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2010 Offensive Line Analysis - Baltimore Ravens

2010 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Michael Oher
Left Guard: Ben Grubbs
Center: Matt Birk
Right Guard: Marshal Yanda / Chris Chester
Right Tackle: Jared Gaither / Marshal Yanda

2009 Injuries:
T Jared Gaither: Weeks 5-6, 14-16

2009 Statistics:

Overview:
The Baltimore Ravens managed to make the playoffs for the second straight season for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Moreover, they were in the top half of the league in yards of offense for the first time since that same 2001 season. The development of Joe Flacco and Ray Rice had a lot to do with that but we also have to praise this offensive line which is now amongst the league’s five or ten best lines.

Moving to left tackle this season will be the 6’4” and 310 lbs, star of the movie and book “Blindside”, Michael Oher. He is very strong and has quick feet for his size which gives him the physical abilities to succeed on the left side. He showed great improvement throughout the season, especially to his technique, which will certainly allow him to make the Pro Bowl within the next few seasons. He was impressive as a run blocker all season long and was above average in pass protection allowing only five sacks. He played most of the season at right tackle but in his five games on the left side, he allowed only two sacks and they came against the top two pass rushing teams in the NFL: the Vikings and Steelers. He should have no problem as the full-time starter at left tackle and should be above average in both pass protection and run blocking once again. Last year’s starter on the left side, Jared Gaither, should start at right tackle this season. The 6’9” and 340 lbs tackle has been excellent in the past two years on the left side but for some reason he hasn’t been fully committed this off-season.  The Ravens are hoping that Gaither gets it together and continues to play like he did last year. Marshal Yanda would have no problem moving to right tackle but after him, the top backup at tackle is Oneil Cousins who struggled in his three starts last year.

Fourth year veteran Ben Grubbs will return as the starting left guard once again. Since taking over the starting job in week five of the 2007 season, Grubbs has not missed a single start. He is strong and athletic at 6’3” and 315 lbs and has a very good work ethic. His athleticism allows him to pull to the outside as a run blocker although he could build a little more strength to be more effective when blocking in motion. Grubbs is equally solid in pass protection because of his good technique and quick feet and should be a very good guard in the NFL for many years. Starting on the right side should be Marshal Yanda, a third round pick in 2007 who was a guard in college but filled in at right tackle in his rookie season. In 2008, Yanda was back at guard but suffered a season-ending knee injury in week six. Because of that injury, Yanda started off a little slow last year but regained his starting job at right guard in week 12. In his final six regular season games, he allowed only one sack and was excellent in run blocking. Yanda is known for his great intensity and never giving up on a block. He is not particularly athletic so is a better fit at guard in the NFL but could still be an adequate tackle. If Yanda is forced to move to tackle, Chris Chester, who started 24 games in the past two seasons, would move into the starting right guard spot. He is quick and explosive and has been a decent starter but could get a little stronger in order to be a better run blocker.

Last off-season, the Ravens acquired Matt Birk as a free agent and he had an immediate impact on this offensive line. Despite his age, Birk is still one of the best run blocking centers in the NFL. The Ravens running game averaged 0.7 yards per carry more in 2009 than in 2008 and the Vikings had a drop of 0.4 yards per carry last year. Birk is a very smart lineman with great technique and good strength for his size. His best asset is his awareness and he has definitely taught this young line to work better as a unit. He will be 34 years old when the season begins but considering the way he played last year, he definitely still has a few good seasons left in the NFL.

2010 Outlook:
The Ravens offensive line was one of the best in run blocking in 2009 but could still improve in pass protection. When Yanda took over as the starting right guard last year, the Ravens running game was pretty much unstoppable. In those final six games, they averaged 5.4 yards per carry but still allowed a disappointing 18 sacks. In three of those games Oher played on the left side with Cousins on the right and in the other three, Gaither was at left tackle and Oher on the right. There’s still some uncertainty about the right tackle position this season but those final games are a pretty good indicator of what the line will look like this year. This line has pretty good depth with Chester and Cousins but that depth could take a hit if Gaither doesn’t get it together. Overall this line should be just as good as last year and could be even better since Yanda was a pretty big upgrade over Chester late last year. Expect this line to be one of the best in run blocking once again this season and they should be around the league average in pass protection as they were last year.

See all of our 2010 Offensive Line Analysis Articles