Starting left guard, highlighted as Ravens' weakness before pre-season

With Training Camp right around the corner, the truth is that the Baltimore Ravens have a very nicely rounded roster at the dividing line between the off- and pre-season parts of the schedule. If there is still a question worth solving by the Ravens organization, though, is who will be eating snaps as the starting left guard.

That is, at least, what beat reporter Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic thinks as he went on to point out in his latest piece for the outlet, highlighting some of the most interesting questions around the Ravens entering the next portion of the summer.

Zrebiec thinks that while the Ravens have "precious few starting jobs up for grabs," one is still very open when it comes to the left guard starter.

Following Ben Powers' departure last free agency (signed with the Broncos back in March), the Ravens decided to go with the flow, didn't sign an immediate replacement, and instead, only add one guard via the draft in sixth-round pick Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu out of Oregon.

"[The Ravens] appear to be content to have an open training camp competition for the job. John Simpson, a 21-game starter in three seasons for the Las Vegas Raiders, will be a part of the competition. So, too, will Ben Cleveland, a third-round pick by the Ravens in 2021 who has struggled to get and stay on the field. A rookie sixth-round pick out of Oregon, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu figures to get a look. It’s not out of the question that versatile veteran Patrick Mekari and second-year tackle Daniel Faalele also find themselves in the mix."

- Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic

While Zrebiec thinks that the rest of the offensive line starters are pretty much set in stone, referring to Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses (tackles), Tyler Linderbaum (center), and Kevin Zeitler (right guard), there is still a relatively open gap to fill with a starter on the left side of Lamar Jackson's pocket.

All things considered, though, it's quite impressive to have the 53-man roster nearly finalized with nearly two months still left in the schedule for the ball to get rolling come Week 1.

It must also be said that while other positions should see reinforcements arrive to boost the talent and warm bodies present at them (cornerback, edge rusher), not many teams are in the enviable position Baltimore finds itself at a week from reporting to Training Camp.

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