The Ravens lost both starting guards during free agency this offseason. The departures of Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, coupled with the trade sending right tackle Morgan Moses back to the Jets, has created three vacancies for first-team roles up front.
One of Baltimore’s top priorities for the summer has been evaluating options at both guard positions and the right tackle spot. Plenty is still to be determined along the interior, but the favorites to start at RT appear to be in place. Veteran Patrick Mekari — who has experience stepping in at all five O-line spots — has received the majority of training-camp snaps at right tackle, but second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten also got an extended look with the starters recently.
“I thought Roger has been doing well,” head coach John Harbaugh said on Thursday, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “I thought he deserved a shot with the ones, you saw him get a shot with the ones today. So, we’ll just keep working through that and let it play out.”
Rosengarten had a strong college career playing on the right side at Washington. That entailed protecting the blindside of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., meaning he could one day transition to the left tackle spot in the NFL. That role belongs — for at least one more season — to Ronnie Stanley, so Rosengarten will keep his attention focused on right tackle. He has previously been named as a candidate to start at some point during the season, but a strong showing during the summer could put him on track to handle first-duties as early as Week 1 and allow the team to keep Mekari in place as a sixth lineman.
A separate Zrebiec piece notes that free-agent addition Josh Jones, meanwhile, is likely slated for a backup role in 2024. The former Cardinal and Texan has started along the interior and also at tackle, but being out of contention for first-team responsibilities is another sign Rosengarten could get the nod early in his rookie campaign. It also represents further indication 2023 seventh-rounder Andrew Vorhees is a strong candidate to start at left guard and that 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Faalele will be given considerable opportunities to win the right guard spot.
