Holmes: Ravens' Offensive Line Needs New Focus
Sure, sometimes it's a diva wide receiver making waves and dividing the locker room. Absolutely, teams occasionally get blindside by "quarterback mania" such has been the case with Tim Tebow or Johnny Manziel, who fostered nagging dialogue from unreasonable zealots. But rarely in NFL locker rooms does one find the root of an organization's most troubling issues to be along the offensive line.
While the 2015 Baltimore Ravens had a litany of issues upon which to blame a 5-11 season, both on and off the field, it's becoming more apparent by the day there was true friction amongst their former strength--the offensive line. On particularly the left side of the line, Baltimore struggled throughout the year. This was mostly due to the lack of consistency as to who started each game.
Both slated starters on the left side had their own problems in 2015. Tackle Eugene Monroe has been hurt and battled injuries since he left Jacksonville for Baltimore via trade. The larger issue with Monroe, however, has been his methods of isolation. He hasn't ever appeared to be "one of the guys. That much was clear in the locker room. Even still, it's not uncommon, nor harmful, for NFL players to be aloof or loners, per-say--except in the case of linemen. It's become common knowledge that cohesion and chemistry among a team's offensive line are more important than in any other position group. Monroe has always been quiet in the locker room. He hasn't seemed to reach out to younger linemen, nor has he seemed to be the leader most left tackles naturally blossom into. While Monroe hasn't been awful as a Raven, he's been called "soft" by local radio hosts, and been accused of "missing time for a hangnail" by anonymous voices within the organization. Fair or not, Monroe has been a lightning rod for criticism due to the Ravens' offensive struggles. However, the Ravens not moving Monroe may have had an unintended impact on a better player leaving Baltimore.
While players like right guard Marshal Yanda are leaders among the offensive unit, more passive linemen seemed to fall by the wayside in 2015. Kelechi Osemele hadn't seemed to be the jagged, grizzled personality of Monroe, nor was he too introverted for a locker room, but an underlying factor of the left guard's apparent displeasure with his former team isn't hard to determine if one simply connects the dots.
"I would love to play tackle in this league. It's my fourth year in the league now, and I feel like I can handle that responsibility. I just keep working at it and getting better at it. I would love to play left tackle in the NFL."
That's a direct quote from Kelechi Osemele after Baltimore's blowout loss to Seattle in week 14. Osemele was filling in for the (again) injured Eugene Monroe at left tackle. While the team was terrible last season, Osemele's performance at left tackle was noticed not just in Baltimore, but around the league--especially by teams in need of linemen.
Much like any other profession in America, the more positions one can fill, the more they can do at at an organization, the more valuable they become. Osemele's market price skyrocketed the minute the league realized he could play an even decent game at left tackle. Few would argue this, but the source of debate in Baltimore has been why the Ravens front office didn't do the following: Cut Eugene Monroe (or trade him for a low pick), obtain the compensatory pick down the line, pay Osemele his worth given that the salary cap is increasing next season, and draft a formidable guard in the later rounds of May to fill Osemele's old spot. However, as was proven with former Broncos/current Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler, players now gauge the respect a team has for them not just by the deal offered, itself, but by the aggressiveness and willingness the team has to negotiate. Newsome and company made it apparent they were content with letting K.O. test the market once early March hit, even being sure he'd walk.
Not only did Osemele find his deal with the Oakland Raiders, but wasted no time voicing his discontent attitude toward his former club with a passive aggressive, subtweet-like statement via a conference call with the Raiders organization.
"Going through the (Raiders) roster, I kind of saw what everybody was saying, and the emphasis on building the offensive line, coming from a place where (it's) not really appreciated, you know?" said Osemele. "Coming to a team where offensive line play is a focus and where it matters and they want to build that up, that was a big factor."
While that statement seems ludicrous, most followers of football can deduce that Osemele's statement wasn't what he actually believed about the Ravens' organization. He, himself, saw the front office make Marshal Yanda the highest paid guard in team history while playing alongside him. Osemele knows the Ravens do prioritize paying linemen--which is the reason for the friction and refusal to negotiate past a week's offseason time with the Ravens.
Brock Osweiler didn't feel the love in Denver. He didn't read the headlines he expected after beating New England. Elway didn't praise him. Manning didn't help him. Yes, Houston paid him heavily, but it's not just about that. Osemele saw Monroe struggle and not play while hurt. He saw the headlines about problems at left tackle. It's where he wanted to be. The Ravens didn't ever seriously consider keeping him on the roster at market value. Monroe is still a Raven--for the time being. That mattered. The "you're going to keep him and let me walk?" mentality can be attributed to both cases. Whether or not it's a rational line of thinking is up for debate. The dots can be connected. Both Osweiler and Osemele are with less reputable, less successful organizations over the last 20 years now. Both the Ravens and Broncos will have opportunities to plug the holes.
From Baltimore's side of things, the Ravens are in a bit of a "wipe the slate clean" situation with the left side of their line. Things could go either way as far as actual production goes, but the offensive line with which Baltimore won a championship in 2012 was a polar opposite to one of their worst in franchise history in 2015. It's almost inevitable the team moves on from Monroe in one way or another, which could be a blessing in disguise.
Historically, the team has done a more than decent job of roster turnover and damage control. Ravens Nation should keep in mind Ozzie Newsome has let go of left guards who are in their prime before, and the franchise was not worse off than the player. Yet, this March has already proven one thing-- the pride is in the pay -- and teams are more complacent than ever in letting players walk. Sometimes the unexpected side benefits more from that complacency.
Ben Holmes is a sports reporter and producer for CBS Sports Radio in Baltimore MD. He covers Maryland Terrapins Basketball and Football for Baltimore's 105.7 The Fan. You can follow Ben on twitter@HomlesOnSports.
