After winning five straight, the Baltimore Ravens find themselves struggling once again late in the season. While they found their way back into the playoff picture after an abysmal start, back-to-back losses to AFC North foes have put the Ravens at a severe disadvantage with just a month to go.
This late in the year, what you see is what you are going to get from most teams. For Baltimore, it is as shaky a team as you might see in the NFL. Early on, the offense was clicking, but the defense was lagging far behind. Now, the defense has been turning up, while the offense is enduring a cold stretch. It feels like the two units cannot find a rhythm simultaneously.
The reason for the struggles on each side of the ball is clear. For the offense, it is the offensive line. For the defense, it is the pass rush. In Week 15, you will not find many ways to make improvements, but General Manager Eric DeCosta made a low-risk move on Tuesday that could improve the offensive line.
The Ravens signed offensive guard Laken Tomlinson to their practice squad. In the corresponding move, they released veteran defensive lineman Carl Lawson. Lawson appeared to be a solid depth pickup for a quiet pass-rush group, but he only played in one game. Now, following offensive guard Ben Cleveland’s suspension, DeCosta opts to add a veteran piece to the offensive line room.
The #Ravens have signed G Laken Tomlinson to the practice squad and released DE Carl Lawson.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 9, 2025
Laken Tomlinson joins Ravens
Tomlinson has not been great this year. He started in seven games for the Houston Texans before being released on December 2. Houston’s offensive line started the year as one of the worst in the league, and while they have made some improvements, their recent surge has come since Tomlinson's removal from the lineup.
It is never encouraging to pick up a player who could not catch on with a troubled unit. Tomlinson has registered a 56.1 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus, with below-average grades in pass and run blocking. However, given the struggles of Baltimore’s offensive guards, the 33-year-old may actually provide value.
In Week 13, the Ravens tested a left guard rotation between Andrew Vorhees and Emery Jones Jr. There seemed to be a willingness to change the offensive line's structure, but it sounds like Head Coach John Harbaugh has made it clear that it will not come from Jones. At least not yet. Instead, they could turn to a veteran like Tomlinson.
It will obviously take Tomlinson some time to get acclimated to Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken’s system, and if he does end up contributing, it could take a week or two. However, despite his struggles in 2025, he has the starting pedigree to start in place of Vorhees or right guard Daniel Faalele down the stretch.