ExtremeRavens Posted August 10 Posted August 10 The Ravens kept quarterback Lamar Jackson, linebacker Roquan Smith and almost all of their key starters on the bench for their preseason opener, a 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Here are five things we learned from the game. We’ve been focused on right guard, but maybe the more interesting battle is at right tackle While starters at most positions sat, jobs were at stake on the offensive line — by far the greatest source of uncertainty on a largely settled roster. Andrew Vorhees, the favorite at left guard, opened with the first team, with Daniel Faalele at right guard and Ben Cleveland standing in for Tyler Linderbaum at center. Perhaps the most interesting competition unfolded at right tackle, where Patrick Mekari started but traded drives with rookie Roger Rosengarten. The Ravens might have sat Mekari if he was earmarked for the super-utility role he has filled in the past. The start suggests he could be the man to fill Morgan Moses’ shoes despite concerns that he might struggle with the wear and tear of a 17-game season. Or the Ravens could give Rosengarten, their second-round draft pick out of Washington, an immediate chance to swim. The rookie, known more for fluid movement than power, has struggled with bull rushes at times in camp. But he looked good in his first dose of action against the Eagles, keeping pass rushers locked up and sealing his man as quarterback Josh Johnson darted for 9 yards in the red zone. The Ravens could give Roger Rosengarten, their second-round draft pick out of Washington, an immediate chance to swim. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) If the Ravens had to win a playoff game next week, Mekari, with his long track record of solid play, would get the nod. But they need to find out if Rosengarten can be a long-term starter, and he just might be doing enough for his audition to begin sooner rather than later. “Absolutely,” Rosengarten said when asked if he feels on track to handle that responsibility. “Everything starts in practice. It starts in the board room and transfers to practice, and that’s where I build my confidence. Just going into these next preseason games, I’m excited for those and then going into Week 1.” Coach John Harbaugh kept his comments on the offensive line short and general pending careful study of the game tape. “The next time we have a press conference, I’ll have a little more to talk about,” he said. Nate Wiggins was every bit the coverage star advertised, which made his shoulder injury that much more worrisome The Ravens were delighted when the best pure cover cornerback in the 2024 draft fell to them at pick No. 30. For all the talent they’ve cycled through their secondary, they have not had a player with Wiggins’ skill set in many a year. The rookie wasted no time making an impression in his M&T Bank Stadium debut, essentially wiping out the Eagles’ first drive by himself. After Philadelphia moved into Ravens territory, Wiggins stepped in front of rookie wide receiver Johnny Wilson to bat a pass to the ground on first down. Two plays later, he kept his body between Philadelphia receiver John Ross and the ball on Kenny Pickett’s downfield attempt. On fourth down, Wiggins blanketed yet another Eagle, Joseph Ngata, and again got his hand on the ball. Make that three passes defended on four plays, a rate that would put the rookie in the Pro Bowl. Wiggins isn’t going to produce at that clip, but he showcased the skill set that had the Ravens so excited in April, hanging step for step with wide receivers on the outside, attacking the ball and playing with the arrogance required at the sport’s ultimate mano-a-mano position. “That’s what he looked like at Clemson,” said linebacker Trenton Simpson, Wiggins’ college teammate. Ravens vs. Eagles in Preseason NFL game | PHOTOS So hearts sank when Wiggins trudged to the locker room early in the third quarter, holding his right arm uncomfortably at his side. Any harm done in a preseason game feels like a waste. To see a sensational opening bow cut short is that much more of a drag. Harbaugh declined to offer an immediate update on the injury, saying tests Saturday will reveal more. With incumbent cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens having excellent camps, even a healthy Wiggins would not start the season opener in Kansas City, but expect to see him plenty whenever he’s ready. “They went at him a little bit,” Harbaugh said of Wiggins’ performance Friday. “Heck yeah, when you’re a corner of his caliber, he wants that. So he was excited about that, he came up and made a hit later, and he played a good game.” Trenton Simpson looked the part as he prepares for his big promotion We’ve spent the whole offseason talking about how big the Ravens bet on Simpson, who played just 46 defensive snaps as a rookie. They didn’t make a push to keep Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen and didn’t sign a veteran to compete with Simpson in camp. They have treated the 2023 third-round draft pick as Roquan Smith’s presumptive partner in every way. With Smith on the sideline Friday, Simpson got to be the man at the heart of the team’s defense. He wore the green dot as chief signal caller for the first time and did not shrink from the moment, stalking side to side on his way to a team-high nine tackles in the first half and 60 defensive snaps overall. “The more you see at this position, the more you learn,” Simpson said. “The faster you can play.” We’ve seen Simpson’s speed and ferocity in practice, but it’s always reassuring to see a camp star translate fully to a game setting, especially when the player in question is going from a negligible role to a primary one. “He wants to be great at everything he does,” Harbaugh said. “That’s a good start for him. He’s not going to be afraid.” David Ojabo’s waiting game continues No one needs a jolt of confidence more than Ojabo, the 2022 second-round pick who spent most of his rookie year rehabilitating a torn Achilles tendon and had his second season cut short by knee surgery. The gifted outside linebacker will have to wait at least another week after he sat out the preseason opener. Ojabo has been a full practice participant for most of camp, but Harbaugh said doctors did not clear him to face the Eagles. Even if Ojabo had never suffered the catastrophic injury that robbed him of a chance to be drafted in the first round, he would have been a developmental prospect. He started just one season at Michigan, and though he was excellent, scouts thought he would need time to translate his length and explosiveness into NFL sack production. Instead, Ojabo has waited and waited, with limited practice and game reps to hone his pass rushing arsenal. He’s a guy who could use a dominant preseason performance to vault him into the regular season, where the Ravens hope he’ll supplement an edge group that lost Jadeveon Clowney after last season. Rasheen Ali, a 2024 fifth-round draft pick out of Marshall with explosive burst and pass-catching skill, is a flashier candidate to make the 53-man roster. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Neither Owen Wright nor Rasheen Ali took a clear lead for No. 3 running back It’s not clear how many carries will be available behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, but someone will step into the role, at least until Keaton Mitchell is ready to electrify again. Wright, a 2023 undrafted free agent, started against the Eagles and ran with his usual blunt force, gaining 33 yards on seven carries. As a 2024 fifth-round draft pick out of Marshall with explosive burst and pass-catching skill, Ali is a flashier candidate to make the 53-man roster. But he continued an uneven summer by almost fumbling a kickoff return against the Eagles (he was ruled down) and failing to punch in a potential touchdown in the fourth quarter. He averaged just 2.6 yards per carry compared to Wright’s 4.7. We’ve seen the Ravens move on from fifth-round picks before, so Ali’s draft status doesn’t guarantee him anything. It will be a question of what the Ravens want from their third running back. If it’s versatility and upside, that’s probably Ali. If it’s a guy to pick up tough yards when Henry or Hill needs a blow, that’s Wright, who’s also trying to make his case as a special teams contributor. The Ravens might figure Wright would be easier to stash on the practice squad, where he spent most of last season. One thing we know for sure is that this competition, still wide open, will continue over the next two preseason games as Henry and Hill wait to take the real stage. Preseason Week 2 Falcons at Ravens Saturday, Aug. 17, noon TV: NBC Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM View the full article Quote
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