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Through 8 Games, Wagner Proving Ravens Right

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The Ravens may be sitting at 5-3 and in second place in the division at the moment, but my how times have changed along the offensive line – especially at the right tackle position.

Many fans and media members hung their heads in disbelief as the Ravens stuck to their guns this offseason, opting not to bring in a veteran free agent to replace Michael Oher. The prevailing thought was, who the hell is Rick Wagner?

We saw glimpses of Wagner in 2013. First, the Ravens inserted the rookie fifth-round pick from Wisconsin into the lineup against Denver in Week 1 and the results were quite honestly not good, as he gave up 2.5 sacks.

Wagner went on to play in all 16 games for the Ravens last season used mostly as an extra lineman in certain packages but certainly nothing shouted he was the future for the Ravens at right tackle.

In training camp this year, Wagner had his ups and downs when dealing with the Ravens’ top pass rushers. Still, every day he battled and the results were promising. If the 6-6, 310-pound tackle was beat on a particular play during 11-on-11 drills, he redeemed himself most of the time on the next play. Rarely did he fall for the same move twice.

It was easy to see why the Ravens made the decision to stick with Wagner despite the learning curve he would have to overcome as a first time starter.

Through the first eight weeks of the season, Wagner has been solid. While it’s true that he has been responsible for 13 quarterback hurries allowed to opposing pass rushers, he has been responsible for giving up just one sack on Joe Flacco per Pro Football Focus.

The metrics website has Wagner rated as the NFL’s sixth-best offensive tackle with an overall grade of +10.5.

“When I came in here,” offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak explained, “you had a starting right tackle that hadn’t played much football, so I didn’t know much. But I think the biggest compliment I can pay to him is that you haven’t noticed much because he has just played very solid. He practices well; he’s committed to what he’s doing; he’s a very steady player – doesn’t make mistakes. He’s on his way to being a very fine pro.

“So, we’re real proud of how far he’s come. But hopefully we keep the whole group together right now. James [Hurst] and John [Urschel] came in and played well for us and played a little bit more last week. But hopefully we’re settling down a little bit now and those guys get a lot of time together.”

Gaining experience is crucial and Wagner has proven his hard work exhibited throughout the summer conditioning himself is paying off as he’s been on the field for every offensive snap the Ravens have taken in 2014.

For all the questions that surrounded the offensive line entering the season – particularly at right tackle – Wagner has provided us all with some ease. At least through the first eight games. Here’s to the next eight, Rick.

Follow me on Twitter @sportguyRSR

 

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