Ravens All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley has only appeared in one game since injuring his ankle in November of 2020. Fortunately, it sounds like the lineman could soon be back on the field, as head coach John Harbaugh gave a positive on the lineman’s status.
“Ronnie’s ankle is looking great,” Harbaugh said (via Clifton Brown of the team’s website). “Ronnie’s mission right now will be to get in the best shape of his life and get ready to play football, and that’s what he’s working on.”
Stanley suffered a severe ankle injury during Week 8 of the 2020 season. He tried to return for the 2021 campaign, and after appearing in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1, he ultimately decided to opt for more surgery. Prior to his injury, Stanley was among the top left tackles in the NFL, with Pro Football Focus consistently ranking him among the best at his position. The team’s primary goal is to have the veteran ready for Week 1, per Brown.
“I expect him to play like Ronnie Stanley,” Harbaugh added. “He’s really motivated to do it. Just talked to him again today. He’s chomping at the bit to get back. If he plays like Ronnie Stanley, and even better, than the significance is almost immeasurable. And that’s what we’re hoping for.”
More out of Baltimore…
- Elsewhere on the offensive line, it sounds like Ben Cleveland and Tyre Phillips are competing for Baltimore’s starting left guard spot, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The writer believes Cleveland will be given every opportunity to win the job, although he’ll have to improve his ability to stay healthy and practice well. Meanwhile, Phillips has been forced to fill in at tackle over the past two years, but the coaching staff believes he has the skills to contribute at the position.
- J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards didn’t see the field last season, but Harbaugh indicated that both of his RBs are trending in the right direction as they look to make their return. “You talk to J.K., he’s the starting running back today, he should’ve been practicing today,” Harbaugh said (via Brown). “But he’s got work to do still, so does Gus. But they’re both I think doing great. We’ll see how they look when they come back.”
- The head coach also spoke highly of the team’s healthy running backs, a grouping that includes free agent addition Mike Davis and rookie sixth-round pick Tyler Badie. “[I’m] very positive about Mike Davis,” Harbaugh said. “He shows up as a veteran running back. [He’s] quick, has really good vision, and he’s always been a good receiving running back, but when you see it in person, it kind of opens your eyes. I’ll say, Tyler Badie, too, is a receiving running back. These guys kind of jumped out that way in these camps.”
- Before letting go of defensive tackle Derek Wolfe with an injury settlement, the Ravens had been operating as if they wouldn’t have the veteran on the field this season, per Zrebiec. After signing a three-year extension last offseason, Wolfe suffered a back injury that ultimately cost him the entire 2021 season. January hip surgery led to retirement talk, and Wolfe recently revealed that he had undergone another hip surgery later in the offseason. As Zrebiec notes, the team made plenty of moves to assure they wouldn’t be relying on the veteran, including the re-signing of Calais Campbell, using a third-round pick on Travis Jones, and signing veteran Brent Urban.