Week One staring interior line

[JZB4321]

I always wonder if the ravens have figured out the rookie wall is a certain number of games and intentionally sit rookies who may be ready early in the season so as to have them playing well through the end of it instead

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[John Reglarperson]

My guess is:

LG: Ben Powers – 6'4, listed at 310 lbs, 33 3/4” arms
C: Bradley Bozeman – 6′ 5″, 311
RG: DJ Fluker – 6′ 5″ 340 (size 22 shoes)

I bet Powers measures-in with noticeably greater mass than he was listed at last year.

No rookies in the opening day lineup. They'll back up for a year, while working in the weight room and learning from Joe D.

Wildcard: Mekari. It's possible that he's just flat better than Powers (or maybe even Bozeman). My leaving him off here could look pretty dumb in four months. NB Mekari is about a year younger than Powers.

If you stick with one single rule - "no rookies in the opening day lineup" - you're basically saying that there are 4 players competing for 3 spots. And Fluker is one of those 4 players, and if he's a starter, it's at RG. Which leaves 3 players for 2 spots, so if you don't have Mekari as a starter, if you're wrong about something, it's probably that Mekari is a starter. If you leave Powers or Bozeman out, and you're wrong, it's that Powers or Bozeman are in.

I agree w. Powers / Bozeman / Fluker - based mostly on not rookies, not hurt, playing the positions they were All Americans at in college.

(I should add, I don't think it's going to happen, at all, ever, but I'd like the most the idea that - because so many think that anybody can really play any position - the Ravens go with the most massive line possible, with massive Orlando Brown, massive DJ Fluker, massive Tyre Phillips, and either massive Andre Smith or massive Evan Adams. I think that would be fun to see in a preseason game. I assume they'll be trying a lot of different things in preseason games. Test to see if one of the massive guys could play Center, LG or LT, even if that's not the week 1 starter plan)

[The Excellector]

I think that Powers will beat out Fluker at RG.

[JimZipCode]

If you stick with one single rule - "no rookies in the opening day lineup" ...

I didn't mean to articulate a "rule". I just meant that I anticipate there being no rookies in the starting 5 on opening day.

[BearArms]

I'm worried about Mekari getting overpowered. If rather have Powers/Phillips. Bozeman. Fluker to start. If Phillips shines I hope Powers takes the other guard spot unless Fluker how his pass protection

[JimZipCode]

It actually reminds me that we were having the same argument back then about Harbaugh refusing to start McKinnie, who they said was clearly better. But recall that there were questions about McKinnie's physical shape, work ethic and passion -- there were whispers of financial trouble and he was just playing for the money. I always applauded Harbaugh for sitting him and figuring out how to motivate him to be a big contributor on that Super Bowl team.

Baldy always acts like I'm an idiot for believing that Harbs managed McKinnie perfectly during the SB season. Of course McKinnie was more skilled than Osemele; but if you're out of shape and not making a full effort, it doesn't matter how "skilled" you are.

I believe that Harbs was using a similar psychological playbook with Brown.

I always assumed it was less Machiavellian than that. Zeus Deuce looked fine in preseason; but who knows if the stamina was there. Who knows if his handling of stunts & twists was 100% ready for the reg season. And with Joe at QB! Orlando wasn't exactly Ronnie Stanley coming out of college. Makes plenty of sense to give him a couple extra months of practice and weight-room work, before letting him take the job.

Might be different if we had Lamar behind center at the time, rather than an older immobile guy.

[JimZipCode]

I always wonder if the ravens have figured out the rookie wall is a certain number of games and intentionally sit rookies who may be ready early in the season so as to have them playing well through the end of it instead

Oooo. That's next level stuff, right there.

[edromeo]

C - Skura he’s already doing squats and deadlift

LG - Bozeman

RG - Phillips - played LT in college, has the size the organization likes

Fluker - I think he’s an insurance policy IF one of the young guns doesn’t step up....otherwise he’s there for scheme familiarity and leadership

Training camp, please let there be training camp, will sort all this out....no combination will surprise me

[NjRavensFan]

Big difference between doing squats and moving laterally while getting popped in the mouth by 320 lb DLs

[edromeo]

Big difference between doing squats and moving laterally while getting popped in the mouth by 320 lb DLs

Agreed.

[camdenyard]

This thread is why I love this Board. Great takes all around. Kudos to all.

I think it's Stanley > Bozeman > Meraki < Fluker < OBJ

Gone are the days when our backups were Kipp Vickers and stiffs like that.

[21xxxv]

The team drafted depth at O'Line. Phillips can play Tackle and Guard. Powers is liked by the team, and he had a year to mentor under Yanda. Unless Fluker has really regressed the team feels he will press hard for the RG position. Even if he is a one year rental, that isn't totally bad. Skura will be on IR with the ability to return, Phillips and Merkari are the only other Tackle depth. I see Andre Smith getting released. LG could come down to Bozeman and Powers if Fluker is up to the task.