Starting right tackle Roger Rosengarten has specific plans for taking his game to another level.
Considered an excellent pass protector, Rosengarten wants to take his run blocking to another level. He believes Year 3 in the NFL will be his best season.
"I definitely want to assert my dominance in the run game," Rosengarten said. "Throughout my high school and college career, I have definitely been in a more pass-heavy offense.
"I really want to assert my dominance there. I feel like I have done a great job working on that this offseason and through OTAs, and now going into training camp, it is time to put it all together and put it on film."
During the offseason, Rosengarten focused on cardiovascular training to improve his stamina, which fits where the Ravens are going. Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle wants to run a fast-paced attack, getting in and out of the huddle quickly. Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Dwayne Ledford wants to see speed off the ball, toughness, and a strong finish to games from the offensive line.
Rosengarten is prepared for all of that.
"I really challenged myself to be in the best shape possible, cardio wise," Rosengarten said. "This offseason, myself and a few other guys in the league — and my roommate -we challenged ourselves to really push our pace when it comes to cardio. If I [wear out] the defensive lineman in front of me, and I know that I can do that for 12 to 13-play drives, it is going to be good."
Being in tip-top shape is part of Rosengarten's plan to help Baltimore close out games. The Ravens have lost too many fourth-quarter leads for Rosengarten's taste over the past two seasons. Head Coach Jesse Minter has preached that he wants the Ravens to "play our best when our best is needed" and Rosengarten is on board.
"As a player, and as a team, finishing in the fourth quarter has not been our best," Rosengarten said. "I feel like that is not Ravens football.
"We talk about Ravens football and the history behind it. I feel like in way too many games in my first and second year, we left it on the table. You have to leave everything out on the line, and if you do that, I think you cannot be upset with the result, and the results will show in wins."
In addition to taking his run blocking to the next level, Rosengarten plans to be a louder voice in the offensive line room. When he joined the Ravens, older linemen like Ronnie Stanley, Patrick Mekari, and Tyler Linderbaum showed Rosengarten the ropes. Now, Rosengarten knows other linemen are looking for he and Stanley to lead the way.
"They are big shoes to fill, but I think I need to be the example for the guys to look up to," Rosengarten said.
Ledford loves the way Rosengarten is embracing the challenge. He sees great things ahead.
"I'm really excited about Roger," Rosengarten said. "I remember when he was coming out in the draft and just who he was as a player. He's very athletic. He has some really good skills up front at the tackle position, and I'm just excited about what he can do with what we're going to ask him to do in this offense."
