Ravens Insider: Bryant McKinnie says he left Ravens with no regrets, weighs in on transition to Juan Castillo

[ExtremeRavens]

Offensive tackle was traded to Dolphins for conditional late-round draft pick

 

Traded to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a conditional late-round draft pick Monday, veteran offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie left the Ravens with no regrets.

 

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[thundercleetz]

Wow this is a really informative interview by McKinnie. I wonder how this will all shake out.

[vmax]

McKinnie doesn't come off as bitter here so I'm taking what he says as true...

 

McKinnie said players don't understand why changes are being made from last year's offensive approach, chalking up the disconnect and friction with Castillo from wanting to maintain last season's success instead of going with a revamped blocking game plan.

"When he first got there, Juan definitely said he wanted to make changes," said McKinnie, adding that Castillo frequently showed the Ravens' linemen old film of the Eagles' offensive line upon his arrival to demonstrate what he's looking for. "I like to stick with what works, but Juan wants it done his way. Now, people are getting impatient and aren't trying to wait anymore. Everything should be running more smoothly.

 

McKinnie emphasized that a lack of health has impacted the Ravens' offensive line, noting that offensive guards Kelechi Osemele (back) and Marshal Yanda (offseason rotator cuff surgery) aren't at their normal capabilities.

"When you're not healthy, some things get pushed to the side," McKinnie said. "People don't play at the same level when they have to fight through nagging things to be able to play on gameday. You're not going to get the same results when you're not fully healthy.

"People don't grasp that. The fans expect you to play and perform at the same level, but injuries definitely are a factor. There's a lot of things that take place behind the scenes that people don't know about."

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-bryant-mckinnie-says-he-left-ravens-with-no-regrets-weighs-in-on-transition-to-juan-castillo-20131026,0,1111283.story#ixzz2iplNw3Ae

 

We know Rice and Pierce are not healthy. It's a perfect storm to wreck the running game.

This is a good example of "If it works, don't fix it". The O line played great in the playoffs and as far as I'm concerned they threw that formula in the trash.

[thundercleetz]

That's how I interpreted it too max. He didn't sound bitter at all, so there must be a lot of truth behind what he is saying.

[thundercleetz]

Makes me think that this is truly a rebuilding year for Harbaugh. He sees an offensive line scheme he likes, and that's how he wants his team built. We all wanted Harbaugh to have more input on the offense so here it is. I wonder what Caldwell thinks of Castillo?

 

That is great to set up a system for long-term success. However we do not seem to have current guys with the skill set for this system. It seems like Harbaugh is willing to sacrifice some rough patches this year. Unless things drastically change we are in line for some new faces on the offensive line next season. Yanda, KO and Monroe (brought in for this scheme) will stay. We will need a new LG/RT (depending on where KO plays) and center.

 

It's kind of like a team transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4, but on the offensive line. It's going to take some time to get the guys we need and or guys used to the system.

[cravnravn]

Castillo must go