Ravens: 4 offensive position battles to watch in 2021 training camp
By Justin Fried
1. Ravens roster battle: Starting left guard
The Ravens don’t have too many starting jobs up for grabs, and the only one on the offensive side of the ball is expected to be at left guard.
The incumbent Bradley Bozeman will be sliding over to center this season meaning that Baltimore will have a new starting left guard.
The current favorite for the job is third-round rookie Ben Cleveland, but, as head coach John Harbaugh recently remarked, the starting job is “wide open.”
Cleveland will have to fend off the returning Ben Powers, Ben Bredeson, and Tyre Phillips if he is to win the job. But if Cleveland is as good as the Ravens say he is, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman called Cleveland “the best-run blocker in his class” — high praise for a guy who slipped all the way to the third round.
But Cleveland isn’t running unopposed. Powers started seven games last season and held his own. Phillips has guard/tackle flexibility and also has starting experience.
It’s hard to see Bredeson being a true competitor for the job, but a strong summer would go a long way.
Next. Ravens: 4 players who could make their first Pro Bowl in 2021. dark
The Ravens don’t have many starting jobs undetermined heading into the summer which is what makes this position battle all the more intriguing.