Among the biggest storylines hanging over the Baltimore Ravens as they prepare for training camp is who will take over the openings on the offensive line.
The Ravens lost key starters over the offseason in Morgan Moses, John Simpson, and Kevin Zeitler, and didn't make any major moves to replace them beyond drafting Roger Rosengarten in the second round.
Head coach John Harbaugh has said the battle remains open, but all of the candidates for the jobs look ready.
One of the key names to watch is Andrew Vorhees. Taken in the seventh round of the 2023 draft, Vorhees was considered a Day 2 prospect, but fell because of a torn ACL suffered during the combine. That injury kept him out for all of his rookie season.
Now, Vorhees is not only in contention to start at left guard — he is the "perceived frontrunner," according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.
Furthermore, as Zrebiec notes, because Vorhees missed all of the 2023 season, he didn't accrue an NFL season, meaning his four-year contract is only just beginning. Zrebiec writes that if Vorhees can land the starting spot and perform capably, he could become a "coup" for the Ravens — a starting guard on an extremely team-friendly contract.
According to Spotrac, Vorhees' cap hits for 2024 and 2025 are below $1 million.
"That alone made the decision to draft Vorhees a worthy gamble," Zrebiec wrote.
Vorhees told reporters from OTAs that he spent much of the 2023 season in the weight room and film room. Because he had such a lengthy layoff from playing, Vorhees admitted that practice action felt "fast" initially, but has since slowed down from him with more repetitions.
In some ways, the situation is comparable to how teams used to break quarterbacks in slowly before handing them they keys to the offense. Though Vorhees was recovering from an injury, he still has had extra time to physically and mentally prepare before stepping on the field.
Because the Ravens didn't add veterans offensive linemen, there will be a degree of inexperience this year, regardless of who starts. But it could be particularly beneficial for the team to push Vorhees into that position.
