great grip and mirror. He will likely be not only better than Tunsil but all pro candidate. No knock on Tunsil who is going to be one of the best tackles. But Stanley is a little better. He and Garrett will be a game in itself. Stanley is going to be up to the challenge. Stanley plays up to competition. I'm going to guess he shuts Myles out.
 

Jacquouille

Ravens Ring of Honor
Supporter
Jensens prob is he came in far smaller in 2016. He was as stocky as KO in late 2015. The next year he looked like an undersized center next to Stanley. Didn't look like the same player. I was surprised. I thought Jensen was going to play a prominent role. If 2015 320lb Jensen shows then Center is a plus position or better! Look up pics KO/Jensen then Stanley/Jensen. It's a different player. Very surprising.

BTW guys Stanley has got bigger and Stronger since notre Dame. Tunsil has slightly better movement skills than Stanley. He was stronger than Stanley as well in the upper body. But Stanley presented a slightly better natural anchor. But since he graduated he could focus on the NFL. Remember he was a real college student who earned a real degree leaving little time for the weight room. Not to mention his actual games and practices.

Well he can devote his time to football now. I compared pics late season with ravens and Notre Dame pics and he is clearly stronger looking now. I'll post the pics today. He is primed to really break out as one of the best tackles in the league. Not to mention he has added a really good punch to his arsenal. At Notre Dame his punch was considered a weakness. Now it is a strength. He should likely add drive blocking with his new punch weapon to his already great grip and mirror. He will likely be not only better than Tunsil but all pro candidate. No knock on Tunsil who is going to be one of the best tackles. But Stanley is a little better. He and Garrett will be a game in itself. Stanley is going to be up to the challenge. Stanley plays up to competition. I'm going to guess he shuts Myles out.
Yeah Stanley looked more muscular as a Raven. His run blocking was also tremendous and for a guy with no mean streak he tossed people around. He was actually the best LT for the last 8 games. As a rookie. This is downright insane.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
Btw, I wouldn't be surprised to see Yanda at Center.it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Yanda called the line adjustments when Gino was center.
 

Sledge Hammer

Pro Bowler
Yeah Stanley looked more muscular as a Raven. His run blocking was also tremendous and for a guy with no mean streak he tossed people around. He was actually the best LT for the last 8 games. As a rookie. This is downright insane.

First team all pro. Now if the open jobs on the line are filled the Oline will be a strength. When Eluemunor gains some experience he and Stanley will be quite the intimidating combo on that side. Then if 2015 Jensen shows up the offensive line will be blowing opponents off the ball. Can't believe Eluemunor was there in 5 round. DJ and Mayock labeled him a potential steal in round 3. Watch his combine drills. He gets off the ground like a cornerback. I'm cautious about the offensive line but confident.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
First team all pro. Now if the open jobs on the line are filled the Oline will be a strength. When Eluemunor gains some experience he and Stanley will be quite the intimidating combo on that side. Then if 2015 Jensen shows up the offensive line will be blowing opponents off the ball. Can't believe Eluemunor was there in 5 round. DJ and Mayock labeled him a potential steal in round 3. Watch his combine drills. He gets off the ground like a cornerback. I'm cautious about the offensive line but confident.
I agree he has potential but I also understand why he was available in the 5th. If that potential is realized than he can be labeled a steal, but if it's not, he'll just be a 5th rounder that didn't work out.
 

Adreme

Ravens Ring of Honor
The trading of Zuttah tells me the Ravens are not worried about Center. I don't know who it will be but you don't dump your starting C to save just 2M as a cost cutting move and they did it pre draft. I don't know what the Ravens know but it must be something big that we don't.

As for the other spots we know 3 of 4 players and 2 of the 4 positions so that means the true mystery is who is playing LG or RT. Maybe one of the rookies steps up or maybe the Ravens just have another plan we don't know.
 
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Sledge Hammer

Pro Bowler
I agree he has potential but I also understand why he was available in the 5th. If that potential is realized than he can be labeled a steal, but if it's not, he'll just be a 5th rounder that didn't work out.

In addition to his power and athleticism I like his intelligence and motivation. He is determined to learn and be a player. Not going to see as many typical raw rookie mistakes. He is going to practice and learn. I'm calling this one a steal. I liked him better than Moton. As much as Dawkins.

A smart but not as talented senior classman that helped coach him up explained what rare of specimen he is. He was shockingly impressed with his raw power and athleticism and picked him out to help coach him up. He said players would try to jolt him to put a move on him. But nobody could ever make him flinch much less knock him off balance. Players trying to jolt him looked like a human running into a tank. He described Eluemunor by saying he could lay down and get run over and get up like nothing happened.
 
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RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
In addition to his power and athleticism I like his intelligence and motivation. He is determined to learn and be a player. Not going to see as many typical raw rookie mistakes. He is going to practice and learn. I'm calling this one a steal. I liked him better than Moton. As much as Dawkins.

A smart but not as talented senior classman that helped coach him up explained what rare of specimen he is. He was shockingly impressed with his raw power and athleticism and picked him out to help coach him up. He said players would try to jolt him to put a move on him. But nobody could ever make him flinch much less knock him off balance. Players trying to jolt him looked like a human running into a tank. He described Eluemunor by saying he could lay down and get run over and get up like nothing happened.
Who is this senior classman?
[doublepost=1494772426,1494772247][/doublepost]
The trading of Zuttah tells me the Ravens are not worried about Center. I don't know who it will be but you don't dump your starting C to save just 2M as a cost cutting move and they did it pre draft. I don't know what the Ravens know but it must be something big that we don't.

As for the other spots we know 3 of 4 players and 2 of the 4 positions so that means the true mystery is who is playing LG or RT. Maybe one of the rookies steps up or maybe the Ravens just have another plan we don't know.
I would agree the front office isn't worried about center. Pretty sure they have a plan in place. We all saw how Zuttah was early, but he got better as the season progressed and his numbers showed that. That being said, he would be a weakness in a power scheme and we atleast were able to get something for him rather than outrun cut him.
 

Sledge Hammer

Pro Bowler
Who is this senior classman?
[doublepost=1494772426,1494772247][/doublepost]
I would agree the front office isn't worried about center. Pretty sure they have a plan in place. We all saw how Zuttah was early, but he got better as the season progressed and his numbers showed that. That being said, he would be a weakness in a power scheme and we atleast were able to get something for him rather than outrun cut him.

My bad it was his OLine coach turner that said he is so strong hard and stout he could get run over and get up like nothing happened. He and Stanley are really gonna be ferocious on thatside
 
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