Perhaps the best compliment one could give rookie Ronnie Stanley so far is that his time manning the starting left tackle spot has gone unnoticed.
He blocked well in the non-contact practices earlier this summer. He's blocked well in the padded practices of training camp, including in mauling goal-line drills Thursday morning.
For a rookie, the fact that he hasn't had any glaring mistakes or bad beats around the edge is impressive.
Then Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo upped the ante. After Thursday's practice, he compared Stanley to five-time Pro Bowl right guard Marshal Yanda.
"He's really like Marshal," Castillo said. "Marshal sets a great example for everyone in that room. Ronnie is already a professional. The game is important to him; he studies. He is a smart kid, so he doesn't make the same mistakes twice."
Yanda himself has been impressed by the No. 6 pick out of Notre Dame.
A former third-round pick who became a starter in his second NFL game, Yanda said there's a lot of pressure for Stanley to step into the starting left tackle spot because he's going to have the best pass rushers week in and week out.
"He has the right mindset. He is a hard worker and keeps his head down, and I love a rookie like that," Yanda said.
"I love a rookie that stays quiet and does his job and just produces on the field. Just do what you do on the field. I don't need to hear anything else but you doing your job and keeping your mouth quiet. He's done that. He is doing everything the right way."
The Ravens intended to sign veteran Jake Long to give them insurance behind Stanley and perhaps push for a starting job somewhere along the line. Long's knee raised red flags, however, and the deal fell through last week.
Since then, the Ravens have made two other moves with neither involving the offensive line. It's not to say that Baltimore won't add a veteran lineman at some later time, but they've shown it isn't considered a glaring need with Stanley on board.
Stanley could probably count the number of snaps he hasn't taken with the first-team offense on one hand. The Ravens have thrown him into the deep end, and he's done a good job treading water.
"That just means I've got to work and I can't betray their trust," Stanley said. "I've got to put my best foot forward and show them what I really can do."
The Ravens turned up the intensity Thursday with goal-line drills. Stanley moved the defensive line backwards, allowing running back Terrance West to skate through behind him practically untouched on one run. Castillo came running out to give the rookie praise.
"It's been great to fire off the ball and come out and really be physical like you want to," Stanley said.
"Every guy you're going against has elite speed, elite strength, the best bull rush you'll ever get, the best speed you'll ever get. You've just got to be your best at all times."
