The Baltimore Ravens' offseason has been dominated by the team's lack of proven talent on the offensive line. After losing Morgan Moses, Kevin Zeitler, and John Simpson in the span of a few days, Baltimore is trying to remake this unit on the fly.
The commonly assumed starting lineup from both the Ravens themselves and several prognosticators in the media seemed to include Andrew Vorhees replacing Simpson at left guard, Ben Cleveland sliding in for Zeitler at right guard, and a competition between rookie Roger Rosengarten and Daniel Faalele to follow Moses at right tackle.
While minicamp should be the time to experiment and cross-train some younger players on the team, some depth chart moves might be more permanent than others. If the latest trends continue, Cleveland may not jump into a starting role despite entering his fourth season with Baltimore.
According to The Baltimore Sun, it was Vorhees and Faalele who received most of the first-team reps at left and right guard, respectively. The fact Baltimore seems to be considering this replacement doesn't bode well for Cleveland, who might lose out on the best chance he has in his career to secure a full-time starting role.
Ravens OL coach Joe D'Alessandris said Daniel Faalele’s development is a “work in progress.” Faalele has played RT and RG in minicamp and has experience at LT.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) June 12, 2024
“The more he does of it, the better he’ll become.” pic.twitter.com/7eMfJ70KGg
Daniel Faalele starting at right guard for Ravens over Ben Cleveland
While Cleveland supporters will also point out the fact veteran Josh Jones got right tackle reps in tandem with Rosengarten (thus making Faalele's reps seem less important in retrospect), the idea of a veteran free agent competing with a rookie is less shocking than changing Faalele's position and putting him in over the former Georgia star.
Cleveland has the benefit of experience on his side. However, in his limited starts with the Ravens, his play has never risen above the ranks of average. Faalele is a complete unknown, but he could be a real threat. He may not have the quickness to stop NFL speed rushes on the outside, but he has plenty of power to star at guard.
Cleveland is entering his fourth season, Faalele his third. It seems unlikely that both of them will become long-term starters on this offensive line, especially with the threat of Rosengarten hanging over Faalele at right tackle. The loser of this competition could find playing time hard to come by.
The Ravens need to get their best five on the field, as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry won't tolerate any struggles. Cleveland has just a few months to beat out Faalele and reaffirm his worth to the Ravens.