Mink: The Ravens tight end split last season was fairly even in terms of snaps. Mark Andrews played 682 and Isaiah Likely played 627. I wouldn't read too much into Head Coach John Harbaugh's comments about his goal for Likely to be an All-Pro. I'm sure Harbaugh would also say he could see Andrews, who has already been an All-Pro, reach the pinnacle of his position again.
Likely is absolutely an ascending player who will continue to be a versatile playmaker in the Ravens offense. He prides himself on being a "chess piece" that can be used all over the offense. While Likely could continue to level the snap count or even surpass Andrews in some games, I would anticipate that the rotation looks similar to how it did last year when Andrews and Likely combined for 1,150 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
The Ravens ratcheted up their use of "12" personnel (one running back and two tight ends) last season and had the highest expected points added (EPA) from it by far in the league. Thus, I (and Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken) expect that to continue.
"[Tight Ends] Coach [George] Godsey does a great job every week of [figuring out], 'How do we rotate those guys? Where do we have the targets aligned, so those guys feel like they're getting their opportunities?'" Monken said, giving credit to Andrews and Likely for being selfless. "I'm fired up they're all here to run it back with those guys, and I see us being very similar to last year in a lot of ways, because I think that's our best grouping."
Brown: That depends on whether Cleveland beats out Andrew Vorhees for the starting left guard spot or earns a backup role on the 53-man roster.
Cleveland suited up for all 17 games last season but played a career-low 49 offensive snaps, as the Ravens' line remained healthy nearly all season. Vorhees is considered the favorite to start at left guard, but it was interesting that Cleveland earned some reps with starters during the first week of OTAs. Cleveland can also play center and tackle, and that versatility could help him earn a roster spot.
Cleveland has appeared in 54 games during four seasons with Baltimore including seven starts. He's had some solid games when given an opportunity to play and has more than enough size (6-foot-6, 360 pounds) and came into the league from a big-time college program (Georgia).
Baltimore's decision to re-sign Cleveland this offseason gives him another opportunity to fulfill the expectations the Ravens had for him as a third-round pick in 2021. It's going to be an interesting summer for him, regardless of how it plays out.
Mink: I don't expect the Ravens to play the starters any more this preseason than in the past. Harbaugh has determined (correctly, in my opinion) that the risk of injury does not outweigh the benefits. It's not like the Ravens came out of the gates slow in Week 1 last year. They took the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to the wire on the road. Yes, the Ravens have a challenging schedule to start the year again, but I don't think they'll treat it differently than any other year. If this 2025 Ravens squad stays healthy, including through the preseason, it's going to be very difficult to beat.
Brown: As of last week, 30 of 32 second-round picks remained unsigned, so it's not unusual that Green has not agreed to terms.
Second-round picks are reportedly pushing for fully guaranteed deals, which has slowed the pace of them agreeing to terms. Jayden Higgins of the Houston Texans became the first second-round pick in NFL history to sign a fully-guaranteed deal when he agreed to terms last month.
It remains to be seen how long it takes Green to sign his deal, but he's been participating in OTAs and minicamps and still has the potential to make an immediate impact. As long as he remains focused and reaches an agreement in a reasonable amount of time, his rookie season shouldn't be adversely impacted.
As for Tampa, this is a huge second season for him. An ankle injury limited him to just seven games as a rookie and Tampa played just 18 defensive snaps.
The Ravens drafted cornerbacks Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam, and it's a crowded cornerback depth chart behind Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. Tampa will need to stay healthy and play consistently to earn a spot in the rotation.
