Osemele will start opening game, McKinnie in danger to make roster

[Paintballguy]

I hope that turns out to be our starting lineup. McKinnie, Osemele, Birk, Yanda, and Oher puts our best 5 guys in. Not a fan of another 35+ year old starting on the line.

That's been the line the past 2 days. I'm hoping it stays that way also.

[Ravens75]

McKinnie is not getting cut. To take a chance on having two below average LT's(Oher and Harewood) and two unproven RT's (KO and Reid) you risk Joe getting hurt and the season being over before it starts especially when the Ravens face basically every pass rusher known to man this year.

Hell the shot he took in the Atlanta game that left me cringing. The good news is that they have some good young pieces in Yanda, KO and even Oher whom I believe will develop into a good RT. What the Ravens need more than anything else is to draft a franchise LT or by some act of congress get Jake Long from the Fish.

Having that LT will really balance out the line and they need to do something if they really want Joe to stay upright and for the running game to thrive.

On a related topic, I am surprised no one has mentioned the comment the writer made about Ray and Courtney.

[Shas]

Oz will never admit this huge mistake. Never.

He'll give him a big signing bonus before he cuts him.

Just a small point of order. Ozzie really isn't the guy who decides if a player is cut. Harbaugh and his staff decide on the final roster. Oh sure, the GM is going to have a say if the staff wants to cut a guy who will leave the team hamstrung with a lot of dead money, but if Harbaugh doesn't think a guy is able to help the team, it's his opinion, not Ozzie's ego that matters.

[Paintballguy]

On a related topic, I am surprised no one has mentioned the comment the writer made about Ray and Courtney.

I don't think it has any validity. Upshaw has been dealing with a shoulder injury.

[RavensNTerps]

Osemele will not start the opening game, McKinnie is in no danger to make roster.

p.s.: I don't need unnamed sources to state that!

Ya may want to be careful with what you consider facts.

[Cj34]

Ummm...

Matt Zenitz ‏@mzenitz
Also, with Bobbie Williams back today, Osemele has shifted back to RT with the first team offense. McKinnie back to second team LT

Damn I hope we aren't all wrong.

[jonboy79]

Ummm...

Matt Zenitz ‏@mzenitz
Also, with Bobbie Williams back today, Osemele has shifted back to RT with the first team offense. McKinnie back to second team LT

Damn I hope we aren't all wrong.

Weird... I guess that one guy earlier in the thread was right, that it looks like we were thinking of this shuffling backwards.

Now I'm scared again, scared that the coaching staff is ONCE AGAIN determined to play Oher on the "Blind side" no matter how poorly he performs.

[Benny8444]

Guys you get more reps with the 2nd team than you do with the first. Its the same thing with Cody on the 2nd team. They want to give Mickinne more reps AND get him in 100% shape. Look at the depth chart and he is the starting LT. KO will be the back up guard and Oher will be RT.

Also, there is no way mickinne gets cut at the most he is an expensive back up. They need insurance if they choose to go with oher and KO at T and Bobbie williams at G.

[TheJoeFlaccoShow]

Weird... I guess that one guy earlier in the thread was right, that it looks like we were thinking of this shuffling backwards.

Now I'm scared again, scared that the coaching staff is ONCE AGAIN determined to play Oher on the "Blind side" no matter how poorly he performs.

Relax, it is training camp and Harbs wants McKinnie to "earn" his spot back. Flipping and flopping with the 1st and 2nd team doesn't mean much at this point.

[jonboy79]

Relax, it is training camp and Harbs wants McKinnie to "earn" his spot back. Flipping and flopping with the 1st and 2nd team doesn't mean much at this point.

I'm more worried that Oher keeps playing Lt instead of RT.
Maybe i can get real lucky and they will go with Bmac and KO. That's gotta save a dozen false starts or more...

[goodandfast]

Weird... I guess that one guy earlier in the thread was right, that it looks like we were thinking of this shuffling backwards.

Now I'm scared again, scared that the coaching staff is ONCE AGAIN determined to play Oher on the "Blind side" no matter how poorly he performs.

I wouldn't necessarily say that this points to any one rhyme or reason other than getting a look at different OL combinations so that they can find the one that works best.

[Benny8444]

Relax, it is training camp and Harbs wants McKinnie to "earn" his spot back. Flipping and flopping with the 1st and 2nd team doesn't mean much at this point.

I totally agree with this and I belive the job is McKinnies but harbs does want McKinnie to prove that he can stay in shape and "earn" his spot back even though in my view and really in the teams view he never lost it.

[The Excellector]

As good as Michael Oher looked during his rookie season, I think he'd look fine if they just kept him at one darn spot.

[Terpsfan82]

As good as Michael Oher looked during his rookie season, I think he'd look fine if they just kept him at one darn spot.

This. I actually feel kind of bad for him. He has yet to play two consecutive seasons at the same position. No continuity.

[Dade]

As good as Michael Oher looked during his rookie season, I think he'd look fine if they just kept him at one darn spot.

And people wonder why he hasn't lived up to his potential yet.

