The Baltimore Ravens have been searching for a high-quality starting center since losing Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. After opting not to draft one, it's likely that they'll have to get creative in some way to fill this void. Most fans are expecting one of Corey Bullock, Jovaughn Gwyn, Nick Dawkins, or Danny Pinter to compete for the starting center position.
Recently, Aaron Schatz of ESPN released an article detailing each team's biggest roster hole -- unsurprisingly, he listed center as the Ravens' biggest hole. However, it was a bit surprising that Schatz mentioned shifting Andrew Vorhees to center as a possible solution to the Ravens' dilemma.Â
"Corey Bullock, a 2024 UDFA, has played a grand total of 13 offensive snaps during the regular season. Jovaughn Gwyn has played 11 snaps in three seasons with Atlanta. The alternative might be to move over a guard such as Andrew Vorhees."
To be clear, Schatz mentioned this as a possible alternative, not an ideal solution.
And while I'd acknowledge that shifting a guard over to center could be on the table, that guard shouldn't be Vorhees. If the Ravens are looking to shift a guard over, I'd rather roll the dice with Emery Jones Jr. changing positions. Regardless, it's more likely that one of the Ravens' unknown centers emerges or that Eric DeCosta pulls off an unexpected late offseason move.Â
Even if it's an unlikely move, it's worth exploring why moving Vorhees to center would be a mistake.
Moving Andrew Vorhees to center shouldn't even be considered
I don't mean to sound too harsh, and I wish Vorhees the best. Frankly, though, nothing we've seen from him in the past two years indicates that he is a starting lineman, and these problems would only be amplified with a position change.
Last season, he posted a 54.6 PFF grade, which ranked 60th among 81 qualifying guards. Posting a 53.1 grade for pass blocking and a 54.3 run blocking grade, Vorhees offers little all-around value.Â
It's also worth noting that he was just a seventh-round pick in 2023. As such, the expectation was never for him to be a long-term starter. Â
Vorhees avoided the lion's share of criticism for the Ravens' offensive line problems due to Daniel Faalele's abysmal play. In reality, though, Vorhees was nearly as bad as Faalele. Much like Faalele, Vorhees struggled against blitzes and was often found out of position on routine plays. The Ravens can't afford this type of shaky protection for Lamar Jackson.Â
Let us not forget that when rookie Emery Jones Jr. got a chance last season, it was in place of Vorhees, not Faalele. Sure, John Harbaugh should have given Jones a regular chance over Faalele, but this decision highlights Vorhees' struggles.
There's a reason why the Ravens signed Simpson and drafted Vega Ioane in the first-round and they would negate all of this positive progress by shifting Vorhees to center. Â
Given the Ravens' upgrades to their offensive line, it's not out of the question that Vorhees is cut entirely before the start of the season. In any event, moving him to center would be a clear mistake. It'd be a disaster waiting to happen.
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