The Baltimore Ravens have fortified their offensive line depth this offseason. After losing Patrick Mekari to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Eric DeCosta and the front office prioritized the trenches, adding three offensive linemen in the NFL Draft: Emery Jones Jr. in the third round, Carson Vinson early in the fifth, and Garrett Dellinger to wrap up their selections in the seventh.
Baltimore kept beefing up the line in free agency, as they added offensive tackle Joe Noteboom to the roster after the draft. Unlike the rookies, Noteboom has proven himself in the league with seven years of experience, starting for the Los Angeles Rams sporadically during those years. Going into year eight, the 29-year-old enters a new locker room for the first time in his career, but he might already be on the hot seat.
Is Noteboom already on the verge of getting cut?
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed each NFL team’s best player who could still get cut this offseason, and Noteboom was the choice for Baltimore. The offensive line room is crowded, especially with the recent draft class littered with linemen hungry to impress their new coaches. If the former third-round pick doesn’t impress early in offseason activities, he could find himself on his way out quickly.
While Noteboom has been able to stick around the league, it hasn’t been without his fair share of injuries. Across his career, he’s struggled to stay healthy and has only played a complete season once–his rookie year in 2018. These have been gruesome injuries, too. In 2019, he tore his ACL and MCL. 2020 saw him hit the IR with a calf injury, and this past season, he missed time after an ankle injury forced him into another IR stint.
These injuries have started to slow him down, and as he approaches 30 years old, he might struggle to keep up with the proven and younger guys in camp.
While Noteboom has been ravaged by injuries, history is on his side in Baltimore. As Knox mentions, he brings value as a swing tackle, and the Ravens tend to value those types of players highly. Noteboom can play on the inside as well, potentially offering the versatility the team will be missing post-Mekari. The former Ram also brings talent in the run game, earning a 70.6 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024. Signing with a run-focused team that loves versatility up front could help Noteboom find a roster spot in 2025.
The Ravens also like to keep a surplus of offensive linemen. In 2024, Baltimore went into the 2024 season with 10 offensive linemen. As it sits now, 11 players across the offensive front could find a spot on the Ravens’ 53-man roster. Noteboom will be in a dogfight for a roster spot, but whether he’ll get cut remains to be seen.