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Baltimore Ravens: 5 players to build the future around

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 10: Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley #79 of the Baltimore Ravens is intoduced before the start of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium on August 10, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 10: Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley #79 of the Baltimore Ravens is intoduced before the start of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium on August 10, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 17: NFL player Ronnie Stanley attends The D’USSE Lounge At Ward-Kovalev 2: ‘The Rematch’ on June 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Roc Nation Sports/D’USSE Cognac)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 17: NFL player Ronnie Stanley attends The D’USSE Lounge At Ward-Kovalev 2: ‘The Rematch’ on June 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Roc Nation Sports/D’USSE Cognac) /

1. Ronnie Stanley

The quarterback is the most important position on the football field. The left tackle is the next piece of the foundation of a winning football team. The Ravens had arguably the greatest left tackle of all-time in Jonathan Ogden. Now, Ronnie Stanley hopes to be the next great left tackle in Baltimore. The Ravens have had some frustrating draft picks in recent years. Stanley hasn’t been one of them. From day one, Stanley has been a great addition to the Ravens.

Stanley has been the one bright spot on a horrible offensive line. He is the one player you can point to on the offensive line that is worth bringing back for next season. Without Marshall Yanda on the field, Stanley is the unquestioned leader of the group. With all of the things that have gone wrong for the Ravens offensive line, it’s scary to think where they’d be if they hadn’t drafted Stanley. When Alex Lewis gets back next season, he is another player the Ravens can build around. Hopefully the Ravens were as right about Nico Siragusa as they were on Stanley. The offensive line has hope for the future, because they have a left tackle that isn’t going anywhere.

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If the first step is admitting that they have a problem, the Ravens’ second step must be identifying the players that aren’t part of the problem.  These are the five players that the Ravens must lean on going forward. The Ravens are probably not going to be playoff bound this season. That’s not negativity, that seems like a fair statement after they lost four of the last five games. The future is everything for the purple and black and these five players could lead the way.

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