The Baltimore Ravens addressed their suspect offensive line early in the 2024 NFL Draft, using a second-round pick on a possible right tackle of the future in Washington's Roger Rosengarten. If he is as dominant as he was with the Huskies, the Ravens will have two of their five starting spots locked up long-term.
In the short-term, however, the Ravens could stand to make one more impactful addition to the squad. Andrew Vorhees has a ton of potential, and Ben Cleveland might be ready to finally shine in the pros, but both of them have some questions to answer. Ronnie Stanley is far from a lock to play all 17 games.
The Ravens may not be overflowing with tons of money to spend in free agency, but they should feel reasonably confident in their ability to poach some competition on the open market. It would behoove Eric DeCosta to set his sights on one of these three veterans for either increased depth or a possible starting role.
3 free agents offensive linemen the Baltimore Rsvens could sign after 2024 NFL Draft
3. Phil Haynes
Haynes has been jumping between the starting lineup and the bench quite frequently over the last five years, all of which he spent with the Seattle Seahawks. If the Ravens like their starting pair, the best option forward would be affirming their spot by signing a backup.
Haynes spent most of last season as the Seahawks' left guard, and he has played over half of Seattle's snaps in each of the last two seasons. Haynes played a small part in Geno Smith's resurgence by serving as part of an offensive line that kept him upright.
Phil Haynes could join the Baltimore Ravens
Haynes is an addition who would protect against Vorhees specifically failing to prove himself as a starting left guard in the league. Entering the NFL at 25 years old, fresh off one of the worst injuries an offensive lineman can sustain, is a challenging path that needs more protection than Baltimore's current depth chart allows.
Playing alongside one of the best centers in the league in Tyler Linderbaum and a left tackle in Stanley who can still get it done when his body allows it could make Haynes better than an inexperienced, uneven unit in Seattle. A change of scenery could do wonders for Haynes as a player.
2. Connor Williams
Williams has had a wild career in the pros, as he went from a top prospect to a struggling guard conversion and (eventually) a fairly reliable blocker. In both his Cowboys tenure and the last two years with the Dolphins, Williams' play has been that of a reliable starter in the pros.
Williams is recovering from a serious knee injury that could both limit his availability early in the season and make it tougher for him to replicate his standout play. If the Ravens can get any sort of assurance that he is healthy, he could be worth bringing in on a cheap one-year contract.
Connor Williams could join the Baltimore Ravens.
The development of Patrick Mekari and the signing of Josh Jones shows that Baltimore places a ton of emphasis on backups who could fill in at multiple spots. Williams came into the league as a tackle, starred as a guard, and recently played center during his time in Miami.
Williams will need to go to a team that is not as concerned by the injury as the rest of the league, and the Ravens could be that squad after using a pick on Vorhees and continuing to lean on Stanley. At his best, Williams is still very much worthy of a spot as a starter in this league.
1. Dalton Risner
Risner is one of the few linemen left on the market who could instantly jump into a starting role in the NFL. Risner had a productive career with the Broncos for four seasons before sauntering over to the Vikings. He has been very open about his desire for a standard NFL starting guard contract in free agency.
Risner is a very known quantity as a guard, as he has always been a better pass blocker than a run blocker. However, the Rosengarten pick could be a sign that Baltimore wants to build the best pass-blocking line possible. Looking at the current free agent pool, Risner is the best available guard out there.
Dalton Risner could start with the Baltimore Ravens
The problem with signing Risner could be related to money. Not only do the Ravens have little money to spend, but Risner has shown in the past he is willing to wait well into the preseason in order to secure a contract worthy of a starting guard in the league. Can both parties meet in the middle?
Risner is one of the few starting offensive linemen out there who are both under the age of 30 and lack major injury risks, all while providing starting-level production. Vorhees and Cleveland can't feel confident in a starting role unless any interest in Risner is confirmed to have been shut down.