There aren't many starting jobs up for grabs on the Ravens roster, but left guard is at the top of the list.
Following Patrick Mekari's departure in free agency this offseason, Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland are competing to replace him, and Offensive Line Coach George Warhop wants to see a clear winner.
"I believe in a starter. I don't like playing two guys," Warhop said. "So, we [have] two veteran guys here with Andrew and Ben. Let them fight it out. If one of the young guys comes up, and they can add competition to that, we'll let that happen. But I prefer to have a starter and a backup. I don't like going in with combination guys."
In his first season following the ACL tear that cost him his rookie year, Vorhees won the starting job out of training camp last year. However, he suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 that sidelined him for two weeks. Mekari slid into the starting job and never gave it up.
Vorhees still kept working out of the public eye. He sharpened his game on the scout team and was proud of the way he played in the regular-season finale against the Browns when the Ravens rested starters.
Now, Vorhees has another crack at the starting gig, and he's been a regular at the Under Armour Performance Center this offseason, training to win the job.
"There's an open position out there for grabs," Vorhees said. "It's up to somebody. So why not me?"
Cleveland, who was re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason, has played well when called upon. In his first four years, the burly blocker made seven starts.
Roger Rosengarten Pestered Ronnie Stanley to Re-Sign
When last season ended, and with Ronnie Stanley's Ravens future unknown, Roger Rosengarten thought there was a chance he might be switching to left tackle.
While he believes he could do the job, Rosengarten firmly wanted Stanley to return.
"I took a small vacation with my family, and I was texting Ronnie and calling him every day," Rosengarten said. "I was like, 'Hey man, left side is looking really good.' I thought we had a really good dynamic duo of me and him and bouncing off each other from left to right. I'm glad he's back for sure."
Stanley's return means Rosengarten gets to build off a strong rookie season in which the second-round pick graded as the second-best offensive tackle in his loaded class, per Pro Football Focus. Rosengarten was credited with allowing just four sacks in 513 pass blocking opportunities last season.
Still, Rosengarten said that after watching his rookie tape, there are nearly a dozen different parts of his game that he wants to improve. Warhop said Rosengarten has embraced improving in the areas of emphasis that they identified at the end of last season, and he's seen a change so far this summer.
Rosengarten Cut Weight, Added Muscle This Offseason
Rosengarten entered the NFL as a leaner tackle, and his first full offseason started with dieting.
However, during a time when players often make a big jump physically, Rosengarten said he put the weight back on, but better.
"I took a little time off, but it was immediately hit the gates – personally, physically," Rosengarten said. "Getting in the weight room, getting bigger, faster, stronger, and just building on in Year 2. Now I know I've got the ropes to everything, and this is where my confidence and my play starts to really take its next level step."
Rosengarten is currently listed at 316 pounds and says he's at about the same weight that he played at last season. He said he came back this offseason feeling the best he's ever felt.
Rookie Offensive Linemen Are Impressing Their Coach
This year's draft was like Christmas for Warhop, who got three new blockers in his room with third-round offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr., fifth-round offensive tackle Carson Vinson, and seventh-round interior offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger.
Jones and Dellinger were starters together on LSU's offensive line, which resonated with Warhop.
"Both of those guys, this is probably the fifth or sixth kid I've had from [LSU's] offensive line coach, and they all come in well prepared," Warhop said. "Emery is very smart; he's very engaged; he's plugged in. He'll get off to the side and try to do the stuff we're doing. He can't do what we're doing, but he can mimic it on his own. I've been most impressed with him, and with 'Delli,' in the meeting rooms. Just understanding what we're doing, and they're very, very, very close to being really good pro players, in that regard."
Vinson was a player that Warhop banged the table for during the pre-draft process as an athletically-gifted 6-foot-7, 321-pound blocker who just needs polish coming from small-school Alabama A&M.
"We need to see guys with his size, his range, his length, and his ability [to] compete and not back down," Warhop said. "So, once I saw that and how God made him – and there's not that many guys like that – [so] I was like, 'If we have a chance, we need to draft him.' I just thought I needed to push as much as I could for him every time he came up."
