Speaking at a Tuesday press conference in his first public appearance as the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator, Greg Roman made it clear that strengthening the Baltimore front line is a top priority for the offense.
“We have to have a strong powerful offensive line,” Roman said, via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “That’s where it all starts – domination up front. I don’t care what [running] back you get. If there’s no space to run, he’s going to be fighting an uphill battle.”
With the success of Roman’s run-first offenses largely predicated on strong play from the offensive line, it makes perfect sense that the seasoned coach would make revamping the unit one of his first orders of business as coordinator. Given that Roman also has a younger, less-experienced passer under center in second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson, he has all the more reason to want a formidable front line in place.
The Ravens had one of the league’s better offensive lines last season — Pro Football graded out the unit as the 10th-best in football for 2018 — and left tackle Ronnie Stanley and left guard Marshal Yanda proved to be a dynamic duo on the blind side. However, the group was far from infallible, and the cracks really showed when the unit ceded seven sacks to the Los Angeles Chargers in their wild card playoff loss.
If there is indeed a rebuild to be had, it will likely start at center, where the team has struggled to find a reliable contributor following Ryan Jensen’s departure from Baltimore in free agency last offseason. Incumbent starter Matt Skura clearly isn’t the answer, as his measly 56.5 season grade from Pro Football Focus doesn’t equate to starter material. With that in mind, the Ravens could spring for a free agent signing — like the Denver Broncos’ Matt Paradis, whose name has been tossed around as a target for Baltimore — or opt to fill the need via the draft, as some are mocking players like North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury to the Ravens in recent mock drafts.
