The Baltimore Ravens needed to add depth to their offensive line before training camp. That's precisely what they did this past week, signing NFL journeyman Hakeem Adeniji to a contract, giving them extra insurance along a much-improved offensive line.
Adeniji, a former sixth-round pick by the Bengals back in 2020, spent three years with the rival Bengals before bouncing around between a few different teams the past few seasons. The former Kansas Jayhawk has 16 career starts under his belt and will only be used in an emergency situation in Baltimore.
That being said, Bengals fans think that this move is going to sink the Ravens when push comes to shove. Matt Fitzgerald of Stripe Hype, FanSided's site dedicated to the Cincinnati Bengals, seems to think this move "will backfire" on the Ravens.
"While he does have undeniable big-game experience, Adeniji isn't some, "we owned you!" AFC North revenge subplot with which the Ravens fans can dunk on the Who Dey faithful," Fitzgerald wrote. "If the adorable Baltimore flock is hoping Hakeem Adeniji is the answer to their current uncertainty at swing tackle, well, good luck with that. In the unfortunate event that first-round pick Olaivavega Ioane or free-agent signee John Simpson go down at either Ravens guard spot, Adeniji won't be some magic fix there either."
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Fitzgerald also dove into how poorly Adeniji played during the Bengals' playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. Ravens fans might remember how porous those Cincinnati o-lines were and how Joe Burrow got taken to the ground more often than not in those playoff games.
While Fitzgerald is certainly correct in Adeniji's lackluster performance in those games, it was the entire unit that played poorly. Also, he's not being brought in to be a starter for Baltimore whereas the Bengals thought he was the best man for the job and continued to run it back with him. That won't be the case with his new team.
As Fitzgerald said, if the Ravens do have injuries at the guard spot and Adeniji has to fill in for a significant amount of time, it's probably not going to be good news. At the same time, he's an NFL veteran with starting experience and is likely a better option than a lot of other depth names out there. Hopefully, he'll never be in the starting lineup in a game that matters.
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