Baltimore Ravens Receive Ominous Take From NFL Analyst

The Baltimore Ravens had a successful 2023 campaign. While their playoff run fell short in the AFC Championship Game, there were still a lot of positives to take away from the season.

Alas, when you are successful, other franchises around the league will want to poach your players and coaches. For the Baltimore Ravens, that was one of the themes of their offseason.

As a result of the personnel they lost, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes they could be in for a rough start to the 2024 campaign. The Baltimore Ravens were one of six teams he selected for his piece on teams set up to have a disastrous start this upcoming season.

One of the reasons Ballentine has listed the team is the overhauling of the offensive line. They lost several starters from last season and don’t have much experience to turn to when it comes to filling those voids.

“The first is the offensive line. The Ravens will be breaking in three new starters this season. Right tackle Morgan Moses was traded to the Jets and will be joined by left guard John Simpson in New York. Kevin Zeitler started at right guard and left to go to the Detroit Lions,” Ballentine wrote.

Getting the offensive line on track is imperative to Todd Monken’s offensive scheme running smoothly. If they cannot win in the trenches, it will be difficult to consistently move the ball.

We saw the levels Lamar Jackson can reach with Monken leading the way. He won his second MVP award, but a poor offensive line could certainly lower production.

Another reason Ballentine believes the Baltimore Ravens are destined for a slow start is the defensive changes. The coaching staff was poached by several franchises.

“Throw in a defense that will have to navigate the switch from Mike Macdonald to Zach Orr at defensive coordinator and the Ravens could have some growing pains early on in the season,” Ballentine wrote.

In addition to Macdonald leaving, Anthony Weaver also departed. He took the defensive coordinator job with the Miami Dolphins, leaving the Baltimore Ravens without two of their best coaches on that side of the ball.

John Harbaugh has seen a lot in his career as head coach. Expect him to lean on his veterans in the early going as they transition in several areas.

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