Mike Preston: Ravens offensive line unfazed by harsh spotlight

BALTIMORE — The Ravens’ offensive line is considered the team’s biggest weakness headed into the season, but the unit is unfazed.

George Warhop isn’t into the preseason hype.

“Listen, I could give whatever about that, right?” the team’s second-year offensive line coach said. “My deal is with the O-line and I tell my guys this all the time: This is a game for us. It’s not about talent, it’s about how you go about your business and how intent you are and how you play together as a unit, not the individuals. Every other position you’re looking at, it’s about individuals, but for us the sum of the parts have to be greater than the sum of the individuals.

“And so that’s what we worry about is, can I be better today than I was yesterday? Can we make it as physical and hard on the defense as we possibly can?”

That pretty much sums up offensive line play. The players get little glory when they win, but much criticism in defeat. Yet that’s why a lot of the so-called NFL experts have an eye on the Ravens’ front five. They have a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player at quarterback in Lamar Jackson, and Derrick Henry is one of the best running backs in modern football history.

They have a good receiving corps composed of wideouts Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins and Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews, Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely (when Likely is healthy after having foot surgery).

So, the focus is on the offensive line, which has four starters returning. The Ravens have an opening at left guard, where second-year player Andrew Vorhees has a slight lead over fifth-year lineman Ben Cleveland, according to coach John Harbaugh.

But the Ravens have little depth because rookie draft picks Carson Vinson (Alabama A&M) and Garrett Dellinger (LSU) are projects more than starters and Emery Jones Jr., a third-round pick out of LSU, has yet to practice because of a shoulder injury.

A lot of eyes are on Warhop.

“I’m a firm talker. If I’m screaming, it’s because it’s loud and if I’m really screaming [it’s] because I’m pissed,” Warhop said. “I do talk a lot, but I like to think I’m more of a teacher.”

It showed last season. Warhop, 63, had previous NFL stops in eight other cities before he was named to replace Joe D’Alessandris. The move came under unusual circumstances after D’Alessandris, one of the team’s most popular coaches, died Aug. 25 at age 70 after being hospitalized for an acute illness.

The Ravens, though, finished with a record-breaking 7,224 yards of total offense and became the first team in NFL history to achieve 40 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in the same season. They also ranked No. 1 in rushing (187.5 yards per game) and total offense (434 yards per game).

Warhop had to tread lightly, but at the same time get his point across.

“I don’t know too many differences,” center Tyler Linderbaum said when asked to compare D’Alessandris and Warhop. “One, they both love the game of football. They’re going to challenge you, they’re going to expect the best from you. Since Day 1, Warhop stepped in and has done a tremendous job, obviously taking over a tough situation. But guys have responded well, he’s made us a better unit and a better football team.”

Warhop agreed. Well, almost.

“You got to respect the job Joe had done,” Warhop said. “But at the same time, philosophically there’s some things that I would do differently than him. So the schemes, we didn’t change very much, but there was a change in technique and how I did stuff versus how he did it.”

Warhop was the team’s unsung hero, much like pass rush coach Chuck Smith in 2023 when the Ravens recorded a league-leading 60 sacks. But even with all of those top rankings last season, the Ravens’ postseason ended in disappointment for the second straight year with a 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round.

Now, they have to gear it up for 2025.

It’s a good group. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, a 10-year veteran, had his best season in recent years after recovering from major ankle and knee injuries. Linderbaum is one of the best in the game at his position and giant right guard Daniel Faalele has lost about 20 to 25 pounds.

Questions still need to be answered in other places. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten played well as a rookie last season, but can he duplicate that success now that there is more tape of him for opponents to study? The left guard position is still in flux, and Warhop would only yield to Harbaugh when asked whether Vorhees had a slight edge over Cleveland.

“I mean, that’s always a concern,” Warhop said about the listed 6-foot-8, 370-pound Faalele’s weight. “We have super big guys, but we wanted him to play lighter, and he wanted to play lighter. He understands for longevity — injury-wise, wind and being in shape throughout the game, throughout a drive and throughout the season — all that comes with playing at a little bit lighter.

“Coaching is about evolving all the time. I think probably by about [Week 6] last year, we kind of understood what I was trying to get done. We handled it pretty well. I think the only game that I would say we didn’t play well was against Philly. They were also a good team, and that’s a bad combination. But outside of that, I thought they jelled.”

The Ravens need another strong season from the offensive line. They don’t have good pass blockers, but Jackson’s ability to scramble adds another element to the offense. The team struggled in pass protection against the Indianapolis Colts during Tuesday’s joint practice, but Warhop says that the Ravens have another missing ingredient.

This group works extremely hard.

“I think we’re making progress,” Warhop said. “We need a big jump going into [the second preseason game in] Dallas and then we need a big jump going into the Commanders [preseason finale] and then into the season. The young guys are starting to understand better what we want and how we want it done, and that’s going to be critical for them, especially after this week and the next two.

“So, it’s starting to come together. I think we’re right where we’re supposed to be. I’ve never been with a team that is in the weight room and doing as much as they do in camp right now.”

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