[lobachevsky]

I wouldn't necessarily say that this points to any one rhyme or reason other than getting a look at different OL combinations so that they can find the one that works best.

Speaking as "that one guy earlier in the thread," I endorse this sentiment. Let McKinnie play his way back into shape while they get a look at other possible configurations--probably prudent considering you have 3 starters well over 30 who could go down (or need a week or two off) at any time.

[Paintballguy]

As good as Michael Oher looked during his rookie season, I think he'd look fine if they just kept him at one darn spot.

Wish they would've kept him at RT since day 1.

[Shas]

Long term, however, don't you get the sense that they would like Oher to be their left tackle for years to come? And then plan on Reid or Osemele emerging to claim the RT spot?

I just don't get the sense that McKinnie is long for the team, and I certainly would expect that they would rather not have to go into another draft needing to find their future left tackle.

If you envision Oher on the right side for the sake of keeping him in one spot, then you are looking at a scenerio of a} keeping McKinnie around for a good bit of time, b} developing Harewood into a starter at LT, c} using a high draft pick to find a LT, d} spending money in free agency to find another plug-in at LT when McKinnie leaves.

Personally, none of those options seem as attractive as putting Oher on the left side, with the intention of leaving him there, and banking on a guy like Osemele being your right tackle for years to come.

If Gradkowski can effectively step in for Birk, then you have a young line that could play together for a long time, with only the much-easier LG player to find.

Of course all this depends, as always, on these guys performing. And I recognize the Oher may not succeed on the left side. But if I'm Harbaugh, I would rather make Plan A Oher at LT and let him prove he can handle it.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

Long term, however, don't you get the sense that they would like Oher to be their left tackle for years to come? And then plan on Reid or Osemele emerging to claim the RT spot?

I just don't get the sense that McKinnie is long for the team, and I certainly would expect that they would rather not have to go into another draft needing to find their future left tackle.

If you envision Oher on the right side for the sake of keeping him in one spot, then you are looking at a scenerio of a} keeping McKinnie around for a good bit of time, b} developing Harewood into a starter at LT, c} using a high draft pick to find a LT, d} spending money in free agency to find another plug-in at LT when McKinnie leaves.

Personally, none of those options seem as attractive as putting Oher on the left side, with the intention of leaving him there, and banking on a guy like Osemele being your right tackle for years to come.

If Gradkowski can effectively step in for Birk, then you have a young line that could play together for a long time, with only the much-easier LG player to find.

Of course all this depends, as always, on these guys performing. And I recognize the Oher may not succeed on the left side. But if I'm Harbaugh, I would rather make Plan A Oher at LT and let him prove he can handle it.

I think without question the team would like to have Oher at LT for the long term.

They are likely going to try hard to get him signed to an extension next year.

[wickedsolo]

Long term, however, don't you get the sense that they would like Oher to be their left tackle for years to come? And then plan on Reid or Osemele emerging to claim the RT spot?

I just don't get the sense that McKinnie is long for the team, and I certainly would expect that they would rather not have to go into another draft needing to find their future left tackle.

If you envision Oher on the right side for the sake of keeping him in one spot, then you are looking at a scenerio of a} keeping McKinnie around for a good bit of time, b} developing Harewood into a starter at LT, c} using a high draft pick to find a LT, d} spending money in free agency to find another plug-in at LT when McKinnie leaves.

Personally, none of those options seem as attractive as putting Oher on the left side, with the intention of leaving him there, and banking on a guy like Osemele being your right tackle for years to come.

If Gradkowski can effectively step in for Birk, then you have a young line that could play together for a long time, with only the much-easier LG player to find.

I agree that they are probably looking at Oher as the long term solution at left tackle UNLESS (which hopefully this is the case) they are in the position to draft a better LT prospect next year and/or are able to potentially sign a free agent LT.

At the end of the day though, a solid left tackle is one of the most difficult positions to acquire via draft or free agency. Even average left tackles never hit the open market in their prime because it's so hard to establish a guy who can adequately pass block on the left side.

If Oher can even be an average left tackle, then he'll be here for at least another 4 years or so and likely will be the LT. Sometimes it takes a guy a couple of years to really solidify their abilities at one position and they are bouncing Oher back and forth every other week (exaggerated, but the point remains), so it's probably not easy for him to really hone the skills for the LT position.

Houston fans were clamoring for Duane Brown to be cut after a year or two at LT and now he's one of the better LT's in the league. Same with Brandon Albert down in Kansas City.

Realistically, there are only 3 or 4 really "elite" (or what you could argue are elite) left tackles in the league right now [Long, Thomas, maybe Clady, maybe D. Brown] and there are several teams that are still successful with average and even - seemingly - below average left tackles. The Giants last year are a good example of this. The Cardinals re-signed Levi Brown and he's been nothing short of below average at LT since coming into the league...yet they felt compelled to keep him around. The alternatives just weren't good enough to make them comfortable with letting him go.

This is where the offensive coordinator and QB can really sow their oats with the passing game by game-planning around weak OT protection and getting the ball out quickly. that's what the Giants did last year with Eli, that's what the Bears do, etc.