Mink: It remains to be seen, but rookie first-round guard Vega Ioane will be ready to start Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. From there, we'll see.
The Ravens signed veteran center Andre James and guard Kyle Hergel to the practice squad on Wednesday morning. Maybe one or both could be brought up to play Sunday, but that would be a quick turnaround to learn the offense and execute it in less than a week.
Ioane is a smart and physical player – two attributes needed at center. He did a good job in his eight snaps against the Cowboys in the fourth quarter.
Head Coach Jesse Minter said the possibility of keeping Ioane at center is "on the table" but the preference is likely to let him thrive at the position he was drafted to play: guard. That requires someone else to be a suitable starting center.
My expectation is that the Ravens give James time to ramp up before becoming the potential starter. They could also continue to add more pieces as they try to overcome the loss of three centers: Jovaughn Gwyn (ankle), Ethan Pocic (knee), and Danny Pinter (knee)
Mink: It's way too early to be making such claims and pushing the panic button. And it hasn't been as bad as you're expressing.
Baltimore ranks 14th in the NFL in yards allowed per game (321.3) and 21st in points (26). They just faced the Dallas Cowboys, one of the NFL's most talented offenses.
The defense's main problem so far is certainly correctable. The Ravens haven't tackled well in some high-leverage situations, which has let opponents off the hook on third down, especially when they've thrown the ball short of the sticks. I think this could just be early-season rust. Overall, the Ravens have actually been one of the NFL's best tackling teams.
Baltimore allowed too many explosive plays against the Cowboys. Some of that's going to happen with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the outside, but the Ravens aren't going to use that as an excuse.
The defense has been really good in spurts. It dominated the Indianapolis Colts for the majority of their game in Week 1. In Week 2, the Ravens gave up just two field goals in the first half against the Saints. After getting off to a slow start against the Cowboys, the Ravens defense held them to just one field goal on the next five drives.
"Defensively, we are chasing consistency," Minter said Monday. "We are chasing getting everybody onto the same page. That starts with me, I would say, and just the plan and our processes of how we get to everything, how we operate."
This Sunday's opponent, the Tennessee Titans, are struggling on offense, ranking 31st in total yards per game (249.3) and 30th in points per game (12.3). This has a chance to be a get-right game for Baltimore's defense.
Brown: It's understandable that Baltimore's offensive line is a concern, especially after the injuries to Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic.
According to ESPN research, Baltimore has allowed 33 total pressures and five sacks and has the third-highest pressure rate allowed in the NFL through Week 3.
The Ravens have decisions to make, including whether they will keep Ioane at center, or sign a veteran center and move Ioane back to right guard. They must also hope that left tackle Ronnie Stanley (toe) will be back in the lineup soon, and that his injury won't hamper him all year.
Despite all that, the Ravens are 2-1 and have the NFL's sixth-ranked offense. Lamar Jackson's ability to escape, improvise and execute the offense even when faced with pressure will continue to show as long as he stays healthy.
If Stanley, John Simpson, Ioane and Roger Rosengarten remain healthy and thus give themselves more time to gel, I think the Ravens have an offensive line they can win with. But keep your fingers crossed that injuries along the offensive line won't continue.
Brown: I've seen some reports that the Arizona Cardinals might consider moving Harrison, which I suppose is why you're inquiring.
However, I don't think trading for Harrison (or any wide receiver) is high on Baltimore's priority list. Zay Flowers is having a phenomenal start despite his hamstring injury, Rashod Bateman has stepped up, and other wideouts like Devontez Walker, Chris Moore, and LaJohntay Wester have all made plays.
Once Ja'Kobi Lane returns from his injury, I think the Ravens have more than enough depth at wide receiver. I'm not sure what the Cardinals' asking price would be for Harrison, but he's young, talented, and a former first-round pick who would draw interest from other teams. If Harrison does change uniforms, I don't think he'll be headed to Baltimore.
